Sindhi Biryani
Ingredients
1 kilogram mutton or chicken , 750 grams rice, basmati , 500 grams potatoes , 500 grams tomatoes, diced , 250 grams yogurt , 1 teaspoon red chili powder , As per taste salt , 2 medium onion sliced , 3 tablespoon garlic (crushed) , 2 teaspoon ginger (crushed) , 10 whole green cardamoms , 4 whole black cardamoms (bari Iliachi) , 10 cloves , 10 pieces black pepper , 1 inch piece cinnamon stick , 1 teaspoon zeera , 2 bay leaves (taze patta) , 10 whole dried plums (aaloo bukharay) , some ghee or cooking oil , 6 pieces green chillies , 2 tablespoon coriander leaves, fresh , 2 tablespoon mint leaves , drops kewra , 3 drops yellow food color , 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala , 1/2 cup ghee or oil.
Instructions
1. Marinate meat with garlic, ginger, salt, chili powder and garam masala for half an hour. 2. Meanwhile, heat oil or ghee in a heavy based sauce pan and fry onions for 5-10 minutes to a golden brown. Remove onions from oil and stir into the yogurt. Rub this yogurt all over the marinated chicken cover and put in a cool place for at least an hour. 3. Reheat the oil, add the meat along with the marinade and all of the whole spices, and stirring frequently, fry the meat 5-10 minutes. Add 1\2 cup water, cover and cook over low heat. When meat is half cooked, add potatoes and cook over low heat. 4. While the meat is cooking, prepare spice water. In a small saucepan, put 1 1\2 cups water, 1 teaspoon black pepper corn, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon cloves, 2 tablespoon coriander seeds, 2 tablespoons aniseeds, 1\2 teaspoon ground nut meg, 1\2 teaspoon mace, 1\2 teaspoon sandal bura (optional), 3-4 large cardamoms, 1 tablespoon green cardamoms, 3 bay leaves. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, cover and cook until the mixture reduced to 3\4 cup. 5. Wash and soak rice in water for half an hour. In another pan boil rice with 2-3 teaspoon of salt and plenty of water. When rice is 1\2 cooked drain water, add 1\4 cup oil or butter and fluff with a fork to prevent the rice from sticking. Keep rice to one side. 6. In a large pan place 2 inch layer of rice at the bottom, then a layer of meat, tomatoes, and dried plums on top, repeating this until the meat and rice have been used up. Sprinkle coriander and mint leaves over the top layer of the rice Pour spiced water and kewra over the rice. Do not stir. Mix the food color with a little water and sprinkle over the rice. 7. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes to produce steam, then lower the heat to very low and cook for 20 minutes until the rice is tender. 8. Once the dish is cooked, leave it covered for a few minutes. Remove the lid, fluff up the rice with a fork and transfer to a serving dish. 9. Serve with Raita and green salad.
Yakhni Pulao
Ingredients
1 kg. lamb meat on the bone, cut into pieces
12 cups water
2 garlic bulbs
3 inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into small pieces
4-5 small onions, peeled and sliced
8 cloves
1 tsp. black pepper
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp. coriander seeds
4-5 large cardamom
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. salt
1 cup aniseed (saunf) & 1\2 cup coriander seeds ( Tied in a piece of muslin to make spice bag.)
4 cups Pakistani basmati rice
For Masala:
1 cup ghee or oil
4 medium onions
6-8 green cardamoms
1 tsp. black peppercorn
1 inch cinnamon stick
3 large cardamoms
6 cloves
1 tbsp. ginger paste
Instructions
1.Trim most of the fat from the meat. Wash thoroughly with cold water. Put water in a large heavy based saucepan and bring to boil. Add meat, garlic, ginger, onions, cloves, black peppercorn, cinnamon, large cardamoms, bay leaves, salt and spice bag. Reduce the heat, cover and allow to boil gently for 40 to 45 minutes until the meat is tender.
2. Meanwhile, put the rice in a sieve and wash it thoroughly under running cold tap. Soak in plenty of water for 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve and let it stand for a minute or two.
3. Strain the meat and reserve the stock. Discard the spices bag, spices, onion and ginger from meat. Peel the garlic cloves to remove the garlic pulp and add this to meat.
4. To prepare masala heat ghee or oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion and fry to a golden color, stirring constantly. Reserve 3 tablespoons fried onions and to the rest add green cardamoms, black peppercorn
cinnamon, black cardamoms, cloves and bay leaves. Fry for a minute, add meat and ginger.
5. Stirring frequently, fry this over medium heat for 3 minutes then add yogurt and fry until meat turns to golden color and water from yogurt has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
6. Add rice to the meat and add just enough reserved stock to cover the rice by 1 inch. (Alternatively measure the stock, it should be 3 3/4 cups. Add water to make it to required quantity.) Cook rice over medium-low heat for about 5-8 minutes or until rice are 3\4 cooked. Cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce heat to very low and allow to cook for another 15-20 minutes until rice is tender.
7. Fluff up the rice with a fork, then transfer it into to a heated serving dish.
Serve with Raita.
Mutton Biryani
Ingredients
2 cups basmati rice
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons boiling water, for saffron
1/4 cup butter
2 onions, chopped
1 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
1 tablespoon coriander seed, ground
1 teaspoon cardamom seed, crushed
1 teaspoon peppercorns, coarsely ground
1 stick cinnamon
1 pound lamb, cut in 1" cubes
4 ounces dried apricot halves, cut crosswise
4 ounces raisins
2 ounces cashews, slit in half
2 ounces slivered almonds
2 bay leaves
3 teaspoons salt
2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 ounces pistachio nuts
Instructions
Rinse rice well, soak it in cold water for 30 minutes and drain. Place saffron threads into two tablespoons of boiling water and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté, stirring constantly for 5 minutes, or until onions are soft and translucent but not brown. Add cumin, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns, and cinnamon stick. Sauté, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.
Dry lamb cubes with paper towels and add to the spice mixture, taking care not to splatter. Sauté for about 10 minutes, or until they are seared and brown.
Add apricots, raisins, cashews, half the almonds, bay leaves, and 1 tsp. salt. Pour into chicken stock, cover pan, and simmer until lamb is tender, about 35 to 40 minutes. Taste the mixture and add more salt if necessary. Remove pan from heat. Remove and discard
cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Set aside and keep warm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large saucepan, bring 3 pints of water to boil over high heat. Add remaining salt and rice, and boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and drain rice in a colander.
Pour 1 tablespoon of melted butter into a large, ovenproof casserole dish. Put one-third of the rice in the bottom. Sprinkle with one-third of the saffron water. With a slotted spoon, transfer half of the meat and fruit mixture to the casserole dish. Add another third of the rice and saffron water. Add the remaining meat and fruit mixture, reserving the pan juices. Finish with a last layer of the rice sprinkled with the remaining saffron water. Pour the reserved pan juices over all. Sprinkle with pistachios,
remaining almonds, and remaining melted butter.
Cover casserole dish and bake until the rice has absorbed all the liquid--approximately one half hour. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Chicken Pulao
Ingredients
1 whole chicken cut into 8 pcs , 10 cloves , 2 teaspoons black peppercorns , 2 inch piece cinnamon stick , 2 tablespoons coriander seeds , 6 large black cardamoms , 1 teaspoon cumin, white , 1 small onion, coarsely chopped , 5 garlic cloves , 2 inch piece ginger cut into pieces , 450 grams rice, Pakistani basmati , 1\2 cup ghee or oil , 1 large onions skinned and thinly sliced , 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds , 1 teaspoon ginger paste , 1 teaspoon garlic paste.
Instructions
1. Wash chicken thoroughly under cold water tap. Place the meat, 5 cloves, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, 3 cardamoms, white cumin, 4 cups water, onion, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon salt in a large heavy based saucepan. 2. Bring it to a boil and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Reduce the heat, cover and boil gently for 10 minutes until the meat is tender. 3. Meanwhile, put the rice in a sieve and wash it thoroughly under running cold tap until the water runs clear. Soak in plenty of water for 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve and let it stand for a minute or two. 4. Strain the meat and the spices. Reserve the stock. Discard the spices by taking out the meat pieces from it. 5. Heat ghee or oil in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and stirring frequently, fry to a golden color. 6. Add 5 cloves, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cardamoms and 1 teaspoon black cumin, stir fry for few seconds. 7. Add meat, ginger and garlic. Stirring frequently, fry this over medium heat for 5 minutes until the meat turns to a golden color. 7. While the meat is cooking, measure the stock, it should be 3 1/2 cups. If it is less, add more water to make it to require. Boil the stock, add 1 teaspoon salt and rice in it and parboil for 5 minutes, adjust the seasoning with salt. 8. Carefully add the browned meat mixture into the rice and stir gently to mix. Cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce heat to very low and cook for another 10-15 minutes until rice is tender. Fluff up the rice with a fork and then transfer it into to a serving dish. • Serve with Raita.
Kicheri
Ingredients
1 1\2 cups rice Pakistani basmati rice
1\2 cup moong dal
5 cloves
1tsp. black pepper
1 inch piece cinnamon stick
3 large cardamom
1tsp. Caraway seeds
2 tsp. salt
1 small onion sliced thinly
1/2 cup ghee or cooking oil
Instructions
1. Put the rice and dal in a sieve and wash it thoroughly under running cold tap until the water runs clear. Soak in plenty of water for about 2 hours. Drain in a sieve and let it stand for a minute or two.
2. Heat the ghee or oil in the heavy base pan and add the onions, stirring frequently fry to a pale golden color. Add the all spices, fry for 1 minute. Add rice, lentil and salt and level with a spatula.
3. Add enough water to cover the rice by about 1 to 2 inches. ( The amount of water depends on, how mushy the rice you want.)
4. Cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce the heat and allow to cook for about 20 -25 minutes or until rice is very tender and mushy.
Transfer it to a serving dish and add butter to it, butter will melt with the heat of the rice. Serve immediately.
Fish Biryani
Ingredients
450g rohu or any other firm white fish fillets
1\2 cup vegetable oil
1 level tsp cumin seeds
1\2 level tsp mustard seeds
1 garlic clove,skinned
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 tsp ajowan (carum)
3-4 green chilli
1\2 level tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp. Red chili powder
Salt to taste
8-10 green -cardamoms
4 black cardamoms (bari Iliachi)
6 cloves
10 pieces of black pepper
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
8-10 dried plumb (allo bahara)
Oil or ghee
6 pieces green chillies
2 tbs. Coriander leave
2-3of Yellow food color
Instructions
1.Wash the fish and pat dry. Cut into 1 inch pieces. In a blender grind the garlic ginger and chillies to a fine paste. Mix the paste with salt, chilli powder and ajowan. Smear the fish pieces with spice paste. Set aside for at least 2 hours
2. In the meantime heat the oil in a shallow frying pan, add the cumin and mustard seeds;they should pop and splutter at once. Add the chopped onions and , stirring frequently, fry them to a rich golden colour.Add the chopped tomatoes, still stirring frequently, fry the onions for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are reduced to a pulp. Add a little water, if necessary, to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottomof the pan. Keep frying until the oil begins to separate.
3. Add the fish and stir well to coat it with the tomato mixture.Reduec the heat to low, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 15 minutes until the fish is tender.
Sprinkle with finely chopped coriander.Keep warm. 4.Soak the rice in water for half an hour.In another pan boil the rice with 2-3 tsp. of salt and plenty of water .when the rice are 3\4 cooked drain the water. Add 1\4 cup oil or butter and fluf with a fork to prevent the rice to stick each other. Keep rice to one side.
5. In a large pan place 2 inch layer of rice at the bottom, then a layer of fish mixture and dried plums on top,repeating this until the fish and rice have been used up. sprinkle the coriander and mint leaves over the top layer of the rice Pour 1\2 cup water and seeds of cardamom over the rice. Do not stir. Mix the food colour with a little water and sprinkle over the rice.
6. cover with a tight fitting lid and allow to cook for 20 minutes until the rice are cooked.
7. once the dish is cooked, leave it covered for a few minutes. then remove the lid, fluff up the rice with a fork.
8. serve with Raita.
Tri Color Pulao
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups rice
2 onions cut in rings
1/2 cup tomato juice
1tbsp tomato sauce
1 cup coconut extract
1 diced tomato
1/4 cup diced & cooked french beans
1/4 cup cooked peas & cauliflower
1 cupwater
1 cup beaten yogurt
salt & pepper to taste
GRIND TO PASTE
green chillies
mint
coriander
grated coconut
ginger
cumminseed
1/2 juice of lemon
Instructions
RED RICE
Wash, soak and drain half a cup of rice. Bring to boil with half a cup of tomato juice and half a cup of water. Remove and cool thoroughly. Lightly fry the diced tomatoes with salt and chillipowder. Add sauce and grated carrots. Gently mix the above rice and keep aside.
WHITE RICE
Wash, soak and drain 1/2 cup of rice. Bring to boil with one cup of coconut extract and one cup of water. Remove and divide it into two portions and leave to cool.Heat ghee, splutter cumminseeds, and then fry onions and cooked cauliflower. Add to this one portion of the white rice. Sprinkle salt, pepper and keep aside.
GREEN RICE
To the second portion of the white rice, mix the ground green paste with salt,ghee, cooked beans and peas and keep aside.
Grease a medium sized pan. Arrange the green layer first. Follow up with the white layer. Sprinkle well beaten yogurt. Now arrange carefully on top, the red layer. Bake in a hot oven for 15 mts. Invert carefully on a plate and garnish with fried onion rings.
Vegetable Biryani
Ingredients
125 g brown or green lentils
4 tablespoons vegetable ghee or oil
2 onions; quartered and sliced
2 cloves garlic; sliced
1 2.5 cm cube ginger root; finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 tomatoes; skinned and chopped
1 aubergine; cut in 1 cm pieces
1.75 litres boiling vegetable stock
1 green or red pepper; seeded and diced
350 g basmati rice; soaked for 30 minutes
125 g green beans; topped, tailed, halved
250 g cauliflower florets
125 g mushrooms; sliced
60 g unsalted cashews
3 hard boiled eggs; shelled
coriander sprigs; to garnish
Instructions
Rinse the lentils under cold running water and drain. Heat the ghee or oil in a saucepan, add the onions and fry gently for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger and spices and fry gently for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in the lentils, tomatoes, aubergine and 600 ml of the stock. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Add the red or green pepper and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the lentils are tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.
Drain the rice and put in another pan with the remaining stock. Bring to the boil, add the green beans, cauliflower and mushrooms, then cover and cook gently for 15 minutes or until the rice and vegetables are tender. Remove from the and leave to stand for 10 minutes, covered. Add the lentil mixture and the cashews to the
cooked rice and mix lightly. Pile on to a warm serving platter and garnish with wedges of hard-boiled egg and coriander sprigs. Serve hot.
Bombay Biryani
Ingredients
500 gms Mutton
3/4 cup Oil or Ghee + 2 tbsp
1 cup Yoghurt
2 - 3 Onions
2 tsp Ginger / Garlic
2 Potatoes cubed
1 tsp All Spice
1/4 tsp Black Cummin seeds
1 tsp Salt
Cloves
2 tsp Red Chilly powder
500 gms Rice cleaned and soaked
Dried Plums 10 -12
2 cups Water Coriander leaves chopped
Instructions
Marinate the meat in a mixture of the yoghurt, ginger / garlic, all spice, salt, red chilly powder and dried plums for 2 hours. Heat 3/4 cup oil and fry the onions till they are light golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same oil fry the potatoes, remove with a slotted spon and set aside. Put the meat with all the marinade in the same pan, cover and cook till the meat is tender. Stir and fry till the oil seperates. Add the fried potatoes. In another pot heat 2 tbsp Oil. Add the cummin seeds, cloves, rice, water and 1/2 of the fried onions. When the water dries, remove a little rice from the top and add the meat mixture. Sprinkle the coriander leaves and remaining fried onions on top.
Mughlai Biryani
Ingredients
For the meat: 1kg lamb/ chicken cut into 2" pieces (if using chicken, use breast or thigh fillet) 4 large onions sliced thin
2 tsps garlic paste
2 tsps ginger paste
1/2 cup almonds
6 tbsps ghee/ vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
1" stick of cinnamon
5 cloves
3 pods cardamom
8 peppercorns
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 cup yoghurt
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup chicken/ beef stock
2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsps finely chopped mint leaves
Salt to taste
For the rice: 2 cups Basmati rice
Hot water
Salt to taste
Instructions
Put the almonds in a bowl of hot water (enough to cover them) and set aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove skins from all the almonds by pressing each one between your thumb and forefinger. The almonds will slip out of their skins!
Mix the garlic and ginger pastes, the peeled almonds and grind to a smooth paste in a food processor.
Wash the rice in a sieve and add enough water to fully cover the rice - at least 4" over the surface of the rice. Add salt to taste. Set the rice up to boil. Cook till almost done. To determine when it has reached that stage, remove a few grains from the pot and press between your thumb and forefinger. The rice should mostly mash but will have a firm whitish core. Turn off the fire. Strain through a colander and keep drained aside.
Heat 3 tbsps of oil in a pan and fry 2 of the onions till caramalized - golden brown. Drain and keep aside on paper towels for later use.
Heat 3 tbsps of oil in another pan and add the whole spices - cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns. Fry till the spices turn a little darker.
Add the 2 remaining onions and fry till they are translucent.
Add the ginger-garlic-almond paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add all the spice powders - coriander, cumin and garam masala and mix well.
Fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala and then add the lamb/ chicken. Keep frying till the meat is fully sealed (it will become opaque and lose its pink colour). Now add the yoghurt, lime juice, stock, coriander and mint leaves and salt to taste (if needed). Mix well.
Cover the pot and allow to cook till the meat is tender.
Grease a deep baking dish and evenly layer the cooked rice, meat (and its gravy) in it to form at least 2 sets of layers (rice-meat-rice-meat-rice). Garnish with the previously caramalised onions. Cover the dish tightly. If the dish does not have a cover use 2 layers of aluminium foil (shiny side of both layers pointing down towards the rice) and secure on to dish with baking string.
Put in a pre-heated oven set at 350 F/ 180 C/ Gas mark 4 for 20 minutes.
Turn off the oven and let the dish sit in the oven till you are ready to eat. Only open when you are ready to eat. The way to serve Biryani is to gently dig in with a spoon so you get through the layers.
Try with Raita!
Enjoy!