Mama's Biriyani
A mouth-watering, savory main dish brought to India by the Mughals.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs rice (wash and let soak in water for 15 minutes before you drain it)
- 3 lbs beef or mutton (ite-sized bits—wash, drain, and set aside)
- 3 tbsp ginger paste
- 2 tbsp garlic paste
- 2 tbsp green coriander (take 1 bunch, leaves only; remove stems, though a bit of stem is okay—wash and grind smooth)
- 3 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp tumeric powder
Other Ingredients
- ¾ cup oil
- 4-5 large onions (large onions—peeled and chopped real fine.)
- 2 whole Serrano chilies (washed and almostslit in half—to taste)
- 4 sticks cinnamon
- 4 large black cardamom
- 4 small green cardamom
- 6 cloves
- 4 large tomatoes (chopped fine)
- 1 tbsp poppy seed (ground smooth—optional)
- 1 coconut (white part only, ground smooth with the poppy seed, or you can use a can of coconut milk)
- 1 cup yogurt (well-beaten )
- 2 tbsp mint leaves (chopped fine)
- salt (to taste)
- 2 fresh limes (juice only)
- 2 cups peas and carrots (optional)
- fried cashews and raisins (for garnish—see notes)
Instructions
To Prepare
- Gather all the ingredients before you start. Wash and soak the 5 cups of rice for 15 minutes before you drain it.
- Heat ¾ cup of oil. You need extra when you make biryani.
- Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Add cut onions and slit green chilies. When half fried (about 10 mins) add meat and salt to taste. Cook in its own juice for about 10-15 minutes until the meat is no longer pink.
- Add the ground ginger, garlic, spice powders, and green coriander. Fry until the masala is done. That is, until the water has evaporated and the oil starts to surface at the bottom of the pan. It takes about 10-15 mins.
- Now add enough water to cover and cook the meat until three-quarters cooked. (You can use a pressure cooker if you like but make sure the meat is not overcooked). When the meat is three-quarters cooked, and the oil starts to surface on top, remove the pan from the stove. Drain out the excess oil into a measuring cup or bowl. Set aside.
- Put the meat back on the stove. Add the beaten yogurt, tomatoes, coconut, and cook until you have a nice thick gravy, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from stove.
- To the excess oil you set aside, add the finely cut mint and juice of the lime. Set aside.
For the Rice
- Boil 10 cups of water (two cups water to one cup rice). When the water comes to a boil, pour the rice into the boiling water, and add the salt.
- Add the peas and carrots, if desired.
- When the is almost cooked, drain off all the water. (To test if the rice is almost cooked, remove a few grains and press on them between your finger tips. Most of it will feel soft, but should still feel grainy).
To Cook the Biryani
- Turn the oven to 250°F.
- In a large roasting pan or oven-safe pot, place a layer of rice, then a layer of the korma curry. Continue in this fashion until the korma is used. The last layer should be the rice. Now drizzle the oil, lime, and mint mixture all over the rice. Cover the dish and cook at 250°F for 20 minutes.
- Pull the roaster out of the oven, uncover, and gently toss the rice with a fork so it blends well. Test if the rice is completely cooked. If it still feels grainy, then reduce the oven temperature to 200°F and cook the rice until it is done. Cooked, but not mushy.
- Garnish with fried cashew nuts, raisins, and Chandi kawarak (silver foil- available at an Indian grocery store). You can also slice and fry an onion and sprinkle it on top. I have even used boiled eggs, slit lengthwise.
Notes
To Fry the Cashews and Raisins:
Add 1-2 tbsps oil into a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the cashews and let fry for about one minute until a pale golden color, then add the raisins, about 15-20 seconds, until puffed. Immediately remove the cashews and raisins from the pan and place in a dish until you need to use them. This prevents them from burning.
To Serve:
Biryani is served with Channa Dal (Split Chick Pea) Curry and any raita of your choice.
Raita is yogurt mixed with any of the following: grated cucumber, grated coconut, or a fresh chopped blend of onion, tomato, green chili, and cilantro.
Making It Easy:
Sometimes I make it easy on myself, and after making the korma, I just add the rice and the required amount of water. I learned this from a biryani recipe my eldest sibling makes. Just make sure you also take into consideration the amount of gravy when pouring in the water. If there is too much liquid, then the biryani becomes a curried rice porridge!
To Adjust the Serving Size to 4 Large or 6 Medium Portions:
Main Ingredients
1 lb rice (wash and let soak in water for 15 minutes before draining)
1.5 lbs beef or mutton (bite-sized bits—wash, drain, and set aside)
1.5 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp green coriander (ground smooth)
1.5 tbsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
Cooking & Flavoring Ingredients
6 tbsp (or ⅜ cup / ~⅓ cup) oil
2 to 2.5 large onions (peeled and chopped real fine)
1 whole Serrano chili (washed and almost slit in half—to taste)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 large black cardamoms
2 small green cardamoms
3 cloves
2 large tomatoes (chopped fine)
½ tbsp poppy seeds (ground smooth—optional)
½ fresh coconut (white part only, ground smooth) OR ½ cup canned coconut milk
½ cup yogurt (well-beaten)
1 tbsp mint leaves (chopped fine)
Salt (to taste)
1 fresh lime (juice only)
1 cup peas and carrots (optional)
Fried cashews and raisins (for garnish)