My first recipe was a vegetable biriyani high in mint and coriander leaf. Will I make it again? No.
Then I got hold of a chicken biriyani recipe from my friend and made it into a vegetarian one. Thus I made Kutchi Biriyani. Taste was ok.
I once saw the Pav Bhaji wallah make Biriyani using his bhaji and rice.Thus without really making Pav Bhaji at home, I made Tawa Biriyani. Taste and smell was great. But it did not tick all the boxes of Biriyani, which I had in my mind.
My last experiment was Good Food Magazine's -Baluchi Biriyani. I will swear by it. We love it at home. This was THE first Biriyani I dared to serve to guests!!
Then the other day my friend Simmy Basant and I made a trip to some temples and like typical housewives do, we swapped some recipes. She told me about her 'super-hit' prawn biriyani and I made it around a month ago on Bakrid using the same recipe, but swapped the prawns for vegetables.
Since then I have made it thrice. 3 times in 45 days. That is something.
I named this Biriyani - Kozhikode Biriyani as my friend is from Kozhikode / Calicut, the biriyani capital of Kerala and she herself got it from her sister who is settled there.
Ingredients for 3 people:
Rice - 1 1/2 cup, washed and soaked in water for half hour
Spices - 4 cloves, 6 peppercorns, 1 mace, 1 bayleaf , 1/2 tsp jeera, 2 cardamom, 2 inches cinnamon stick
Salt
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chilly - 4 or more, slit
Ginger - 4 inches
Garlic - 5 to 6 cloves
Onion - 1 large or 2 medium
Small onion / madras onion / shallots - 6
Khus Khus / poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Perum jeerakam / sweet cumin / saunf - 1 tbsp
Tomato - 2 , chopped fine
Thick curd / yoghurt - 1 cup
Mint leaves - 3 tbsp
Coriander leaf - 3 tbsp
Vegetables - potato, carrot, beans and cauliflower
Oil - 3 tbsp
Ghee / clarified butter - 5 tbsp
Garnish:
Saffron strands - a pinch, mixed in 2 tsp warm milk
Mint leaves
Coriander leaf
Fried onions (made from 1 large onion)
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Milk / curd - 2 tbsp
Fried cashewnuts
Fried raisins
Note: There is no red chilly powder used in this recipe. Only Green chilly. If you feel you need some more spice, add red chilly powder with your green chillies. I have started doing so as the green chilly available now a days is very mild.
Method:
Preparing rice:
Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a thick bottomed vessel with a tight lid.
Keep 3 cups of water for boiling in another vessel.
Splutter the jeera and then add in the rest of the spices. Fry till nice smell comes (30 sec).
Add the drained rice and some salt.
Fry for 2-3 minutes till the rice dries out.
Now add the boiling water and cook covered on a low flame for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, turn off flame and do not open lid for another 20 minutes.
Preparing vegetables
Cut the potatoes and carrots into big chunks, cauliflower into big flowerets and beans into 2 inch lenghts.
Boil the carrot and potato in ample water with a little salt till almost done.
Remove from the water and keep aside.
Into the same water add the cauliflower and when it gets half done add in the beans.
Once it gets nearly done, add in the boiled carrot and potatoes.
Turn off flame and keep aside until required.
You may have around 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water after boiling the vegetables. Do not throw away any of this.
Preparing masala:
First, grind the onion and shallots into a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Then grind the ginger, garlic, khus khus and perum jeerakam into a smooth paste with a little water.
Heat the rest of the ghee and oil together in a kadai or thick bottomed vessel.
Fry the onion paste on a low flame till it starts to turn golden.
Add in the ginger - garlic - poppy seed paste.
Fry on low flame for 1 minute and then add in the green chilly.
Follow this with the salt, turmeric powder, garam masala and coriander powder.
Fry for 1 minute on low flame, stirring constantly and then add in the chopped tomato.
Fry covered, till the tomato softens and skin peels off.
Add in the boiled vegetables with the water and cook till all the water evaporates.
Add the curd, mint leaf and coriander leaf. Mix well and turn off flame.
Assembling Biriyani:
Take a serving dish with a lid tight, which can be heated and heat it for 1 minute.
Spread some butter or ghee at the bottom.
Pour the vegetable gravy and then put the rice on top and press it down evenly.
Mix the milk / curd with the saffron. Pour this over the top of the rice by the spoon.
Now garnish with the rest of the things.
Place a lid on top and seal.
Before serving, place this prepared covered pot over a very low flame and cook for 15 minutes.
Open the lid at the table for extra drama.
Serve with raitha, pappad and pickle.
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