The Sunday Biryani is that comfort food which makes your taste buds happy, help you have a proper afternoon siesta and fill up just enough to have another crazy meal in the evening.
It can be a Hyderabadi Biryani, Lucknowi Biryani or Vegetable Biryani l. E pulao. The best part is it can be eaten as it is without a side dish.
Yes, there are numerous ways to cook a Biryani.
Here is a basic one where using the base you can add on all your favorite stuff.
Ingredients:
1 cup soaked rice
1 onion
1 tomato
3-4 Mirchi as per taste
3 pods garlic
Small piece of ginger
Make paste of ginger garlic
1 Bay leaf
1 piece cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
1 tsp jeera
Salt, Mirchi powder as per taste
Biryani Masala or Garam Masala (optional)
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons ghee
Add-ons:
Carrot
Beans
Cauliflower
Potatoes
Capsicum
Soaked Soybeans
Sprouts
paneer (marinate it in curd, turmeric, salt, Mirchi powder, ginger garlic paste)
Chicken
Mutton
Recipe:
For best Biryani fry your onions to perfection.
Heat oil and ghee.
Add long sliced onions and fry till they are slightly browned.
Add cloves, Jeera, bay leaf, ginger-garlic paste.
Once the smell of paste goes off add cubed tomatoes. As soon as the tomatoes turn mushy add salt, Mirchi powder stir it. Add Biryani powder or garam masala (optional).
You can now add your choice of an add-on.
It can be only sprouts or soybeans or carrot, capsicum, beans. If you want it to be a full veggie meal by adding cauliflower, potatoes. Play mix and match prepare according to your taste.
Marinated paneer, chicken, Mutton are also an option. After adding your preferred choice of ingredients let it mix with masala properly I. E cook it for about 10 minutes. Add rice, water according to the type of rice. Usually for one cup of rice 2 cups of water is to be added. Since rice is soaked add 1 and a half cup of water. For soaked basmati rice 1 cup and a little more. Pressure cook it. Keep the cooker on high flame and after the first whistle, reduce it a little and cook it for 20 minutes.
Let the cooker cool down.
Serve it with boondi or cucumber raita or preferred curry.
All the ingredients can be increased or decreased according to the amount of rice and taste.
There is never a standard amount to be added while cooking.
Taste and improvise accordingly.