Biryani

A traditional, mouth-watering rice variety of the festival season.........Biryani. This can be found as the main food on the table on all ocassions.....but, now-a-days, people crave for biryani on regular weekdays / weekends. The spicy effect & the beautiful aroma of biryani.......yummy yummy!!!!

                    A single recipe ............ make mutton biryani / chicken biryani / vegetable biryani / mushroom biryani whenever you feel like eating biryani.

Ingredients

Non - veg / veg main ingredient - REFER Table below

Ginger - 2 inch piece

Garlic - 12 pods

Fennel(perunjeeragam) - 3/4 sp

Green chilli - 4/5

Coriander powder - 1 sp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 sp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp

Garam masala powder - 3/4 sp

Mutton masala powder (can be added to all biryani varieties) -1/2 sp (optional)

Salt - 3/4 sp (only for Non - veg Biryani)

Ghee - 5 to 8 sp

Cinnamon (Pattai) - 1 inch piece - 4 Nos.

Cardamom (Elachi / Elakkai) - 3 Nos.

Cloves (Kirambhu) - 5 Nos.

Bayleaf - 1 (medium sized)

Big onion (sliced lengthwise) - 1 large

Tomato - 3 (very finely chopped)

Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1 handful

Mint leaves (chopped) - 1/2 handful

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Water - 3 cups (for 1 cup basmati rice, add 1 1/2 cups of water )

Salt - To taste

Lemon Juice - few drops (optional)

Varieties

Name of the Biryani	Main Ingredient	Quantity	Special conditions
Mutton Biryani	Mutton	½ - ¾ kg	Cut into big pieces. Previously cooked with all masalas before adding
Chicken Biryani	Chicken	½ - ¾ kg	Cut into big pieces. Previously cooked with all masalas before adding
Vegetable Biryani	Carrot, Beans, Peas / Green peas, Potato, Cauliflower, Mushroom (optional), Kondakadalai / mochakottai (optional)	Carrot – 2 Nos. Beans - 10  Peas / Green peas – 1 handful Potato - 2 Cauliflower – 10 florets Mushroom – 1 handful (chopped) Kondakadalai  - ½ handful  Mochakottai -  ½ handful	Peas, Kondakadalai and mochakottai should be soaked in water overnight and pressure cooked. Other veges can be added directly.
Mushroom Biryani	Mushroom	½ - ¾ kg	Cut into big pieces. Can be added directly

Method

Mutton / Chicken biryani

1. Cut the mutton / chicken into large pieces, wash throughly and keep aside.
2. Grind ginger, garlic, fennel and green chillies to a fine paste adding necessary water.
3. Add the mutton / chicken pieces to the pressure cooker.
4. To this add the grind paste, all the masala powders, the 3/4 sp salt and 1 cup water. Mix throughly.
5. Let this be cooked in a medium heat till the mutton / chicken is well cooked but not mashed.
6. In a pressure cooker under medium heat, add ghee.
7. When ghee is bubbling hot, add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves & bay leaf.
8. When these whole garam masala items start to splutter, add onions.
9. When the onions are deep fried but not brown, add the tomatoes.
10. Fry well till the tomatoes turn mushy.
11. To this add the coriander and mint leaves, fry for another 3 min till the nice aroma of the leaves come out.
12. To this, add the cooked mutton / chicken along with the masalas and the water.
13. Wash the basmati rice and add to the pressure cooker along with the balance 2 cups of water.
14. Add necessary salt and red chilli powder if required(optional).
15. Add a few drops of lemon juice.(may be 1/4 th of a lemon)
16. When the rice begins to boil, close the cooker and cook for 2 whistles in a medium heat.
17. Once the steam gets released, very gently loosen the biryani with a scoop.
18. Serve with onion or cucumber raita / chicken fry.

Chicken Biryani

Vegetable / Mushroom biryani

1. Cut the vegetables / mushroom into bite - sized pieces, wash throughly and keep aside.
2. Grind ginger, garlic, fennel and green chillies to a fine paste adding necessary water.
3. In a pressure cooker under medium heat, add ghee.
4. When ghee is bubbling hot, add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves & bay leaf.
5. When these whole garam masala items start to splutter, add onions.
6. When the onions are deep fried but not brown, add the tomatoes.
7. Fry well till the tomatoes turn mushy.
8. To this add the coriander and mint leaves, fry for another 3 min till the nice aroma of the leaves come out.
9. To this, add the vegetables / mushroom along with the masala powders, grind paste and salt.
10. Wash the basmati rice and add to the pressure cooker along with the 3 cups of water.
11. Add necessary salt and red chilli powder, if required. (optional).
12. Add a few drops of lemon juice.(may be 1/4 th of a lemon)
13. When the rice begins to boil, close the cooker and cook for 2 whistles in a medium heat.
14. Once the steam gets released, very gently loosen the biryani with a scoop.
15. Serve with onion or cucumber raita / chicken fry.

Mushroom Biryani

Note

1. The onions & tomatoes should be well fried. Here lies a secret for a tasty biryani. Else they will appear scattered in the biryani which will not be nice to eat. 
2. Taste of biryani also depends on the quality of mutton / chicken used. Tastes better with fresh than frozen meat........and better with young goat than matured daddy / mommy goats.
3. Make sure the whole garam masala splutters.
4. Masala powders can be increased / decreased depending upon the need for a more / less spicier biryani.