It’s Bank holiday here in UK and I’m still recovering from a bad cold. I wanted to make something that’s like a one pot meal and involves minimal effort.

Biriyani is what everyone wanted today. It’s a very simple dish and you can add chicken or any meat if you wish.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup basmati rice: soaked in hot water for 15 minutes.
2. 1 cup mixed veggies: carrots, beans, peas, potato. Suggested other veggies: green bell pepper, cabbage, cauliflower
3. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
4. 1 1/2 tbsp Dry spices : Cinnamon, clove, fennel seeds, cardamom, bay leaf
5. 1/4 cup thick yoghurt
6. To grind into paste: 1/3 cup each coriander and mint, 1 tbsp each garlic and ginger, green chillies depending on how hot you like it.
7. 1/2 tbsp garam masala
8. Butter as needed
9. Salt to taste
10. Raisins, optional

Instructions:

1. Whisk together yoghurt, the ground paste and garam masala and keep aside. In case you use meat, you can marinate the meat too along with this.
2. Heat butter in a pan and add the dry spices. Roast until fragrant.
3. Add the onions and cook until translucent.
4. Add the chopped veggies and sauté for a couple of minutes.
5. Add the whisked yoghurt mix, salt and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add basmati rice and cook in a covered pan until done.
7. Once cooked, top it with some more butter and serve hot.

To get a depth of flavour, make a stiff dough with plain flour and seal the sides and any openings in the pan. This process is know as “Dum”. In case you are using a hob, please be careful because we don’t want to burn the Biriyani.

Lunch and Dinner Rice