Recipe by Chrysl Castelino
Ingredients:
BEEF BIRYANI
Ingredients:
1 kg basmati rice (75% cooked with spices, see notes)
1 1/2 kg beef (cooked previously with spices, see notes)
1 medium onion (sliced thin)
200 ml ghee
3 tomatoes (sliced)
1 lemon - juice
salt
For the beresta:
oil for deep frying
4 medium onions (sliced thin, deep fried)
cashew nuts (chopped)
almonds (chopped)
raisins
For grinding:
To make a dry powder first
1 1/2 tsp saunf/fennel seeds
1 tsp pepper
1" cinnamon
4-5 cardamom
4-5 cloves
1 tsp jeera
2 star anise
To grind to a fine paste
1 medium onion
10 green chillies
1" ginger (roughly chopped)
8-10 cloves garlic
handful mint leaves
handful coriander leaves
150 ml curd/yogurt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
To layer the biryani:
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
Steps:
- In a dry ingredients jar, add the saunf, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, jeera and star anise. Grind together to make a fine powder.
- In a mixie jar, add the mint, coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, green chillis, curd and turmeric powder along with the dry powders and a little water to make a smooth paste.
- In a kadai, heat oil.
- Add the onions and fry till they are golden brown and crisp. Drain excess oil and keep aside.
- In the same oil, add chopped cashews and almonds till light golden then add the raisins. Take it out and keep aside as soon the raisins start to puff up.
- In another non-stick vessel, heat ghee.
- Add the onions and fry till almost golden.
- Add the tomatoes and fry till tomatoes are soft.
- Add the ground masala paste and fry till the oil separates.
- Add the cooked beef and adjust salt to taste. Don't add water. Cook for about 5-10 minutes till the masala has nicely coated all the meat.
- Now add the beef stock and cook for another 15 minutes on high flame till the stock reduces and the masala is thick. Turn off the flame and add juice of one lemon.
To layer the biryani: - Coat the base of the vessel with some ghee, put one layer of the meat with masala, followed by one layer of rice, fried onions, fried nuts, chopped coriander and mint. Repeat the layers.
- For dum, cover the top of the vessel with aluminium foil and place it on a heated tawa on low flame for 30-40 minutes OR place the vessel in an oven pre-heated to 180C or gas mark 4 for 30- 40 minutes.
- ENJOY!
Notes:
a. To cook meat (can be done on the previous day)
- Cut and clean the meat and allow all the water to drain.
- Marinade: Place the meat in a vessel along with 2-3 tbsp vinegar, 1/2 tsp haldi powder, 1" ginger, 5-6 cloves garlic, 1" cinnamon, 4-5 cloves , 5-6 green chillies slit in half, 1/2 tsp peppercorns and 1 tsp salt. Marinate for 4-5 hours or overnight in the fridge.
- Add 1/2 cup water only if the meat has not released water.
- Pressure cook for around 25 whistles. Check if meat is tender, if not pressure cook for another 4-5 whistles. If there is lot of stock, remove the meat and reduce the stock on high flame till reduced to half or 1/4 the quantity.
b. To boil rice
- Heat sufficient water in a vessel, add 3-4 cardamom pods, 5 cloves, 1" cinnamon, 2 star anise, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp peppercorns, 5-6 sprigs of mint, 1/2 tsp saunf and 2 tbsp oil.
- Once the water boils, add the washed basmati rice.
- Cook till 3/4th done. Turn off the flame, add 1 tsp salt and juice of one lime.
- Strain and keep under the fan to cool down.
RAITA
Ingredients:
2 cucumbers
2 green chillies
2 medium onions
2 tomatoes
1/2" ginger
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 ltr yoghurt
salt to taste
Steps:
- Chop all the vegetables into small pieces and add to a bowl.
- Pour in beaten yoghurt and add salt to taste.
- Chill for at least half an hour before serving.
- ENJOY!