Ingredients:
Fresh button mushrooms, quartered 15-20 medium
Basmati rice, soaked - 3 cups
Bay leaf - 1
Cloves - 4
Green cardamoms - 2
Black cardamoms - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Mace - 1 blade
Salt to taste
Oil - 5 tbps
Onions, finely sliced - 2 medium
Ginger paste - 2 tps
Garlic paste - 2 tps
Red chilli powder - 1 tps
Coriander powder - 1 tbps
Peppercorns, crushed - ½ tps
Cumin powder - ½ tps
Turmeric powder - ½ tps
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Skimmed milk yogurt, whisked - ½ cup
Garam masala powder -1 tps
Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped - ¼ cup
Fresh mint leaves, torn - ¼ cup
Saffron a pinch
Skimmed milk - ¼ cup
Preparation:
1. Disslove saffron in the milk and keep it aside. Bring four cups of water to a boil in a thick-bottomed vessel. Add bay leaf, cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cinnamon, mace and one teaspoon salt. When the water starts boiling, drain the soaked basmati rice and add.
2. Cook for eight to ten minutes, stirring frequently or until the rice is three fourth done. Drain in a colander.
3. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add sliced onions and stir-fry over high heat until the onion turns translucent. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and sauté briefly.
4. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, crushed peppercorns, cumin powder and turmeric powder. Stir-fry briefly and add the tomatoes.
5. Continue cooking over high heat for another two to three minutes, stirring continuously or until masala is fairly thick.
6. Add the whisked skimmed milk yogurt, garam masala powder and half the quantity of chopped fresh coriander and mint leaves. Stir well and cook for two minutes more.
7. Add the quartered button mushrooms and salt to taste. Stir-fry over high heat for two to three minutes and remove from heat.
8. Arrange the cooked rice and mushroom masala in alternate layers in an oven proof dish (or Biryani handi), sprinkling the remaining chopped fresh coriander and torn mint leaves and saffron dissolved in skimmed milk after each layer. Ensure that the top most layer is of rice.
9. Cover the assembled biryani with a tight fitting lid and seal the edges with kneaded atta dough (if required).
10. Keep the sealed dish on a medium hot tawa and leave for 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, leave the sealed dish in a preheated oven at 200?C for 10-15 minutes.
11. Break the seal and open the biryani, just before serving
Fresh button mushrooms, quartered 15-20 medium
Basmati rice, soaked - 3 cups
Bay leaf - 1
Cloves - 4
Green cardamoms - 2
Black cardamoms - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Mace - 1 blade
Salt to taste
Oil - 5 tbps
Onions, finely sliced - 2 medium
Ginger paste - 2 tps
Garlic paste - 2 tps
Red chilli powder - 1 tps
Coriander powder - 1 tbps
Peppercorns, crushed - ½ tps
Cumin powder - ½ tps
Turmeric powder - ½ tps
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Skimmed milk yogurt, whisked - ½ cup
Garam masala powder -1 tps
Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped - ¼ cup
Fresh mint leaves, torn - ¼ cup
Saffron a pinch
Skimmed milk - ¼ cup
Preparation:
1. Disslove saffron in the milk and keep it aside. Bring four cups of water to a boil in a thick-bottomed vessel. Add bay leaf, cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cinnamon, mace and one teaspoon salt. When the water starts boiling, drain the soaked basmati rice and add.
2. Cook for eight to ten minutes, stirring frequently or until the rice is three fourth done. Drain in a colander.
3. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add sliced onions and stir-fry over high heat until the onion turns translucent. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and sauté briefly.
4. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, crushed peppercorns, cumin powder and turmeric powder. Stir-fry briefly and add the tomatoes.
5. Continue cooking over high heat for another two to three minutes, stirring continuously or until masala is fairly thick.
6. Add the whisked skimmed milk yogurt, garam masala powder and half the quantity of chopped fresh coriander and mint leaves. Stir well and cook for two minutes more.
7. Add the quartered button mushrooms and salt to taste. Stir-fry over high heat for two to three minutes and remove from heat.
8. Arrange the cooked rice and mushroom masala in alternate layers in an oven proof dish (or Biryani handi), sprinkling the remaining chopped fresh coriander and torn mint leaves and saffron dissolved in skimmed milk after each layer. Ensure that the top most layer is of rice.
9. Cover the assembled biryani with a tight fitting lid and seal the edges with kneaded atta dough (if required).
10. Keep the sealed dish on a medium hot tawa and leave for 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, leave the sealed dish in a preheated oven at 200?C for 10-15 minutes.
11. Break the seal and open the biryani, just before serving
