Aloo dum Biriyani

Biriyani is a one pot meal which requires many steps, right from cooking the basmathi rice, making gravy masala, roasting vegetables, adding curd or coconut milk, then final touch adding caramelised baby onions.

Today morning I made aloo dum biriyani, I will explain to you step by step process and tips and teniques used for make delicious, flavourful, aromatic and tasty biriyani at home.

I have  used potatoes, you can substitute with mixed vegetables or choice of your ingredients. The basic steps remains the same.

Aloo dum biriyani

1 cup basmathi rice
3 medium sized potatoes, washed peeled and cubed.

Whole spices to be boiled with basmathi rice

1 inch long cinnamon stick
4 clove
1 badi elachi
2 small green elachi
1 star annise
1 tsp jeera
10 peppercorns
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tso dalt
1 lemon extract
1/2 tsp ghee

For the ground masala in which we will add roasted potatoes

2 medium sized onions
100 grams shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small bunch hara dhaniya or coriander leaves, washed and chopped
A few mint/pudina leaves
A few green chilli leaves
4 green chillies
5 to 6 garlic pods
1 inch long grated ginger
1/3 cup curd

For frying in ghee

1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1 badi elachi
2 green elachi
1bay leaf
1 tablespoon ghee

10 almonds crushed /cashew nuts broken

Method

*Wash and keep aside basmathi rice for about 20 minutes, if you wish you can soak it and then drain after 20 minutes.

* In a large bowl pour water, bring to boil, add all the ingredients to be boiled with rice, add basmathi rice and cook till the basmathi rice is 90%done, drain water, spread it in a large tray. This will help the rice grains to be separate from each other.

*Wash, peel and chop potatoes, in a thick bottomed pan pour ghee or oil and roast potatoes by adding a little salt until golden crispy and well cooked. Keep aside.

*Boil green peas, cook cauliflower or steam, keep aside.

*Grind coriander, pudina, chilli leaves, onion, tomato, green chillies, ginger, garlic and grind by adding curd.

*In a preheated pan pour ghee, add cinnamon, badi elachi, green elachi, bay leaves, jeera, once it release aromatic flavour, add ground gravy masalas. Cook until oil or ghee separate. In this add roasted potatoes, boiled peas, cooked cauliflower florets and mix well, coat the masalas on the vegetables. Add a little salt, After about 5 minutes. Off the stove.

*In one small pan fry cashew nuts or almonds until crispy.

*We are now going to layer the ingredients one by one, pour 1 teaspoon ghee on a preheated pan spread Aloo dum gravy first layer, then a layer of basmathi rice and then a few roasted almonds, repeat the process till all the cooked basmathi rice, aloo dum and almonds get over.

* Keep the flame very low and cook further for about 15 minutes.

* Check the top layer of basmathi rice, it would have become curvy when the biriyani is well cooked, garnish with caramelised shallots and hara dhaniya. Serve with boondi raitha or choice of your raitha.

*I am sure you will make this dish again and again as your friends and family is going to love the aromatic dum biriyani. Happy cooking!