Baby Potato Biryani

Ingredients

• 1 cup Basmati rice
• 4 cups Water
• Salt (to taste)
• 2 Green cardamoms
• 2 Black cardamoms
• 4 Cloves
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 Star anise
• 3 tablespoons Oil (for frying potatoes)
• 300 grams Baby potatoes (peeled and cut into half or quarters)
• 1 tablespoon Oil (to make fried onions)
• 1/2 cup Red onion (sliced (to make fried onions))
• 1 tablespoon Oil (to make gravy tempering)
• 2 Green cardamoms
• 4 Cloves
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 1/2 cup Red onion (sliced)
• 2 teaspoons Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
• 2 teaspoons Garlic paste or freshly grated
• 1 Green chili (chopped finely)
• 2 large Tomatoes (pureed)
• Salt (to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Biryani masala (or Garam masala)
• 1 teaspoon Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) (crushed between palm before adding)
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Plain yogurt ((dahi or curd) whisked till smooth)
• 1/4 teaspoon Garam masala
• 2 tablespoons Mint leaves (finely chopped)
• 2 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Cooking Rice: ---

2. 2

   Wash and soak the rice in enough water for 15-20 minutes.

3. 3

   Then bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil.

4. 4

   Discard the soaking water from rice

5. 5

   Add salt and whole spices, then add soaked rice.

6. 6

   Cook for exactly 5 minutes, then turn off the stove and strain the rice.

7. 7

   Spread the rice in a plate and discard the whole spices.

8. 8

   --- Making Gravy & Assembling Biryani: ---

9. 9

   Heat 4 tablespoons of oil on medium heat and fry baby potatoes till golden brown and 90% cooked. Remove it to a plate.

10. 10

    In the same pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil and fry onions till golden brown to make fried onions. Remove it to a plate too.

11. 11

    Again add another 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot add whole spices and saute for few seconds.

12. 12

    Then saute sliced onions till soft and light pink in color.

13. 13

    Mix in ginger paste, garlic paste and green chilies. Saute for 30-40 seconds or till the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.

14. 14

    Now mix in tomato puree and cook till it becomes thick paste.

15. 15

    Add salt and spice powders, mix and cook for a minute.

16. 16

    Lower the heat and add ¼ cup of water and whisked yogurt. Immediately mix it.

17. 17

    Crank the heat back to medium and bring the mixture to simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes or till becomes thick gravy.

18. 18

    Spread the fried baby potatoes, half of the fried onions and half of chopped mint, coriander leaves.

19. 19

    Next layer the cooked rice and sprinkle garam masala.

20. 20

    Over the rice, spread rest of the fried onions, mint and coriander leaves.

21. 21

    Lower the heat to lowest possible, cover the pan with aluminum foil and put the lid on. Put some weight on the lid for dum cooking.

22. 22

    Cook for 15-20 minutes. Then lightly fluff the dum aloo biryani and serve.