The delicious and flavorful Andhra Style (masaledar) biryani, also known as gutti vankaya biryani, stuffed brinjal, baingan biryani, or eggplant biryani, is made by layering partially cooked basmati rice over the stuffed brinjal mixture and cooking it to perfection using the dum method.
Ingredients for the vankaya biryani:
- A half-cup of peanuts
- Half a cup of dry coconut
- Two tablespoons of semen
- ½ tsp of chili powder
- ¼ tsp of turmeric powder
- ½ tsp of coriander powder or Dhaniya powder
- To taste, salt
- Celery leaves: 2 tablespoons chopped
- Six to eight brinjal.
- Two cups of basmati rice
- A quarter-cup of curd
- 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
- Two green chilies
- ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder
- One tsp red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon of coriander powder
- ¾ teaspoon garam masala powder
- To taste, salt
- Mint leaves 1/3 cup
- One tablespoon of coriander leaves
- Half a cup of fried onion
- Two tablespoons of ghee
- Three tablespoons of oil (for roasting brinjal)
- One tablespoon oil (for rice)
- Five cashews
- Two Bay leaf
- Four Cloves,
- Three Cardamom
- Cinnamon stick: 1
- Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
Let’s cook:
- Preheat a pan or kadai. Add peanuts and roast for one minute on low flame. Add coconut (or coconut powder) and dry roast briefly. Once everything is well roasted, turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool before transferring the roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, and grated coconut to a blender.
- Add chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, coriander powder, and fresh coriander leaves to the blender; blend into a fine mixture and set aside.
- Wash the brinjal well. Cut a slit in each brinjal and then another slit in the same direction as the collage.
- Stuff the ground powder into each eggplant or brinjal. Set the remaining powder aside for the biryani.
- Place three tablespoons of oil in a pan or kadai and add the stuffed brinjal one at a time. Cook them over low to medium heat in oil without adding water. When one side of the brinjal is cooked, gently flip it (frequent flipping will break the brinjal and release the stuffing). When cooked through on both sides, extinguish the flame.
- Give basmati rice a 40-minute soak in water after washing.
- In another pot, add 8 cups of water (for 2 cups of soaked basmati rice), mint leaves, green chilies, oil, and additional salt. Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil.
- Add the soaked rice and bring the water to a rolling boil. Stir thoroughly and cook until it is 80% done.
- Next, include the chopped mint leaves and the cooked brinjal. Avoid mixing.
- Add 80% of the cooked rice now. Add fried onions, mint, and cilantro as rice garnishes.
- Cook for five minutes on high heat, then ten minutes on low heat, or until done. Don’t open the dum immediately; let it rest flame-free for five minutes.
- Once the rice has rested for five minutes, gently fluff it and serve it hot with raita!
Also check: Raju Gari Kodi Biryani, Delicious Paneer Biryani