Kuska Biryani Recipe: A Flavorful Mughal Delight

Kuska Biryani is a straightforward South Indian recipe made with Ghee, basmati rice, and the tastiest spices.

About kuska biryani?

The South Indian one-pot Kuska Biryani, also known as “empty biryani” or “MT Biryani,” is so named because it is made without meat or vegetables.

Another name for it is “plain biryani.” The spices essential to capturing the essence of Kuska rice include cloves, mace, tej patta (Indian bay leaf), cinnamon, green cardamom, caraway seeds (shahi jeera), and so on. Add onions, ginger, green chilies, coriander, mint, and other similar ingredients.

The Urdu word “khushk,” which means “dry,” is where the word “kuska” first appeared. As a result, this is also a dry biryani recipe without any gravy or vegetable masala. 

This particular biryani does not have any layering. But just like traditional biryani, this one also uses dum-cooked rice cooked in a pot or pan. You can serve it with curd alone or with raita, dal, salad, biryani shorba, korma gravy, or masala gravy.

Ingredients:

 Principal Components 

  • 1 cup (215 grams) of heaped basmati rice 
  • Two tablespoons of Ghee 
  • one cup of thinly sliced onions 
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes 
  • 1 teaspoon pasted ginger garlic 
  • sliced green chilies, one or two 
  • One tablespoon of finely chopped mint leaves
  • Two tablespoons of finely chopped coriander leaves 
  • About two cups or 2.25 cups of water

Complete Spices 

  • ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds. 
  • 1 inch of cinnamon 
  • Between two and three cloves
  • Two green cardamoms 
  • One or two individual, thin mace strands 
  • One Indian bay leaf

How to make Kuska Biryani? 

  1. Thoroughly rinse basmati rice in water until all starch is removed. 
  2. Soak the rice in adequate water for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain it completely and set it aside. 
  3. In a pot or pan, heat two tablespoons of Ghee. Reduce the heat to a minimum. 
  4. Add the cloves, cinnamon, caraway seeds, green cardamoms, single mace strands, and tej patta, and let them splutter.
  5.  Next, add the onions and sauté them over low to medium heat, stirring frequently, until they turn golden. Now add the ginger-garlic paste.
  6. Stir and cook over low heat for a few seconds or until the garlic and ginger’s raw smell is gone.
  7.  Saute for a minute after adding the chopped tomatoes. 
  8.  Next, include the chopped coriander, mint, and mint leaves, as well as the sliced or slit green chilies. Blend thoroughly. 
  9. Add two cups of water now. You can also use vegetable stock in place of water. Add one and a half to two and a quarter cups water, depending on rice variety and quality.
  10.  Bring the whole water mixture to a boil over medium heat. 
  11. Season to taste with salt and thoroughly combine. Taste the water; it should have a slightly salty flavor. If not, then increase the salt content. 
  12. Include the lemon juice. Stir once more.
  13. Cover the pan with a cotton napkin or kitchen towel. Aluminum foil is another option for sealing the pan. 
  14. Cook the rice on low heat or with a sim and dum cooker until soft. The rice will cook through in 7 to 8 minutes. 

Expert Tips 

  • When cooking, add extra water if the rice isn’t soaked.
  • Avoid adding ground spices, such as red chili or turmeric powder, as they will change the dish’s color from off-white to white.

 

Also Try: Egg Biryani RecipeAvakai Biryani Recipe

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