Aloo Biryani | Potato Dum Biryani

Ingredients

for cooking rice

• 1.5 cups basmati rice or 300 grams basmati rice
• 5 cups water for cooking rice
• 1 teaspoon salt or add as required
• 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
• 2 cloves
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 3 to 4 strands of mace

for ground paste

• 2 green chillies
• ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
• ½ inch ginger – roughly chopped
• 5 small to medium garlic – roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup curd (yogurt)

for frying

• 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
• 250 grams baby potatoes or 12 to 15 baby potatoes
• 15 cashews
• ½ tablespoon raisins

for biryani gravy

• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 small to medium tejpatta (indian bay leaf)
• 3 green cardamoms
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 cloves
• 125 grams onions or 2 medium onions or 1 cup tightly packed thinly sliced onions
• 75 grams tomatoes or 1 medium tomato or 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon biryani masala powder or garam masala powder
• ½ cup water

for layering

• 1 pinch of saffron
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 2 teaspoons rose water or kewra water

Steps

cooking rice

1. Wash 1.5 cups basmati rice (300 grams) thoroughly, continuing until the water is clear of starch, then soak the grains in enough water for 30 minutes.
2. Bring 5 cups water to a boil over a medium to high flame with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 small to medium tej patta, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 inch cinnamon and 3 to 4 strands of mace.
3. Add the rice once the water boils and cook without lowering the heat.
4. Let the rice cook to ¾th done, or 75% cooked. Bite a few grains to check: they should still have a slight bite.
5. Use a colander to drain away all the rice water. Rinse the cooked rice with fresh water if desired, then set aside.

preparation to make gravy for biryani

1. Put 2 green chillies, ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves, 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves, ½ inch roughly chopped ginger and 5 roughly chopped small to medium garlic in a chutney grinder jar or small grinder.
2. Put in the fresh curd (yogurt), using ⅓ cup.
3. Grind or blend the mixture into a smooth or semi-fine paste, then leave it aside.
4. Use a pan to heat 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter).
5. Add the peeled baby potatoes when the ghee is hot, using 250 grams or 12 to 15 baby potatoes. Halve or quarter any large potatoes before adding them.
6. Keep frying the potatoes over medium heat until they reach 90% cooked, or almost cooked.
7. Lift the potatoes out with a slotted spoon and put them on kitchen paper towels.
8. Fry 15 cashews in the pan until golden, then take them out and set aside.
9. Fry ½ tablespoon raisins next; once plump, remove them and set aside.
10. Add 1 inch cinnamon, 3 green cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1 black cardamom and 1 small to medium tejpatta to the same pan. The oil is hot, so the spices will crackle immediately.
11. Without delay, put in 1 cup tightly packed thinly sliced onions.
12. Saute over a low to medium flame, stirring often, until the onions are golden or caramelized.
13. Promptly take half of the fried onions out of the pan.
14. Leave those fried onions aside with the other fried ingredients.

making gravy for biryani

1. Put the chopped tomatoes into the pan, using ½ cup.
2. Let the tomatoes become mushy as you saute them.
3. With the flame low, add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and 1 teaspoon biryani masala powder or garam masala powder. Combine thoroughly.
4. Add the ground paste and mix thoroughly. Saute this masala until oil releases around its sides.
5. Add ½ cup water and salt to taste, then combine everything thoroughly.
6. After adding half of the fried potatoes, mix the gravy again.
7. Over a medium flame, simmer for 8 to 9 minutes or until the gravy has thickened a little, then set aside.

assembling and layering aloo dum biryani

1. While the gravy cooks, soak 1 pinch saffron (kesar) in 3 tablespoons warm water and set aside.
2. Spread half of the gravy as a layer in a thick-bottomed pan.
3. Make the next layer with half of the rice.
4. Add some fried potatoes, cashews and raisins, then make a layer with some fried onions.
5. Add the saffron-dissolved water, using half of it.
6. Repeat the layers of gravy, rice, fried potatoes, onions, cashews and raisins. Add what remains of the saffron-soaking water, followed by 2 teaspoons rose water or kewra water.

dum cooking potato biryani

1. Close the pan with a seal of aluminium foil.
2. Cover the pan with its lid. Preheat a tava or griddle over a low to medium flame for 5 minutes, then set the covered pan on it.
3. Dum cook over a low flame or sim for 30 minutes. For the baking alternative, preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius and bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven. Assemble the biryani as described above in an ovenproof glass utensil, such as a Pyrex bowl; cover it with aluminum foil or its Pyrex bowl lid before baking.
4. Let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes before checking the biryani.
5. If plenty of gravy remains, cover and continue dum cooking. No liquid or gravy should remain at the bottom of the pan.
6. Any gravy still present calls for sealing the pan again and dum cooking for some more minutes.
7. Mint or coriander leaves may be used as a garnish. Serve the potato biryani hot or warm with your choice of raita, salan, biryani shorba or curd.