South Indian Biryani rice also known as kuska is a one pot super flavorful dish made with rice, spices, tomatoes, herbs and small amount of yogurt. Serve it with salan, biryani gravy or any other curry of your choice.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup aged basmati rice ((or aged short rice, read notes))
  • 1¾ cups water (or stock (1¼ cups for Instant pot, read notes))
  • 1½ to 2 tablespoons Oil
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup onion (thinly sliced (or about 1 small))
  • ½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • ¼ cup tomatoes (chopped (or about 1 medium, deseeded))
  • ⅓ teaspoon sea salt ((adjust to taste))
  • 3 tablespoons mint leaves (chopped (pudina or coriander leaves))
  • 2 tablespoons curd ((fresh yogurt, do not use sour one))
  • ⅛ teaspoon Turmeric ((haldi))
  • ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon red chili powder ((adjust to taste))
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon biryani masala powder ((or garam masala))
  • 1 small bay leaf ((Indian tej patta))
  • 2 to 3 cloves ((laung))
  • 2 to 3 green cardamoms ((elaichi))
  • 1 star anise ((biryani flower, chakri phool))
  • ⅓ teaspoon shahi jeera ((or cumin seeds/ jeera))
  • 1 small strand mace ((javitri, optional))
  • 1 inch cinnamon piece ((dalchini))

Method

How to Make Biryani Rice (Kuska)

  1. Rinse and soak rice for at least 20 minutes. Drain water completely. Set aside.
  2. On a medium flame, heat a pressure cooker or a heavy bottom pan with oil & add the whole spices. When they begin to sizzle, add onions and sauté until evenly golden.
  3. Add ginger garlic paste and saute till it smells fragrant. Do not burn
  4. Transfer tomatoes, curd, red chili powder, biryani masala (or garam masala), pudina, coriander, salt and turmeric. Saute till tomatoes turn mushy, soft and pulpy.
  5. Pour water or stock and mix well. Taste test to adjust salt. Bring water to a rolling boil on a high heat. (you could vary the amount of water based on your rice) Add drained rice and mix well.
  6. Stovetop Cooker - Cover the pressure cooker with the lid, cook on a medium flame until you hear 1 whistle. When the pressure drops, open the lid.
  7. No cooker - Pot Method - if cooking in a pan, bring to a rolling boil. Reduce to medium and cover with a lid. Cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.
  8. Fluff up the biryani rice with a fork.

Instant Pot Biryani Rice

  1. Pour oil to the steel insert of the Instant pot and press the saute button. Add all the whole spices, followed by onions.
  2. Saute until the onions turn golden. Stir in the ginger garlic and saute for 30 to 50 seconds.
  3. Add tomatoes, yogurt, red chilli powder, biryani masala, mint, coriander, salt and turmeric. Saute until the yogurt and tomatoes cook down to a mushy paste.
  4. Drain the water from the rice and add it here. Pour 1¼ cups water and deglaze the pot. Taste test and add more salt if required. Secure the Instant pot with the lid and position to the steam release value to sealing.
  5. Pressure cook for 5 minutes on high pressure. Let the pressure drop manually for 5 minutes, after that release manually. Gently fluff up the rice with a fork and serve biryani rice with any curry or a simple raita.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.