Hyderabadi Sofiyani Biryani Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup boiled and boiled and mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup crumbled paneer (cottage cheese)
• 2 tsp fresh cream
• 1 tbsp chopped cashew nut (kaju)
• 1 tbsp raisins (kismis)
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• salt (namak) to taste
• oil for deep-frying
• 1 cup long grain rice (basmati chawal)
• 1/2 tsp saffron (kesar) strands
• 3 tbsp warm milk (whole Buffalo, 6.5% fat)
• 1/2 cup cashew nuts (kaju)
• 3 tbsp melon seeds (charmagaz)
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 2 bay leaf (tejpatta)
• 1 small dalchini (cinnamon) stick
• 4 elaichi (green cardamom)
• 4 clove (laung / lavang)
• 2 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
• 2 cups sliced onions
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic (adrak-lehsun) paste
• 2 slit green chilli
• salt (namak) to taste
• 1/2 cup finely chopped mint leaves (phudina)
• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
• 1 cup pineapple cubes
• 1/2 cup fried onions

Steps

1. Combine all the ingredients in a deep bowl and mix well.
2. Divide the mixture into 14 equal portions.
3. Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan, and deep-fry a few koftas at a time on a medium flame till they turn golden brown in colour from all the sides. Drain on an absorbent paper and keep aside.
4. Combine the rice and enough water in a deep bowl and soak it for 1 hour. Drain and keep aside.
5. Combine the saffron and warm milk in a bowl, mix well and keep aside.
6. Combine the cashewnuts, melon seeds and 1 cup of warm water in a bowl, cover with a lid and keep aside for 20 minutes. Drain.
7. Boil 4 cups of water in a deep non-stick pan, add the rice, 1 tbsp of ghee, mix gently cook on a medium flame for 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Drain and keep aside.
8. Combine the soaked and drained cashewnut and melon seeds along with 5 tbsp of water in a mixer and blend till smooth. Keep aside.
9. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of ghee in deep non-stick pan, add the bayleaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black cardamom and onions and sauté on medium flame for 8 minutes.
10. Add the ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes.
11. Add the cashewnut- melon seeds paste, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 7 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
12. Add the cooked rice and salt, mix gently and cook on a medium flame for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
13. Add the mint leaves and coriander and mix gently and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
14. Add the saffron-milk mixture and pineapple, mix gently and keep aside.
15. Just before serving, put the biryani in an oven safe bowl and spread it evenly.
16. Arrange the koftas over it, cover with an aluminium foil and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200ºc (400ºf) for 10 minutes.
17. Serve immediately garnished with fried onions.