Shorba or Sherva also known as Biryani Gravy is a spiced, tangy tomato-onion based gravy which goes perfectly with a rich pulao or biryani and brings out the best in them.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Hyderabadi

Ingredients

  • 150 grams tomatoes (or 3 medium tomatoes or 1 cup roughly chopped tomatoes)
  • 50 grams onion (or 1 medium onion or ⅓ cup chopped onions)
  • 1 green chili (or 1 teaspoon chopped green chili (hari mirch))
  • 1 inch ginger (or 1 teaspoon roughly chopped ginger, peeled)
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves (- medium-sized or 1 teaspoon chopped garlic)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut (- grated and fresn or 2 tablespoon desiccated coconut)
  • 1 tablespoon mint leaves (- chopped or 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves or half-half of both)
  • 1 to 1.5 tablespoons water (- for blending or grinding, optional)
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tejpatta ((Indian bay leaf))
  • 1 black cardamom (- optional)
  • 2 to 3 green cardamoms
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 3 to 4 cloves
  • 2 to 3 allspice ((kababchini) - optional)
  • 1 or 2 single and thin mace strands
  • 4 to 5 black peppercorns
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder (- reduce to ¼ teaspoon for a less spiced gravy)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 to 1.25 cups Veg Stock (preferred or substitute with 1 cup water)
  • salt (as required)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (or mint leaves - chopped, for garnish)

Method

Making masala paste

  1. In a grinder or blender, take the following ingredients - tomatoes, onions, green chillies, chopped ginger and garlic, fresh or desiccated coconut and chopped mint or chopped coriander or half-half of both.
  2. Grind without adding any water to a smooth paste. If unable to grind without water, then add upto 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of water.

Making shorba recipe

  1. Heat oil in a pan. Add the whole spices - tejpatta, black cardamom, green cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, allspice (optional), mace strands & black peppercorns.
  2. If you want you can even skip the black cardamom. Though adding black cardamom does give its flavor to the curry.
  3. On low heat sauté till the spices become aromatic.
  4. Now add the ground tomato-onion paste. Be careful as the mixture splutters. Stir and mix very well.
  5. Then add turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and coriander powder.
  6. Stir and mix the spice powders with the rest of the masala paste.
  7. Stir and saute the masala till you see oil releasing from the sides of the paste. The mixture will also gather together and leave the sides of the pan.
  8. Then add vegetable stock. Its preferable to add veg stock. If you do not have veg stock, then add water. If making the shorba for veg biryani, you can also parboil/boil the veggies that will be added to the biryani and then add this vegetable stock to the gravy.
  9. Stir and mix very well and then season with salt.
  10. Again stir and bring the curry to a simmer on a low to medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes or till you see specks of oil on top.
  11. Garnish with chopped coriander or mint leaves. Serve shorba with vegetable biryani or vegetable pulao.

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.