Recipe adapted from : Sanjeev Kapoor’s site
Ingredients:
Button Mushroom -15-20,washed and sliced
Basmathi rice – 1 1/2 cups
Bay leaf -1
Cloves- 3
Cardamom -3-4
Cinnamon -1″ piece
Mace -1 blade
Onions -3,sliced
Ginger paste – 2 tsp
Garlic paste – 2 tsp
Tomatoes -2,pureed
Red chilly powder -2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder-
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Curds – 1/2 cup
Crushed peppercorns-3
Cumin powder -1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves -1/2 cup, chopped
Mint leaves -1/2 cup,chopped
Kewra essence -few drops
Milk -5 tbsp
Saffron – few strands
Ghee -4 tbsp approx
Salt – to taste
Brown onions -1/2 cup
Cashewnuts – handful(Roasted in a tsp of ghee)
Raisins – few(Roasted in a tsp of ghee)
Method:
- Take an electric rice cooker,grease the plate and the base of the vessel with a tbsp of ghee,add washed and soaked rice.
- Add 3 cups of water,salt to taste,2 tbsp ghee and whole spices.
- Dilute saffron in milk and keep it ready.
- Once the rice is 3/4 cooked spread half of saffron milk over the rice but don’t mix it.
- You may also prepare the rice in a normal way on the flame until the rice gets just cooked.
- Once the rice is done use a fork and separate the grains delicately and cool it.
- For the curry take a pan,heat 2 tbsp ghee and saute onions until translucent.
- Add ginger garlic paste,chilly powder,crushed pepper,cumin powder and turmeric powder.
- Add pureed tomatoes and saute for few more minutes.
- Add half each of mint and coriander leaves.
- Add sliced mushrooms,curds and salt to taste.
- Cook the mushroom until done.
- Lastly add garam masala powder and cook it on high flame until the gravy turns dry.
- You may also prepare the curry with oil but ghee always gives an extra punch.
How to give dum:
- Take a borosil bowl,add a layer of curry and a layer of rice.
- Spread fried onions,chopped coriander and mint leaves and kewra essence.
- Ensure that the top layer is of rice,spread coriander and mint leaves,fried onions,kewra essence and saffron milk.
- Top it with roasted cashewnuts and raisins.
- Cover it with a cling film and microwave for 6 minutes.
- Or you may give it dum by arranging biryani in a broad handi,covering it with a tight lid, and give dum by placing the handi over the tawa on slow flame for 10 to 15 minutes..
- Please place a heavy pounding stone over the handi or seal the sides with the Chapathi dough.
- Or you may give dum in a preheated oven at 200 d.c for 10 – 12 minutes.