Ambur/Amboor Kuska:

Though all the recipes from Northa Arcot belt…Vellore biriyani, Arcot Biriyani, Ambur biriyani and Vaniyambadi biriyani are kind of same. There still exists slight variation. Here, it may sound crazy for you. It is also in one way biriyani recipe, but meat is not served! Just the rice is cooked in mutton/chicken broth. Well, on demand pieces are served though! Since they serve just the broth cooked rice, the biriyani smae aint suitable, right…so thats why its called Kushka. The best kushka comes from all these famous legedary places. Arcot – Star Hotel, Vellore – Jodhi Biriyani or Amma Biriyani now, Ambur - Ahmadhiya Biriyani and Vaniyambadi – Beef Biriyani.

Well, One thing more….I will be always writting Mutton in the recipe. Biriyani is the dish cooked with ‘red meat’ or its broth. Though its been widely cooked with vegetables/chicken/turkey or what not! So stick to the recipe but change your preferance of meat/vegetables here.

Ingredients:

Cloves 3
Cinnamon 2
Cardamon 3
Maratti mokku 2
Bay leaves 2
Star anise 1
Ghee 1 cup
Green chilies 6 slitted
Onion 1 finely chopped
Ginger paste 1 spoon
Garlic paste 1 spoon
Mint leaves few
Coriander leaves alone few
Tomato 1 chopped
Lemon juice 1
Salt
Chili powder
Red/Kesar food color 1 pinch(optional)
Mutton cooked broth 1 and 1/2 cup(goat’s meat cooked water alone)
Short grained rice 1 cup(seeraga samba rice)

Note: To prepare Mutton broth/Goat’s meat broth. Cook 1 cup of meat with salt and 2 cups of water. Once the meat is done. Filter and discard meat/the flesh and reserve the cooked water….the broth. One can use the same meat for some other recipes like, Arcot bonda or anything. If you wish while cooking meat, one can saute it before with little spices like onion, ginger-garlic and few spons of oil.

Method:

In a pressure pan, heat ghee. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamon, maratti mokku, sat anise, bay leaves and green chilies. Fryt hem till the green chilies crack and turn opaque.

Now add onion and fry them till it turns to golden color. Followed by ginger-garlic paste. Fry them real good until its raw smell leaves.

Then add tomatoe and fry till its water content is lost and oil shows up on sides.

Add mint and coriander leaves and fry fry till they wilt.

Now add salt, chili powder, lemon juice and food color to this. Add rice and saute for few minutes. Maybe till the rice is slightly fried.

Then add your reserved Mutton/Chicken broth. Cook over low-medium heat till 1 whistle sound. Do not release the pressure in hurry. Let the rice stand in pressure and get cooked.

Serve hot with Brinjal Serva and onion/cucumber raita.