Mughalai Moti Biriyani

If I know my future precisely, I would prefer to have Biriyani as my last meal! I mean, its just an expression to say…how much I enjoy a particular dish! Maybe because, it was my first experiment recipe in the kitchen, at the age of 17…incidentally on a Ramzaan day:)

I was left alone, at home! And my Mom had asked my uncle to provide me lunch. So, after done with light breakfast, I overwhelmingly asked the maid to take a day off! I am such a fool to do so! Anyway…that stupid brother of my Mother, forgot me totally! The day passed beyond my lunch time…and my stomach was grumbling pretty bad! His phone was not reachable…moreover he had borrowed my two-wheeler, that morning. Oops, I was left with no option to go out, kind of trapped in my own house…with lots of gadgets around me, provisions lying in the kitchen, but was so helpless…dunno’ ABCD of cooking:( I was all nuts’ pretty mad at him!! It was so scary when the clock was ticking and I was like almost blackout!

Until evening my day went staring at the wall clock and wondering ‘where the idiot would be! Around 3.30 to 4 O’ clock, I decided to cook on my own. Somehow managed to locate rice, spices…water etc. Spend a whole lot of time in confusion (What to fix and How to Cook???) Oh man, that was like a nightmare’. I ended up grabbing each vegetable and examining it with care then, putting it back promptly! Once again checking whether someone will be available soon to take me out for lunch/dinner, poor me:(

Finally, I decided…I will cook chicken and rice together, had a peculiar gut/instinct feeling that it would turn out good. Also, I had good perception what a typical biriyani may require:) Somehow figured cooking in a pressure cooker, doesn’t need any basic culinary skills…and I believed rice and chicken would definitely turn tender over 3-5 whistles…by pouring lot of water to it…in that way I can make sure’ that it won’t be undercooked at any cost:) I grabbed all the necessary ingredients, ranging from spices to mint, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste etc (Yes, nothing did I miss)! After toiling hours in the kitchen, ruining number of cutlery. The resulted dish closely matched ‘Biriyani’. Oh gosh…it was awesome, overwhelming, hearty in fact:)Of course it had some flaws and it was barely noticeable! For the first attempt, it was fabulous:) The verdict was lots of cardamoms, mushy rice…but when it was steaming hot’ it was very fulfilling. I consider this incident has a tremendous impact on me to learn cooking, to survive on my own:)

Well, did I finish the story, since it was Ramzaan day…late at dinner time, my friend Salma shared ‘Biriyani’ with me again…hehe:(

Ingredients:

For Kofta:

Minced goat meat 1/2 kilo(cooked)
Green chili 3
Ginger 1″ grated
Garlic 2 cloves minced
Onion chopped
Cilantro chopped
Salt
Egg whites
All purpose flour
Oil for frying.

For Biriyani:

Cloves 3
Cinnamon 2
Cardamon pods 3
Bay leaves 2
Black cardamom 2
Star anise 1
Short grained rice 2 cups(seeraga samba)
Green chilies 6 slitted
Onion 1 made into puree
Tomato 1 small
Garlic 6 cloves made into paste
Ginger 2″ size peeled and made into paste
Mint leaves 1 fistful
Coriander leaves alone few
Lemon juice from 1 fruit
Curd 1 cup
Salt
Chili powder
Ghee 1/4 cup.

Method:

For Kofta:

Cook minced meat in a pressure cooker, retain the broth.

Now combine all the ingredients(except oil) with shredded meat.

Mix them well. Divide them into equal parts and shape them into mini koftas.

Heat oil in a pan, shallow fry them till golden brown. Set aside.

For Biriyani:

In a crock pot, heat ghee. Add cloves, cinnamon, crushed cardamon pods, bay leaves, star anise and green chilies. Fry them till chilies crack and turn opaque.

Now add onion puree to this and fry them really well, until its pungent smell is gone. Then add tomatoes, mint and coriander leaves. Fry them till the leaves wilt.

Add salt and chili powders. Followed by fried koftas. Add rice and saved meat broth to this. Cover and cook till tender and nice.

Feast like a King with friends and family:)