Kheema Biryani

Cooking is not rocket science, but it’s certainly an artistic science! Reading a recipe book is one thing and then bringing in your own twist and making that recipe yours is another. I incidentally tried this dish on a special farmaish (“wish” in Hindi) from my father-in-law. I have never made Kheema Biryani before or even tasted one. Google, my best pal threw up some recipes of this Biryani and I came up with my version of it. I was pleased, by how simple this dish turned out to be and I would recommend everyone who thinks Biryani is a complex dish, to try making this one.

Difficulty level: Average

Quantity: 8-10 Biryani Lovers

Prep time: 1 hour

Can be served as: Main course; but for Hyderabadis it's Biryani anytime!

Ingredients

For the Kheema Mix

700 kg mutton Kheema

250 gms curd; slightly beaten

Green Chillies as per spice needed (for medium 5-6; small cut lenght wise in the centre)

Fresh Ginger Garlic paste – 1 ½ tablespoon

Fresh Coriander leaves - 1 bunch

Fresh Mint leaves – 1 bunch

Chilli powder – as per spice needed

Turmeric Powder – ½ tea spoon

Dhania Powder – 1 table spoon

Jeera Powder – 1 tea spoon

Garam masala powder- 1 table spoon

Lime juice of 1 large lime

Salt as per needed

For Rice layer:

1 kg good Basmati Rice

Whole spices - cardamom, cinnamon, clove, start anise and bay leaves

Saffron few strands dissolved in about 15 ml of warm milk.

Refined Oil and some ghee

Onions – finely julienne; deep fried in oil generally done for Biryani; 

Use the left over oil for cooking the below Kheema mixture; if the oil is too much please pour out and keep aside.

Preperation: 

Heat left over oil and add ginger garlic paste and fry till brown. Add Kheema and the rest of the ingredients under Kheema mix mentioned above except lime and cook till the meat is cooked and oil comes above the mixture. Take off heat when there is some gravy in the Kheema and not completely dry. if it becomes dry then add some curd and cook for about 5 mins and take off from heat.

While the Kheema is cooking, take 1 kg of good Basmati rice in another dish, add water (1: 3 ratio of rice to water as you will need to drain out the rice) and cook it with whole spices. Also add salt as per usual preference while cooking.  Add some oil so that the rice grains don't stick to each other when the water is drained. Cook till the rice is good to eat but slightly stiff, but not raw. Drain the water from the rice completely.

If you cannot manage both at once cook the Kheema first and then the rice. Please don’t cook the rice first. The Kheema must be ready when the rice is drained out.Take a hard bottom wide vessel to layer the Biryani. Make 2 portions of the Kheema and spread one portion on the bottom of the vessel. Then sprinkle some crushed fried onions and then layer half of the rice on the Kheema. Then layer the Kheema again, top with crushed onions and then rice. Then sprinkle the rest of the onions and pour some saffron mixed with warm milk for the colour. For extra flavor I recommend,  heat 2 tablespoons of Ghee and pour over the rice. 

Take an old pan and leave it on flame; once it’s hot keep the Biryani vessel on that tightly covered. Lower the flame completely and let it stay in the low heat till you can see some steam coming from the rice. 

You don’t need to cook anything now, but doing the above procedure will help to bring out the flavors of the Biryani. 

Enjoy hot with raita. (basic recipe for raita is slightly beaten curd with onions, green chillies and chopped coriander; add salt as required).

Reality check:

• You can just say one thing about Biryani – Yummy Yummy Yummy!
• Have it with a dash of lime and sliced onions
• You can save it for the next day in the refrigerator and it will taste much better
• There are various versions of raita – mixed veg, bhoondi, fried onions, cucumber any of them will taste equally good.