I’ve never heard of making biriyani out of methi leaves, until I tasted one at the Kashmiri wedding a couple of months ago. Believe me, this recipe just melts in your mouth.
Given the present situation, we’re combating the cabin fever by exploring new recipes. So, you have a lot coming up on your way! Try this and let me know.
Ingredients (serves 2)
1 1/2 cups Rice (of your choice, soaked for 15-20 mins)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds/saunf
3 strands of coriander leaves
3 strands of mint leaves
2 green cardamoms
1 black cardamom
10-15 pepper corns
2 sticks of cinnamon ( an inch length)
2 biriyani leaves
2 onions (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup of fresh methi leaves (roughly chopped)
1-2 green chillies
1/2 cup of fried onions
15-20 ginger julienne/strips
1/2 cup ghee/clarified butter
30-50 ml milk
10-15 strands of saffron
Salt as needed
For marination
150 grams of paneer
1 1/2 table spoon of ginger garlic paste
1 table spoon of roasted cumin powder
1 table spoon of coriander powder
1 table spoon of chilli powder
1 table spoon of garam masala
1/2 tea spoon of turmeric powder
3/4 cup of fresh curd
Salt as needed
Preparation
1. Cut the paneer into cubes and marinate them in the above mentioned ingredients for 20-30 mins at room temperature.
2. In a cooking pot add 3-4 cups of water and bring it to boil. Add 2 table spoons of ghee, finely chopped coriander and mint leaves, fennel seeds and soaked rice. Cook this for 5 minutes, strain the water completely and keep it aside.
3. Heat a heavy bottom pan and add 3 table spoons of ghee, add biriyani leaves, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom, green cardamom and pepper corns and let them crackle.
4. Add green chillies and thinly sliced onions, ginger garlic paste and give it a mix, then add ginger julienne, methi leaves, fried onions, salt and a lavish sprinkle of ghee and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes with the lid closed.
5. Spread the cooked rice evenly across the paneer mixture and add a few table spoons of ghee. Soak the saffron into the milk and sprinkle it on the rice.
6. Here comes the most important step – dum/steaming. Heat an iron or heavy dosa tawa and place the rice pan with lid atop it. Cook the rice in high flame and low flame for 10 and 5 minutes respectively. While steaming, spread out a thick cloth on top of the rice pan and cover the lid in order to hold the steam.
Tips
1. Do not over mix the rice while boiling and straining, as it might break the rice.
2. You can also marinate the fried onions
3. Please use only iron/heavy dosa tawa and do not use regular non stick tawa.
4. Make sure your paneer mixture is a bit salty and spicy to match up with the rice. If you have added salt while boiling the rice, then please ignore the salt.
Loavesandfishez 