Pressure Cooker Biriyani

Biriyani which is one of the most favourite dishes of India and many other Asian cuisines is normally cooked on special  occasions or just once in a while mainly because it's time consuming. But here's a very simple and quick method by my friend Bindu which will make your cooking much easier. Not only that, by following this method you'll prepare biriyani more often.




Saute the onions in oil

  Add cashews, raisins, ginger-garlic paste, salt and turmeric

 Then add all the spice powders and saute before adding the tomatoes

1. Then add chicken pieces along with garam masala and plain yoghurt.

Then over chicken add soaked basmati rice and add water. Add saffron along with it's water, salt and coriander leaves and mix only the rice on top. Do not mix with chicken from the bottom.

Pressure Cooker Biriyani

Recipe Type: Dinner

Cuisine: South Indian

Author: My Friend Bindu

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 4

The traditional dish called 'Biriyani' can now be made very easily with this pressure cooker method. It's all in one pot. No baking required.

Ingredients

• Chicken/beef or mutton - 2 lbs, cleaned and cut into medium pieces


• Onions - 2 medium, sliced


• Ginger-garlic paste - 2 Tbsp


• Cinnamon stick - 1, 2 inch piece


• Cardamom - 3-4 whole crushed


• Cloves - 3-4


• Bay leaf - 1


• Cumin seeds - 1 Tbsp (optional)


• Cashew nuts - 6-8


• Raisins - About 10


• Tomato - 1 big chopped


• Basmati rice - 3 cups (soaked in water for 1/2 hour)


• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp


• Chili powder - 2 tsp


• Coriander powder - 3 tsp


• Garam masala - 1 tsp


• Yoghurt - 2 Tbsp


• Saffron - 3- 4 pieces soaked in3 Tbsp of warm water (optional)


• Ghee - 4 Tbsp


• Oil - 1 Tbsp


• Coriander leaves - 2 Tbsps, chopped


• Water - 1 and 1/2 cups


• Salt - as required

Instructions

1. Heat a pressure cooker on medium heat and then add 3 tablespoons of ghee and 1 tablespoon of oil.


2. Once hot add cinnamon stick, crushed cardamon, cloves, bay leaf, cumin seeds and fry for 1 minute then add onions, sort for 2 minutes then add cashew nuts and raisins, ginger-garlic paste, salt and turmeric powder. Stir this until onions are transparent.


3. Then add coriander powder and chilly powder. Stir and then add 1 chopped tomato and mix. Cover till tomatoes are mushy and well cooked.


4. Then add chicken pieces along with garam masala and plain yoghurt.


5. Mix and cook for 7 minutes covered with normal lid. Don't pressure cook.


6. Then over chicken add soaked basmati rice and add water. Add saffron along with it's water, salt and coriander leaves and mix only the rice on top. Do not mix with chicken from the bottom.


7. Pressure cook until you hear 1st faint whistle and switch off.


8. Note that whistle won't be loud as there is less water and water will be absorbed while cooking.


9. Open once all steam in cooker is gone. ..leave uncovered for 5 minutes as rice is very hot and then mix from bottom and serve.

Notes

Normally for cooking rice the ratio for taking water is twice the cup of the rice. But here since we are using meat, there's no need to use that ratio but instead go vice versa i.e., use half of the measurement of the rice that has been used.

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Saffron soaked in water

Add saffron with the water, coriander leaves and salt. Mix together only the rice on top and not the chicken

Enjoy a happy meal : )