Mushroom And Potato Spicy Masala Biryani.

Mushroom Potato Spicy Masala Biryani / Kumbh Aaloo Theekha Masala Biryani .....

Steaming hot Biryani’s are always a pleasure to eat with cold raitas. Without going into much details about the whereabouts of biryani, which I am sure all of you know, I will proceed with the recipe here. Do prepare this Biryani and enjoy with your friends.

Grind to a fine paste : ½ cup of coriander leaves, handful of pudina (mint) leaves, 1 tomato, 1 tblsp coriander powder, 1 tsp jeera powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp garam masala powder, 1 tsp fennel powder, 4-5 medium spicy green chillies with half a cup of curds. 

Grind to a fine paste 1 inch of ginger - finely chopped with 8-10 finely chopped garlic and keep this ready aide.

Wash and soak 3 cups of basmati / jeera rice in plenty of water for 30 minutes. Wash again and put it in a colander for the water to get drained off properly. Keep this ready aside. Heat ½ cup of ghee in a pressure cooker pan, when hot add in ½ cup of cashew nuts and fry till slightly colour changes, now add in the following whole spices : 2-3 cloves, ¼ tsp pepper corns, 2-3 slit green cardamoms, 3-4 slit black cardamoms, 3 x 2” pieces of cinnamon, 1-2 star anise, pinch of jaivitri, few curry leaves, 2-3 bay leaves. Fry for a few seconds on medium heat and then add in the drained rice and mix well add in 5 cups of water and salt to taste. Cover the pressure cooker lid and cook on medium heat to 2-3 whistles. Let the pressure drop on its own. Remove and allow the rice to completely cool. Once cool enough separate gently the rice with the help of a fork. Keep this ready aside.

Peel off the skin of 500 gms of small baby potatoes. Wash and cut about 10-12 mushrooms into two lengthwise. Put both potatoes and the mushrooms in a pressure cooker, cover and pressure cook to one whistle adding 1 cup of water. Let cool completely remove and keep aside ready.

Finely slice 2 + 1 large onion into thin slices and keep this ready aide. Put the 2 slice large sized onions in a microwave glass bowl. Add 1 tsp of oil and a pinch of salt to the onions and mix well. Microwave till crispy and evenly browned. Keep stirring in between. Keep this ready aside. 

Peel and grate 2 medium sized carrots and 1 medium sized beetroot. Keep this ready aside. Soak 1 tsp of saffron strands in ¼ cup of warm water. Keep this ready aside.

Chop finely and keep aside one cup of fresh coriander leaves and handful of pudina / mint leaves for garnishing. 

Heat ½ cup of ghee in a thick bottomed kadai, when hot add in the remaining sliced onion (one) and fry on medium heat till translucent. When slightly pinkish add in the ginger garlic paste and fry for 4-5 minutes, then add in the ground masala and fry till you get a nice aroma. Sprinkle a little bit of water if you find the masala going dry. Now add in the cooked potatoes and mushroom and mix well. Cover and simmer on low flame for 5-8 minutes. Remove.

Further the biryani can be prepared in 2 methods either on electric rice cooker or continue on gas method or also on micro wave method. I have used the electric rice cooker method.

Melt some ghee and apply it at the bottom of the vessel of the electric rice cooker. Sprinkle half of the fried onions and spread evenly. Now Sprinkle some rice and then evenly spread half of the masala potatoes and mushrooms evenly. Then spread in evenly a layer of half of the cooked rice, sprinkle half of the saffron milk and some dollops of ghee here and there. Also sprinkle half of the grated beetroot, carrots, coriander leaves and pudina. 

Now repeat the process by spreading the remaining masala potato mushroom topped with layer of cooked rice and then again carrots, beetroots, coriander and pudina in similar manner. Sprinkle the remaining saffron milk and some more melted dollops of ghee randomly. 

Now cover with tight lid and let the rice cook in the electric rice cooker till done. It will stop automatically and go into keep warm mode once done. Let it be in the warm mode for 15 minutes. Remove and serve hot with raita / salad or any other accompaniment of your choice.

** For the method of gas : Just make the layering methods in similar pattern in a thick bottomed kadai and put it on medium flame with a thick iron pan below the kadai. Cover with tight lid and cook till done. This will take some time as the procedure is slow.

** For the Microwave method: Just arrange in the same way in a large microwave glass bowl and microwave for 5 minutes covered with a lid.