DINDUKKAL BIRYANI / AAMBUR BIRYANI

DINDUKKAL BIRYANI

Wash 1/2 kg. of JEERAKA SAMBA rice and soak for 30mins. Clean 1/2 kg. mutton pieces. Finely slice 1/4kg. of onions and chop 1/4 kg. of tomatoes. Heat 100gm. cooking oil [ can also use some ghee , about 50gm. in addition to the oil] in a heavy vessel, and splutter 2 sticks cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 cardamom, 1 bay leaf, 1 stone algae [ kadal paasi in tamil ] and one maraati moggu [ I don't know the English name]. Then add onions and saute till brown. Then add paste of 6 garlic and 50gm. ginger, and the tomatoes and cook till raw smell goes. Then add washed mutton, 4 chopped green chillies , 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder, 2 tsp. chilli powder, 3 tsp. dhania powder, 1/2 a bundle of mint leaves, chopped, 1/2 cup thick curds, and cook till oil floats on top. Then add water twice the amount of rice , add required salt and cook the mutton. When the mutton is 3/4th. done, add the drained rice, mix, cover and cook. Do not disturb till you see small pits forming on top of the biryani. Then add little red [kesari] food colour dissolved in little water, mix well but lightly, and cook on 'dum' for half an hour. Serve hot with regular pachadi [made with onion, coriander leaves, tomatoes in curd].


AAMBUR BIRYANI

BASMATHI rice - 500 gms. No kadalpasi, maratti moggu in this recipe. The rest of the ingredients required and their quantity is the same as the above recipe. But method of cooking is different.

Method: Take 1 1/2 litres of water in a heavy pan. Add half the spices [clove,cardamom etc.] and boil the water. Add washed rice, salt and cook till 3/4th. done and drain the water. Set the rice aside. Meanwhile, clean the mutton. Mix it with curd, chopped tomatoes, mint leaves, coriander leaves, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and slit green chillies. Mix well and marinate for at least 30 mins. Heat the oil/ghee in a heavy pan, splutter the remaining whole spices, and fry the onions till brown. Then add muttons and cook till oil floats on top. Then add coriander powder and chilli powder, salt, and sufficient water to cook the meat. Once the mutton is cooked, and the mixture thickens, add the cooked rice, mix well and cook the biryani on 'dum' for 30mins. Serve hot with regular pachadi [made with onion, coriander leaves, tomatoes in curd].