Kacchi Biryani (Kacchi Biryani)

Serves five to six people.

Ingredients:

• Mutton (large pieces) - 2 kg
• Polao rice - 1 kg
• Ghee - 1½ cup
• Potatoes (same sized) - 500 gm (or 6 to 7)
• Chopped onions - 2 cups
• Ginger paste - 2 tablespoons
• Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
• Cumin powder - 1 tablespoon
• Chili powder - 1 tablespoon
• Plain yogurt - 1½ cup
• Jaiphal (nutmeg) powder - 1 teaspoon
• Jaitri (mace) powder - ½ teaspoon
• Cinnamon powder - ½ teaspoon
• Crushed cloves - 1 teaspoon
• Green cardamom (choto elachi) powder - 1 teaspoon
• Whole black pepper - 10 to 12
• Dried prunes (alu bukhara) - 8 to 10
• Almonds - 8 to 10
• Raisins - 10 to 12
• Kewra - 4 to 5 tablespoons
• Salt - as needed
• Ground turmeric - just a little to add color

Preparation:

• Clean and rinse the mutton.
• Marinate with 1 tablespoon of salt for half an hour.
• Clean the mutton again and completely rinse out all the water.
• Set aside.

• Fry the onions in a little bit of ghee until they are crisp.
• Crush the onions lightly into smaller pieces (to make beresta) and set aside.
• Sprinkle a bit of the turmeric on the potatoes and fry them in the same ghee.
• Keep these aside.

• Now marinate the mutton with 1 tablespoon of salt, fried onions, ginger, garlic, cumin, chili powder, yogurt, jaiphal, jaitri, cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, cloves and kewra.
• Pour the marinated mutton along with the mix evenly into a large sauce pan.
• Set aside for now.

• In a separate pan, start boiling 6 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of salt.
• Add the rice into the water.
• As soon as the rice starts to get cooked, turn off the heat and use a strainer to separate out the water in a different pot. Keep this rice water aside for later use.

• Add 1 cup of rice water and ½ cup of ghee into the sauce pan containing the mutton.
• Cover the pan and let it rest for half an hour. Do not turn on the heat yet.

• Now layer the fried potatoes, prunes, almonds and raisins on top of the mutton.
• Cover the mutton with rice, and add the remaining rice water and ghee.
• Make sure the water level just touches the top of the rice.
• Seal the cover shut by wrapping an aluminum foil all around and placing a heavy weight on top. Make sure the cover is air tight and the vapor does not get to escape.
• Alternatively, the cover can also be sealed using wet flour dough.

• Finally turn on the stove and start cooking over medium heat.
• After 15 minutes, lower the heat and cook for about an hour.
• Optionally, if a gas oven is used, set the temperature to 180 C / 350 F and cook for 2.5 to 3 hours. The rest of the steps are similar for both methods.

• Remove the cover once the very distinct biryani aroma starts to come out.
• If the rice still has some more cooking left, stir in a little bit of warm milk and cover over low heat for another 10 to 15 minutes.
• Keep over low heat until both the rice and meat appear soft and cooked.
• Mix the rice and mutton gently before serving hot.

Murag Polao (Chicken Polao)

Serves three to four people.

Ingredients:

• Medium sized chicken - 2
• Polao rice - 4 cups
• Sliced onions - ½ cup
• Chopped onions - ½ cup
• Ginger paste - 2 tablespoons
• Garlic paste - 2 teaspoons
• Jaiphal (nutmeg) powder or paste
• Jaitri (mace) powder or paste
• Cinnamon - 2 to 3 pieces
• Cardamom - 4 to 5
• Cloves - 3 to 4
• Green chili - 5 to 6
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon
• Lime juice - 1 tablespoon
• Yogurt - 3 tablespoons
• Kewra - 1 tablespoon
• Milk - 4 tablespoons
• Pistachio powder - 1 tablespoon
• Food coloring (optional) - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - 1 tablespoon
• Ghee/Oil - 1 cup

Preparation:

• Clean the rice a few times, rinse and keep aside.
• Clean the chickens and cut each into 4 pieces. Dry and marinate with ginger, garlic, yogurt, jaiphal, jaitri, and a little bit of salt for 10 to 15 minutes.

• Heat about ½ cup of oil in a pan and fry the chopped onions until they are crispy. Keep them aside.
• Now add the sliced onions in the oil and heat until they are brown.
• Add in the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, and stir for a minute.
• Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat.
• Pour in 2 to 3 cups of water and cover.
• After 10 to 12 minutes of cooking, add the lime juice, sugar and green chili. Mix well with the chicken and cover.
• When there is about a cup of water left in the pan and the chicken looks cooked, turn off the heat.

• While the chicken is being cooked, mix the milk with kewra, and any food coloring if used. Stir in the pistachio powder with this mix as well. Keep aside.

• Heat the rest of the oil in a separate pan, and fry the rice until its crisp.
• Pour 5 to 6 cups of hot water over the rice and add in the salt.
• Once the water starts boiling, cover the pan and keep over medium heat.
• Stir the boiling rice after 3 to 4 minutes, and keep it covered again.
• Finally turn off the heat once the water dries up.

• Take out approximately half of the cooked rice and pour in all the chicken pieces and the gravy.
• Add in half of the milk-kewra mix and some fried onions.
• Now cover the chicken with the other half of the rice and add in the rest of the milk-kewra mix and fried onions.
• Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 more minutes, and stir whenever necessary to avoid burning the rice at the bottom.
• Turn off the heat completely when the mixture looks cooked, giving off a distinct aroma.
• Serve hot.

Ilish Polao (Hilsha Rice Polao)

Serves three to four people.

Ingredients:

• Medium sized Hilsha fish - 1
• Polao rice - 3 cups
• Chopped onions - 1 cup
• Ginger paste - 2 teaspoons
• Ground turmeric -1 teasooon
• Coriander powder - ½ teaspoon
• Yogurt - 4 tablespoons
• Green chili - 5 to 6
• Salt - 1 tablespoon
• Oil - ½ cup

Preparation:

• Clean the rice a few times, rinse and keep aside.
• Clean the Hilsha and cut into thick pieces. Rinse the pieces dry and marinate with turmeric, coriander, yogurt, and a little bit of salt for 5 minutes.

• Heat about ¼ cup of oil in a pan and brown the onions.
• Add the marinated fish pieces and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat.
• Pour in ½ cup of water, and add the green chili. Keep over low heat.
• Once the water dries up slightly and the gravy thickens, turn off the heat.

• Heat the rest of the oil in a separate pan, and fry the rice with ginger and the rest of the salt with 2 to 3 minutes.
• Cook the rice in 6 to 7 cups of water. When the water starts boiling, cover the pan and keep over medium heat.
• Wait for 5 to 7 minutes before stirring the rice again and putting the lid back on. Turn down the heat to low now.
• Turn off the heat when the rice is boiled and the water dries up.

• Take out approximately half of the cooked rice and pour in all the fish pieces and the gravy.
• Now cover the fish with the separated rice and cook over low heat for 3 to 4 more minutes.
• Turn off the heat completely when the mixture looks thoroughly cooked, having a characteristic fragrance.
• Serve hot.

Plain Polao (Rice Polao)

Serves three to four people.

Ingredients:

• Polao rice - 4 cups
• Chopped onion - ½ cup
• Ginger paste - 2 teaspoon
• Garlic paste - ½ teaspoon
• Cinnamon - 3 to 4 sticks
• Cardamom - 4 to 5
• Cloves - 2 to 3
• Whole black pepper - 5 to 6
• Kewra water - 2 tablespoons
• Salt - 1 tablespoon
• Ghee or oil - ½ cup

Preparation:

• Clean the rice and drain all the water completely.

• Heat the ghee or oil in a pan.
• Fry the onions until they are crispy and keep aside.

• In the same pan, fry the rest of the ingredients, except for the salt and kewra water, for 1 to 2 mins. Stir gently.
• Pour in all the rice and keep frying over low heat.

• Once the water dries up and the oil separates out, add the salt and about 6 cups of hot water. Stir and turn up the heat.
• Wait until the water starts to bubble. Cover the pan and lower the heat once again.
• Gently stir the rice after 3 to 4 minutes, and add the kewra water.

• Keep over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally and ensure the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Turn off the heat once the rice becomes soft and fluffy.
• Sprinkle the fried onions on top and serve hot.