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I donno the origin of this biryani. I learnt it from the cook(aapa) of my pachi’s house in Belgaum. I guess this is a traditional muslim dish. But for vegetarians my pachi uses vegetables(mainly potatoes) instead of chicken.

Ingredients:
Basmathi rice 2 cups
Chicken 1/2 kg
or Potatoes(you can even add cauliflower,carrot, beans along with potato) 3-4 Onions 2
Coriander leaves 15-20 strands
Mint(pudina) leaves 10
Green chillis 5-6
Ginger-garlic paste 2 tea spn
Curd 2 tbl spns
Food color(orange or yellow) a pinch
Biryani masala 1 tea spn
Salt
Oil 2 tbl spns
Ghee 2 tbl spns

If Biryani masala is not available or if you wish to use fresh masala, then dry roast the following and make powder.
Cloves 6-7
Cinnamon 2″ piece
Cardamom 2
Poppy seeds 2 tea spns
Nut meg(Jayphal) 1

Method: Cook the rice with 2 drops of oil and salt(Oil doesn’t allow the grains to stick together) in around 1:3 water for 10min. (Rice should be only half cooked). Drain the water. Grind coriander leaves, green chilies, mint leaves, ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 onion to a fine paste. Add this paste, salt and curd to chicken or vegetables and keep it aside to marinade. (chicken should marinade for about half an hour to one hour. Vegetables need not be marinated).
Cut the onions into thin long pieces. Heat oil & fry them till they turn brownish. Separate out the oil from onions.
Heat the oil(left out from frying the onions) in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the marinated mixture along with chicken, salt(add less salt because it is already added to rice), 1/4th of the garam masala. Spread a thick layer of rice. Then spread a layer of onions, biryani masala, color(mixed in water). Again add a layer of rice & repeat the procedure given in this paragraph till all rice, onions, biryani masala, color is added. From above add ghee. Add 1/2 cup water. Close the lid & cook on low flame for about 10-15minutes. Then remove the flame & let it cook on the heated stove(without flame). Serve hot.

Updated on Sep 15: Today I tried the biryani with Shaan Biryani masala instead of home mase masala. It came out very well.

Serves : 4
Preparation time : 45min – 1hr

For step by step instructions, click here. This tastes great with chicken gravy.

A must in all konkani functions. For this any or all of the vegetables mentioned below are used. Usually any one vegetable of sour taste like bimbal or ambado(amte kayi) is used. I use tamarind if both of these are not available.

Ingredients:
Coconut 1/2 cup
Bittergourd(Hagalakayi or karathe) (Optional) 4-5 pieces
Bhindi(Okra) (Optional) 4-5
Bimbal or ambado (amte kayi) or tamarind or raw mango 2-3 pieces
Fenugreek seeds 1/4 tea spn
Coriander seeds 1/2 tea spn
Urad dal 1/2 tea spn
Jaggery 1/2 tea spn
Mustard seeds 1/2 tea spn
Red chillis 5-6
Curry leaves 4-5
Oil 1 tea spn
Salt

Method:
Heat oil and fry coriander seeds, Urad dal(half the quantity mentioned above), fenugreek seeds(half the quantity mentioned above), red chillies(4). Grind with jaggey and coconut(if tamarind is used, grind it with masala). Do not make the masala too fine.
Heat oil and fry mustard seeds, remaining methi seeds and urad daal. When they start spluttering, add curry leaves and 2 red chillis cut into pieces. Fry for one 1/2 minute and add vegetables. Add 1/2 cup water and cook vegetables(if bitter gourd is used, cook it seperately, sqeeze out water and then add). Add ground masala, add salt and sufficient water(It should not be too watery). Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Serve hot with rice.

Serves : 3
Preparation time : 20min

Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal
A pinch turmeric
1/2 tea spn cumin seeds(Jeera)
4-5 green chilis
A pinch asafoetida(hingu)
Salt
1/2 tea spn ghee
Coriander leaves

Method:
Cook toor dal with turmeric in pressure cooker.
Heat ghee and add jeera. When it starts popping, add chilis and asafoetida. Add cooked dal and salt. Bring it to boil. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice & ghee.

Serves : 4-5
Preparation time : 20min