Khuska |
My version Khuska
Khuska or Plain Biryani is very popular in South Indian restaurants.
But this is my version to cook healthy khuska for my family.
As I always recommend to give a time for marinate and soak for as long as possible before any cooking.
Actually these are processes where the ingredient may half cooked and keep soft.
If marination and soaking will do in perfect timing then we must avoid the sticky fats from our dishes.
So here "soaking spices " is the real hero of this Khuska with aromatic essence.
Using of soaked basmati rice water is help to increase the aroma of khuska.
Ingredients :
2 Cup Basmati Rice
4 Cup water
½ of lemon juice
1 tsp Sahi Cumin
4 Green Cardamom
½ of black Cardamom seeds (crushed)
8 Cloves
2 Star anise
2(1" )Cinnamon Sticks
2 Bay leaf into half
1 tsp Curry masala powder
1 tsp Garam masala powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Termeric powder
2 Red Tomatos Chopped
1 Big Onion sliced
4 Green Chillys into half
1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste (Optional)
1 Cup Thick Curd
Hand full of mint leaves
1 tbsp Ghee
1 tsp Melted Ghee for aroma
Salt to taste
Few chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.
Preparations:
In a small bowl take all whole spices soaked in half cup of water and keep at least two hours in refrigerator.
Or overnight.
Wash basmati rice properly and soaked in 4 cups of water. We should use this water.
So properly rice cleaning is important.
Add half of lemon juice stir well and keep aside for 2 hours.
Take a bowl add curd churn till smooth and keep aside.
After 2 hours strain the whole spices into a dry plate add this water into the soaked basmati rice water.
So the spices essence will be mix well in the rice water.
After 2 hours strain and seperate the rice and water and keep seperate for next use.
Heat ghee in the pressure cooker over medium heat. Once it's hot, add all soaked whole spices and onion stir for a few seconds until you can smell the aromas coming out.
Add chopped tomatos,green chillies,salt,ginger/garlic paste and spice powders stir well, now switch the flame to low and add curd stir constantly till the oil seperate. Add rice stir and fry for a while, add rice water stir well give a nice boil.
Cover the pressure cooker and pressure cook for 1 whistles and turn off the heat.
Allow the pressure to release naturally as the you cook normal rice will continue to cook as long there is pressure inside the cooker.
Once the pressure settled down.
Open the cooker lid, fluff the rice with using plain spatula.
Do not stir just go through the ends and push the rice to out to top.
Then pour the melted ghee and cover the lid again ,open and stir when you start serving.
HINTS
*Always cook biryani 2 to 4 hours before you serve .
*How long it stay gives better taste and fluffy rice.
*Biryani rice always shrink in size when it stay long because of using of fats.