TEJ PATTE KI BIRIANI
Ingredients:
alubukharas (dried plum) – 8-10
basmati rice – 1 kg
peppercorns – 5
cloves – 4
piece of cinnamon – 2 cm
green cardamoms – 4
salt – to taste
groundnut oil – 1/2 cup
large potatoes quartered – 4
large onions, finely and evenly sliced – 4
large tomatoes, finely chopped – 2
ginger paste – 2 tsp
garlic paste – 1 tsp
coriander powder – 1 tsp
cumin powder, pinch of turmeric – 1 tsp
chilli powder – 1 tsp
mutton chops – 1.5 kg
bay leaves – 60
garam masala powder – 1 tsp
green chillies, slit – 8
chopped coriander leaves – 1/3 cup
butter – 2 tbsp
lime juice – 1
Grind to a powder:
shahjeera – 1 tsp
cloves – 3
green cardamom – 3
small stick cinnamon – 1
Method:
?Soak the alubukharas overnight in water. Pressure cook in the water for 5 minutes. Strain through a sieve and reserve the pulp.
?Boil the rice with the bay leaves, 1 tsp shahjeera, peppercorns, salt and half the whole garam masalas till three fourth done. Strain and spread on a tray to cool and dry.
?Heat the oil, fry the potatoes till a light golden. Remove. Fry the onions till a golden brown in the same oil. Add the tomatoes, ginger – garlic paste, coriander, cumin powder, turmeric, chilli and fry over a moderate heat till the tomatoes soften. Add the mutton chops and salt. Fry till the oil separates. Add enough water to just cook the meat. Add the potatoes and alubukhara pulp. Pressure cook for 10 minutes. There should be a very little gravy left when done. If necessary, dry away excess liquid.
?Take a heavy bottomed degchi spread 30 bay leaves covering it completely. Layer 1/3 of the parboiled rice evenly. Top with half the meat and potatoes. Sprinkle half the garam masala powder. 4 green chillies and half the coriander leaves. Repeat once. Lastly spread the remaining 1/3 of the rice. Spread the melted butter and lime juice on top. Finally cover the rice completely with the rest of the bay leaves.
?Cover and seal te degchi with atta dough and put on dum. This means cooking over a slow fire with a tawa underneath the degchi for half an hour. Open the seal only at the time of serving. Discard the topmost bay leaves and serve.
?The rice would have imbibed the aroma of the bay leaves and you’ll serve a biriani as never before.
