Kuska Rice or Plain Biryani without vegetables made in south Indian muslim style. This is different from the biryani rice or biryani chawal that is served in North Indian restaurants.
rinse 1 cup heaped basmati rice (215 grams) very well in water till the water runs clear of starch. soak rice in enough water for 30 minutes. later drain all the water and keep the rice aside.
preparing kuska biryani
heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a pot or pan.
add the following spices and let them splutter – ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (shah jeera), 1-inch cinnamon, 2 to 3 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 to 2 single strands of mace and 1 tej patta.
then add ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions.
saute the onions on a low to medium flame stirring often, till they start turning light golden.
then add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste.
stir and saute on a low flame till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
add ½ cup chopped tomatoes and saute for a minute. you can even skip tomatoes if you want.
then add 1 or 2 green chilies (sliced or slit), ½ tablespoon chopped mint leaves and 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. mix very well.
now add 2 cups water. instead of water you can also use veg stock. depending on the quality of rice, you can add 2 to 2.25 cups water.
cover the pan with its lid.
on a medium flame, bring the entire water mixture to a boil.
when the water starts boiling, then add the rice.
season with salt as per taste and mix very well. check the taste of the water and it should taste a bit salty. if not, then add some more salt.
add 1 teaspoon lemon juice. again stir.
place a cotton kitchen towel or napkin on the pan. you can also seal the pan with an aluminium foil. now place the lid on the pan.
keep the flame to a low or sim and dum cook till the rice grains are tender and cooked. it will take about 7 to 8 minutes for the rice to cook. do use a thick bottomed pan, so that the rice grains do not stick to the bottom of the pan. if you want you can check the rice grains once while cooking. if all the water has been absorbed and the rice grains do not look cooked, then add some hot water in the pan. cover and continue to cook.
when the rice grains are cooked, then allow resting time of 5 to 7 minutes. then gently fluff the rice with a fork.
serve kuska biryani garnished with a few coriander or mint leaves along with a veg gravy or dal of your choice.