Palak biryani recipe

Palak biryani recipe

This recipe of palak biryani is one of the easy biryani recipe. Generally making biryani is very complicated and time consuming task. Although it is worth time but many times we do not have so much time and we look for easy solution for our meals.

INGREDIENTS

Measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml

Main ingredients:

• Basmati rice : 2 cups soaked for about 30 minutes
• Onion: 1 large, sliced
• Ginger-garlic paste : 1 tsp (adrak lahsun ka paste)
• Tomato : 1 medium size, chopped
• Water : 4 or 4.5 cups
• Oil or ghee : 3 tbsp
• Cashews : some fried cashews for garnishing (optional)
• Salt as per taste

Whole spices:

• Cinnamon or dal chini : 1 inch
• star anise or chakriphool : 1 small
• green cardamoms or hari elaichi or choti elaichi : 2
• black cardamoms or badi elaichi : 1 or 2
• cloves or laung : 2-3
• bay leaf or tej patta : 1
• a pinch of mace or jayitri or javitri

Dry spice powders

• red chili powder lal mirch powder : ¼ tsp
• garam masala powder : ¼ tsp
• turmeric powder or haldi : ¼ tsp
• cumin or jeera powder : ½ tsp
• fennel or saunf powder : 1 tsp
• coriander powder or dhania powder : 1 tsp
• a pinch of asafoetida or hing

For the spinach puree:

• spinach or palak : 1 medium bunch
• mint leaves or pudina patta : ½ cup
• coriander leaves or dhania patta : ½ cup
• green chilies or hari mirch : 1 or 2
• almonds or badam : 5-6

INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE PALAK BIRYANI

Preparing the spinach puree:

1. Wash the palak or spinach leaves well. Chop and keep aside. Rinse & chop the green chilies, mint and coriander leaves
2. In a blender, add chopped spinach, mint, coriander, green chili and almonds.
3. Add ½ cup of water and blend to the smooth paste.

Preparing the biryani:

1. First wash and then soak the rice. When the rice is soaking, prepare the spinach puree as mentioned above.
2. Heat oil in the thick bottom and deep pan or pot. Add all whole spices.
3. Fry for some seconds or till an oil gets aromatic. Add sliced onions & fry till they are browned. remove some of fried onions for garnishing.
4. Add the ginger & garlic paste and fry for some seconds. Now add the chopped tomatoes and fry till the tomatoes becomes soft for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Keep on stirring so that the ingredients do not stick to the bottom of the pan.
6. Add the spinach puree, Stir and Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Now add all the dry spice powders one by one and stir.
7. Drain soaked rice and add. stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour 4 or 4.5 cups of water. Add salt and stir.
8. Check the taste of soup and if required add some more salt.
9. Cover tightly with the lid and cook till the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
10. Fuzz the rice.

Serve palak biryani hot garnished with the fried onions and fried cashews with a side vegetable curry, raita, yogurt curry or some salad.