Kofta Biriyani

Though weekends may come and weekends may go....yet there is some kind of tingling excitement that catches on every Friday evening! Yes, its the weekend thrill! So, to make the friday evening not too boring, i decided to make the kofta biriyani using the 4 slices of bread that was remaining. Adopted the recipe from Tarla Dalal ofcourse with a few changes. Its a super delicious biriyani which anyone will love...so, go ahead and feast on it....it will become a regular in ur menu...

Ingredients:

For kofta

2 bread slices

2 tbsp shredded panner

1 small potato boiled and mashed

2 green chillies finely chopped

1/2 medium onion finely chopped

Salt to taste

1/2 tbsp curd

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

For rice

1 cup basmati rice washed and soaked-20 mins

1 bay leaf

1/2 stick cinnamon

2 cloves

1 tsp saunf

few cashews

1 cardomom (with skin)

Salt to taste

For gravy

1 clove

1/2 stick cinnamon

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp jeera powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/8 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 cup sliced onions

1/4 cup boiled green peas or frozen peas

2 sliced tomatoes

2 tbsp curds

1 -1/2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

For the garnish

2 tbsp curd

1 tbsp chopped coriander

1 tbsp chopped mint

150ml Oil for deep frying kofta

Preparation

For the bread koftas

- Combine all the ingredients except the oil. Add little water if required but may not be required. Mash well

- Divide into small portions of even sized rounds

- Heat the oil in a kadai and deep fry on medium heat until the koftas are golden brown

- Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside

For the rice

- heat 1 tsp of ghee and add the saunf, cloves, bayleaf, cinnamon and cashews. Now, drain the soaked rice and fry it for a minute in the ghee.

- transfer to rice cooker or pressure cooker and add salt and 1-1/2 cups water.

- cook the rice and set aside

For the gravy

- while rice is cooking, the gravy can be prepared.

- Heat 1-1/2 tbsp oil in a pan and add the cloves and cinnamon

- Add the onions and saute til they turn golden brown

- Add the ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, coriander-cumin seed powder and turmeric and saute for 1 min.

- Add the frozen peas, tomatoes and salt and cook till oil seperates.

- Add the curd, mix well and simmer for 5 mins.

- If using cooked green peas, add this at the end of 5 mins and keep aside.

How to finish the dish

- Whisk the curd, coriander, mint with 2 tbsp of water

- Arrange the gravy at the bottom of a baking dish

- Top with bread koftas (as seen in pic above) and cover with the cooked rice(as seen in pic on side).

- Top this with the curd-coriander and mint mix.

- Cover with a lid and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 deg C or 400 deg F for 15 to 20 mins.

- Serve hot with onion raita

Foot note:

- You could use a heavy bottom pan and cook on the gas on a very low flame if you do not have a oven. I did the final process on stove top instead of oven!