Kuska/Plain Biryani is a simple and easy base biryani, basically without any vegetables or meat. This is a one-pot meal with lots of flavors. In most of the hotels, they use either basmati rice or seeraga samba rice in making kuska.
Typically in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, they use seeraga samba rice. I have shown kuska using basmati rice. The water ratio for both is the same 1:2. For kuska rice, instead of adding water, coconut milk and water are added in equal proportions. Also, I have shown Dum biryani using a pressure cooker. Instead of Dum, you can leave it to 2 whistles too.
This preparation of biryani is very easy using the pressure cook method. It takes only 30 mins to cook the entire process. You may see lots of ingredients in the recipe, but trust me this kuska turns out to be a finger-licking dish. This is the basic plain biryani. You can add vegetables or chicken or mutton according to your preference and make twists out of the plain biryani. Now let us see how to prepare this Kuska biryani.
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- 1 cup Basmati Rice
- 1 cup Coconut Milk thick milk
- 2 big Onion cut lengthwise
- 1 small Tomato finely chopped
- 3 Green chili Slit into two
- 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 1/4 cup Mint Leaves/Pudina
- 1/4 cup Coriander Leaves/Kothamalli
- 1/2 Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick/Pattai
- 5 Clove/Lavangam
- 1 Star anise
- 2 Cardamom/Elaichi
- 1 tsp Kal Pasi/Black stone flower
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1/2 tsp Fennel seed/Sombu
- salt to taste
- Soak basmati rice in water for half an hour. Wash it thoroughly, drain water and set it aside. The rice water ratio is 1:2. Here, we are going to add 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water instead.
- Heat a pressure pan and add oil. Once the oil gets heated, add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, black stone flower, fennel seed, and let it crackle.
- Then add green chilies and saute for a min. Now add onions, a little salt for onion, and saute until the onion turns translucent.
- Then add ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes. Then add mint, coriander leaves and saute for a min.
- Now add tomatoes and saute until tomatoes turn mushy. Then add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, and saute until raw smell goes.
- Now add a cup of coconut milk, a cup of water, salt to taste, and mix all thoroughly. Bring it to a boil and add the soaked basmati rice and ghee. Mix it again.
- Cook on a medium flame for another 5 to 6 mins, until 3/4th of the water, is absorbed. Now squeeze the lemon and mix it again. Now remove the cooker from the stove.
- Reduce the flame to low. Place an iron tawa on the stove. Above the tawa place the pressure cooker, close the lid and place the whistle. Cook kuska in low flame for exactly 10 mins. If required set an external timer for ten mins.
- After 10 mins switch off the flame. Let the pressure release naturally. After 15 mins open the lid. Kuska is ready.
- Fluff it out gently with the help of a ladle or fork. Do not break the grains. Serve hot with the raita of your choice.
- Add a generous amount of fresh mint leaves and coriander leaves.
- Serve kuska along with raitha or any gravy of your choice.
- Instead of basmati rice, you can even add seeraga samba rice.
- I have prepared this dum method using a pressure cooker. Instead, you can leave it for 2 whistles too.
- This is the basic plain biryani. You can add vegetables or chicken or mutton according to your preference.
Delicious kuska/plain biryani is ready to relish.
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