How to Cook Basmati Rice for Biryani (Video)
A step by step guide, how to cook basmati rice for biryani. This simple biryani rice recipe is designed to assist beginners to make fluffy biryani right in their home kitchen.
Print
Pin
Servings: 3 Persons
Calories: 339kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups Basmati Rice Long grain
- 1.5 L Water For Soaking & Boiling
Whole Spices (For Boiling Rice)
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 5 Cloves
- 10 Black Peppercorns
- 1 stick Cinnamon 3 to 4 inches
- 1 Aniseed
- 5 Cardamom
Layering & Steaming
- 2 teaspoon Oil / Ghee
- 500 g Meat Curry (thick) Chicken, Mutton/lamb or Beef
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt
- 2 pinches Biryani Color Edible yellow/red color
- 1 tablespoon Saffron Milk (optional) Add saffron strings in luke warm milk and leave for half an hour
- Herbs (Fresh Coriander and Green chilies) Chopped and sliced
- ½ tablespoon Birista Biryani onions
- 2 teaspoon lemon (optional) freshly squeezed
- 5 drops Biryani essence Substitute: Kewra, Rose water
Instructions
Rinse & Soak Rice
- In a spacious bowl, put 2 cups of dried basmati rice and softly rinse it under tap water until the water runs clear to get rid of any excess starch.
- Soak the rice in fresh water for 20–30 minutes (for regular basmati).Tip: Don't drain the rice for too long! as it can make the rice mushy.
Par Cooking (Boiling & Draining)
- In a large, deep pot (to ensure the rice has enough space to expand), bring 4-6 cups of water to a rapid boil over high heat at stovetop.
- Mix in the salt, ghee/oil, and whole spices (2 Bay Leaves, 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds, 5 Cloves, 10 Black Peppercorns, 1 stick Cinnamon (3 inches), 1 Aniseed, 5 Cardamom) into the boiling water to impart flavor.
- Cover the pot and bring water to a boil for 10 minutes over high heat, allowing the flavors of the whole garam masala to infuse into the water.
- Now drain water of soaked rice using colander or sieve.
- Carefully place the rice into the hot boiling water and use a pot spoon to stir gently, ensuring it doesn't stick or become cluttered.
- Cover the pan now and let the rice cook on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes to achieve a fluffy texture. We should cook the rice to 80% completion; the remaining will be finished by steaming.
- Check for Doneness: The rice needs to be roughly 80-85% cooked (al dente) at this point. To check, hold a grain and press it between your thumb and forefinger; it should crush but still have a little firmness or a "raw bite" in the center.
- At this stage, carefully drain the water using colander and keep it on a side.
Biryani Layering
- Use a spacious, heavy-bottomed pot and brush it with oil or ghee to avoid the rice from sticking to the surface and edges.
- First Layer (Base): Spread the half batch of boiled rice on pan bottom with the help of spoon. (Check the salt, sprinkle if needed). Now spread the thick meat curry evenly over the rice. Add a full spoon of rice over the curry and top it with freshly chopped coriander, sliced green chilies, birista (crispy brown hand crushed onions).
- Second Layer: Add more rice, spread meat curry, herbs and brown onions.
- Now spread remaining rice and sprinkle the pinches of edible red food color, saffron milk (optional) and squeeze fresh lemon juice to add a sour taste in biryani. If you like pour 2 to 3 drops of rose water/kewra water or biryani essence to get the typical aroma of restaurant, or wedding style biryani.
Steaming (Dum)
- Now, cover the pot to trap the steam and cook the biryani on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. After that, reduce the heat to low to allow it to steam. Let the biryani steam for 20 minutes.Tip: If you feel that the steam isn't properly sealed inside the pot, consider using aluminum foil or a cloth. If your stove is not set for low flame, place the biryani pot over the griddle to avoid direct heat. These are traditional hacks that you can apply according to situations.
- This steaming or dum process is essential for achieving a flavorful, vibrant, and fluffy biryani, so be sure to manage it carefully. Avoid steaming for too long, as it can make the rice mushy.
Rest & Serve
- After steaming, turn off the heat and let the biryani sit for 10 to 15 minutes to settle. Then, gently and carefully mix the rice from the sides of the pan.Pair it with raita and kachumber salad.
Video
Notes
- Avoid over soaking to avoid mushy or non fluffy rice.
- 80% Al dente rice – Wash until the water runs clear to remove excess starch.
- Boil rice in a large or deep pan, half filled with water so the rice get the space to rise in size.
- While layering, make sure the curry should not be watery otherwise the rice will get mushy in texture. Here is the guide, how to thicken the curry to avoid this issue.
- Make sure the curry is cooked with proportional biryani masala to get the best texture and color of biryani rice.
- Always use hand crushed crispy biryani onion to use in curry, and to use in layer or garnishing.
- Always prefer to layer the biryani with cook rice. One pot is only pulao so avoid steaming in a single pot.
- These tips will apply on all types of biryani recipes.
Nutrition
Serving: 100g | Calories: 339kcal
