Malabar Beef Biryani

Malabar Beef Biryani is an all time favorite for all at home. There are different variations of Biryani in an around India. Beef Biryani is tried and tasted as the best Biryani towards Malabar side. I love preparing this dish once in two weeks for sure. The recipe and ingredients is very simple compared to any variants of Biryani. So, take a little time out and try this at home today. Our lunch for today is Beef Biryani for sure. Enjoyee...

Ingredients:

For Beef Masala

Beef - ¾ kg (cleaned and cut to cube pieces)

Onions - 3 medium (sliced)

Ginger paste- 1 tbsp

Garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Green chilli paste - 2 tbsp

Tomatoes - 2 medium (sliced)

Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp

Red chilli powder - ½ tsp

Garam masala powder - ½ tsp

Black pepper powder - 1 tbsp

Curd - ½ cup

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

For the Rice

Jeera rice - 2 cups

Water - 3 cups

Onions - 1 large (thin slices)

Cinnamon - 1 stick

Cloves - 5 nos

Salt - to taste

Ghee - 4 tbs (for cooking)

Garnishing

Onion - 1 large (cut into thin slices- optional)

Cashew nuts - 20 nos

Raisins - 20 nos

Ghee - 2 tsp

- Pour ghee in a kadai and fry onion to golden brown color and keep aside (make sure the onions are not burnt).

- In the same pan roast cashews and raisins and keep aside.

Preparation: Rice

- Wash and drain the rice well and keep aside.

- In a vessel, pour 3 tbsp of ghee and let hot. Add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and saute for a sec. Add few onion slices and saute till translucent.

- Add the 3 cup washed rice to the vessel and fry the rice till soft. Add warm water (6 cups of water), salt, little lime juice and let the rice cook with lid on. Once the rice is cooked, keep aside.

Preparation: Beef masala

- Heat oil in a cooker, add onions and saute till translucent.

- Add ginger paste, garlic paste, green chilli paste and fry well for a minute or two. Now add tomatoes and saute well.

- Add turmeric, red chilli, garam masala, pepper powder, salt and saute for a minute.

- Add the cleaned cut beef, curd, lemon juice and mix well. Check salt at this stage. (Do not add water)

- Cook beef on medium flame for about 10 - 12 whistles and keep aside.

Now the rice and gravy is prepared for the Biryani. Next we will have to keep the biryani on Dum, this is where we actually get the taste of biryani. This is called the layering process of the biryani

- Take a flat bottom vessel, wipe the bottom and sides of the vessel with ghee (at least 2 tbsp)

- Layering the biryani - Take the biryani rice and and layer it to the bottom on the vessel, sprinkle little garam masala powder, add a layer of beef masala and layer with rice again. Repeat the same for another 2 layering.

- Put the fried onions, cashew nuts and raisins on the biryani rice and close lid and let dum for 10 minutes on low flame.

- Open the lid after 5 minutes, our delicious Beef Biryani is ready to serve.

- The best combination for Biryani would be Salad, Dates or Mango pickle.

Note:

- Rice water ratio is 1:2 (1 cup of rice to 2 cup of water)

- Salt, green chilli and sourness of the lime can be adjusted to taste.

- No water is added while cooking the beef masala. You will get enough water from the onions.

- While frying onions for garnishing, make sure it is not burnt. It should be golden brown in color.

- I have not added fresh coriander and friend onions for this dish instead added loads of raisins and cashews. Coriander leaves can be added if required. It actually enhances the taste.