Khuskhus Aur Khopre Ki Biryani

While I am always on a lookout for new Biryanis that have been made since the invention of this awesome dish, some recipes are just so fascinating that when you read about how they were cooked in olden days, its just hard to not try cooking them.

The land of Hyderabad offers so many varieties of Biryanis and this Biryani happens to be one of the delicious Biryanis that it offers. The Nawabs are always known to have food that is rich. Using cashews and poppy seeds not only adds a lot of flavor to a dish but also makes the yakhni very creamy and rich.

Biryani is inspired by cuisines from Persia. Recipes that have cashews and poppy seeds resemble the closest since the Mughlai recipes had loads of dry fruits and nuts added to their cuisine. Down south, Hyderabad serves the most Biryanis. This recipe is not like Hyderabadi dumm Biryani and not too spicy either but the taste is still lovely and the flavors are divine.

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Khuskhus Aur Khopre Ki Biryani

Chicken Biryani cooked with poppy seeds, cashews and coconut. Another style of Biryani, from the land of Hyderabad.

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Cuisine

Indian, Mughlai

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Passive Time

30 minutes

Servings

people MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 2 Lbs Chicken [with bones] cut to medium to small size pieces
• 5 No. Onions sliced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 TBSP Ghee
• 500 gms Long grain Basmati Rice Washed and soaked for 20 Minutes
• 1/4 cup poppy seeds Khuskhus , soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 3 TBSP Cashews soaked for 30 minutes
• 1/2 cup coconut Fresh/ Frozen
• 1/2 + 1/2 tsp Caraway seeds 1/2 tsp for Yakhni and 1/2 tsp for Rice
• 1 No. Cinnamon stick medium size
• 2 No. Star Anise
• 5 No. cloves
• 6 No. Green cardamom
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 3 TBSP Ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp white pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Salt More or less according to your taste
• 1 cup Yogurt
• 1/2 cup Mint leaves
• 1/2 cup Coriander leaves
• 9 No. Green chilies sliced
• 4 TBSP Lemon juice
• 4 TBSP Screw pine water Kewra water, add a pinch of orange food color

Cuisine Indian, Mughlai Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Passive Time 30 minutes Servings people MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 2 Lbs Chicken [with bones] cut to medium to small size pieces 5 No. Onions sliced 1/2 cup olive oil 2 TBSP Ghee 500 gms Long grain Basmati Rice Washed and soaked for 20 Minutes 1/4 cup poppy seeds Khuskhus , soaked in water for 30 minutes 3 TBSP Cashews soaked for 30 minutes 1/2 cup coconut Fresh/ Frozen 1/2 + 1/2 tsp Caraway seeds 1/2 tsp for Yakhni and 1/2 tsp for Rice 1 No. Cinnamon stick medium size 2 No. Star Anise 5 No. cloves 6 No. Green cardamom 1/2 tsp cardamom powder 3 TBSP Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp white pepper powder 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder 1 tsp Salt More or less according to your taste 1 cup Yogurt 1/2 cup Mint leaves 1/2 cup Coriander leaves 9 No. Green chilies sliced 4 TBSP Lemon juice 4 TBSP Screw pine water Kewra water, add a pinch of orange food color

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Instructions

1. Make a paste of mint leaves, green chilies and coriander leaves.

   
2. Also make a paste of cashews, khuskhus and coconut.

   
3. Add oil to the pan, followed by sliced onions. Fry till they turn golden brown.

   
4. Take 50% out of the pan and keep them aside, for garnishing later. Leave the rest in the pan.

   
5. Add caraway seeds, cloves, green cardamom, cinnamon stick to the pan.

   
6. Add ginger garlic paste. Saute for 2-3 minutes and add the green paste.

   
7. Add the chicken followed by salt, white pepper powder and turmeric powder. Cook for 5 minutes.

   
8. Add yoghurt and the khus khus, coconut and cashew paste. Add the ¾ of the fried onions and cook till only one cup of gravy is left and chicken is completely cooked.

   
9. In another pan, to cook rice, add ghee . Add cardamom powder, star anise and caraway seeds. Once they crackle, add around 2 liters of water and add salt.

   
10. Once the water comes to a boil, add the soaked rice and boil for 7-8 minutes till the rice is 70% cooked. Drain in a colander.

    
11. Assemble the biryani: Take a heavy bottomed pan. Brush a little oil from the yakhni in the bottom of the pan and add half of the rice. Now add the yakhni and sprinkle the lemon juice. Add the remaining rice and spread the kewra water, little oil/ sauce from the yakhni and 25% of the fried onions. Cover with a tight fitting lid and seal with the chapatti dough so the steam doesn’t escape. Put a tawa on the burner and put this pan on the tawa. Cook on high heat for 2 minutes and then on low for another 30 minutes.

    
12. Serve with mirch ka salan on the side. ENJOY!!! ENJOY!!!