Rajasthani Malai Biryani

A recipe close to my heart. Rajasthan is my home state. The land of Marwar is popular for its beautiful and sweet spoken people along with the gorgeous forts and palaces. Its also known for its beautiful colors that can be easily seen in the attires and things people use. We proudly call it our “Rangeelo Rajasthan”.

Rajasthan is mostly popular for its vegetarian food but little do people know that Non vegetarian food of Rajasthan is not only very popular between Non vegetarians but also portrays the love for cooking from the Royal Palaces. Most kings in Rajasthan have loved to cook in their leisure time and they enjoy cooking the traditional Marwar recipes that have passed on to us from generations.

Rajasthani Malai Biryani comes in from the kitchens of the Mughals and clearly shows the bond of brotherhood and relationship shared by Rajputs and Mughals. When Princess Jodha married the Great Mughal Emperor Akbar, the Mughal cuisine was all set to merge like the traditions and fesivals of the two different faiths. This dish uses a lot of chili. Well, that’s what Rajasthan is popular for, but to calm it down it uses cream or malai. Mughals used a lot of cream and dry fruits in the cuisine and most dishes that use a lot of cream or saffron are actually a gift from the Mughal Era. In fact, its surprising how many dishes in Persia or Arab countries sound and look similar to Indian/pakistani cuisine and it clearly shows how the foods welcomed the merge and till today we enjoy and take pride of what our history gifted us.

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Rajasthani Malai Biryani

Biryani with the flavors of Marwar

Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Cuisine

Indian, Mughlai

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Passive Time

3 hours

Servings

people MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 5 cups Long grain Basmati Rice wash and soak for 20 minutes
• 1 Kg Chicken [with bones] cut to medium and small pieces
• 3 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
• 2 cups Yogurt
• 4 No. Onions Big size, sliced
• 1 No. Cinnamon stick medium size
• 1 tsp Shahi zeera
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper [whole]
• 5 No. Green cardamom
• 5 No. cloves
• 2 tsp Kashmiri Red chili powder
• 1 tbsp Coriander powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp Ghee clarified butter
• 2 tsp Salt More or less according to your taste
• 4 No. Whole dry red chilies
• 1 cup Heavy cream
• 2 tsp Kewra water screw pine water
• 1 tsp rose water
• 1/4 tsp Yellow food color optional
• 1/4 tsp Red food color optional
• 1/2 cup Mint leaves washed and roughly chopped
• 2 No. Star Anise
• 1 cup Green coriander leaves cleaned, washed and roughly chopped
• 8 No. small green chilies slit and sliced
• 1/2 cup olive oil Can be substituted with any oil of your choice
• 2 tbsp Ghee For charcoal, to give a smoky flavor
• 4 tbsp Lemon juice

Cuisine Indian, Mughlai Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Passive Time 3 hours Servings people MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 5 cups Long grain Basmati Rice wash and soak for 20 minutes 1 Kg Chicken [with bones] cut to medium and small pieces 3 tbsp Ginger garlic paste 2 cups Yogurt 4 No. Onions Big size, sliced 1 No. Cinnamon stick medium size 1 tsp Shahi zeera 1/2 tsp Black pepper [whole] 5 No. Green cardamom 5 No. cloves 2 tsp Kashmiri Red chili powder 1 tbsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Turmeric Powder 1 tbsp Ghee clarified butter 2 tsp Salt More or less according to your taste 4 No. Whole dry red chilies 1 cup Heavy cream 2 tsp Kewra water screw pine water 1 tsp rose water 1/4 tsp Yellow food color optional 1/4 tsp Red food color optional 1/2 cup Mint leaves washed and roughly chopped 2 No. Star Anise 1 cup Green coriander leaves cleaned, washed and roughly chopped 8 No. small green chilies slit and sliced 1/2 cup olive oil Can be substituted with any oil of your choice 2 tbsp Ghee For charcoal, to give a smoky flavor 4 tbsp Lemon juice

Votes: 2 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken with yoghurt, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, turmeric powder and a tsp of salt.

   
2. Take a pan and add ghee . Add the whole spices in the ghee, saute’e for 2 minutes.

   
3. Add the whole spices with ghee to the marination. Marinate for 2 hours.

   
4. Add oil to the pan, add onions and cook till they turn brown.

   
5. Add the marinated chicken and cook till the chicken is cooked and oil separates.

   
6. Add the whole red chilles, ¾ cup of coriander leaves. The yakhni is ready.

   
7. In another pan, add 1 tsp of oil. Add shahi zeera and star anise, add mint leaves and kewra water. Add 12 cups of water and a tsp of salt. Let the water boil. Add the soaked rice [drain the water the rice was soaked in] and boil till it breaks easily from the middle [takes around 7-8 mins. Drain the water.

   
8. Take the cream in a bowl. Add rose water and yellow food color. Take a pan to layer the biryani. Add a Tblsp of oil and spread it around the pan [preferred with your hand]. Add 1/3 of the rice, add few tbsp of cream.

   
9. Add few coriander leaves and few chillies, add 1/2 of the yakhni and ½ tsp of lemon juice [spread all around. Repeat till you put the final layer of rice.

   
10. Later, towards the end of layering biryani, when you are just left with little cream, add the red color, to decorate with two colors, which is optional.

    
11. Just add the cream with red food color to the top layer of rice.

    
12. Now take a steel bowl and add 2 tbsp of hot ghee to it ... place it in the middle of the biryani.

    
13. Heat a piece of charcoal.

    
14. Add a piece of fired up charcoal to the bowl of hot ghee. Make sure you cover up the biryani dish quickly as the the ghee and hot charcoal would let out smoke and you want your biryani to get that smoky flavor.

    
15. Seal the lid with dough to ensure the smoky flavor mingles with yakhni and rice, the smoke inside would enhance the taste even more. Leave it for dumm for 45 mins in the oven at 350F or 180 C .

    
16. Serve with Onion Raita on the side.