Manjali Special Beef Biriyani

Manjali Special Fried Beef Biriyani Recipe

Ingredients (Serves 6)

1. Beef – 3/4 – 1 kg, cut into medium or large cubes

2. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder (regular and kashmiri chilly powder) – 1 tbsp

Pepper powder – 1/4 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder – 1.5 tsp (recipe below)

Salt – As required

3. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Kashmiri chilly powder – 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder – 1 tsp

Pepper powder – 1/4 tsp

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Salt – 1 pinch

4. Oil / ghee (vegetable oil or coconut oil) – Around 1/4 + 1/4 cup

5. Onion – 1 large, thinly sliced (Around 2 – 2.5 cups)

6.  Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Green chilies – 2 – 3, slit

Ginger-garlic paste – 1.5 tbsp

7. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder (regular + kashmiri) – 1 tbsp

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp

9. Garam masala powder –1 – 2 tsp (recipe below)

10. Cilantro / malliyila – 1/4 cup, chopped

Mint leaves, chopped – 2 tbsp

Ghee – 1 tsp

11. Salt – To taste

For the rice

10. Jeerakashala / kaima rice – 2.5 cups (Soak rice in enough water for 30 minutes and drain well)

11. Ghee –  2 – 3 tbsp

12. Whole spices – Bay leaf – 1, Cardamom – 6,  cloves – 8, cinnamon stick – 3/4 inch broken, whole black pepper corns – 1/4 tsp

13. Onion – 1/4 cup, thinly sliced

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

14. Salt – To taste

15. Carrot – 1/4 cup, thinly sliced (optional)

Pineapple, thinly sliced – 1/4 cup

Ghee – 1 tsp

Rose water – Few drops or 1/2 tsp kewra water (For a nice aroma)

Cilantro and mint leaves – 2 tbsp, chopped

16. Hot water –  5 cups

To layer

17. Fried onion – 1/2 cup

Fried cashews and raisins – 1/4 cup each

Cilantro – 1/2 cup, chopped

Mint leaves – 1/4 cup, chopped

Pineapple, thinly sliced – 1/2 cup

Garam masala powder – Few pinches

Ghee – 1 – 2 tsp

13. Hot water – 2 – 3 tbsp (optional)

Saffron – 1 pinch  (optional)

Rose water – Few drops or 1/2 tsp kewra water, for a nice aroma (optional)

Add saffron and rose water to hot water and set aside for a few minutes.

Method

1. Marinate beef pieces with ingredients numbered 2 for at least 2 hrs or overnight in the refrigerator. Take it out 30 mts before you are ready to cook.

2. Place the beef pieces in a pressure cooker and add 1/4 – 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook for 5 – 6 whistles or until done. Switch off.

3. Remove beef pieces using a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl. Reserve the gravy. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp kashmiri chilly powder, 1 tsp garam masala powder,  1/4 tsp pepper powder, 1 tsp lemon juice and a pinch of salt to the beef pieces. Combine well.

4. Heat around 1/4 cup oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Fry beef pieces until browned on both sides. Do not over fry otherwise they will turn hard. Drain on to a paper towel. Add 1/4 cup oil to the remaining oil in the pan and add 2 – 2.5 cups of thinly sliced onion and a pinch of salt. Saute until onion turns light golden. Add 1.5 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, few curry leaves, 2 slit green chilies and continue to saute until onion turns golden.

5. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder. Continue to cook for a few minutes over low heat until their raw smell completely disappears and oil separates. Add chopped tomatoes, little salt and cook until oil separates. Add 1 – 1.5 tsp garam masala powder and mix well. Now add the reserved beef gravy. Taste-check for salt. Cook until thick. Add the fried beef pieces, 2 tbsp chopped mint and cilantro and mix well. Cook covered for 1 – 2 minutes until the beef pieces are well-coated with the masala. Add a tsp of ghee (optional) and mix well. Switch off the stove.

3. To cook rice –  While the chicken is cooking, soak the jeerakashala rice for around 30 mts.

Heat a large pressure cookeror any heavy-bottomed vessel with 2 – 3 tbsp ghee. Add the whole spices numbered 12. Stir for a few seconds until fragrant. Add sliced onion, garlic paste and cook for a couple of minutes until onion turns transparent. Add drained rice. Cook for a minute. Add 5 cups of hot water, enough salt and bring to a boil. Taste-check for salt, the water should be slightly salty. Add 3 tbsp thinly sliced carrot and pineapple, a tsp of ghee and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro. Cover with lid and cook until steam starts to come out profusely. Put on the whistle(if you are using pressure cooker). Bring  down the heat to low and cook for  2 – 3 minutes. Switch off. Open the lid after 10 minutes. Fluff the cooked rice gently using a fork.

4. To Layer

For layering, you need a cookware which can be put on stove or which is oven-safe.

Smear the base with ghee. Then add half of the beef masala, fried onions, cashews, raisins, cilantro, mint leaves, saffron in water. Now add the rice and repeat the process. Sprinkle some garam masala powder, little saffron water and 1 – 2 tsp ghee on the rice. The top-most layer should be that of rice topped with the items under garnish. You can pour any left-over  gravy over it. Now seal the cookware with an aluminium foil (so that moisture won’t escape), cover with a lid and bake it at 350 F for around 10 – 15 mts (depending on the cookware you use). If you are using stovetop, keep it on a tawa over low flame for around 8 – 10 mts. Set aside for 15 minutes. Manjali Special beef biriyani is ready to serve! Serve with boiled eggs, raita, papad, biriyani chammanthi and lemon pickle.It tastes super-delicious. Enjoy!!

Garam Masala Powder Recipe

Fennel seeds – 2 tbsp

Cloves – 6 – 8

Green cardamom – 5

Cinnamon stick – 1/2 inch

Kus kus / white poppy seeds – 1/2 tsp

Whole black pepper corns – 1/2 tsp

Star anise / thakkolam – 1

Jathi pathri / mace – a small piece

Grind the above spices to a powder in the small jar of a blender or in a coffee grinder. Store in an air-tight container.