Avial n Rasam: Beetroot Dhum Biryani

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Beetroot Dhum Biryani

This recipe is from one of the Chefs in the family, Usha Manni (my mami). (We have real wonderful cooks in the family, and two members who have a professional degree in Hotel Management and Catering technology and I take pride in that!). I really look forward to anything and everything she dishes out. She is a real bubbly lady with a never ending enthusiasm to walk, talk and breath anything to do with food. I admire her for her dedication to the family. She gave up her very promising career to be a home maker. (She is a wonderful one at that.)

Now coming to the recipe, I am sure she too must be shocked that, I learnt this from her while she made it for me during one of my visits to Chennai.The recipe is fairly simple and I hope I am doing a decent job of explaining it here. :-).

All you need:
Beetroot - 3 (small) or 2 (large)
Basmati/sona masoori/ long grain rice - 1 cup
Onion - chopped - 1/2cup
Red chillies - 2
Green Chillies - 2
Bay leaf, Jeera, Elaichi, Dal chini, Clove - (say a tsp of all together)
Garlic - 2 or 3 cloves
Ginger - 1" piece
Salt - to taste
Oil(very little) - 2tsp
Garam Masala Powder- 1/2 tsp or less(a little)
Corriander leaves - to garnish

How I cooked it...

Soak the rice for about half an hour annd then par boil it with a clove, drop of oil and a pinch of salt (use an open container)
strain out the rice (al-dante) and let it cool
Wash and grate your beetroot (in the raw)
follow a simple process to make your beetroot masala base (similar to making a dry masala sabzi with half of the onion )
I went "hyderabadi" way from here; I used the oven at 375 for 30 minutes
Take a baking dish and rub in a little oil
Layer rice and beetroot masala (alternate layers)

close the dish with an aluminum foil
leave it in the oven at 375 for 30 minutes
Before you serve caramelize an onion (slender long slices) and vertically slit green chillies to garnish
And you are done.