Aloo Dum Biryani aka Potato Biryani

INGREDIENTS
1½ Cup Basmati Rice 1 Cup – 250ml
1½ tsp Salt
2 inch Cinnamon
4 Cloves
3 Cardamom
3 Bay Leaf

FOR POTATO MARINATION
300 gms Baby Potatoes
⅓ Cup Curd (Plain Yogurt)
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Red Chili Powder
1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

FOR MASALA
2 tbsp Butter
1 Onion Sliced
3 Green Chili
2 Tomato Cubed
10 Mint Leaves
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves
2 tbsp Oil

OTHER INGREDIENTS
2 Onions Sliced or we can use 2 cups of fried onions
½ Cup Mint Leaves
½ Cup Coriander Leaves
2 tbsp Warm Milk
Few Strands Saffron Threads
2 tbsp Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak saffron threads in warm milk and set aside

Wash and soak Rice for about 15 mins
FRYING ONIONS

Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add onions with pinch of salt and saute onions till they are golden brown. Set this fried onions aside. If you have store bought fried onions, you can skip this step.
FRYING POTATOES

In the same pan, add oil, add washed and peeled baby potatoes. Fry the potatoes in low flame till they are golden color

MARINATION PROCESS

Take a mixing bowl. Add curd, salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder and ginger-garlic paste and give a good mix

Add half of the fried onions to the curd mixture. Then add the fried potatoes and mix well so that the potatoes are coated well.

Set the marinated mixture aside for about 20 mins

COOKING RICE

Bring 5 cups of water to boil in a sauce pan or pressure cooker. Add salt to the water. Add cumin seeds and whole garam masalas (bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves)

Add washed rice to the boiling water. Cook the rice till its almost 70% cooked.

Once the rice is cooked, strain the excess water and set the cooked rice aside.

MAKING ALOO MASALA

Heat butter in a pan. Add green chili and fry in butter. Add sliced onions and saute onions till translucent.

When the Onions are translucent, add tomatoes to the pan and saute tomatoes till they are tender and soft

When the tomatoes are cooked, add the marinated mixture to the pan. Cover & Cook the masala till the oil oozes out of the masala and the masala becomes thick.

When the masala is cooked, add mint and coriander leaves and mix well. Then switch off the flame.

Now the Aloo masala is cooked and rice is almost cooked, lets start layering the biryani

LAYERING BIRYANI

Heat a tawa. On top of the tawa, place a heavy bottomed pan. Grease the tawa with ghee all over the inside of the pan. First add one half of the aloo masala to the greased pan. Then add half of the cooked rice and spread it evenly.

Then add fried onions and spread it. Also add few mint leaves to the rice layer.

Now add rest half of the aloo masala and spread gently. Then add the rest of the rice and spread evenly.

Add some more mint leaves and coriander leaves. Also add saffron milk. This will give a natural color to the biryani.

DUM COOKING

Cover the pan with aluminium foil. Close the pan with a lid. Keep the flame low and cook for about 15 mins. The rice should be fluffy as well as the bottom masala layer should be dry. If not, cook for more mins.

SERVING TIME

Serve the delicious Aloo Dum Biryani with Raitha of your choice and enjoy the Biryani!