Easy Biriyani

Waking up late on Saturday, no mood to do elaborate cooking, this is the recipe I always fall back to. The flavour for this biriyani comes from the mint added. I just place a bunch of mint over the rice mixture and later after cooking is complete, remove the bunch. Without the need to munch over wilted pudina leaves. I always make this recipe for pot-lucks. If you have never done biriyani this recipe is a good one to start.

This dish can be done both in the pressure cooker or in the rice cooker- My friend Shyam has been asking me the recipe to do this dish. So here it is for him :

Ingredients
- a cup of sona masoori rice
- 2 cups of stock/water
- cup of mixed veggies
- a fistful of soya chunks (optional)
- ginger garlic paste (optional)
- a bunch of mint
- half medium size onion chopped
- 2 green chillies chopped ( more if you would like it hot )
- 2 tsp garam masala ( more if you need it spicy )
- salt
- oil 2 tsps

1. Heat oil in a pan ( or pressure cooker ).
2. Add onion, green chillies, ginger garlic in the same order and saute for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the mixed veggies and soya chunks and saute for another minute
4. Add washed and drained rice, saute for another minute
5. Add the measured quantity of water/stock ( 1:2 rice:water for sonamasoori )
6. Add salt.
7. For Pressure Cooker : Place the mint bunch in one corner, close and place the vent.
For Rice cooker : Transfer the contents from pan to rice cooker and place the mint bunch gently. Cook as usual.

After the rice is cooked and ready to open, discard the mint bunch and stir to mix properly.

Tips:

- To cook in pressure cooker - Keep in between medium-high and wait for two whistles and switch off the stove. Leave it alone for 20 minutes or until the no more pressure inside.
- If you mix the salt and taste the biriyani-water-mixture it should be the right salt content for that solution.

My entry to "FMR - For the love of rice-by Paz" and "next weekend's curry mela by Anthony".