Soya Nugget Biryani
A vegetarian Biryani with the meaty flavors of Soya nuggets
Who doesn’t love a good biryani! Initially cooked with meats and rice, today the meat has been replaced with many ingredients- chicken, fish, sea food, vegetables, mushrooms, even soya nuggets which have a nice ‘meaty’ flavor to them! This here is a spicier, more flavorful, moist version of a biryani with Soya nuggets.
- Serves: 4
- Preparation Time: 45 minutes
- Cooking Time: 45 minutes
- Difficulty: medium
- Tag: Biryani, Dinner for Two, Dinner Party, Diwali, Eid, Gluten Free, Holi, Indian, Lohri, Lunch & Dinner, Main Course, Party Food, Picnic, Pulao, Rice, Sunday Lunch, Vegetarian, Wedding & Anniversary
Ingredients:
- 3 cup Basmati Rice
- 3 cups Soya Nuggets
- 50g Butter
- 2+2 large Onions, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp Saffron strands, soaked in 1tbsp Milk
- 5 Green Cardamom, slit
- 1 tsp Caraway Seeds
- 5 cloves
- 3 tbsp Oil
- 2tbsp Biryani Masala
- 1 cup thick Yoghurt
- a handful of Mint leaves, torn
- a handful of Coriander leaves, torn
- 1tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- Salt to taste
For the rice:
- 2 Cloves
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
For the masala:
- 2 Black Cardamoms
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 5 Green Cardamoms
- 3Black Cardamoms
- ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 cinnamon Sticks (2”each)
- ¼ Nutmeg
- ½ Mace Flower
- 1 Star Anise
- 4 Cloves
- ½ tsp Caraway Seeds
- 1tsp Pepper Corns
- 2 Black Stone Flowers (Dagad Phool)
- ½ tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1tsp Coriander Powder
- 1tsp kewra water
- 1tsp rose water
Method:
- Soak the soya nuggets in boiling water for 20 minutes.
- Squeeze the water out of the soya nuggets.
- Lightly roast the spices for the masala on low heat for 2 minutes or till healted through.
- Remove and grind to a fine powder.
- In a big bowl whisk the yoghurt, biryani masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, mint and coriander leaves and and mix well.
- Add soaked soya nuggets to the yogurt mixture and mix gently. Let it marinate for half an hour.
- Heat 2 cups oil in a pan.
- Add 2 finely sliced onions to medium hot oil and fry until golden.
- Remove on an absorbent paper.
- Heat oil and ghee in a pan and add caraway seeds, green cardamoms and bay leaves and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add 2 thinly slice onions and sauté till golden in colour.
- Add marinated soya nuggets with all the mixture and saute for 3-4 minutes till the soya nuggets become tender and give out moisture.
- Bring to boil 8 cups of water with 3tsp salt and the whole spices mentioned for the rice. Add the rice and cook till half done.
- Drain the rice and reserve 1 cup of the drained liquid.
- In a wide bottomed pan, spread half the rice and cover with a layer of the cooked soya nuggets. Cover with the remaining rice. Add the reserved ½ cup liquid.
- Add saffron strands soaked in warm milk.
- Dot the rice with butter.
- Sprinkle rose water and kewra water on top.
- Cover with a tight lid and seal with dough.
- Put the pan on high heat for 5 minutes and then on very low flame for 20 minutes.
- Remove from fire and let stand for 15 minutes before opening the seal.
- Using a fork fluff the rice gently.
- Garnish with caramelized golden onions slices to serve.
Comments