potato biryani

Potato biryani, or aloo biryani, layers potatoes and rice in a dum preparation. Swasthi Shreekanth’s selected Hyderabadi-style version fries the potatoes before coating them in a yogurt-and-spice marinade.

The potatoes are rinsed, peeled, held in water and diced. They fry in selected ghee until almost tender, then are removed while most of the same ghee stays in the pan for frying the onion until golden. Half those onions join the potato marinade.

Plain yogurt, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, ready ginger-garlic paste, selected ready garam masala and salt make the marinade. Separately, washed and soaked basmati rice cooks with its whole spices, salt and selected optional oil until firm, then drains.

The same frying ghee is selected for the gravy stage. Green chilli and whole spices sizzle in it before the marinated potatoes are added and cooked until tender in a thick gravy; a little water may be sprinkled in if needed.

Mint and coriander go over the potato gravy before the rice is layered above. The remaining fried onions, herbs and saffron milk finish the top, and the selected airtight lid traps the steam as the pot cooks over a hot griddle. The covered biryani rests before serving with ready raita.