Aloo Biryani (Dum Potato Biryani)

Easy aloo biryani aka potato biryani made in simple dum style. Biryani is a layered rice and meat dish cooked on a slow process. This aloo biryani is made with potatoes instead of meat. This recipe yields a delicious and aromatic dish.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Servings:

Author: Swasthi Shreekanth

Ingredients

1 cup onions thinly sliced or ½ cup store bought fried onions
2 green chilies slit
3 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped
3 tablespoons mint leaves chopped
8 strands saffron ,soaked in 2 tbsps milk
3 tablespoons oil or ghee

Whole Spices for gravy

1 bay leaf (tej patta)
2 green cardamoms (elaichi)
2 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
4 cloves (laung)
½ teaspoon shahi jeera (black cumin, substitute cumin)
1 star anise (biryani flower)

Marination

400 grams potatoes (diced to 1 inch or baby potatoes)
¾ cup yogurt (Curd/dahi)
½ tablespoons Kashmiri red chili powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¾ tablespoons Ginger garlic paste
½ to ¾ tablespoons biryani masala or garam masala powder
⅓ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)

To Cook Rice

1 teaspoon oil optional
1½ cups basmathi or any long grain fragrant rice
1 bay leaf (tej patta)
2 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
3 green cardamom (elaichi)
¼ teaspoon shahi jeera (black cumin, substitute cumin seeds)
¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)

Instructions

Preparation

Add 3 tbsps of ghee or oil in a pan and fry potatoes till they are almost cooked. It takes around 10 mins. Set these aside and fry the onions until golden like fried onions. Set these aside as well. You can also par boil the potatoes and use, if they are from cold storage, otherwise they will be uncooked in the biryani.
Pour 3/4 cup curd to a mixing bowl. Add red chili powder, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, half of the fried onions, salt and biryani masala. Mix this very well and check the spice and salt. If needed add more.
Next add the cooked or fried potatoes to the marination ingredients. Marinate for at least 30 mins or until the rice gets cooked. Keep this aside.

Cook rice

Wash and soak rice for 20 to 30 minutes.
Add bay leaf, shahi jeera, cardamoms, cinnamon, salt and oil to 4 cups of boiling water. When the water begins to boil rapidly, add the drained rice. Cook until it is done al dente or 90% cooked, not mushy. Drain off the rice to colander and set aside.

How to Make Aloo Biryani

Pour ghee to the biryani pot or pan. You may use the same ghee you used for frying onions. Add green chilies, bay leaf, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, shahi jeera and star anise.
When the spices begin to splutter, add the marinated potatoes along with the yogurt, cook till the oil begins to separate and potatoes are tender, just cooked and not mushy. At the end a thick gravy should be remaining. Lower the flame.
On another burner, heat a tawa for dum process.
Sprinkle coriander and mint leaves to the cooked mixture. Layer rice evenly, then the remaining fried onions, again the coriander and mint leaves, pour the saffron milk evenly all over.
Seal the rim with an airtight lid or foil, for the steam to be trapped inside.
Transfer the potato biryani pot to the hot tawa. Cook for 10 to 12 mins on a medium to low flame. Switch off the stove. Leave the pan covered for another 10 to 20 minutes for the flavors to enhance.
Serve aloo dum biryani with a raita.

Nutrition