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Keema Masoor Biryani

Keema Masoor Biryani.  A fantastic Basmati rice dish comprising of red lentils (Masoor Dal), spiced chicken mince flavored with a generous squeeze of lemon juice, shallow-fried potatoes, garam masala seasonings, thoughtfully layered and of course topped with fried onions, coriander and mint leaves, and then drizzled with Saffron milk and steamed to the ultimate, aromatically fragranced Biryani!  Yes, a few simple ingredients transformed into a highly coveted 'Dawat' dish.  Oh and if you add a heaping spoonful of Cucumber Mint Yogurt sauce on top and then take a bite-wow, absolutely delicious! 
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Desi, Hyderabadi, Indian
Keyword: Keema Masoor Biryani, Lentil Biryani
Servings: 6
Author: Afreen Sayeed

Ingredients

For Keema

  • 1 large yellow onion *sliced
  • 1.5 lbs ground chicken *or ground beef
  • 3 tsp grapeseed oil
  • 1.5 tsp Kashmiri Lal Mirch
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder *I used homemade or Rajah brand
  • 2 tsp fresh garlic paste
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger paste
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • 1.5 tsp Kosher salt *or to taste
  • 1 cup plain yogurt *whole milk

For Biryani

  • 4 cups Basmati rice *long grain, rinsed and soaked
  • 1 cup fried onions *crispy, golden brown, crushed with hands
  • 1 cup fresh coriander leaves *rinsed, stemmed and chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves *rinsed, stemmed and chopped
  • 1/2 cup warm milk
  • 1/4 tsp saffron *crushed
  • 3 tbsp ghee *clarified butter
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice *freshly squeezed
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder

Other Ingredients

  • 2 medium potatoes *peeled, halved and then quartered
  • 1 cup Masoor Dal *red lentils
  • Canola oil *as needed, for shallow frying potatoes

Instructions

Initial Steps

  • Rinse ground chicken well, place in a sieve under a large bowl. Let all excess water drain out. *I usually rinse chicken mince, then place in a sieve and put in fridge overnight, to ensure all moisture is removed.
  • In a large bowl, rinse and soak Basmati rice in water. Set aside for at least 30-45 minutes.

For Parboiling Lentils

  • In a saucepan, add lentils and cover with cold water. Bring lentils to a boil on medium high heat. Once boil is reached, turn heat to medium and parboil lentils until partially cooked (about half-cooked) for approximately 8-10 minutes. Drain all excess water and set parboiled lentils aside. *Please do not overcook lentils as they will cook again with Keema and then steamed again in layered Biryani.

For Keema Mixture

  • Heat a large cooking vessel/pot on medium high heat. Add grapeseed oil. Once oil is hot, turn heat to medium and add sliced onions and saute for 12-15 minutes until onions change color to a light brown. Now add the bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon stick. Mix well and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add ginger/garlic pastes, stir and continue to saute for 3-4 minutes. Now turn heat to medium low and add spices (Kashmiri Lal Mirch, turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder). *Add 1 tsp of water, as needed, to prevent burning of spices. Mix well and cook for additional 4-5 minutes on medium low heat. Once oil is released, turn heat to medium high and add chicken mince and mix well with wooden spoon. Thoroughly break apart mince and stir well to incorporate all ingredients together. Add salt. Mix well. Cook for 7-8 minutes until mince changes color. Now turn heat to medium low, cover pot and let simmer for 20-25 minutes.
  • Once chicken mince is fully cooked and oils are released from meat, uncover pot, turn heat to medium, add yogurt, mix well, add parboiled lentils and gently mix to incorporate all ingredients. Continue to cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Add a handful of freshly chopped coriander leaves and set cooked chicken mince aside.

For Frying Potatoes

  • In a skillet, add enough Canola oil to shallow fry potatoes. Heat oil to medium high. Once oil is hot, add potatoes, gently mix, cover pot, turn heat to medium and let potatoes cook for 10-12 minutes until almost cooked through, stirring occasionally as needed. Fork should easily pierce potato once cooked. Remove fried potatoes onto a paper towel lined sheet pan to remove all excess oil. Sprinkle potatoes with salt while potatoes are still hot (approximately 3/4-1 tsp Kosher salt, or to taste). Set potatoes aside.

For Parboiling Basmati Rice

  • Fill another large pot with cold water to cook Basmati rice. Bring water to a rolling boil on hight heat. Remove all water from soaking Basmati rice and carefully add rice to boiling water. Turn heat to medium high/high and parboil rice for 7-8 minutes until almost cooked (3/4th cooked). *A good way to test if Basmati rice is properly cooked for Biryani is to take a grain from the boiling water and break it. If the rice grain breaks into three pieces with some finger pressure, rice is ready to drain. Drain parboiled rice and set aside.

For Final Assembly of Keema Masoor Biryani

  • In a large 'Biryani' pot, add 1 tbsp of ghee, add half of the parboiled rice, add the Keema mixture as the center layer and gently spread on top of rice layer. Now evenly place the fried potatoes on top of the Keema mixture and pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice on top of the potatoes. Then add handful of freshly chopped coriander leaves and 1/2 cup of crushed fried onions. Add remaining rice on top of the Keema and potatoes layer and spread evenly. Add remaining 1/2 cup of crushed fried onions, remaining freshly chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves, sprinkle 1 tsp garam masala powder, add 2 tbsp of remaining ghee and warmed saffron milk (1/2 cup milk + crushed saffron threads heated in microwave for about 35 seconds). Cover layered Biryani with two pieces of aluminum foil. Secure lid on top of pot. Place pot on medium high heat and cook for 5-7 minutes. Turn heat to low and continue to steam Biryani for an additional 25-30 minutes. *Your nose will know just from the fragrance when the Biryani is done! *Another tip on knowing when Biryani is perfectly steamed is to partly remove the lid and carefully lift one small edge of the aluminum foil. If steam has risen to the top and is trying to escape, the Biryani is done! But then after checking, quickly seal foil and place cover on top. You do NOT want the steam to escape! Let Biryani rest (sealed and covered) for at least 10-15 minutes.
  • Remarkably tempting and inviting Keema Masoor Biryani is now ready to serve. A dollop of cucumber mint yougurt sauce on top and you need nothing more to satiate your tastebuds. Enjoy! Nosh Farma'aiye!