Ok I have kept my word about my green masala biryani recipe. This can be for veg and non veg alike. I have made my green masala paste and set it aside. Then if I want to use meat, poultry or fish that these will be cooked ahead of time. I would add 1/4 cup of olive oil in a cast iron skillet on low heat and fry 1 lb or 1 kilo of protien of my choice.
I would use depending on what I want that it would be goat, lamb, turkey, chicken, veal, beef, quail, veal, fish and other seafoods. I would even add keema or mince and that would include Morningstar farms veggie crumbles, beef, lamb, goat, chicken, turkey or veal mince. Also you can make a kofta too which is a meatball. Use the mince and either use 1 handful of chapati atta, besan or rice flour for a binding. No need to season these because the green masala it is going in to is going to do its magic. Also the nargasi kofta would work here too is just use either 12 quail eggs or 4 chicken eggs hard boiled for 15 minutes and wrap the ground meat mixture around the egg and form it in to a meatball.
If using the nargasi kofta and regular kofta be sure to keep the flame low and fry until it is brown on all sides. For fish and other seafood just be sure to cook until it is opaque and remove and set aside. This was my non veg method now time for explaining on how the veg method is going to be made. If you are using pieces of meat, just make sure it is cooked on low heat in a cast iron until it is tender. This would take at least between 30 or 45 minutes and sometimes up to an hour.
For vegetables of choice which is for those who want to eat healthier, cut down on their meat consumption, those are either vegetarians or vegans can use the Morningstar farms crumbles and lovely choice of vegetables.
For the vegetables of choice I would add 4 baby eggplants sliced, 1 cup of frozen peas, green beans, mixed vegetables, peas, etc. It depends on what type of veggies you want. if using hard boild quail or chicken eggs if not using them in nargasi kofta. I cooked these vegetables or meat choices in 1/4 cup of olive oil Then I added 1 pinch each of hing, pink salt, turmeric, veg or non veg choices, 3 aloo bukhara. For veg be sure you cook the vegetables until they are tender and the green curry sauce is a little thick.
While this is going you have to start the rice. I added 2 cups of either white or brown basmati rice and washed it until the water became clear. I added 2 liters or 1/2 galon of water to the coldero. The water has to cover the rice. I put it on the stove to boil on high heat and added 1 pinch each of whole spices which don’t get crushed which are peppercorns, cumin seeds, 2 cloves 1 bay leaf, 1 broken piece of cinnamon stick, 1 drop of briyani essence, 2 green cardamons and 1 black cardamom are the only ones getting crushed in a mortar and pestle and adding it to the rice.
This flavors the rice. Place 1 piece of almuminum foil or banana leaf under the lid of the pot and place it on top of the pot cooking the rice after the water has been brought to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and cook for between 15 to 20 minutes.
When the rice has absorbed the water turn the heat off and add 1 pinch each of saffron and yellow food color. These can be obtained at any Indian and Pakistani grocery store.
Remove the fish, kofta or nargasi kofta if you are making and pour the green masala curry in to the rice and gently fold in to the rice and then place these back on top of the rice. The others can be done in this manner too. If using either loose keema or vegetables then just add this right to the rice and mix gently by folding as you go making sure you do not break the rice. Cover again and let sit for 20 minutes before serving.
Optionally but not required that you can add 1 handful of cashews and roast it before adding it to the biryani. Serve with achar and yogurt.
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