Erivum Puliyum: Beef Dum Biriyani ~ Step by Step Pics

Biriyani is always made at home once in a while and my dad is the biggest fan of my made biriyani. But these days am hardly there at home and so once in a while when I visit him at home then I do try out his favorite biriyani. the last time I went home happened to be a father's day weekend and this is a special biriyani that I prepared this father's day for my dad. And so this recipe is a bit customized to his tastes. He loves all the non veg whether fish/ chicken /beef) fried lightly and then cooked in masala coated. And so I have done that step here which is truly optional. He totally love the biriyani and I was happy that I could make this for him.

But beef biriyani is seldom made at home here as everyone is a fan of beef dry fry or beef ularthiyathu. or beef curry. So I hardly get a chance to make beef in biriyani style. Loved this biriyani so much and I think its good for a change to chicken biryani. Please go through more biryani recipes listed below. These pics are taken in my phone camera as I didn't have my camera in hand. So am not fully satisfied with the pics but bear with it, will upload better pics whenever try this out next time. Try n enjoy !!

Preparation time ~ 20 minutes

Cooking time ~ 40 minutes

Serves ~ 10

Author ~ Julie

Ingredients

to cook meat

*beef 1 kg

turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

pepper powder 1 tsp

salt to taste

for frying beef

chilli powder 1 tbsp

ginger- garlic paste 1 tbsp

garam masala 1 tsp

to cook rice

jeerakashala rice 1 kg(5 cups)

whole spices ( 10-12 peppercorns, cinnamon 1"- 2 pieces, bay leaf- 1, cloves 5-6, cardamom 5-6, star anise 2)

chopped pineapple 1/2 cup

salt

ghee 5 tbsp

cashews 4 tbsp

water 7.5 cups

for gravy or masala

onion large 3+1 sliced

tomato 3-4 chopped

ginger - garlic paste 2 tbsp

green chillies crushed 3-4

kashmiri chilly powder 2 tbsp

hot chilli powder 1 tbsp

turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

salt to taste

chopped coriander 4-5 tbsp

chopped mint leaves 4-5 tbsp

oil 5 tbsp

Method

Wash, rinse and clean the beef (the pieces should be larger than regular curry cut pieces and the beef should include pieces with bones for more added flavor). Drain all the water and keep aside. Heat a cooker and add the beef, add in pepper powder, turmeric powder and salt. Add in half cup water and pressure cook the beef for 4-5 whistles. Wait till the pressure is released.

Then, marinate the beef using chilly powder, ginger-garlic paste and garam masala (reserve the cooked beef broth for using in masala). Heat oil in a pan and fry the beef pieces in batches. Drain in a plate and keep aside.

In another pan heat oil and fry one large onion sliced till its golden brown, drain from oil and keep aside for garnish.
Then add in the remaining sliced onions. Saute till the onions are lightly browned and translucent. Add in the ginger garlic and green chilly crushed. Saute till the raw smell disappears.
Add in the spices on low flame, saute till the masala is sauteed well. Then add in chopped tomatoes and half of the chopped coriander- mint. Cook covered till the tomatoes are cooked and mushy.

Finally add in the fried beef and mix well. Add in the curry leaves, add in the reserved broth after cooking beef. Cook covered till the beef pieces are well coated with the masala and the gravy is thick. Switch off flame and keep covered.
In another pan, heat ghee and fry the cashews til light brown. Drain and keep aside. Add in the drained rice and fry the rice till its fragrant.

Heat water in another pan and add in the whole spices, chopped pineapple(if using) and salt along with the measured water (7.5 cups). I used the water used to soak the rice too along with fresh water. Let this mixture come to a boil and the n add the fried rice. Keep flame on medium and cook covered till the water is evaporated or no moisture left out. Switch off flame.

Now in a wide biriyani pot to make dum biriyani, layer the beef masala and then add in the cooked rice. Then add in few fried cashews, fried onions, chopped coriander- mint leaves. Add in the beef masala and layer with cooked rice till you finish. Now finally add in the fried onion, fried cashews and chopped coriander- mint leaves.Cover the pan and seal the sides with maida (take a cup of maida, knead like chapathi dough and then place on the sides and seal), Here I gave an additional step of placing few charcoal pieces on top of the lid to give heat from top too along with heat at the bottom(optional but adds more dum effect). Place the heat on low flame and leave for 15 minutes, move away from residual heat and keep aside for another 15 minutes till you open the pan and mix the biriyani to serve.
Mix as much as required as you need and serve. Yummy biriyani is ready to serve with raitha and pappadam.

NOTES

* The pieces should be larger than regular curry cut pieces and the beef should include pieces with bones for more added flavor. There should also be few fat pieces to coat the biriyani well.

* Frying the beef pieces is strictly optional, I personally feel frying the beef pieces firms the piece but to get the juicier and softer piece you need to cook the beef and go ahead with making the masala for biriyani.

* I have used jeerakashala rice to make this biriyani but you can always use long grained basmati rice to make the rice. In that case, you can always alter the amount of water as per the rice variety.

* Adding chopped pineapple is truly optional but it adds a nice flavor and you get to bite pineapple pieces in between the biriyani.

* I haven't added raisins but you can always go ahead and add if you wish too.

* If you have left over biriyani the always steam the biriyani in a steamer pot to get the real tastes. As the biriyani cool down, the fat in it solidifies so steaming helps to regain the actual tastes.

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