Karachi Biryani

One Haji Mohammed Ali started a small eatery in the middle of Saddar city in Karachi in 1969. The name Café Student was soon changed to Student Biryani and then there was no looking back. The brand blossomed and thrived.

Ingredients

Chicken Qorma

• 1 kg chicken cut into smaller pieces.
• 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste
• 3 large tomatoes cut into 4 slices (or 1 cup of canned tomatoes)
• 7 to 8 green chilies
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 7 to 8 dried plums (aloo bukhara) (OR dried apricots)
• 4 medium onions sliced (or 1 1/2 cup brown fried onions)
• 1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp kashmiri red chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 + 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tbsp kewra water
• 1 cup yogurt
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1/2 tsp mace and nutmeg powder (optional) (jayfil javetri)
• 1 cup water

For the Rice

• 3/4 kg long grain basmati rice soaked in water for 20 mins
• 3 to 4 bay leaves
• whole spices: 10 black peppercorns, 5 cloves, 3 black cardamom, 5 green cardamom, 1 stick of cinnamon.
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 3 tbsp salt

Garnish

• 1/4 cup milk mixed with orange food color.

Step by Steps

Step 1

In a cooking pan, add oil. When the oil is hot, add one onion thinly chopped. Fry till it turn brown and crispy. Keep this aside.

Step 2

Add 3 onions chopped into the remaining oil. When the onions turn light brown, add ginger garlic paste, stir for 30 seconds and add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, spices, crushed green chili, chopped tomatoes, medium size pieces of boneless mutton, whipped curd and stir for about 30 seconds.

Step 3

Add mint leaves, chopped coriander and close the lid.

Step 4

Cook on medium flame for about 5 minutes and simmer for about 15 minutes so that the mutton gets tender.

Step 5

In an another pan, add 2 litres of water, salt, caraway seeds or shahzeera, small sticks of cinnamon, black cloves, slit cardamoms, chopped coriander, chopped mint leaves, mix well and close the lid.

Step 6

When the water comes to boil, add washed and drained rice.

Step 7

Close the lid and stir at times, semi cook the rice and drain the water. Keep it aside.

Step 8

Stir the mutton gravy till the water dries up and the oil separates.

Step 9

Switch off the flame and spread the semi cooked rice in the form of a layer over the gravy.

Step 10

Add fried onions which we kept aside, add chopped mint leaves, chopped coriander, clarified butter or pure ghee, a pinch of saffron colour soaked in half a cup of milk.

Step 11

Fix the lid using dough or a cloth. Cook on medium flame for about 2 minutes and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Tips

Karachi Biryani can be served with any raita of your choice like Onion Tomato Raita, Boondi Raita, or Pineapple Raita.