Biryani rice is a popular Indian rice dish made with basmati rice & biryani essentials like spices, herbs, yogurt and onions. It is nothing but a one pot vegetarian plain biryani rice made without any meat or veggies. Also known as Kuska rice or plain biryani in South India, this is a very flavorful and spicy dish that can be made in a jiffy. Biryani is one of the most loved dishes in India and there are so many kinds of biryanis made.
While a lot of people say a dish without meat is not a biryani and a lot more say a dish which is not dum cooked is not a biryani. However the truth is that there is no one way it is made. But yes an authentic biryani is said to have meat and is always dum cooked.
So this biryani rice is a fake version of the authentic biryani as it has no meat and is not dum cooked. Down in the Southern parts of India this is one dish that is immensely popular in budget & medium scale restaurants. It is also called as kuska or plain biryani.
It is simply flavor packed and can be eaten without any sides. But in restaurants it is usually served with a gravy known as salna. A lot of people also eat this with kurma or even with raita.
Vegetarians eat with a vegetarian side and meat lovers serve it with chicken salna or chicken kurma or any meat based gravy.
To make biryani rice, all the biryani essentials like premium quality rice, whole spices, mint leaves, coriander leaves, onions and yogurt are used. Tomato is one unusual ingredient that is used here mostly because the dish tastes bland without it.
Since there is no much chopping or blending work involved this recipe is super quick to make. You can make this biryani rice in a regular pot, stovetop pressure cooker or in an instant pot.
How to Make Biryani Rice (Stepwise Photos)
1. Wash and soak rice for about 20 to 30 mins. Meanwhile prepare the onions and tomatoes. After 30 mins drain the rice completely to a colander. Set this aside.
2. Heat oil in a pot or pressure cooker. Add bay leaf, star anise, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, shahi jeera and mace. Saute until the shahi jeera splutters.
7. Add 1/2 to 3/4 tsp red chili powder, little turmeric, handful of mint, coriander, salt and 1 tsp biryani masala powder (optional). For the kuska rice, most ppl do not use biryani masala powder.
11. Cook on a medium flame until very little water is left. Refer the picture. Lower the flame completely. Cover the pot or pressure cooker with a lid and cook for exactly 5 to 6 mins. I used a pressure cooker.
Lemon rice recipe under 10 mins!! Yes, making this amazingly delicious & refreshing lemon rice is very easy. It uses only pantry staples yet will surprise you with great authentic Indian flavors. This much popular Indian rice recipe is made with cooked rice, tempering spices, curry leaves and peanuts. It is also known as Chitranna in Kannada and nimmakaya pulihora in Telugu. In this post I have shared making lemon rice in 2 ways – the traditional stovetop method and instant pot method (one pot).
About Lemon Rice
Lemon rice is a staple in most South Indian households. It is made by mixing precooked rice with a tempering of spices and herbs. It is a comfort food for many and is most commonly eaten for a meal. Lemon rice has a delicate flavour of fresh lemon juice and a nutty aroma of the tempering ingredients like mustard seeds, ginger, lentils, curry leaves and green chilies.
If you are a newbie & love to cook for yourself then this is one of the best South Indian recipes to begin with. All you need is to cook the rice and make the tempering. Mix both of them with some freshly squeezed lemon juice. In no time you will get to enjoy a bowl of fresh home-cooked food.
You don’t need anything on the side with this lemon rice since it tastes good on its own. However many people love it with plain yogurt, pickle, chutney, salad or kosambari. During festivals & occasions we serve it with some fried snacks like masala vada, papad or pakora.
Back home in India, lemon rice is one of the most common travel foods. Many people pack it for road or train journeys as the dish keeps good for long hours due to the addition of turmeric.
Many people make lemon rice with leftover rice but I always use fresh cooked rice. You can make it either ways you prefer. I have also included the instructions to cook rice perfectly for this recipe.
Sometimes I make this as a one pot dish in my Instant pot. Though it doesn’t taste the same I still make it on occasions. I have given the recipe details in the recipe card below.
How to Make Lemon Rice (Stepwise photos)
Preparation
Firstly we need perfectly cooked grainy rice for this recipe. You can use any kind of rice that’s available to you. Or in fact you can use even precooked rice. That’s what many people do.
1. Wash and soak 1½ cups rice in a bowl for at least 15 mins. If you do not have time you can just skip the soaking and cook the rice directly. If cooking in a pot, on a low flame cover & cook rice with 1:2 ratio (rice:water). or To cook in pressure cooker, pour 1 cup water to the cooker and place a trivet. Keep the rice & water bowl in it and cook for 2 to 3 whistles. If cooking directly in the cooker, cook for 1 whistle.
3. Heat half tablespoon oil in a pan. On a medium heat, roast 4 tablespoons peanuts until crunchy and deep golden. Remove them to a plate. You can also do this in an air fryer by following my pro tips below.
4. Next pour another 1½ tablespoons oil to the same pan. Add ¾ teaspoon mustard, 1 teaspoon urad dal and 1½ teaspoon chana dal. Fry them until lightly golden on a medium flame.
5. Add 1 sprig curry leaves, ½ tablespoon chopped ginger, 2 slit or chopped green chilies and 2 red chilies (optional). Fry them for about 30 seconds until you smell the ginger and curry leaves nice.
8. Quickly the water will evaporate and the mixture turns aromatic. The chana dal and urad dal will soften slightly yet will keep the crunch. If you want them very soft then add 2 to 3 tbsps more water and cook further until all the water evaporates & the lentils soften a bit. Turn off the stove.
