Kuska Recipe | Plain Biryani | Vegan Biryani | Easy Biryani Recipe Without Meat Or Vegetables

Kuska or the plain biryani is super easy to make, here's a version with coconut milk that tastes soooo good and none would believe that it does not have any meat in it. Not even ghee is necessary! This post includes a two minute video also, check it out to know how easy it is to make such an awesomely tasting dish. It is that painless, you can also call it the beginner's biryani! Try it and you'll know :) 

CHECK OUT THE SHORT VIDEO FOR BETTER REFERENCE

INGREDIENTS

Serves 2 people 

1. Basmati rice - 1 cup 
2. Onion - 2
3. Tomato - 1 
4. Coconut pieces - 1 cup (or grated coconut)
5. Ginger - 1.5 inches long piece
6. Garlic pods - 3 
7. Green chilly - 1
8. Red chilli powder - 3/4 teaspoon
9. Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon 
10. Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon 
11. Coriander  leaves - A handful 
12. Mint leaves - A handful 
13. Cardamom pods - 4 
14. Cinnamon sticks - 2 inch long piece
15. Cloves - 2 
16. Star anise - 1 
17. Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon 
18. Salt - 3/4 to 1 teaspoon (as per taste)
19. Oil - 1/4 cup 

PREPARATION METHOD

• Wash basmati rice well in water until water seems clear. Then soak in fresh water for 15 minutes, least. 
• Take one cup of freshly chopped coconut. Add 3/4 cup of water and blend well. Strain and extract the milk. We need one cup of coconut milk. Keep this aside. 
• To a blender add the following into a smooth paste. Add a little water if needed. 
• Mint leaves + Coriander leaves + Green chilly + Ginger + Garlic 
• Place a heavy bottom pan or cooker on flame and pour oil. 
• After it heats up, add Cardamom pods, Cinnamon sticks, Cloves, Star anise, Fennel seeds and saute for a few seconds. Never saute too much or let it burn. 
• Now add sliced onions and saute until it seems half cooked. 
• Then add chopped tomatoes and saute for a few seconds. 
• Now add, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and saute for a minute. 
• Add the green paste (coriander mint paste) and saute well until oil separates from the masala. 
• Then add soaked basmati rice and mix gently using a ladle, saute gently so that you don't break the grains. 
• Now pour add one cup of water and one cup of coconut milk. Stir well. Check for salt and add if needed.
• Then cover and cook for 10 -12 minutes on very low flame undisturbed. After the mentioned time, I usually place the pan over a dosa pan and cook covered for about 8 - 12 minutes. This is almost like the dum process and ensures that the biryani is well and evenly cooked after this step and also the flavor becomes even better. And also sometimes the bottom alone may get burnt if not using a heavy bottom pan, in such cases also you can follow this method. 
• Remove from flame and set aside for a few minutes and then serve hot with raita. 

TIP 1: You can use a pressure cooker too, just pressure cook for 10 minutes on low flame, dum step is not necessary in the cooker method. 

TIP 2: You can use ghee also for this biryani, but oil is pretty enough. There wont be much differences. We are using coconut milk already and so ghee is not really necessary. 

TIP 3: If using a normal pan to cook this biryani make sure you place the pan over a dosa pan and then cook again covered, for a few more minutes (as mentioned in the method already) to make sure the rice gets cooked better. Do not cook for more than 10 minutes on bare flame as the bottom will definitely get burnt. 

TIP 4: I've made the kuska very mild, so add more red chilli powder if you want it hotter. 

TIP 5: Always make sure to add fresh coconut milk. It gives an awesome flavor that you wont even need ghee :) 

Kuska Pairs so well with the following curries! 

1. Mutton curry for biryani
2. Chicken curry for biryani
3. Tomato Salna