Kushka or Kuska is just a treat for all the vegetarians as the recipe doesn’t contain meat . Also we prepare a special biryani masala for the Khuska/Kuska with whole spices, fennel seeds and ginger garlic,green chili. This is really quick and easy recipe even when you are out of meat and when you want to have biriyani its absolutely perfect. Instead of using normal water we prepare a stock and with that is where we will be cooking the recipe, this gives an added flavor and taste to the dish or if you don’t want to use the stock you can just use normal water. In hotels/restaurants kuska is also called as plain biriyani or empty biriynai. Different people have different methods in preparing the biriyani and this recipe is inspired from Kannama Cooks.
Check out the points to remember before preparing the dish also check for the making video on Instagram.
Kuska can be served with onion raita, chicken fry, brinjal salna , Pepsi
Ingredients
Serves 4:
- Basmati rice -4 cups (750 grams)
- Large onions-2 (sliced thinly)
- Medium tomato -2(cut into medium pieces)
- Mint leaves ( roughly chopped)-1/4 cup (include the stem as well)
- Coriander leaves (roughly chopped)-1/4cup
- Thick yogurt -2 tbsp
- Bay leaves -2
- Chicken stock cube -1 ( I used Chicken maggi stock cube)
- Kashmiri red chili powder -1 tbsp
- Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
- Salt
- lemon juice -1 tsp
- Oil-2 tbsp
- Ghee-1 tbsp
Biriyani masala (To grind)
- Garlic cloves -5
- Ginger -1 inch
- Green chilies -3
- Cinnamon -small inch
- Cardamom -1
- Cloves -2
- Fennel seeds-1 tsp
Method:
Step 1: To a wide pan add ghee and oil , once its heated up add the bay leaves and after 30 secs add the sliced onions sorte until they become soft.
Step 2: To a grinder add garlic, ginger, chili, cinnamon , cardamom, cloves and fennel seeds add some water and grind them to a fine paste.
Step 3: Once the onions are soft add the ground masala and cook until the raw smell of the ginger and garlic is removed , that roughly takes around 2-3 mins.maintain the flame on medium low.
Step 4: Add the chili powder and turmeric powder and sorte well for a min or two then add the tomatoes , once the tomatoes turn soft add curd and cook until the oil gets separated from the masala.
Step 5: Prepare the stock . The water measurement will be for 1 cup of rice =2 cups of water . So in this recipe I have used 4 cups of rice and hence to the same measuring cup measure 8 cups of water and add to the vessel then add the stock cube to the water allow the cube to dissolve well and then get to a boil.
Step 6: Add the stock water to the cooked masala and allow it to boil,check for salt and half of lemon juice.The salt should be self sufficient for the masala and for the rice.Once the water boils add the soaked rice .
Step 7: In this recipe I have not kept the Khuska for dum whereas you can opt for it if you want to. Close and cook for 7 mins on medium low flame and once the rice is semi cooked lower the flame completely to low and cook for another 3 mins., by then the rice should have been cooked well. to After the rice getting cooked do not open the lid immediately rest for 10-15 mins and then open and slowly mix the rice without breaking the rice. Kuska is done .
Points to remember:
- Use good quality of Basmati as that makes a very big difference.
- Using good amount of onions , ginger garlic gives an awesome flavor for the Kuska.
- Ensure you use the right quantity of water else they rice will get over cooked.
- Soak the basmati rice only for 15 -20 mins in normal water .
- Cooking time differs for every rice hence once the rice is semi cooked start cooking them on absolutely low flame.
Homemade 