Potli biryani aka kuzhi biryani is the latest frenzy in the foodie-world. If you are into experimenting with distinctive culinary practices, you should definitely try the biryani variants steam-cooked in pouches made of plantain leaves, giving it an exotic aroma.
This potli mussels biryani from Malabar, the biryani capital of Kerala, guarantees to take your tastebuds to a gourmet's heaven.
Ingredients
For marinating mussels
500 gm mussels, shelled and cleaned
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt as required
Oil as required
For the masala
1 bulb of garlic
2 inch slice of ginger
15 green chilies
5 onions, sliced
1 sprig curry leaves
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt as required
½ cup cilantro, chopped
For the rice
2 cups of khaima rice, washed and rained
3 tbsp ghee
¼ cup oil
Salt, as required
For making potli
10 gm saffron
5 shallots
4 cloves
1 inch long piece of cinnamon
4 cardamom
½ tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp chopped garlic
Preparation
In a bowl, soak the saffron in warm milk or water and keep aside
For frying mussels
Clean the mussels under running water
Mix all the ingredients for marination and coat the mussels in it
Shallow fry the mussels in oil till they turn golden
Don't over fry the mussels as it will turn crispy
Set them aside
For the rice
Place cloves, cinnamon, cardamom,chopped shallots crushed ginger and garlic on a clean cotton cloth
Tie the edges of the cloth together to make it int a potli, a small bag
Place potli in boiling water and boil for 15 minutes
Heat a rice wok, pour oil and ghee
Add 2 thinly sliced onions, fry till they turn golden
Keep them aside
In same wok, add drained rice and saute for 5 minutes in medium flame
Add boiled water and salt
Place the potli in it and cook it in low flame for 15 minutes
When the rice is cooked, remove the potli
For masala
Grind all the ingredients for the masala into a paste
In a pressure cooker, heat the oil that used for frying the mussels
Add the remaining onion, curry leaves and some salt
Saute till onions turn tender
Add the ground mixture to the onions, saute for sometimes or until the raw smells leaves
Now add tomatoes to the pan and cook till it turns mushy
Add a cup of boiled water and pressure cook the mixture for 5 minutes.
To this masala, dd the fried mussels, lemon juice, half of the fried onion and cilantro
Cook it until the masala dries
Dum process
In a plantain leaf, place the the mussels masala
Place the cooked rice over it and sprinkle the soaked saffron, fried onions and chopped cilantro on the top
Carefully gather sides of the banana leaf and tie it with a thick thread
Ensure the leaf does not tear
Meanwhile, boil water in a idli cooker in high heat for about 10 minutes
Place this biryani pouch on the innermost idli plate and place the lid
Steam cook the biryani in medium heat for 10 minutes
Once done, turn off the stove
Open the lid after 5 minutes
Allow the biryani pouch to cool down
Open the pouch and gently mix with a fork before serving
