Qubooli Biryani | Sunday Biriyani Recipes

The next one on my series of Sunday Biryani Recipe is a delicate, flavorsome and a light Biryani called Qubooli Biriyani. I Have heard this name a few times and every time, I thought it was made using chickpeas. Not once did I bother to check for a recipe. One Sunday, I had soaked chickpeas and I was all enthused to make this Qabooli Biryani and then it stuck me. The recipe I had in mind was completely different from the actual biryani. For a change, this Biryani is made with Bengal Gram or Chana Dal. Infact that’s the main ingredient for this biriyani. This biryani is quite flavorful as its made with ghee/clarified butter. The little bite from the chana dal, golden fried onions and flavour of mint/coriander – makes this a fresh and light biryani. To add to it, it’s a Dum Biryani. Although I don’t have the typical Dum set up, I make do with what I have and it turned out to be super tasty.

One small thing I would like to recollect while preparing this biryani. Only after I started preparing did I realize that I had run out of mint or pudina leaves. Unlucky for us, mint leaves were not to be found in any vegetable shops as well. I was almost dropping this biryani idea when my husband S brought these little twigs of pudina from our small balcony garden. Our fingers smelled of fresh mint for hours after touching these leaves. Bliss! 🙂

Check out my other Sunday Biryani recipes from here.

To make Qubooli Biryani

Servings: 2
Time: prep time – 20 mins + cook time - 30 mins
Difficulty: Medium
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What I used –

Basmati Rice, 1 cup
Chana Dal/Split Bengal Gram/Kadalai Paruppu, 3 – 4 tbsp
Onion, 1 large
Ginger Garlic Paste, 1.5 tsp
Green Chillies, 1 or 2
Coriander Leaves, 2 tbsp
Mint Leaves, 2 tbsp
Thick Curd, 2 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder, 1 teaspoon + ½ tsp
Garam Masala Powder, 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder, ½ tsp
Dried Bay Leaf, 1
Cloves, 2
Green Cardamom, 1
Cinnamon, 1” piece
Oil, 1 tsp
Ghee/Clarified Butter, 1 tbsp
Salt, as required
Water, as required
Golden Fried Onions, 3 tbsp
Saffron Strands Soaked in Milk, few (optional)

How I made –

1. Soak the Bengal Gram/Chana Dal/Kadalai Paruppu in some warm water for 10-15 mins and then cook them on low heat with some salt and ½ teaspoon of chilli powder. Once the chana dal is ¾^th done. Drain the water and set it aside.

2. In a thick bottomed vessel, bring a lot of water to boil. Add salt and 1 teaspoon of oil. Add washed basmati rice. Cook on medium flame until the rice is half down. Completely drain the water and let the rice cool completely.

3. Meanwhile, in a thick bottomed kadai heat oil. Add bay leaf, cloves, green cardamom, and cinnamon and fry until they are puffed. Add slit green chillies and fry for a minute. Add julienned onions. Fry until translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell is gone.

4. Add finely chopped coriander and Pudina/mint leaves. Add the cooked chana dal. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala. Fry for a minute.

5. Soon, the oil would be leavening from the sides of the masala. Add thick curd and cook for 1-2 mins. Add salt required for the masala. Cook for 1-2 mins.

6. Now to prepare for the Dum. Place half of the masala prepared in a wide, thick bottomed vessel. Top it with half of the cooked rice. Sprinkle some coriander and mint leaves. For the layer layer, add the rest of the masala. prep6

7. Top it off with rest of the rice. Add golden fried onions on top. Also, add saffron milk on top (if using). Tightly seal the vessel with a heavy plate. Set this on low flame for 5-7 mins.

7. Gently mix the Dum Biryani. Serve hot with any kind raita with golden fried onions on top.

Note –

It is important to cook both the chana dal as well as rice only till ¾^th If the rice or dal is fully cooked, it will turn mushy while doing dum.
The green chillies and the ginger garlic paste should cook well for the perfect taste of biriyani.
Reduce the quantity of chilli powder or green chillies as per your spice preference.
To golden fry the onions, add a teaspoon of oil to the pan and fry the julienned onions until golden brown.

Check out my other Sunday Biryani recipes from here.