Vellai Biriyani | Vellai Kuska Recipe | White Biryani Recipe

Delicious and flavorful Vellai Biriyani recipe with detailed step by step pictures. Vellai Kuska recipe is a simple flavorful biriyani rice, perfect to be served for Sunday lunch or a quick meal!

Vellai Biriyani or White Biryani is a simple recipe made with every day ingredients and it is very similar to Nei Soru, with a few key differences. There are a number of biryani recipes from all over India and then there are hidden gems like this Vellai Kuska biriyani, that is not much known outside of its regional popularity. I got to know of this from the resident biriyani lover (read the husband) who remembered that he tasted something similar during his childhood days in one Muslim wedding. The vellai biriyani is subtly spiced but is extremely flavorful. I love to pair it with Soya Chukka or Muttai Thokku, Dalcha or Kurma also goes really well.

Jump to:

• Key Ingredients
• Tips & Important Notes for Making Vellai Biriyani
• Substitutions & Variations
• Serving Suggestions
• Similar Recipes
• Vellai Biriyani Recipe with Step by Step Pictures
• Recipe Notes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Key Ingredients

Seeraga Samba Arisi/Jeeraga Samba Rice is the main ingredient for making this vellai kuska biriyani recipe. This traditional tamil rice variant is very flavorful & fragrant, making it perfect for this subtly spiced biryani recipe.

Onions are the only vegetable that we used to flavor the rice along with a very small Tomato. To keep the biriyani white/paler in color, we will not cook the tomato to a mush.

Mint and Coriander Leaves are a must for any biriyani recipe, this vellai biryani is no exception.

Green Chillies are used to spice the biryani, and there are no other spice powders used.

Whole spices like Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamoms & Bay Leaves are used to flavor the white biryani.

We will use a mixture of Oil and Ghee to flavor the biryani rice.

For full list of ingredients and exact measurements, check the recipe below.

Tips & Important Notes for Making Vellai Biriyani

Vellai Kuska/Biriyani is a simple beginner-friendly recipe that can be made in a jiffy. It a perfect one-pot meal that can be easily made in a pressure cooker, totally fuss-free and also turns out perfect by following the below tips and notes.

To make vellai biriyani, it is a must to not add too many tomatoes or cook them to a mush. Tomatoes add to the taste, but it should not change the color of the biryani.

Using Seeraga Samba rice is a must for this recipe, as it brings out the much needed flavor and fragrance to this recipe.

While cooking the biryani rice in cooker, use 1.5 cups of water to 1 cup of rice that is soaked in water for atleast 20 mins. It makes the biriyani soft but also grainy.

Always leave the flame on high for 3-4 mins after adding rice to the boiling water and then reduce the flame to the lowest possible, cook for 9-10 mins or either two whistles whichever happens first.

Let the pressure drop naturally before opening the pressure cooker lid. And rest the rice for 5 minutes extra before fluffing it up.

Use a fork to fluff up the rice as it keeps it grainy and not turn it to a mush.

Substitutions & Variations

Using shallots instead of regular onions enhances the flavor of the biryani.

If you don’t have seeraga samba, use any other short grain variety of rice. Basmati rice does not work out for this recipe.

The water to rice ratio is highly dependent on the age of the rice and for how long it has been soaked. Adjust if necessary.

You can also make this recipe in a regular pan, follow the same instructions but make the rice to water ratio as 1:2.

Serving Suggestions

Vellai Biryani is best served hot with a side of Dalcha, Soya Chukka or Raita. As it is subtly spiced, it needs a spicy dish on the side and is perfect for any meal plans or party menus. It also tastes good on cooling down at room temperature and it can be stored in an airtight container for upto a day in fridge, just reheat before serving again.

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Vellai Biriyani Recipe with Step by Step Pictures

First soak washed 1 cup Seeraga Samba rice in enough water for 15-20 mins. We need the rice to be soft and plump, so soaking helps.

In a pressure cooker (I used my small pressure pan), heat 2 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon ghee. Add whole spices – cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, dried bay leaf. Let them fry for a few secs.

Add 1 large onion finely sliced, 1-2 slit green chillies. Fry them on low flame until translucent.

Now add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes until there is no raw smell.

Next add 1 small tomato quartered along with ¼ cup each of mint and coriander leaves roughly chopped.

Fry for a couple of minutes and then add 1.5 cups of water. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

Add salt as needed.

Check for salt and let the water come to a rolling boil.

Drain off the water from soaked rice, add it to the pan and mix well.

Close the pressure cooker and set the flame on high for 3-4 mins and then cook it on low flame for 9-10 minutes or for 2 whistles (whichever happens first) and switch off the heat.

Let the pressure drop naturally before opening the pressure cooker. Also rest the rice for 5-6 mins before fluffing it up or mixing it.

Serve hot with dalcha, egg thokku or soya chukka on the side.

Recipe Notes

• You can use all ghee instead of a mixture of ghee & oil.
• You can also add/fry whole cashews along with whole spices for a richer version.
• Do not cook the tomatoes to a mush. On pressure cooking, the flavor of the tomatoes gets into the rice but does not impact the color of the biriyani.

I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂

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