SOYA BIRYANI

INGREDIENTS:

3 Cups Basmati Rice-wash and soak for half hour
1 big Onion - chopped lengthwise
1 medium Tomato- chopped finely
3 Tbsp pf Tomato Paste - tinned
3 Tbsp Jeera seeds
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
4 Cloves
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1 Cup Soya Chunks - Soaked in hot water for about 15 mins(Non Vegetarians can use chicken instead of soya)
1/2 Cup Green peas -frozen
3 Tbsp Cashew nuts
1 Cup Milk
1/4 cup of half and half( or whole milk)
1 tsp Chili powder
2 Tbsp Butter
1 tsp Shan Bombay Biryani powder
2 tsp Kitchen King masala
Salt as per taste
METHOD:

• Fry the rice with little oil/butter along with Cinnamon and cloves until all the rice grains are seperate. Now cook the rice adding 1 cup of milk and enough water and about 3 tsp of salt.
• Meanwhile in the food processor coarsely chop the soaked and drained soya chunks coarsely.Tip: Always do it in pulse mode so you can control the size of the ingredient that you chop.
• Heat oil and tamper it with jeera + fennel seeds, then add onion to it and saute till the onions turn nicely brown. Also add cashew nuts when the onions are almost getting brown. Tip: Onions should turn dark brown here and not trasparent. It gives a wonderful aroma to the biryani.
• Now add GG-paste and saute if for another min and to this add add chopped tomato along with tomato paste plus the rest of the masala ingredients adding salt if required and fry for another 2 mins. Tip: When doing this if the masala paste seems too dry keep adding tsp of milk as required.
  
• Now add Soya pieces and green pieces to the above masala mix and about 1/4 cup half and half and let cook nicley for another 3 mins.
• Mix the above with cooked and cooled rice slowly taking care not to break the rice.
• Serve hot and enjoy!!!
• Tastes even better the next day.