Kuska or kushka biryani is a flavorful plain biryani where there is no meat or vegetable is used. The Kuska rice is also called empty biryani for obvious reasons.
Cooking a perfect kushka biryani in a pressure cooker involves the same steps we follow to make biryani. Just follow the simple instructions and tips to make an aromatic plain kuska at home.
Moreover, always use good quality biryani masala to get the excellent flavor from this plain biryani. And do not avoid using curd to get tenderly cooked basmati rice.
How to serve kushka:
As you may know, Kuska biriyani is very popular in South Tamil Nadu which is usually served with Egg gravy or chicken salna, or vegetable salna.
In exclusive biryani stores usually, make a huge amount of this kuska biryani or empty biryani as they call it. Later when the order comes for a particular variety of biryani they just mix the special masala which will also be readily available.
Plain biryani | Kushka biryani | Empty biriyani
For instance, for simple egg biryani, the hot kuska rice is topped with spicy egg masala and for chicken Tikka biryani mix in thick Tikka masala with plain kushka rice.
In Andhra, this kuska rice is served with spicy salan gravies like Mirchi gravy and Kodi Kura. Kushka with Mirchi salan is a popular combination.
How to make perfect empty biryani:
At home, we prefer to use a pressure cooker to cook biryani as it is an easy way. While cooking basmati rice in a pressure cooker we have to always concentrate on the rice and water ratio.
Usually, most basmati varieties get cooked perfectly for a 1:1.5(rice: water) ratio. Further, please make sure to use the same cup to measure rice and water.
In addition, there is one more important step I always follow whenever I make biryani using a pressure cooker. That is transferring the cooked biryani to some other pot and never leave the hot biryani in the same pressure cooker. Leaving it hot in the cooker itself until serving makes the biryani to cook further and hence become mushy at the bottom.
Similar delicious Biryani recipes:
Dindigul style chicken biryani
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Kuska rice | Plain biryani | Kushka biryani
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Basmati rice (approx. 220g)
- 1.5 cup water (use same cup for rice)
Whole spices:
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cardamom
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 mace
- 1 star anise
- ¼ tsp fennel seeds
- 2 cloves
Other ingredients:
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 big onion
- 1 green chilli
- 1 to mato
- 1 ½ tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tbsp curd
- ½ cup mint leaves
- ½ tbsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp biryani masala powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt (as per taste)
- ¼ cup coriander leaves
Instructions
Preparation:
- Slice onions into thin half-rings.
- Chop tomato and keep ready.
- Make ginger and garlic paste with a two-inch piece of ginger and eight garlic pods.
- Rinse basmati rice thoroughly with clean water. Soak it with enough water for 30mins.
Recipe:
- Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker.
- Add all the whole biryani masala spices like bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel seeds, cloves, star anise, mace strings and any other spice if you have.
- Let the spices roast in oil for a minute to release the wonderful aroma.
- Add sliced onions and saute well for four to five minutes in medium flame to get the nice caramelized effect.
- Also, add one slit green chilli for flavor.
- Put ginger garlic paste and saute well to get rid off the raw smell.
- Add tomato and cook it until soft.
- Next, add finely chopped mint leaves.
- Saute chilli powder, biryani masala powder and turmeric powder.
- Now add a tablespoon of thick curd and mix well.
- Curd gives a soft and fluffy texture to the plain biryani rice or kuska rice.
- Add the soaked and water drained basmati rice and some coriander leaves.
- Do not mix the rice too harshly as the grains may break.
- Now pour the measured amount of water and mix gently.
- Cover with the cooker lid and put on the whistle. Don't forget to pick any blocked dust in the nozzle.
- Pressure cook on medium heat for just two whistles. After whistling switch off and keep the cooker off the stove.
- Let the pressure settle down on its own and open the lid.
- You can add a tsp of ghee again before serving.
- Fluff the rice gently and transfer the kushka biryani into another pot until serving.
- Serve with a simple raita or Andhra salan or Tamil Nadu salna or any spicy egg gravy.
Video
Notes
1) Use good quality biryani masala powder to an aromatic plain biryani. A homemade biryani powder also suits best.
2) Always be careful with the rice and water ratio to get the perfectly cooked kuska biriyani.
Nutrition
Preparation:
- Slice onions into thin half-rings and chop tomato and keep ready.
- Make ginger and garlic paste with a two-inch piece of ginger and eight garlic pods.
- Rinse basmati rice thoroughly with clean water. Soak it with enough water for 30mins.
Recipe:
- Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker.
- Put all the whole biryani masala spices like bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel seeds, cloves, star anise, mace strings and any other spice if you have.
- Let the spices roast in oil for a minute to release the wonderful aroma.
- Add sliced onions and saute well for four to five minutes on medium flame to get the nice caramelize effect.
- Also, add one slit green chilli for flavor.
- Put ginger garlic paste and saute well to get rid of the raw smell.
- Now add tomato and cook it until soft.
- Next, add finely chopped mint leaves.
- Saute chilli powder, biryani masala powder and turmeric powder.
- Now add a tablespoon of thick curd and mix well.
- Curd gives a soft and fluffy texture to the plain biryani rice or kuska rice. Put salt as per taste.
- Add the soaked basmati rice and some coriander leaves.
- Do not mix the rice too harshly as the grains may break.
- Measure water(1.5 cups for 1 cup rice) in the same cup and mix gently.
- Cover with the cooker lid and put on the whistle. Don’t forget to pick any block(dust) in the nozzle.
- Pressure cook on medium heat for just two whistles. After whistling switch off and keep the cooker off the stove.
- Let the pressure settle down on its own and open the lid. You can add a tsp of ghee again before serving.
- Immediately, fluff the rice gently and transfer the kushka biryani into another pot until serving.
- Serve with simple raita or Andhra salan or Tamil Nadu salna or any spicy egg gravy.
Tips:
1) Use good quality biryani masala powder to an aromatic plain biryani. A homemade biryani powder also suits you best.
2) Always be careful with the rice and water ratio to get the perfect kuska biriyani.
