Shorba recipe or sherva recipe. One of the best veg side gravy for biryani or biryani shorba that is served in restaurants. This can be served with a fish biryani, restaurant style chicken biryani, pakki chicken dum biryani, restaurant style vegetable biryani, pakki hyderabadi veg dum biryani, simple egg biryani or even with a simple veg pulao.
There is a non-vegetarian version of this shorba too which I will share sometime later. I got this recipe from a Muslim chef in India who had come home to cook for my elder son’s first birth day. He gave me both non-veg and veg versions. There is no substitute for any ingredients and to get it right we need all the ingredients in the mentioned quantities.
This biryani shorba gravy tastes light and is spicy and flavorful and tastes entirely different from the other veg side gravy dishes like potato kurma, simla mirch ka salan, mirchi ka salan and egg masala which i shared earlier.
To make shorba or sherva, we need vegetable stock that brings in real taste to the gravy. If you are not in the habit of making your stock at home, I insist you make it, instead of using store bought vegetable stock cubes. I have personally never used the packed stocks and do not know if that tastes good for this shorba. But making your stock is super easy and you could make it one day earlier and refrigerate it for further use. If you have only boiled potatoes water that works fine too that is how I end up making most of the times.
The vegetables that could be used to prepare the stock are peas, potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, onions, celery and I have no idea about using rest of the veggies.
Biryani shorba recipe or sherva recipe below
Shorba recipe| Sherva recipe | Veg side gravy for biryani | Biryani shorba
Ingredients (240 ml cup used)
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 onion large , thin sliced
- 2 tomatoes medium sized
- 2 green chilies slit (mirchi bajji variety can be used, gives a special flavor)
- ¾ tsp ginger garlic paste
- Salt as needed
- 1/8 tsp turmeric
- 3 tbsp coconut tightly packed, Fresh, (can increase or decrease by one spoon to suit your taste, too much will make it a coconut gravy)
- 1 handful pudina / mint, chopped finely
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp biryani masala powder
- 1½ tbsp yogurt Fresh, thick , / curd (do not use sour yogurt)
Dry Spices
- 1 bay leaf small, / tej patta
- 1 strand mace single, / javithri
- 3 green cardamoms / elaichi
- 2 petals star anise / biryani flower
- 3 cloves / laung
- 1 cinnamon stick small, / dalchini
- ½ tsp shahi jeera
How to make the recipe
Prep
- Add half the oil to a hot pan, fry onions and chilies till the onions turn golden.
- Add grated ginger garlic or paste and fry till the raw smell goes off.
- Add chopped tomatoes, sprinkle salt, fry till the mixture turns mushy.
- Add coconut and fry for 3 to 5 mins or until you get a good aroma. Cool this and blend with vegetable stock or water to a smooth puree.
Making biryani shorba or sherva
- Heat the pan again, add remaining oil. Fry the dry spices until they sizzle. Add mint and fry for a minute.
- Add the blended onion tomato mix to the pan, add red chili powder, turmeric, masala powder, and more salt if needed. Stir until everything blends well. Add more water to bring it to the desired consistency.
- Bring this to a boil, add yogurt and stir well. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until the gravy reaches the consistency.
- Serve shorba or sherva with biryani, pulao.
Shorba recipe, sherva recipe, how to make shorba below
1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan, add onions and chilies , fry till onions turn slightly golden.
2. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté till you get an aroma.
3. Add tomatoes and salt, fry till they turn completely mushy.
4. Add grated coconut. Fry for 3 to 5 mins without burning the mix. Set this aside to cool. Grind this to a smooth puree with 1 ½ to 2 cups of vegetable stock. You could use ice cold stock to grind the hot mix if you want to cut down the cooling time. Pour the ice cold stock in the jar first and then add the hot mix.
5. Heat the same pan with some more oil, add the dry spices and fry till you get a nice smell for a min.Do not burn the spices.
6. Add pudina / mint, sauté for a min.
7. Pour the ground mix, add red chili powder, masala powder, turmeric. Mix well. Adjust the quantity of water to bring it to the consistency you desire.
8. When the mix begins to boil, add yogurt and simmer for at least 8 to 10 mins. If your gravy becomes too watery, you can increase the heat to high and evaporate the water, so it comes to the desired consistency.
If you wish to refrigerate it, for best taste, refrigerate it immediately after it cools down and before 2 hours of cooking.
Serve biryani shorba or sherva with hot biryani or pulao.
Xxx says
Awesome taste..
Rachael says
This is my go to recipe for biryani gravy. Absolutely delicious, thank you
swasthi says
Welcome Rachael