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Home >> Recipes >> Veg Curry

Shorba recipe (Biryani gravy)

By swasthi , on November 7, 2019, 76 Comments, Jump to Recipe

Shorba recipe made with onions, tomatoes, spices & herbs. One of the best veg side gravy for biryani, pulao or any flavored rice dishes. It is also known as sherva or biryani shorba & is a very common dish served in South Indian restaurant restaurants. This can be served with a fish biryani, hyderabadi biryani, chicken dum biryani, Vegetable biryani, simple egg biryani or even with a simple veg pulao.

shorba sherva biryani gravy

There is a non-vegetarian version of this shorba too which I will share sometime later. I got this recipe from a chef in India who had come home to cook for my elder son’s first birthday.

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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 or cubes. I have personally never used the packed stocks and do not know if that tastes good for this shorba.

sherva recipe veg shorba recipe

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.

Preparation for biryani gravy

1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan, add onions and chilies , fry till onions turn slightly golden.

frying onions chilies to make shorba recipe

2. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté till you get an aroma.

frying ginger garlic paste

3. Add tomatoes and salt, fry till they turn completely mushy.

addition of chopped tomatoes salt to make shorba recipe

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.

blending onion tomato mixture
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How to make shorba

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.

fry dry spices in oil for making shorba recipe

6. Add pudina / mint, sauté for a min.

addition of pudina to the gravy

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.

addition of garam msala chili powder to make sherva recipe
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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.

addition of yogurt to simmering gravy for sherva recipe

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.

shorba biryani gravy

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Recipe card

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shorba biryani gravy

Shorba (Biryani gravy)

Shorba is a side dish which goes well with biryani, pulao and any flavored rice dishes. This is a simple South Indian style vegetarian biryani gravy made with spices, herbs and basic ingredients.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings4
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced
  • 2 medium tomatoes cubed
  • 2 green chilies slit
  • ¾ tsp ginger garlic paste
  • ½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • 4 tbsp coconut (fresh grated)
  • 3 tbsps mint finely chopped (pudina)
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp biryani masala powder
  • 1½ to 2 cups water or stock
  • 1½ tbsp curd (yogurt) (avoid sour tasting one)

Whole spices

  • 1 small bay leaf (tej patta)
  • 1 strand mace (javithri)
  • 3 green cardamoms (elaichi)
  • 2 petals star anise (biryani flower)
  • 3 cloves (laung)
  • 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
  • ½ tsp shahi jeera (caraway seeds)
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Instructions

Preparation

  • 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

  • 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.
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Notes

  1. Mirchi bajji variety can be used for a special flavor.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Shorba (Biryani gravy)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 114 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 93mg4%
Potassium 109mg3%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 245IU5%
Vitamin C 5.6mg7%
Calcium 40mg4%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

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About swasthi

I’m Swasthi shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthis recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
Read more..

Recipe Rating




Recipe Rating




76 Comments
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Shruthi
March 6, 2021 7:59 am

5 stars
I tried it out🙂
It came out nice😋
Thanks for d receipe

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Shruthi
March 9, 2021 12:22 pm

Hi Shruthi
Glad to know! Thank you!

Reply
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John
February 17, 2021 9:08 pm

5 stars
Hello Swasthi, I just cooked your Shorba to go with a biriyani for my mums birthday and it was perfect. A perfect balance and depth of flavours, we enjoyed it a lot! Thank you for your blog and for sharing your recipes and, I look forward to trying more of them!

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  John
February 23, 2021 1:33 pm

Hello John
You are most welcome! So glad to know it turned out good. Thank you so much!

Reply
S
February 10, 2021 6:32 pm

5 stars
Basically if a recipe presented by you, I feel confident the dish will come out well this did. Thank you

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  S
February 17, 2021 3:07 am

Welcome!
Thank you! Glad to know the recipes are helping
🙂

Reply
A.J.
September 1, 2020 11:05 am

Hello!

Thanks for the recipe! Defenitily going to try it out! Quick question; does it matter much when I use dried coconut instead of fresh grated? Kinda hard to get here.

Thanks!

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  A.J.
September 1, 2020 11:59 am

Hi,
Welcome! It should be okay to use dried coconut.

Reply
Gaayathri Sathish
April 6, 2020 5:01 am

Hi Swasthi ji… this is my first time, writing comments to any blog site.. I have to tell you that whenever I wanted to cook anything Special and score credits from my family and guests.. I just search recipe from your site? thanks a lot for the awesome recipes. I tried this one today and it was super hit.. everyone liked it. Just couldn’t stop myself from letting you know that I m addicted towards your cooking and your recipe has made me a better cook. Whenever I search for any recipe I just look for site which has SWASTHI’s.. I realised my whole family likes it when I follow your way of cooking.

Thanks for sharing?!

Best wishes for your continuous efforts.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Gaayathri Sathish
April 7, 2020 6:09 am

Hello Gaayathri ji,
Very glad to know you! You are most welcome. So happy to know this.Thank you so much. Hope you enjoy more recipes from here.

Reply
Hemant Kulkarni
November 10, 2019 4:15 am

5 stars
You have explained in such a simple way that it is easily understood. The photos added step by step are very helpful to get explained. Your sincerity and honesty revels in your explanation. Thank You Very Much for taking such efforts to share your knowledge that is really very helpful.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Hemant Kulkarni
November 11, 2019 4:39 am

Hello Hemant Kulkarni,
You are welcome. I do not want anyone to fail in making good food following my recipes so I do my best while I post them. Thank you so much!

Reply
Ange
November 5, 2019 1:01 pm

5 stars
I was a bit confused about how much veg stock to use, but used about 1/4 pint and then added a few more drops of water as required. This was very (very) tasty and I will definitely be trying some more of your recipes. Thank you.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Ange
November 6, 2019 2:26 am

Hi Ange,
You are welcome! Thanks for the mention somehow I forgot to mention it in the recipe card. But I did in the step by step photos. I will update it.Glad it turned out good.
🙂

Reply
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Chaitanya
September 15, 2019 11:12 pm

5 stars
Hello ma’am, as u mentioned earlier, for non veg method, should I substitute the vegetables to chicken/mutton, and rest of the ingredients remain the same ?

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Chaitanya
September 16, 2019 1:10 am

Hi Chaitanya,
After frying the spices, add the chicken / mutton along with bones. Fry for a while and then pour water. Simmer until the meat is almost very tender. Remove the meat and then continue to cook the bones for longer. After some time, remove the bones as well. Then add the ground onion tomato masala. Follow the recipe after this step. Then add the meat during the last 3 to 4 mins of cooking. You can add as many bones as possible as it is the key to a good taste. Thanks for rating the recipe.

Reply
Shreela Sen
July 22, 2019 4:14 pm

5 stars
I have tried your recipe many times, it turns out awesome! My husband calls is ‘Kurma’ & loves that it satiates his ‘south Indian’ craving with rotis instead of rice!!!!

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Shreela Sen
July 23, 2019 2:17 am

Thank you so much. Glad your food turns out good. Yes this is similar to kurma except we blend onions and tomatoes here.

Reply
Xxx
November 18, 2018 7:51 am

4 stars
Awesome taste..

Reply
Rachael
December 2, 2017 5:12 pm

5 stars
This is my go to recipe for biryani gravy. Absolutely delicious, thank you

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Rachael
December 3, 2017 4:02 pm

Welcome Rachael

Reply
Chandima
June 9, 2017 4:16 pm

5 stars
I have made this several times and it tastes so good. I am going to convert this to a thermomix recipe soon. Thank you

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Chandima
June 25, 2017 3:41 pm

Welcome Chandima
Thanks for trying and sharing the recipe

Reply
VV
March 25, 2017 4:13 am

5 stars
I have tried veg Biryani and veg shorba today and it came out very delicious. Thank you so much for posting these recipes

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  VV
March 25, 2017 3:08 pm

Welcome Vv
Thanks for sharing the outcome

Reply
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Bhavana
February 14, 2017 1:57 am

4 stars
Hi…thank u for the egg biriyani nd shorts recipe…have tried it today nd came out really well☺

Reply
Bhavana
Reply to  Bhavana
February 14, 2017 1:57 am

Sorry that was shorba

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Bhavana
February 14, 2017 3:14 am

Welcome Bhavana
Thanks for trying

Reply
archana
December 29, 2016 6:41 am

5 stars
very tasty,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  archana
January 7, 2017 2:22 pm

Thanks

Reply
Pooja
November 20, 2016 12:58 pm

5 stars
Thanks swathi loved this shorva

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Pooja
November 21, 2016 2:55 pm

Welcome Pooja

Reply
shea
August 13, 2016 4:29 pm

I did not have vegetable stock and wanted to make this urgently. So i simply added a few cucumber cubes to the tomato mixture , and blended it ina mixie , and proceeded with the rest of the steps, The result was a lipsmacking cucumber shorba. Maybe this is not a traditional vegetable to use for the gravy, but mine was superawesome and tasted just like a restaurant biryani gravy. thanks loved the recipe style preparation.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  shea
August 16, 2016 2:30 am

Hi Shea
You are welcome
Your version too is good. So glad to know it turned out good. Thank you

Reply
HP
May 19, 2016 3:55 am

5 stars
Love this one! Waiting for your non-veg shorva recipe 🙂

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  HP
May 23, 2016 3:05 am

Thanks HP. Yes will share it soon

Reply
k. chittu
March 30, 2016 5:43 am

5 stars
Hai! Iamchittu ltried your briyani, itcame out excellently thanks foryour receipe.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  k. chittu
March 31, 2016 1:10 am

welcome Chittu
Glad to know it came out well. Thanks for the feedback

Reply
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Ramya v j
October 14, 2015 5:42 am

Biryani is taste is too good like star hotels biryani

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Ramya v j
October 15, 2015 12:42 am

Thanks Ramya

Reply
Ana
September 11, 2015 4:35 pm

4 stars
thanks it is good to learn new recipes

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Ana
September 11, 2015 4:44 pm

welcome

Reply

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