Biryani Rice Recipe | Kuska Rice

Biryani Rice is a popular Indian rice dish made with basmati rice & biryani essentials like spices, herbs, yogurt and onions. It is nothing but a one pot vegetarian plain biryani rice made without any meat or veggies. Also known as Kuska rice or plain biryani in South India, this is a very flavorful and spicy dish that can be made in a jiffy. Biryani is one of the most loved dishes in India and there are so many kinds of biryanis made.

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While a lot of people say a dish without meat is not a biryani and a lot more say a dish which is not layered and dum cooked is not a biryani. However the truth is that there is no one way it is made. But yes an authentic biryani is said to have meat and is always layered & dum cooked.

About Biryani Rice

Biryani Rice is a fake version of the authentic biryani as it has no meat, not layered and is not dum cooked. Down in the Southern parts of India this is one dish that is immensely popular in the budget & medium scale restaurants. It is also called as kuska or plain biryani.

India is a diverse nation and every dish is made in many regional ways. So you will find a biryani rice referred to as Kuska in some regions and the recipes vary widely.

This biryani rice is simply flavor packed and can be eaten without any sides. But in restaurants it is usually served with a gravy known as salna. A lot of people also eat this with Kurma or even with Onion Raita.

Vegetarians eat with a vegetarian side and meat lovers serve it with chicken salna or chicken kurma or any meat based gravy.

To make biryani rice, all the biryani essentials like premium quality rice, whole spices, mint leaves, coriander leaves, onions and yogurt are used. Tomato is one unusual ingredient that is used here mostly because the dish tastes bland without it.

Since there is no much chopping or blending work involved this recipe is super quick to make. You can make this biryani rice in a regular pot, stovetop pressure cooker or in an instant pot.

More Rice recipes
Chicken biryani
Veg biryani
Egg biryani
Potato biryani
Paneer dum biryani

How to Make Biryani Rice (Stepwise Photos)

1. Wash and soak rice for about 20 to 30 mins. Meanwhile prepare the onions and tomatoes. After 30 mins drain the rice completely to a colander. Set this aside.

2. Heat oil in a pot or pressure cooker. Add bay leaf, star anise, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, shahi jeera and mace. Saute until the shahi jeera splutters.

3. Add sliced 3/4 cup onions and fry until golden.

4. Add 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste and fry until it smells good.

5. Make sure the raw smell of garlic goes away.

6. Add tomatoes and yogurt. Stir to prevent burning.

7. Add 1/2 to 3/4 tsp red chili powder, little turmeric, handful of mint, coriander, salt and 1 tsp biryani masala powder (optional). For the kuska rice, most ppl do not use biryani masala powder.

8. Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy and oil begins to separate.

9. Add 3 1/2 cups water. Bring it to a boil.

10. Add drained rice. Mix well.

11. Cook on a medium flame until very little water is left. Refer the picture. Lower the flame completely. Cover the pot or pressure cooker with a lid and cook for exactly 5 to 6 mins. I used a pressure cooker.

12. When the rice is done, open the lid and fluff up.

Serve with raita or with any of the biryani gravy. This rice goes very well with any veg or non veg gravy. Some serving suggestions for vegetarians are
soya chunks kurma
bagara baingan
mirch ka salan
shorba
Non-vegetarians can serve this with
chicken curry
egg curry

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Recipe Card

Biryani Rice Recipe | Kuska Rice

South Indian Biryani rice also known as kuska is a one pot super flavorful dish made with rice, spices, tomatoes, herbs and small amount of yogurt. Serve it with salan, biryani gravy or any other curry of your choice.

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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time5 minutes

Cook Time30 minutes

Total Time35 minutes

Servings4

AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

• ▢ 2 cups rice (preferably basmati)
• ▢ 3½ cups water or stock (chicken or veg stock, 2½ cups for Instant pot)
• ▢ 2 to 2 ½ tablespoons Oil
• ▢ ½ cup onion thinly sliced (or about 1 lmedium)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
• ▢ ½ cup tomato chopped ( or about 1 large, deseeded)
• ▢ Salt as needed
• ▢ Handful mint (pudina & coriander)
• ▢ ¼ cup curd (fresh yogurt, do not use sour one)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Turmeric (haldi)
• ▢ ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
• ▢ 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon biryani masala powder (or garam masala)

Whole Spices for kuska

• ▢ 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
• ▢ 4 to 6 cloves (laung)
• ▢ 4 to 6 green cardamoms (elaichi)
• ▢ 1 star anise (chakri phool)
• ▢ ½ teasponn shahi jeera (or cumin seeds/ jeera)
• ▢ 1 strand mace (javitri)
• ▢ 1 cinnamon (dalchini) two inch

Instructions

How to Make Biryani Rice (Kuska)

• ▢
  Rinse and soak rice for at least 20 minutes. Drain water completely. Set aside.
• ▢
  Heat a pressure cooker or a heavy bottom pan with oil. Add spices and fry till they turn fragrant.
• ▢
  Next add onions and fry till onions turn golden.
• ▢
  Add ginger garlic paste and fry till it gets fragrant. Do not burn
• ▢
  Transfer tomatoes,curd, red chili powder,biryani masala (or garam masala), pudina, coriander, salt and turmeric.
• ▢
  Fry till tomatoes turn mushy, soft and pulpy. The mixture begins to leave the oil as well.
• ▢
  Pour water or stock and bring water to a boil. adjust the salt (you could vary the amount of water based on your rice)
• ▢
  Add rice and cook till very little water is left. refer the pic
• ▢
  Cover the pressure cooker with the lid, cook on a low flame for 3 to 5 mins. Do not let the cooker whistle.
• ▢
  if cooking in a pan or casserole, just cover tightly and cook till the rice is fully done. it could take around 5 mins. If using normal rice, allow to whistle once.
• ▢
  Let the pressure go off, then fluff up the biryani kuska rice.

Instant Pot Biryani Rice

• ▢
  Pour oil to the steel insert of the Instant pot and press the saute button. Add all the whole spices, followed by onions.
• ▢
  Saute until the onions turn golden. Stir in the ginger garlic and saute for 30 to 50 seconds.
• ▢
  Add tomatoes, yogurt, red chilli powder, biryani masala, mint, coriander, salt and turmeric. Saute until the yogurt and tomatoes cook down to a mushy paste.
• ▢
  Drain the water from the rice and add it here. Pour 2½ cups water and deglaze the pot. Taste test and add more salt if required. Secure the Instant pot with the lid and position to the steam release value to sealing.
• ▢
  Pressure cook for 6 minutes on high pressure. Let the pressure drop manually for 8 minutes, after that release manually. Gently fluff up the rice with a fork and serve biryani rice with any curry or a simple raita.

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

Biryani Rice Recipe | Kuska Rice

Amount Per Serving

Calories 382 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Sodium 64mg3%

Potassium 241mg7%

Carbohydrates 80g27%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 235IU5%

Vitamin C 4.9mg6%

Calcium 73mg7%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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© Swasthi’s Recipes

Biryani Rice Recipe first published in November 2014. Updated & republished in July 2022.