Squids Biryani

Ingredients

For the Rice

• 2 cups basmati Rice

• 1 Inch cinnamon

• 7-8 peppercorns

• 2-3 cardamom

• 2-3 cloves

• 2 bay leaves

• 1-1/2 Tbsp ghee/clarified butter

For Marination

• 1/2 Kg squids 

• 1/4 Tsp turmeric powder

• 1 Tsp ginger garlic paste

• Salt to taste

For the Gravy

• 3-4 onions (thinly sliced)

• 3 Tbsp ghee/ clarified butter

• 1-1/2 tomatoes (chopped)

• 3 green chilies (slit vertically)

• 1 Tbsp ginger garlic paste

• 1 Tbsp red chili powder

• 1 Tbsp coriander powder

• 1/2 Tbsp cumin powder

• 2 Tsp biryani masala

• 10 curry leaves

• 1/2 cup of thick coconut milk

• Handful of coriander

• 1 Tsp sugar

• salt to taste 

Garnish

• fried onions

• handful of coriander

Method 

• Clean the squids and cut them into round pieces and marinate them with the ingredients mentioned under marination and keep them aside

• Boil 1 litre of water, add cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves and peppercorns

• Wash and drain the rice. Add it to the boiling water and cook it till 3/4th done

• Drain the water and spread the rice on a plate and add 1 tbsp of ghee on top of it and keep it aside

• Heat  a deep pan on medium flame , add ghee, chopped onions and fry them till they turn golden brown by adding sugar and salt which will help the onions to caramelize and cook faster

• Once the onions get caramelized, remove 1/4th of it for garnishing later

• To the remaining onions, add slit green chilies and ginger- garlic paste and mix well, cook for a minute 

• Add the chopped tomatoes, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, biryani masala (I use MDH or Suhana biryani masala, you can use the one that's available), curry leaves and cook it the tomatoes turn mushy

• Once the tomatoes are cooked well, add chopped coriander and the marinated squids and mix well, so that the squids get coated well with all the spices 

• Cook the squids for about 5-6 minutes on low flame and then add thick coconut milk and continue to cook it on medium flame for another 5 minutes 

• Adjust the quantity of salt (be careful while adding salt as we have already added salt for the squids and onions)

• Once done, remove the gravy off the flame and now its time to layer the biryani

• Add the cooked rice on top of the gravy, then the fried onion and some chopped coriander and cover it with a tight lid

• Now, keep it on low flame for about 7-10 minutes 

• Serve the biryani hot with some raita/papadums