Tikka Kofta Biryani

Tikka Kofta Biryani: juicy barbecue-smoked tikka flavoured plant-based koftay on a bed of fluffy fragrant masala rice, the stuff of biryani dreams!

This beautiful and satisfying biryani makes for a comforting family meal and is also elegant enough to be served when entertaining guests.

Like most good biryanis, this one doesn’t need any sides really except maybe a cool plant-based raita and a crunchy kachumer salad on the side.

I probably should’ve started with a basic biryani recipe instead of jumping straight onto a Tikka Kofta Biryani, since this is my first biryani recipe on the blog. Which is strange, considering how often I make biryani at home.

The recipe is fairly straightforward and just because there are several steps does not mean it is difficult by any means.

The key to making a good biryani, in my most humble opinion, is practice.

Since biryani making can be an involved and time consuming process, I often prefer making the biryani components in stages.

Like for this Tikka Kofta Biryani, I’d make the tikka koftay and the biryani quorma one day (sometimes weeks ahead – thank you deep freezer!) and then boil the rice and assemble and finish the biryani the next day. Much easier to manage my time and sanity that way.

I would urge you to go through the tips at the end of the recipe, which are some of my thoughts and tricks that I’ve learned making biryani over the years.

 

TIKKA KOFTA BIRYANI 

 

Recipe Type: Main

Author: Alice In Eatland

Serves: 2 – 4

 

Tikka Kofta Biryani: juicy barbecue-smoked tikka flavoured plant-based koftay on a bed of fluffy fragrant masala rice, the stuff of biryani dreams!

 

Tikka Koftay

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon grated garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons tikka masala
• 1 tablespoon roasted gram flour
• 4 medium potatoes, boiled, skinned & mashed
• 1/2 cup boiled kaalay channay or red kidney beans, coarsely ground in food processor
• Salt
• Handful chopped fresh coriander leaves
• A few green chillies, seeded & finely chopped

For the dhuan/smoke:

• A small piece of charcoal
• A small square of aluminium foil
• 1/2 teaspoon oil
• Metal tongs

 

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add grated ginger and grated garlic.
3. Sauté until fragrant then add the tikka masala and the roasted gram flour.
4. Mix well and sauté 10-20 seconds.
5. Add the mashed potatoes and the beans and mix very well.
6. Check seasoning and adjust if required.
7. Switch off the heat and cool to room temperature.
8. Stir in the coriander and green chillies.
9. Form into 15-20 balls, the size of an apricot.
10. Chill koftay in the freezer half an hour.
11. Deep fry, shallow fry, air fry or bake as per your preference.
12. Place the aluminium foil in the centre of a pan that has a lid.
13. Arrange the koftay around the foil.
14. Ignite the charcoal by placing it directly into the fire on your burner.
15. Turn a few times with the tongs until red hit in a few places.
16. Using the tongs, place the charcoal onto the foil in the pan.
17. Pour the oil on top of the charcoal and as soon it smokes, cover the pan immediately with the lid.
18. Let stay covered until the smoke subsides.
19. Remove the charcoal.
20. Your Tikka Koftay are ready.

 

Biryani Masala

• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 4 green cardamoms
• Seeds of 1/2 a black cardamom
• 1 inch stick cinnamon
• 1/4 of a star anise
• 1/8 inch piece nutmeg
• 1 big blade of mace
• 1/2 teaspoon black cumin seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon white cumin seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds

Grind all of the above as finely as possible in a coffee grinder.

Then add the following to the ground spices:

• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 1/2 tablespoon white cumin seeds
• 1/4 of a star anise
• 4 black peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 small black cardamom
• 1 inch stick cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 dried plums (aloo bukharay)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix well.

This makes enough for the whole recipe.

 

Biryani Ka Quorma

• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled & finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon grated garlic
• 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely puréed/blended
• 2 tablespoons biryani masala from a box OR the entire quantity of the homemade biryani masala from the recipe on top
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock OR 1/2 a vegetable stock cube
• 3/4 cup coconut yoghurt OR full fat coconut milk OR 1/2 cup coconut cream + 1/4 cup full fat or lite coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

 

1. Heat oil and sauté onion till golden. Do not over brown.
2. Remove 1 tablespoon oil from the pan and reserve.
3. Stir the grated ginger and the grated garlic into the pan.
4. Sauté 10 seconds.
5. Add puréed tomatoes, biryani masala, vegetable stock or crumbled vegetable stock cube & coconut product of choice.
6. Stir and bring to a rolling boil.
7. Let boil a minute or so then lower the heat and simmer partially covered 10-15 minutes or till the oil starts floating in places at the surface of the gravy.
8. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice.
9. Taste.
10. At this stage the quorma should be saltier and spicier than your preference.

 

Biryani Rice

• 2 1/4 cups rice, basmati or sella
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 green cardamoms
• 2 small bay leaves

 

1. Wash the rice in a few changes of water.
2. Soak basmati 15-20 minutes and sella for 2 hours.
3. Bring 14- 16 cups of water to a rolling boil in a large pan.
4. Have a colander or sieve ready.
5. Add salt, green cardamoms and bay leaves to the boiling water.
6. Drain the rice and add to pan.
7. Bring the water back to the boil.
8. Cook uncovered until the rice is half done (2-3 minutes for basmati & 3-5 minutes for sella).
9. Drain.

 

To Finish:

• Small pinch red food colour powder
• Small pinch yellow food colour powder
• 4-5 sprigs fresh mint
• 4-6 fresh green chillies, pierced in places
• A few slices lemons
• 1 tomato, sliced
• Khewra water or essence
• Fresh mint leaves
• Roasted cashews
• Edible silver leaf (warq), optional 

 

1. To assemble the Kofta Tikka Biryani, place your tawa onto the stove over a medium heat.
2. Pour the biryani quorma into the base of a flat bottomed pan that has a tight fitting lid.
3. Spread the boiled rice evenly in a single layer over the quorma to cover.
4. Mix the red and yellow food colours separately in two small bowls with a teaspoon each of water.
5. Drip the 2 colours in places all over the rice, making sure to leave most of the rice white.
6. Place the fresh mint sprigs, green chillies, lemon slices and sliced tomatoes on top.
7. Drizzle over the reserved tablespoon of oil and the khewra essence.
8. Arrange half the tikka koftay on top of the rice.
9. Cover with the lid and place on the hot tawa.
10. Increase the heat to high and let cook 5 minutes then reduce the heat and let simmer 10-15 minutes or till steamy and damm is reached.
11. Remove the mint sprigs and plate biryani onto a serving dish.
12. Top with the remaining tikka koftay.
13. Garnish with fresh mint leaves, sliced green chillies and roasted cashews.
14. Top some of the koftay with a bit of warq, if wished.

Tips For A Great Tikka Kofta Biryani Making Experience:

 

• Make Ahead: Tikka Koftay

Follow recipe till step 11.

Cool koftay completely and freeze airtight up to a month.

To use, preferably flash deep fry or pan very briefly directly from the freezer.

Or just thaw completely in the fridge and use.

Finish from step 12 onwards.

 

• Make Ahead: Biryani Quorma

Follow recipe till the end and cool completely.

Freeze airtight for up to 1 month.

Defrost completely in the fridge and warm up throughly before finishing with the rice.

 

• Basmati rice requires careful timing and may break or the grains may stick together if not handled with care.
• Sella rice is very forgiving as it retains its shape even if overcooked.
• When making biryani for guests, I prefer hardy sella over delicate basmati.
• The water for boiling both the basmati and sella must be well salted, just as you would generously salt it for boiling pasta.
• For all 3 biryani rice colours to show separately, do not mix the biryani when plating. Just scoop it out and place on your dish. Mix rice on your plate when actually eating.

 

• I feel fresh mint is essential for biryani damm. 
  However, I do not care for blackened mint leaves after they’ve been steamed and damm’ed, neither looks wise nor taste wise.
  Hence, I use whole mint sprigs for the damm as they are much easier to fish out and discard.
  I then top the biryani with fresh vibrant green mint leaves just before serving.
• Skip the koftay if you are pressed for time (or energy) and make an equally delicious Aaloo Biryani.
  Just add 4 – 6 medium potatoes (halved) to the quorma after step 7 with 1/4 cup water.
  Cover and cook till potatoes are tender.
  Follow the rest of the recipe as is.

 

• It is completely ok if you prefer commercially available biryani masala over making your own from scratch.
  Ignore anyone who may judge you for that.