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Kathal biryani is made with boiled and fried kathal along with Basmati rice. The rice is boiled in water flavored with bay leaf, mace, black cardamom, cinnamon, salt and ghee. The dish is cooked with onions and garlic together with green chilies, tomato, curd and various aromatic spices. The eventual taste of the dish comes from the addition of fried onions, coriander leaves, mint leaves, saffron milk and ghee. Read my recipe to learn the detailed process to make kathal biryani at home.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Kathal biryani is a delicious and popular dish in India.
Serve it hot with raita, spicy onion rings, lemon wedges, any achaar, or plain curd.

Kathal biryani tastes mildly spicy, creamy, tangy and earthy.
Other similar recipes are soya chunks biryani, paneer biryani, mushroom biryani, and aloo kathal ki biryani.

The Ingredients:

To boil rice:

200 grams rice (Basmati)
2 liters water
1 piece bay leaf
1 piece mace
1 piece black cardamom
1 piece cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

To boil kathal:

500 grams kathal (cut into medium pieces)
2 liters water
Salt to taste

To fry onions (beresta):

3 tbsp cooking oil
2 pieces onion (large, fine slices)

To make the biryani:

1 tsp shah jeera
1 piece onion (large, fine slices)
1 tsp garlic (finely chopped)
2 pieces green chilies (slit in the middle)
½ tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 piece tomato (large, finely sliced)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cumin powder
1.5 tsp biryani masala powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
4 tbsp curd (whisked)
Coriander leaves (a handful, finely chopped)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp mint leaves (finely chopped)
2 tsp milk (mixed with a few saffron strands)
1 tsp ghee

A long time back, I attended a wedding party where I came across this particular dish along with a couple of other biryani specialties. The taste of this particular dish stuck to my mind and I approached the manager of the catering service to try and get the recipe. The manager was kind and asked the head cook to oblige. I noted down the process in my phone.

I wished to make it at home the following weekend but was a little bit nervous since it was my first time cooking the dish. So, I followed the instructions precisely and the result was outstanding. The flavor, the taste, the doneness – everything was just perfect. Both my sons and husband liked it very much and said it tasted just like chicken or mutton biryani. It was so satisfying for me. I thanked the manager and the cook for sharing the recipe with me.

How to Make Kathal Biryani? (Step by Step Guide with Images)

Step 1: Cut 500 grams of kathal into medium pieces. Boil in 2 liters of water with salt to taste. Check doneness and remove in a strainer.

Step 2: Boil 2 liters of water with a piece of bay leaf, mace, black cardamom, cinnamon stick and 1 tsp of salt. Wash 200 grams of Basmati rice. Add it to the flavored hot water along with 1 tsp ghee (clarified butter).

Step 3: Check doneness, drain the water, spread the rice and let it cool.

Step 4: Fry 2 pieces of large, finely sliced onions in 3 tbsp of cooking oil till deep brown.

Step 5: Fry the boiled kathal and remove it when crispy.

Step 6: Fry 1 tsp of shah jeera. Add the remaining onion slices before adding 1 tsp of finely chopped garlic and 2 pieces of slit green chilies.

Step 7: Mix ½ tbsp of ginger garlic paste. Add 1 piece of tomato (large, finely sliced) and ½ tsp of salt. Cover and cook until soft.

Step 8: Mix 1 tsp of red chili powder, 1 tsp of coriander powder, ½ tsp of cumin powder, 1.5 tsp of biryani masala powder and ½ tsp of garam masala powder. Cover and cook. Check doneness. Add 4 tbsp of whisked curd.

Step 9: Add a handful of finely chopped coriander leaves, the fried kathal and salt to taste. Mix, cover, cook for 2 minutes, and check doneness.

Step 10: Switch off the flame and sprinkle a bit of finely chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves, garam masala, biryani masala powder, 2 tsp of milk (mixed with a few saffron strands) and 1 tsp of ghee.

Step 11: Layer the rice and then with a bit of finely chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves, garam masala, biryani masala powder, 2 tsp of saffron infused milk, and 1 tsp of ghee. Add fried onions.