Qabooli biryani |Hyderabadi chana dal qubooli dum biriyani

Last weekend we had been on a trip to hyderabad which as per me is a paradise on this earth.Hyderabad is synomymous to delicious nawabi food,sightseeing ,jewellery,pearls,bangles ,spicy andhra food.


I am thankful to god for giving me an oppurtunity to stay in hyderabad ,now coming back to biryanis todays biryani post is about hyderabadi qabooli biryani .Term Qabooli comes from "Qabool" meaning "Acceptance".

 Qabooli pulao is made with chana dal .Qabooli Biryani is distinct from other biryani because of addition of  chana dal / split bengal gram/chickpeas lentils.
It’s utterly scrumptious flavoursome ,rich aromatic ,magnificient dish made up with dahi,basmati rice,pudina,delicious spices & of course chana dal all cooked in dum method .

 
Other accompaniments for this Hyderabadi chana dal Biryani would be Mirchi ka Salan, baghare baingan & dahi ki chutney .......an appropriate sumptuous ,aromatic & heavenly hyderabadi meal.

Prima facie it might appear to be simple but once you taste this you will feel sitting in moghul darbar and having a royal feast.I have adapted this recipe from thoughts from ajoy joshi.

If you are a biryani fan like me than qabooli biryani is perfect for you ,check other biryani varieties from the land of biryani ie hyderabad  here

masoor biryani
hyderabadi dum veg biryani
hyderabadi dum egg biryani
hyderabadi dum chicken biryani
mushroom biryani
tomato biryani
Rajma biryani
hyderabadi dum baby potato biryani
Chole chickpeas biryani

Ingredients:

 2 medium-sized  onions, finely chopped
 salt as per taste
 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
 1 1/2 tablespoons ground garlic
 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  1 1/2 tablespoons red chilli powder
  2 cups yoghurt
  biryani garam masala
  saffron threads soaked in warm milk
  1 cup coriander leaves, chopped
  1  cup  fresh mint, chopped
  4-5  green chillies, sliced
  4 tablespoons oil
  1 medium-sized red onion, sliced and caramelised
   1/2 cup  cashew browned
  1  cup chana dal, or chick pea lentils, soaked in water
  3 cups Basmati rice soaked in 12 cups of water
 



Method:

1.  Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.


 2.  Soak the Chana dal  in water for about 30 minutes. Then cook on high heat till the lentils are soft but not mashed.you can press chana dal with your finger if it gets pressed easily that means it done. with a strainer (galni) drain  the chana dal and keep aside. preserve the strained liquid aside.



 
3.  Heat oil in a kadhai  till it smokes, add the chopped onions and reduce the heat to moderate. Add  salt and mix the onions. Cook till onions are almost caramelised(brown in colour).Add the ground ginger garlic and  Cook till raw smell disappears

4.  Add  turmeric, red chilli powder ,chana dal and gradually mix till the oil leaves the sides of the pot.
 

5  Add the yoghurt and cook till the yoghurt has completely cooked and the oil starts to leave  the sides of the pot.

 
6 now add the cooked and strained chana dal, fold and cook till oil leaves the sides of the pot. Sprinkle the garam masala on top.

7  sprinkle chopped mint, chopped coriander and the sliced chillies to the lentils. cover and keep aside.


8.In a kadhai add water and the drained liquid (kept aside after cooking the lentils) to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt.
 

9 Add the drained rice to the boiling stock and cook till the rice is  just cooked about 50-60% cooked .strain rice .

10 now we will layer biryani.In a big kadhai grease the bottom with ghee next add layer of  par cooked rice.spread half caramelised onions,ghee ,half chopped mint, half chopped coriander on top of rice.



11 now add chana dal gravy on top of rice.



12 For third layer add remaining par boiled rice on top of chana dal gravy .spread remaining caramelised onions,ghee ,chopped mint, chopped coriander on top of rice. Sprinkle the soaked saffron threads & fried cashew nuts  on top of the rice




13. Cover rice with a moist cloth and Close with tight fitting lid.

14 lets do the dum cooking method .Now, we need to seal the kadhai and make it air tight so that the steam doesn’t escape when we cook. In India, flour dough or a big cloth is used to seal the container and the cover together.Place a heavy weight( rolling board (polpat)/skillet/pressure cooker/big kadhai) on the lid. Cook on medium high flame for 5 min
 
15  Remove the vessel from fire and place a iron tawa (griddle) over low flame. Place back the kadhai on the iron tawa and cook on low flame and cook biryani for 15 mts. Turn off heat and do not remove lid for 5 min.

16.Serve the yummy qabooli biryani with your choice of raita,, mango pickle, roasted papad,