Quail Biryani
- 90 min
- medium
- Serves 4
Quail biryani made with seeraga samba rice, curd, whole spices and lemon juice in a pressure cooker. Medium-spicy, serves 4, about 1 hour 25 minutes.
You’ll need: Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- Quail, Cleaned4
- Seeraga Samba Rice, For Rinsing2 cup
- Water, For Soaking600 ml
- Oil4 tbsp
- Cinnamon5 grams
- Cloves1 grams
- Green Cardamom1 grams
- Bay Leaves1 grams
- Onion, Thinly Sliced3
- Green Chilli, Slit20 grams
- Ginger Garlic Paste, Paste30 grams
- Tomato, Chopped3
- Mint Leaves, Roughly Chopped30 grams
- Coriander Leaves, Roughly Chopped30 grams
- Turmeric Powder½ tsp
- Red Chilli Powder1½ tsp
- Coriander Powder6 grams
- Garam Masala Powder3 grams
- Salt2½ tsp
- Curd, Whisked½ cup
- Water, For Cooking600 ml
- Ghee1 tbsp
- Lemon Juice1 tbsp
- Coriander Leaves, Chopped6 grams
- Mint Leaves, Chopped4 grams
Contains: milk.
Nutrition
Per 1 person, and for all 4 people. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.
| Nutrient | Per 1 person | All 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 646kcal | 2584kcal |
| Protein | 13g | 50g |
| Carbohydrate | 101g | 406g |
| Fat | 22g | 89g |
| Fibre | 6.6g | 26g |
| Sugar | 7.2g | 29g |
Cookd masalas for quail
Method
Keep the cleaned quails ready. Rinse the seeraga samba rice until the water is mostly clear, then soak it for 20 minutes and drain it. Slice the onions, slit the green chillies and chop the tomatoes. Wash and chop the mint and coriander leaves, and whisk the curd.
Heat the oil in a pressure cooker on medium flame for 1 minute until hot. Add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaves, and fry for 1 minute until the spices sizzle. Add the onion and fry for 6 to 8 minutes until golden.
Add the green chilli and ginger garlic paste. Fry on medium flame for 2 minutes until the raw smell goes. Add the tomato, mint and coriander leaves, then cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the tomato is soft.
Add the turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt and curd. Cook on medium flame for 2 minutes until the oil starts to appear at the edges. Add the quails and water, then pressure cook on medium flame for 2 whistles until the quails are firm and pale on the outside.
Let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes until the cooker pin drops. Open the cooker and check that the quails are firm and pale on the outside. Simmer uncovered on medium flame for 5 minutes until about 300 ml gravy remains. Add the drained rice, salt, water, ghee and lemon juice, then mix gently once.
Close the cooker and pressure cook on medium flame for 1 whistle. Switch off the flame and let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes until the cooker pin drops. The rice should be cooked through. The quail should also be cooked through, with no pink flesh near the bone and clear juices.
Open the cooker and add the coriander and mint leaves. Fluff the biryani gently with a fork and rest it for 5 minutes before serving.
Before you start
- How long does Quail Biryani take?
- 1 hour 30 minutes from start to finish. That is 25 minutes of preparation and 1 hour 5 minutes of cooking.
- How many people does Quail Biryani serve?
- 4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
- Is Quail Biryani vegetarian?
- No, it contains meat or fish.
- Is Quail Biryani spicy?
- It is medium: 2 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.
- What do I need to make Quail Biryani?
- 4 Quail, 2 cup Seeraga Samba Rice, ½ cup Curd, 1 tbsp Lemon Juice, 5 grams Cinnamon, 1 grams Cloves, and a few more listed on this page.
- Do I need a pressure cooker for Quail Biryani?
- Yes, this one is cooked under pressure.
- How many calories are in Quail Biryani?
- About 646 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.
Tips from other cooks
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