Aloo- Kathal ki Biryani/ Jackfruit Biryani

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Aloo Kathal ki Biryani /Jackfruit biryani is a delicious alternative for vegans and vegetarians. Simple and easy to make, this biryani is made of spicy, tasty potatoes and jackfruit chunks cooked with fluffy, aromatic rice.

Nostalgia is always in the air when discussing kathal/ jackfruit biryani. I always feel like I'm back where my masi used to prepare this Kathal biryani for all of us during summer vacation.

My Masi was our favorite among all the masis/aunts, and she still is. As kids, we were so attached to her and used to ask her to do everything for us. She was an excellent storyteller and used to recreate awesome fairylands for us. While we were taking our afternoon nap after listening to one of her stories, she tied all the chocolates, ladoos, and lollipops on our garden trees. That was a magical sight for us.

We always thought that since we were the favorites of the fairies, they did it for us; little did we know that our masi put all the effort into the heat outside. She still jokes with us regarding this.

Returning to biryani, she was a fantastic cook, and fragrant and rich north Indian cuisine was her specialty. In memory lane, I can see her preparing aromatic biryani in the kitchen.

An authentic way of cooking needs everything made from scratch and needs elaborate preparation. But when she made something, she ensured she didn't take help from others.

I was barely eight years old when I tasted this biryani, and let me tell you, I was speechless and amazed by the beauty and taste of the dish. It was a visual delight and tasted terrific. I wanted to eat that for my whole life, and that day, for the first time, I thought about replicating the dish once I grew up.

So, I thought about making this with a slight twist when I was making dinner today. I made an Aloo-Kathal ki biryani, and it is mindblowing. This is one killer biryani, and I am sure you all will love it.

So here I present to you my amazing ALOO-KATHAL KI DUM BIRYANI.

We will make this Biryani in three steps.

First step--

Making of Rice---

Basmati or any long Rice---5 cups.

Cinnamon sticks-2

Black Cardamom-4

Green Cardamom-4

Cloves-4

Bay leaf-4

Star Anise-4

Salt-1 teaspoon.

Oil-1 tablespoon

Method

Boil water in a big vessel.

Add salt and oil.

Add all the whole garam masala.

When it starts to boil, add rice to it.

You need rice to be around 70% cooked. Make sure it still has some bite.

When rice is 70% done, strain it on a big plate and spread it.

Step two-

Making of Aloo- Kathal Masala.

Ingredients

Potatoes/Aloo-4 big ones

Kathal / Jackfruit.-2 cans/ 2 cups.

Onion-2 large ones chopped finely.

Ginger Garlic paste -2 tablespoons.

Garam masala powder-1 tablespoon.

Coriander powder-2 table spoon.

Kashmiri chili powder-1 tablespoon.

Oil-4 table spoon.

Bay leaf-2

Green chili-4 slit them into two parts.

Cumin seeds teaspoon.

Yogurt /curd-1 cup

Oil for frying separately.

Method-

First, deep fry the aloo and kathal till they are golden brown. I used canned kathal so I didn't boil them, but if you are using fresh ones, please cook them till they are a little soft. It would help if you were careful here because we don't want mushy kathal.

Take a big pan.

Add oil to it.

Add bay leaf and cumin seeds to it.

Add onions and saute on medium flame till translucent.

Add ginger garlic paste to it.

Add turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala powder.

Saute it on a slow flame till the oil separates. I want to add the term Bhuna, a Hindi word. You have to saute constantly for some time over low to medium flame. Mastering the art of bhuna masala is extremely important when doing traditional North Indian cooking.

Add our fried kathal/jackfruit pieces and fried potato/aloo.

Saute for 6-7 minutes on low to medium flame.

Add around 1 cup of water to it and let it simmer. Add garam masala to it at this stage.

Now add beaten yogurt to it.

Mix loosely and add cilantro leaves and mint leaves into it.

Leave it as it is at this stage.

Switch off the gas.

Stage three-

Assembling the biryani in handi or big pan for dum.

Ingredients-

Mint leaves-½ cup

Cilantro leaves-½ cup

Golden fried onion-1 cup (I have used store-bought; if you want to make it at home, then deep fry and use it.)

Saffron -Soaked in warm water/ milk for 20 minutes.

Desi ghee- 4 tablespoons.

Rose water tablespoon.

Fried /Roasted cashews.

Method-

Take a biryani handi or big pan.

Add one tablespoon of ghee to it.

Add half of the alu kathal masala we prepared earlier to it.

Add half of the rice and spread it over the alu kathal gravy.

Sprinkle half of the mint and cilantro on top of it.

Sprinkle some fried onion on it.

Sprinkle some cashews and two tablespoons of the ghee. Sprinkle half of the saffron water and rose water on it.

Repeat the same process once again with the rest of the ingredients.

After the top layer, cover with the lid and weigh the lids so that steam can't escape.

Alternatively, you can use the dough to close the lid properly.

Leave it on the slowest flame for 10 minutes.

Switch off the gas now.

After 5 minutes, you can open the lid and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Serve with chilled yogurt raita and salad.

Cheers.