Kerala Matta(red) rice biriyani

We recently bought the Kerala red rice( Matta/Palakkad rice) and like it's texture. It is little healthier than the regular white rice owing to it's high fiber and lower glycemic index.

Ingredients:

Red rice                            - 1 and 1/2 cups

Black eyed peas                - 1/2 cup

Vegetables(chopped fine) - 1 cup (carrot, green beans, bok choy stems)

Garlic(chopped fine)         - 3

Ginger(chopped)               - 1/2 inch piece

Green chilli(chopped)       - 1/2

Leek greens                      - 1/2 cup

Tomato(chopped)             - 1

Pineapple(cubed)             - 1/2 cup

Parsley(chopped)             - 1/4 cup

Oil of choice                     - 2 -3 tsps.

Mustard seeds                 - 1/2 tsp

Salt                                  - as per taste

Masala

Star anise                         - 1

cloves                               - 4

Cinnamon stick                - 1 small

Fennel seeds                    - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds                    - 1 tsp

(Jeera)

Black pepper corns         - 8-10

Cardamom powder         - 1/2 tsp

Dry roast the above spices except cardamom powder and grind to a fine powder. Add the cardamom powder to the ground powder.

Directions:

Soak the black eyed peas in water for about 30-40  minutes. In the meantime cook the rice with water in  covered pot (2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice). Start on medium heat until the water boils and then simmer it down to low heat until rice is cooked.Cook the black eyed peas with adequate water taking care not to overcook it. I cooked it in the pressure cooker for one whistle.

Heat a pan and add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the chopped garlic, ginger, green chilly and leek greens and saute.Saute for 2-4 minutes.

garlic/ginger/green chilly/leeks

Then add the chopped vegetables and 1 tsp of the masala and saute for 5 minutes. Cover and cook for another few minutes until the vegetables are cooked. You can add a 1/4 cup of water if required.

 

 

Chopped vegetables

Add the salt and add the cooked black eyed peas. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat.

Cooked black eyed peas

Finally add the chopped tomatoes and pineapple and saute until they all blend together on medium heat. 

Finally add the cooked rice to this and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for another couple of minutes.Switch off the stove and garnish with chopped parsley. 

Biriyani

Serve with raita.

Tips

1. Black pepper corns can be reduced or increased in number depending on the your spice level
2. You can use whole cardamom for the masala, toast them and remove the skin before you powder it.
3. I used the cooked water of the black eyed peas for the vegetables.
4. You can add 1/4 cup of yogurt and after adding the rice for additional flavour. I avoided yogurt as my little one recently has been detected with a dairy allergy so use less dairy.
5. You can pressure cook the rice as an alternative, the red rice does not overcook and remains   
    non-sticky.The excess water can be drained out.
6. You can grind the garlic, ginger, green chilly and tomato into a paste and saute it with the vegetables.
7.  Store the rest of the masala in an airtight container. It can be used for gravies.