The Biryanis with such great names include Kathal Biryani or Jackfruit Biryani, one of the most delicious vegetarian variations of the traditional biryani with young jackfruit as a replacement for meat. This kathal biryani recipe offers a delicious vegetarian twist on biryani. This is indeed a flavour and aroma fiesta of a dish, and no wonder people go for this dish, whether because of their vegetarian instincts or love. The star of the dish is young jackfruit, firm and almost meaty in texture, that is chewy at the very best at places where it is being used as a meat replacement in biryani. It absorbs the deep flavours of the dish if cooked with aromatic spices, and it forms a very savoury meal, almost complete. Kathal Biryani marinated with a mixed powder of yoghurt, turmeric, garam masala, cumin, and other spices gives it a deep flavour. Layered with the aromatic basmati rice, which cooks with whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, imbues the dish with warmth and complexity, the biryani is typically prepared in a "dum-style," sealed, and then slow-cooked, allowing the flavours to meld together. The rice infuses itself with the taste of the spices. Try this flavourful recipe of kathal biryani for a unique dish. To finish, the dish is topped off with crispy fried onions and fresh cilantro accompanied by cashews or almonds that add texture to the dish and give it a more appealing look.

• 11/2 cup basmati rice
• 2 cup kathal
• 2 onion
• 1 tomato
• 1/2 cup curd
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 11/2 tsp biryani masala
• 3 green chillies
• 15 mint leaves
• 3 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
• Oil
• Salt
• 8 cashews
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 8 garlic
• 1 inch ginger
• 5 tbsp ghee
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cardamom
• 1 tsp shahi jeera

• Begin the recipe of kathal biryani with the ingredients. Start with 1 & 1/2 cups of basmati rice. Wash the rice nicely and soak it in water for almost 30 minutes. Soaking helps the rice cook more evenly, not soft or mushy when done with the biryani process.
• Meanwhile, prepare 2 cups of raw jackfruit (Kathal). Peel the jackfruit, remove the seeds, and chop it into small pieces.
• Heat oil in a deep pan to brown your onions.
• Cook the tomato in the same pan, add your chopped jackfruit, and stir-fry until coated with the tomato mixture. Cook for a few minutes.
• Add the spices to the jackfruit mixture: ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder, one teaspoon of red chilli powder, and 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of biryani masala. If you do not have biryani masala, then you might use garam masala. Stir well to make sure that the spices are well mixed together, and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Then add 1/2 cup curd or yoghurt into the mixture, which helps tender the jackfruit and gives it a creamy texture. Add salt as per your taste, then stir well.
• Leave this to cook for 5 to 7 minutes so that the jackfruit gets soft and absorbs the spices well.
• Take a blender and add eight cashews, cinnamon 1-inch, cloves 2, garlic 8, ginger 1-inch. Grind to form a smooth paste by adding water if needed.
• Boil 6 cups of water in a big pot and add the basmati rice you soaked. Cook until the rice is almost 70-80% done. Drain the water and set the rice aside.
• Let's temper the biryani. Heat 5 tablespoons of ghee (or oil) in a pan. Add one biryani leaf, two cardamoms, and one teaspoon of shahi jeera(caraway seeds) to hot ghee. Allow the spices to crackle and give out an aroma for a minute or so.
• After this, begin layering the prepared jackfruit mixture with the cooked rice and fry the onions in a large pot. There is a bottom layer of jackfruit mixture, a layer of rice, and then a sprinkle of fried onions. Continue this pattern, finishing with a layer of rice at the top.
• Adding mint leaves, slit green chillies, and three tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves on top of the layer adds a bit of freshness and flavour to the dish.
• Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid or seal it with dough to trap the steam. Low heat is kept for 20-30 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle.
• Once the biryani is cooked, fluff the rice with a fork to ensure the jack fruit and rice mix well. Serve the Kathal Biryani hot along with a raita or a tangy pickle.