Kuska recipe with step by step pics – kuska rice is a South Indian style spiced flavorful biryani rice served as an accompaniment with a gravy dish. It is basically an aromatic plain biryani version made without veggies.
Kuska rice Or kuska biryani is quite known in south India and served in many hotels there. Its a good alternative to plain steamed rice and you can serve with any gravy like a korma or a masala gravy or even with dal.
There are many variations of preparing this plain biryani. the word kuska is derived from the urdu word ‘khushk’ which means dry. So this is a dry biryani preparation where there is no veg masala gravy in the biryani. Though like biryani the rice is dum cooked in a pot. But there is no layering in this plain biryani.
Kuska rice is very simple and easy to prepare like Ghee rice or a Pulao. there is one more North Indian recipe of biryani rice I have already posted. You can check it here – Biryani rice.
You can serve kuska biryani with any gravy or dal. I also at times make it be served with rajma recipe or dal makhani.
How to make kuska recipe
1. Rinse 1 cup heaped basmati rice (215 grams) very well in water till the water runs clear of starch. Soak rice in enough water for 30 minutes. I have used basmati rice. You can also use seeraga samba rice.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a pot or pan.
3. Add the following spices and let them splutter – ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (shah jeera), 1 inch cinnamon, 2 to 3 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 to 2 single strands of mace and 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf).
4. Then add ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions.
5. Saute the onions on a low to medium flame stirring often.
6. Saute till the onions start turning light golden.
7. Then add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste.
8. Stir and saute on a low flame till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
9. Add ½ cup chopped tomatoes and saute for a minute. You can even skip tomatoes if you want.
10. Then add 1 or 2 green chilies (sliced or slit), ½ tablespoon chopped mint leaves and 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves.
11. Mix very well.
12. Now add 2 cups water. Instead of water, you can also use veg stock. Depending on the quality of rice, you can add 2 to 2.25 cups of water.
Cooking kuska rice
13. Cover the pan with its lid.
14. On a medium flame, bring the entire water mixture to a boil.
15. When the water starts boiling, then add the rice.
16. Season with salt as per taste and mix very well. Check the taste of the water and it should taste a bit salty. If not, then add some more salt.
17. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Again stir.
18. Place a cotton kitchen towel or napkin on the pan. You can also seal the pan with an aluminum foil. Now place the lid on the pan.
19. Keep the flame to a low or sim and dum cook till the rice grains are tender and cooked. It will take about 7 to 8 minutes for the rice to cook. Do use a thick bottomed pan, so that the rice grains do not stick to the bottom of the pan. If you want you can check the rice grains once while cooking. If all the water has been absorbed and the rice grains do not look cooked, then add some hot water in the pan. Cover and continue to cook.
20. When the rice grains are cooked, then allow resting time of 5 to 7 minutes. Then gently fluff the rice with a fork. Serve kuska rice garnished with a few coriander or mint leaves along with a veg gravy or dal of your choice.
More Rice recipes
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Kuska Recipe
Ingredients
main ingredients
- 1 cup heaped basmati rice or 215 grams basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons Ghee
- 50 grams onions or 1 medium onion or ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions
- 65 grams tomato or 1 medium to large tomato or ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste
- 1 or 2 green chilies - sliced or slit
- ½ tablespoon chopped mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
- 2 cups water or 2.25 cups water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt as required
- few coriander leaves or mint leaves for garnish
whole spices
- ½ teaspoon shah jeera
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 to 2 single strands of mace
- 1 tej patta (indian bay leaf)
Instructions
soaking rice
- Rinse 1 cup heaped basmati rice (215 grams) very well in water till the water runs clear of starch. Soak rice in enough water for 30 minutes. Later drain all the water and keep the rice aside.
making kuska rice
- Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a pot or pan.
- Add the following spices and let them splutter - 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (shah jeera), 1 inch cinnamon, 2 to 3 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 to 2 single strands of mace and 1 tej patta.
- Then add 1/3 cup thinly sliced onions.
- Saute the onions on a low to medium flame stirring often, till they start turning light golden.
- Then add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste.
- Stir and saute on a low flame till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
- Add 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes and saute for a minute. You can even skip tomatoes if you want.
- Then add 1 or 2 green chilies (sliced or slit), 1/2 tablespoon chopped mint leaves and 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. Mix very well.
- Now add 2 cups water. Instead of water you can also use veg stock. Depending on the quality of rice, you can add 2 to 2.25 cups water.
cooking kuska rice
- Cover the pan with its lid.
- On a medium flame, bring the entire water mixture to a boil.
- When the water starts boiling, then add the rice.
- Season with salt as per taste and mix very well. Check the taste of the water and it should taste a bit salty. If not, then add some more salt.
- Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Again stir.
- Place a cotton kitchen towel or napkin on the pan. You can also seal the pan with an aluminium foil. Now place the lid on the pan.
- Keep the flame to a low or sim and dum cook till the rice grains are tender and cooked. It will take about 7 to 8 minutes for the rice to cook. Do use a thick bottomed pan, so that the rice grains do not stick to the bottom of the pan. If you want you can check the rice grains once while cooking. If all the water has been absorbed and the rice grains do not look cooked, then add some hot water in the pan. Cover and continue to cook.
- When the rice grains are cooked, then allow resting time of 5 to 7 minutes. Then gently fluff the rice with a fork.
- Serve kuska rice garnished with a few coriander or mint leaves along with a veg gravy or dal of your choice.
