Pidi (steamed rice balls) paired with spicy country chicken curry is a culinary classic. However, not many may have heard of pidi biryani which tastes as great as the much celebrated combination. Here is the interesting recipe of pidi biryani.
Ingredients
500 gms beef
1 tsp yoghurt
1 tsp ginger - garlic paste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp garam masala
3 tbsp oil
2 onions
1 small piece ginger
3 garlic cloves
3 green chillies
1 sprig curry leaves
4 tsp coriander powder
4 cups water
1 ½ cups grated coconut
2 dried chillies
2 cups rice flour
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp pepper powder
10 cashews
Salt as required
Preparation
Marinate the beef cubes with yoghurt, ginger - garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala and salt as required
Keep aside for at least half an hour
Yoghurt softens the meat and makes it tender
Heat oil in a pan
Sauté the onions by adding some salt
Into it add finely chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves in this order
Turn off the flame when all these ingredients are sautéed well
Now add coriander powder, chilli powder and garam masala
Mix well; the heat on the pan is enough to roast the powders
Into it add the marinated beef cubes
Mix well
Turn on the flame and pour 1 cup water
Cook with the lid on
In case you are using a pressure cooker, cook until two whistles
Meanwhile, dry roast the coconut in another pan
Add dried chillies and coriander powder too while roasting on low flame
Grind this mixture after it has cooled down
Add this powder when the beef cubes are cooked well
Add pepper powder too
Mix well and cook until the gravy thicken up a bit
For the pidi, boil 3 cups water with cumin in it
Heat the rice flour and add grated coconut into it
Pour the boiled cumin water slowly into the roasted rice flour and mix into sticky dough
Make small balls from it after the dough has cooled down
Dip your palms in water so that the dough wouldn’t get stuck
Cook the pidi balls in a steamer
Pidi would be cooked quickly as they are small balls
Put these pidi balls into the previously prepared beef masala
Mix gently so that the pidi wouldn’t tear apart
Garnish with fried onion, cashews and some curry leaves
Cook for 5 more minutes on low flame with the lid
Turn off the flame and serve after 10 minutes
Tasty and flavoursome pidi biryani is a delectable delicacy that is filling too.