Kushka

Kushka ||குஸ்கா

Kushka is a simple yet flavourful rice dish. It's briyani dish without using any meat. and a South Indian speciality.  Within this they are a few variants of cooking, some one with water only, some a combo of coconut milk or milk with water and some with chicken/meat stock.

This is a lunch meal that goes well together with kurma and raita.  For this kushka I paired it with bhindi ka salan and pomegranate raita.

I used basmathi. I also used the rice cooker to the rice instead of a pressure cooker. Lets look at the ingredients.

Note : 1 cup of basmathi rice liquid to be at 1.5 cups.


Kushka

Ingredients

3 cups of basmathi - washed and soaked for 20mins. and drain
4.5 cups of water
2 red onion - slice finely
5-6 green chilly - slit into 2
1 big tomato - chopped finely
2 medium sized bay leave
2 small stick of cinnamon
2 star anise
3 cardamon
3 cloves
1 tsp fennel seeds
1tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup of yogurt - whisked
4 tbs of ghee
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of chilly powder
1/2 tsp of garam masala
a handful of mint leaves
a handful coriander leaves - chopped coarsely

Garnishing - Mint leaves and fried onion.

Method

1.  In a pot heat ghee. Add in bay leave, cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamon, cloves and fennel seeds.  Fry for a few minutes till aromatic.

2.  Add in sliced onions.  Saute with a little salt till soft and brown.  Add in the ginger garlic paste, fry till raw smell is gone.

3.  Add in chilly and all the powders and cook till mix well, stir for a few more minutes.  Add half of the mint and coriander leaves. Mix well and add in tomato.  Cook till the tomato is homogeneous and well mix into a combined paste.

4.  Add in yogurt and mixed well.  Stir in rice, stir well add in water and salt to taste, top up with the balance of coriander leaves and mint leaves and cook till it is done.

Serve with some home made fried onion and mint leaves.  Serve hot.