Kuska or Plain Briyani is prepared by cooking long grain/basmathi or jeera rice with all the flavored spices and ingredients used for briyani. This briyani is very special and commonly known as poor man’s Briyani, since it costs very less because no vegetables and no meats are used in the making. Kuska / Plain Briyani is popular in and around Madurai and Virudhunagar. My hubby used say, that he used to have it in all this college functions, but this is the first time I am gave a try at home. I have followed a slight variation in the making, so do check out for perfect color in kuska – CLICK HERE.

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Kuska / Plain Briyani / How to make kuska at home

Kuska / Plain Briyani is mildly spiced, mildly flavored then Briyani, so kids like this a lot. This goes out well with any raita but I prefer onion raita, any curries may be veg or non-veg and a deep fry. I have accompanied it with chicken curry, onion-tomato raita and chicken 65.  Let me share the recipe…

Taking this to Fiesta Friday #176 hosted by Angie@thenovicegardener.

Ingredients:

• Basmathi / Long-grain / Jeeraga Samba / Jeera rice – 2 ½ cup (1 cup = 160ml)
• Onions – 2 no’s (medium size)
• Tomato – 1 no (medium size)
• Green chillies – 2 nos
• Ginger-garlic paste – 1 ½ tbsp or Ginger (1”inch stick) – 1 no and Garlic – 5 cloves
• Cinnamon (1 “inch stick) – 1 no
• Cloves – 4 no’s
• Star Anise – 2 no’s
• Stone flower / Kalpasi – 3 no’s
• Cardamom – 2 no’s
• Bay leaf – 1 no
• Fennel seeds / Sombu – 2 tsp
• Curd / Yogurt – 1 cup
• Coconut milk – 1 cup
• Mint + Coriander leaves – 1 cup
• Salt to taste
• Ghee / Clarified butter – 1 ½ tbsp
• Oil – 1 ½ tbsp

Making of Kuska rice / Kuska Briyani / Plain Briyani –

Preparation:

• Peel and thinly slice the onions and keep it aside.
• Finely chop the tomatoes and keep it aside. Slit the green chillies and keep it aside.
• Rinse and finely chop the mint + coriander leaves and keep it aside.
• Heat ghee/clarified butter and oil in a pressure cooker, add the bay leaf, followed by flavored spices and wait until they crackle.
• Add onions, green chillies and ginger-garlic paste, cook until the onions turn transparent.
• Add the mint and coriander leaves, cook until they turn dark green in color.
• Add the tomatoes and cook until they turn soft.
• Pour the curd/yogurt, cook until the oil starts floating on the top.
• Pour the coconut milk and bring it to boil.
• Meanwhile clean the rice and add the rice followed by water to the pressure-cooker, add required amount of salt.
• Pressure-cook for 3 whistles.
• Remove the lid when the pressure releases.

Flavored spices

With onions and green chillies

With coriander and mint leaves

with ginger-garlic paste

with curd/yogurt

Getting cooked

with coconut milk

Getting boiled

with rice

Kuska / Plain Briyani / How to make kuska at home

Gently give a stir and serve hot.