Qubooli

Ingredients

For the yaqni

1.5 cup chana dal (Bengal gram) (boil till tender but don’t make it mushy)

2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

400 g yogurt

10 green chillies

1 tsp garam masala powder

4 medium-sized onions (keep half for dum)

Whole garam masala - 1 tsp shazeera (black cumin), 3 cardamoms, 2 cloves,

1” cinnamon stick

2 tsp ginger-garlic paste

3/4 cup onions, to fry

coriander bunch

mint leaves, less than coriander leaves

salt to taste

For the rice

5 cups Basmati rice (soak for 30 minutes before boiling)

1 tsp shazeera

4 cloves

5 cardamoms

2 cinnamon sticks, 1” each

2 bay leaves

salt to taste

For dum

brown onions

juice of 1 lemon

few coriander and mint leaves

few strands of saffron in lukewarm milk

1/4 cup oil

Method

For the yaqni

Heat oil in a vessel (3/4th cup).

Add the whole garam masala, then the sliced onions.

Fry till the onions turn golden brown in colour (remove half the onions and keep aside).

Add in the ginger-garlic paste, fry till brown in colour.

Add the boiled chana dal, then add in salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and green chilles.

Also add the yogurt, coriander and mint leaves, cook for 2-3 minutes. Keep aside.

For the rice

Boil the rice.

Take a large vessel, boil lots of water along with the whole garam masalas listed in the ingredients for the rice.

Add the salt too.

Add the soaked rice and cook till the rice is 3/4th done.

Strain the rice and keep aside.

For dum

Use the same vessel that you used to boil the rice.

Add a very thin layer of rice at the bottom (around 1/2 cup of cooked rice).

Now add the yaqni.

Add half of the cooked rice as your next layer.

Add the remaining brown onions, coriander and mint leaves, lemon juice as your next layer.

Add the remaining rice.

Sprinkle saffron milk.

Finally, add oil passing through the corners of the vessel, to form a circle.

Now seal the vessel airtight and cook on low flame for 20 minutes.

Serve hot with tomato chutney and bagharraita.