Aloo Biryani | Potato Dum Biryani

for cooking rice

• 1.5 cups basmati rice or 300 grams basmati rice
• 5 cups water for cooking rice
• 1 teaspoon salt or add as required
• 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
• 2 cloves
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 3 to 4 strands of mace

for ground paste

• 2 green chillies
• ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
• ½ inch ginger - roughly chopped
• 5 small to medium garlic - roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup curd (yogurt)

for frying

• 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
• 250 grams baby potatoes or 12 to 15 baby potatoes
• 15 cashews
• ½ tablespoon raisins

for biryani gravy

• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 small to medium tejpatta (indian bay leaf)
• 3 green cardamoms
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 cloves
• 125 grams onions or 2 medium onions or 1 cup tightly packed thinly sliced onions
• 75 grams tomatoes or 1 medium tomato or 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon biryani masala powder or garam masala powder
• ½ cup water

for layering

• 1 pinch of saffron
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 2 teaspoons rose water or kewra water