Skip to main content

Kuska (Plain Biryani)

Kuska - One pot aromatic rice cooked with coconut milk and whole garamasala. Easy, delicious and flavourful rice within an hour. In this recipe, I used onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, coriander leaves, mint leaves and spices. The coconut milk adds a certain richness to this rice. 


Kuska - One pot aromatic rice cooked with coconut milk and whole garamasala. Easy, delicious and flavourful rice within an hour. In this recipe, I used onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, coriander leaves, mint leaves and spices. The coconut milk adds a certain richness to this rice. If you do not prefer to add coconut milk, then skip it. I have used all the other ingredients in minimal quantities so that the rice becomes more flavourful after it sits for a while and its delicious to serve at room temperature. The best side dishes for this rice are any kurmas made in thin consistency and onion raita. I don't prefer to cook this recipe on a pressure cooker. If you are in a hurry, then cook with 1 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup water. Everything cooks together in one pot, the rice is really flavourful and tasty. Make sure you have all  ingredients ready before you begin. Now let's see how to prepare this rice with step by step photos. Check out my other rice varieties with step by step photos.


If you do not prefer to add coconut milk, then skip it. I have used all the other ingredients in minimal quantities so that the rice becomes more flavourful after it sits for a while and its delicious to serve at room temperature. The best side dishes for this rice are any kurmas made in thin consistency and onion raita. I don't prefer to cook this recipe on a pressure cooker. If you are in a hurry, then cook with 1 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup water. Everything cooks together in one pot, the rice is really flavourful and tasty. Make sure you have all  ingredients ready before you begin. Now let's see how to prepare this rice with step by step photos. Check out my other rice varieties with step by step photos.






How to prepare Kuska rice - Kuska rice recipe 

Print Friendly and PDF
Kuska - One pot aromatic rice cooked with coconut milk and whole garamasala. Easy, delicious and flavourful rice within an hour.


Prep time : 20 minutes
Cook time : 35 minutes
Serves : 3
Category : lunch/rice varieties

Ingredients
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 2 medium onions
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 green chilly
  • 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tsp chilly powder
  • 1/2 tsp garamasala powder
  • 2 tbsp curd
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
  • 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • salt to taste
Spices for the rice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 small piece cinnamon
  • few kalpasi
  • 2 star aniseed
  • 2 cardamom
Cooking Directions


  • Take a wide bowl and add the rice. Wash the rice gently 2 to 3 times well and soak with 1 cup of water for 30 minutes.
  • Now do all the preparation for the rice. Slice the onions, slit the green chillies and cut the tomatoes. Take all the spices in a plate and the coconut milk in a bowl.
  • After 30 minutes, drain the water completely. Now heat oil and ghee in a heavy bottomed kadai or a flat pan. Add the following spices one by one ( 1 bay leaf, 3 cloves, 2 star aniseed, few kalpasi, 2 cardamom and 2 cinnamon). Allow them to pop.
  • Next, add the onions and saute until soft.
  • Add the green chillies and ginger garlic paste. Saute it continuously for 4 minutes until the raw smell of the ginger garlic disappears.
  • Next , add the tomatoes and saute for few more minutes.
  • Then add the curd and give it a quick stir.
  • Now add the chilly powder and garamasala powder. Mix it well with the onion, tomato mixture.
  • Add chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. After few seconds, add 1.5 cups of water and 1 cup of coconut milk.
  • Add the required salt and mix them well. Next, add the drained rice. Check your seasonings now and close it with a lid.
  • Keep on low flame and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. In between, open and check if it's sticking to the bottom.
  •  After 20 minutes, switch off the flame and gently fluff the rice.


Kuska with step by step photos

1. Take a wide bowl and add the rice. Wash the rice gently 2 to 3 times well and soak with 1 cup of water for 30 minutes.


2. Now do all the preparation for the rice. Slice the onions, slit the green chillies and cut the tomatoes. Take all the spices in a plate and the coconut milk in a bowl. For this measurement take coconut milk with one portion of the coconut. If you are using canned coconut milk dilute 1/2 cup of coconut milk with 1/2 cup of water. 


3. After 30 minutes, take the rice and drain the water completely. Now heat oil and ghee in a heavy bottomed kadai or a flat pan. Add the following spices one by one ( 1 bay leaf, 3 cloves, 2 star aniseed, few kalpasi, 2 cardamom and 2 cinnamon). Allow them to pop.


4. Next, add the onions and saute until soft.


5. Add the green chillies and ginger garlic paste. Saute it continuously for 4 minutes until the raw smell of the ginger garlic disappears.


6. Next add the tomatoes and saute for a few more minutes.


7. Then add the curd and give it quick stir. (Use the thick curd).


8. Now add the chilly powder and garamasala powder. Mix it well with the onion, tomato mixture.


9. Add chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. Mix them well. 


10. After few seconds add 1.5 cups of water, required salt  and 1 cup of coconut milk. 



11. Next, add the drained rice. Check your seasonings now and close it with a lid.


12. Keep on low flame and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. In between, open and check if its sticking to the bottom. After 20 minutes, switch off the flame and gently fluff the rice.


13. Serve it warm with any kurma or salna and onion raitha. Enjoy this Kuska with your family for a weekend lunch.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Easy Paneer Gravy - Paneer Masala within 20 minutes - Paneer Recipes

This easy paneer gravy is a mouthwatering side dish made with paneer cooked in a rich gravy prepared with  onions, tomatoes and other spices. It's mild and not very spicy, which tastes so good with chapathi, nann, roti and pulao.  Paneer gravies can be made in a variety of ways. This recipe is the easy version of paneer butter masala. Most of the time we prepare paneer gravy with fresh cream, butter and cashew nuts. To make a tasty paneer masala, you do not need fresh cream. You can easily make restaurant style paneer gravy with easily available ingredients in your kitchen. I always like to add a few cashew nuts while making gravies, which gives a creamy consistency. The addition of dried kasuri methi leaves gives a unique flavour for paneer based gravies. I used homemade garamasala powder for gravies which does not include red chillies or pepper in it. Add garamasala powder to your personal taste preferences.Now let's see how to prepare this easy paneer gravy with step by step

Mushroom Gravy With Curd - Mushroom Curd Masala

Mushroom Gravy with Curd recipe with full video and step by step pictures. This mushroom gravy preparation is little different from other gravies. As the name suggests this gravy is prepared using thick curd and the ground masala paste is made with onions, green chillies, garlic, ginger, poppy seeds, pepper and whole garam masala. The addition of whole garam masala cinnamon, cloves, fennel and cardamom makes the gravy aromatic. This gravy is a good variation from our usual kurma and masala. For this gravy there is no need for tomatoes, cashew nuts and red chilly powder.  This is a quick and easy gravy recipe with a few ingredients.  Spices - you will need bay leaf, cumin, kasuri methi leaves and coriander leaves. For the masala paste onions, ginger, garlic, green chilly, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, cardamom and poppy seeds. Poppy seeds are added to give thickness for the gravy.  In the final stage, half teaspoon garam masala powder is sprinkled for flavour but you omit it. 

Roadside Mochai Masala - Tirunelveli Style Mochai Recipe

This is the popular street food recipe from Tirunelveli called mochai. A healthy semi dry gravy with mochai prepared in streetside pushcarts across many places in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin.  Until recently I never had a chance to taste this mochai but my husband tasted it many times during their school days. During last month's trip to Tirunelveli, we tasted this mochai masala near Murappanaadu river. It was delicious and my son asked me to prepare this mochai for his snack box. This roadside mochai masala is made with boiled mochai beans (Lima beans), lots of onions, ginger and  green chillies. As mochai beans have a slightly bitter taste, hence you have to use plenty of onions for this masala . You have to use dried mochai for this masala.  To spice up this masala you have to add a good amount of green chillies and ginger which gives a nice flavour and tastes yummy. This mochai masala makes a filling and comforting dish for breakfast or evening snack. I prepared this mochai in a

Keerai Chaaru - Arai Keerai Kuzhambu - Arai Keerai in Tamarind Gravy

Keerai Chaaru is a quick and simple kuzhambu with arai keerai and tamarind as the main ingredient. If you are looking out for a kuzhambu recipe without any coconut or dal with simple cooking, then this keerai chaaru is the perfect recipe.  When you have a huge bundle of arai keerai, you can split them for 3 varieties. Because sometimes, it is very difficult to finish a big bowl of keerai poriyal or kootu. Last week my husband bought a big  arai keerai bundle  and I made poriyal, keerai masiyal and keerai chaaru too. My mom frequently, prepare this kuzhambu along with vazhaikkai poriyal, pottukadalai thuvaiyal and sutta appalam. I was planning to post this recipe for a long time but delayed to publish it without recipe video. Finally last week when I decided to make keerai chaaru, I took the video. A few months ago, one of my followers asked me to post this recipe and decided to post the recipe along with the video. This keerai chaaru tastes good with arai keerai. The aroma of the kuzha

Chana Masala - Homestyle Chana Masala - Chana Masala for poori, chapathi and nann

Today we are going to see our all time favourite Chana Masala. It's a simple yet complete food that's easy to make within 30 minutes. I got this recipe from our friend's mom who is from Bodi. The flavours are just delicious. She gave me one kg of her homemade garamasala powder and it is one of our new favourites! The garamasala powder is free from the addition of preservatives, artificial colours and mono sodium glutamate. Any masalas or kurmas made with a unique blend of spices, tastes good. I have been trying to make my own garamasala powder but just keep putting it off. Now I am confident to prepare homemade garamasala powder as she clearly explained the recipe with exact ingredients and measurements. I will try posting the homemade garamasala recipe in virundhombal soon. During our visit to their house, she prepared so many dishes and all of them were lip smacking and the masalas were perfectly balanced, not overpowering the other.  This Chana masala is not the authenti

Mixed Vegetable Rice with Dal - One Pot Protein Rich Rice Recipe - Modern Kootanchoru

Mixed vegetable rice with step by step photos and video. Quick one pot rice within 30 minutes. Apart from kootanchoru and thuvaram paruppu sadham we make this mixed vegetable rice for weekend lunch and family get togethers.  During our childhood days, my Karthi mama makes this rice for dinner and always one of our favourite rice dishes for our whole family. During his bachelor days in Delhi, they prepared this rice frequently with whatever vegetables available in their kitchen. Making of this vegetable  rice doesn't involve any grinding or soaking and bachelor's can easily cook this rice. When it comes to any rice with dals, it must be slightly mushy with soft texture. But I do not like mushy rice, so I have reduced the amount of water. You can change it according to your preference. Allow the rice to cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or pressure cook for 2 whistles. Cooking time may vary depending on the quality of the rice and the pressure cooker.  To make this healthy

Onion Tomato Chutney - Chettinad Onion Tomato Chutney for Idli, Dosa and Paniyaram

Onion tomato chutney recipe with full video and step by step pictures. In 2005 when we were in California I have seen this Chettinad style onion tomato chutney recipe in the Aval vikatan magazine and made it immediately for dinner. I have been thinking to post this chutney in my blog for a long time. Finally, after 16 years, today I made this onion tomato chutney for paniyaram. Normally for tomato chutney or onion chutney we saute the red chillies in oil and then we grind it along with the onions and tomatoes. But for this chutney, the red chillies are dry roasted well and then powdered separately. This red chilly flakes are further sauted with onions and tomato puree. I have tried  many chutneys onion tomato combinations, but this chutney is a unique dish. We are adding the chopped small onions in this chutney without grinding it and that makes it more flavourful with a mild chunky texture. This chutney has very few ingredients, so make sure they are good and fresh. Chop fresh onions,

White Pumpkin (Ash gourd) Dosa - Vellai Poosanikai Dosa

White Pumpkin(Ash gourd) Dosa is an easy tiffin for your breakfast or dinner. Another healthy recipe from my Grandmother. It is one of our family favourite dinner dishes. These white pumpkin dosas are delicious and a great way to use the white pumpkins. My husband likes white pumpkins very much and always get a whole white pumpkin from the market. It will be good up to a month before cutting and you have to finish it within a day after cutting them. So whenever he bought this vegetable, definitely this dosa will be in our menu. We always prepare kootu, sambar and thayir pachadi with this white pumpkin, but I wanted to try something different with this vegetable. As usual, I asked my grandmother to tell me ideas to prepare healthier dishes with this white pumpkin. My grandmother told me they prepare this dosas frequently with this white pumpkins during their olden days with their garden fresh pumpkins. Now these dosas are unbelievably easy to prepare. Start by soaking the rice an

Collection of Kuzhambu varieties for lunch

KUZHAMBU RECIPES, 20 KUZHAMBU RECIPES FOR LUNCH Kuzhambus are the foundation for a good lunch in South Indian cuisine. Although there are many rice varieties in South Indian cuisine, a bowl of rice and kuzhambu with any vegetable side dish makes our tummy happy. In this collection, I have shared many traditional Tirunelveli kuzhambu recipes. I have suggested authentic ingredients and spices in my kuzhambu recipes. If you find any spices are inconvenient, you may change according to your taste. Now let's see the collection of kuzhambu recipes here. Click on the pictures or the recipe here to view the recipe details with step by step instructions.   Collection of Kuzhambu varieties for lunch 1. Sodhi - Sodhi is one of Tirunelveli's traditional and popular kuzhambu.This kuzhambu is a special menu on the next day of marriage. A Tirunelveli wedding meal would not be complete without this Sodhi, potato poriyal and ginger chutney.  RECIPE HERE. 2. Pulikuzh

Amla (Gooseberry) Rice | Nellikai Sadham - Easy & Healthy lunch box recipe

Nellikai Sadham - a healthy rice for your lunch box with simple cooking methods. Once again thanks to my Karthi Uncle who taught me the Aloo Gobi recipe prepared this healthy rice. The way we prepare for lemon rice and mango rice applies to this Amla(Nellikai) rice also. In addition, we want to grind the amlas in a mixer jar without any water and then we have to saute it with our classic tempering ingredients. Ponni raw rice is much preferred when preparing these type of rice varieties, but if you are looking for a healthier choice you may replace it with cooked millets.