Saffron Apricot Tagine Biryani
60 Minutes
Indian / Indian Fusion
A gorgeous festive centerpiece, bursting with beautiful colors, fragrant spices, and irresistible aromas! This stunning biryani brings together sweet apricots, fragrant saffron, delicate rose water, fresh mint, crispy fried onions, and aromatic spiced vegetables, all layered with Royal® Chef’s Secret™ Extra Long Basmati Rice and slow-cooked on dum in a traditional tagine. The beautifully long, fluffy grains soak up all those wonderful flavors, creating a biryani that’s as special as it looks! Served with a creamy Roasted Pumpkin Borani Raita, this is a stunning centerpiece for your Diwali table, bringing something truly special to your festive celebrations!
Ingredients
Rice:
- 2 cups Royal® Chef’s Secret™ Extra Long Basmati Rice, soaked for 20 minutes
- 1 bay leaves
- 1 inch cinnamon sticks
- 2 green cardamoms
- 2 black cardamom
- 2 cloves
- ½ lemon peel
- Salt, to taste
- Water, as needed
Vegetables:
- ½ cup sweet potatoes, cubed and air-fried
- 1 cup cauliflower, roasted
- 6–8 baby potatoes, parboiled and air-fried
- ½ cup carrots, blanched
- ½ cup French beans, blanched
- ½ cup peas, blanched
- ½ cup mixed-color bell peppers, chopped
- ¾ cup cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Vegetable Marinade:
- ½ cup yogurt
- 2 tbsp almond paste
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chili paste
- ¼ cup fried onions (birista)
- 2 tsp biryani masala
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1½ tsp coriander powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper powder
- Salt, to taste
Tagine Masala:
- 2 tbsp ghee or oil
- ½ cup onions, finely chopped
- 8–10 pearl onions, with a small slit on top
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp degi mirch
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 cup hot water
- Salt, to taste
Layering and Garnish:
- ¼ cup dried apricots, chopped
- ¼ cup warm milk
- 12–15 strands saffron
- ½ tsp rose water
- ¼ cup fried onions (birista)
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp dried rose petals
- 1 tbsp ghee, optional
- Pomegranate seeds
- Edible gold foil
Preparation
- Prepare Rice: Boil water with bay leaf, cinnamon, green and black cardamoms, cloves, lemon peel, and salt. Add soaked Royal® Chef’s Secret™ Extra Long Basmati Rice and cook until 75–80% done. Drain and keep aside.
- Marinate Vegetables: In a bowl, mix yogurt, almond paste, ginger-green chili-garlic paste, fried onions, biryani masala, garam masala, turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, coriander powder, black pepper, and salt. Add the prepared vegetables and chickpeas, coat well, and set aside for 15–20 minutes.
- Prepare Tagine Masala: Heat ghee or oil in a stovetop-safe tagine. Add finely chopped onions and pearl onions and sauté until golden. Add the marinated vegetables, tomato paste, red chili powder, degi mirch, and turmeric. Mix well and adjust salt. Add 1 cup hot water, cover, and simmer for 7–8 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and the masala comes together.
- Prepare Saffron Milk: Soak saffron in warm milk and mix in rose water.
- Layer Biryani: Remove half the cooked vegetables from the tagine. Spread half the cooked rice over the remaining vegetables. Drizzle saffron milk and sprinkle chopped apricots, mint, cilantro, rose petals, and fried onions. Add the reserved vegetables, followed by the remaining rice, and repeat the toppings.
- Dum Cooking: Cover the tagine and cook on very low heat for 10–15 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and the flavors come together. Let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Use a heat diffuser if required by your cooking-safe tagine.
- Serve: Open the tagine and garnish with pomegranate, fresh cilantro, mint, and edible gold leaf. Serve hot directly in the tagine with Roasted Pumpkin Borani Raita. Enjoy!
