Biryani Pot Pie

It is the holiday season, and I love gifting myself. With so many amazing home decors and cookwares and serveware, it is just hard to resist shopping. This is a perfect season to shop and prep for next Diwali too. Golds and Glitters... add glamor to the festivals!!

So here I come accross these cute mini Copper Cocottes. Cocottes are cook and serve containers, and these mini cocottes are perfect for individual portion size to cook and serve, and present food in style!

It has been so many years now... I had always wanted to make a vegetarian version of pot pie and biryani cooked in a pot pie fashion has been on my mind. I was always on a look for perfect container, and ta da I found them. I just love these from William Sonoma. The cocottes are extremely cute. They totally represent my style of cooking and presenting. It gives the feel of traditional Indian copper pot with a touch of contemporary individual cocottes,  and totally worth the price. This set is surely heavy on the pocket, taking into consideration that I had half of its cost in gift card and I just paid half of the price out of pocket :) They can be used on gas stove as well as in the oven. They are made of thick and heavy material: a great quality product. Perfect for my Biryani Pot Pie! Although they are not dishwasher safe, but come on, taking care of something that you all, is not difficult at all :) They are very easy to clean too. I have packed them back into the plastic wrap and the box they came in. Now thinking of the next recipe I want to use these cute pots in!

Biryani pot pie is the regular rice preparation layered with veggies and fresh spice blend. The pie crust is a whole wheat dough, and helps biryani to cook and keep the moisture and flavors in. The dough cooks to form a crispy crust to enjoy as a side with veggies or raita. Caramelized onions give sweetness to this biryani and the pie crust. We surely enjoyed it for dinner!

This recipe is so easy to make and assemble for your guests. Just bake when the guests arrive and hot biryani is ready to serve.

Ingredients: (Serves 4) Makes 4 Individual pot pies.

For biryani masala: Biryani Spice Blend.

1 tbsp. coriander seeds

1 tsp. cumin seeds

6-7 peppercorns

4-5 cloves

1/2 inch cinnamon

3-4 cardamom

1 star anise

1/2 mace

1/2 bay leaf

2-3 dry red chilies

1+1/2 cup long grain basmati rice

2 cloves

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. salt

2-3 cardamom

For gravy

4 tbsp. ghee or oil 

1/4 cup cashews

1 large onions

1 large potato

1/2 cup diced carrot  

1/4 cup diced bell pepper

1/4 cup peas

1 large tomato

1 cup yogurt

4-5 cloves garlic

1 green chili

1 inch ginger

pinch of turmeric powder 

1+1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup finely chopped mint and cilantro leaves

Freshly made biryani masala

1+1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup water

1 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp ghee or oil

Method:

• Dry roast spices and grind them to form coarse to fine powder (to your choice). Keep it aside. 
• Boil 4 cups of water with 1 tsp.salt, 2 cardamoms, 2-3 cloves, 1 bay leaf. When the water boils, add 1+1/2 cup washed Basmati rice. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove excess water and let the rice sit in the colander. Leave it aside.

• In a pan, heat 4 tbsp. ghee.Add 2 cups thinly sliced onions. Saute and let the onions caramelize. Remove 1/2 of the caramelized onions in a bowl and keep it aside to use later.
• Add diced potatoes and cashews and fry for 3-4 minutes.
• Add diced bell pepper and diced carrots. Add ginger garlic and green chilli paste. Add 1 tsp. salt and pinch of turmeric. Cover and let the potatoes cook for 5 minutes.
• Add freshly ground biryani masala and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well. Cover and let the spices cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Add chopped tomatoes, peas and yogurt. Mix well. Cover and let the gravy cook till potatoes are almost done and spices and cooked well. Turn off the heat.
• Add 1/4 cup chopped mint and cilantro leaves. Mix.

• Mix whole wheat flour with salt and oil and make a medium soft dough with 3/4 cup water. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

To assemble in individual cocottes/baking dish:

• Preheat the oven to 400F
• Grease individual bakeware with ghee. Pour spoonfull of biryani gravy at the bottom. layer with par-cooked rice. Sprinkle some mint and cilantro leaves and few caramelized onions. Layer again with a spoonful of gravy and again with rice. Sprinkle some saffron or little turmeric powder and spread some caramelized onions. Add 2 tbsp. water. 
• Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Take one part and roll it or flatten it in your palms. Cover the baking dish with rolled dough. Seal the edges well.Spread some oil or ghee over the dough.
• Bake in preheated over for 15 minutes. Broil for 5 minutes till the dough turns beautiful golden brown.
• Serve with sliced onions, fresh lemon, and side of yogurt raita.
• Enjoy crisp pie crust and steamed biryani!

Dry roast spices and grind them to form coarse to fine powder. Keep it aside.

Here is a coffee grinder that I use as dry spice grinder.

Freshly ground biryani masala.

Boil 4 cups of water with 1 tsp.salt, 2 cardamoms, 2-3 cloves, 1 bay leaf. When the water boils, add 1+1/2 cup washed Basmati rice. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove excess water and let the rice sit in the colander. Leave it aside.

Sliced onions

Diced veggies.

Ginder, garlic, and green chili paste.

Biryani masala.

In a pan, heat 4 tbsp. ghee.Add 2 cups thinly sliced onions. Saute and let the onions caramelize. Remove 1/2 of the caramelized onions in a bowl and keep it aside to use later.

Add diced potatoes and cashews and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Add diced bell pepper and diced carrots. Add ginger garlic and green chili paste. Add 1 tsp. salt and pinch of turmeric. Cover and let the potatoes cook for 5 minutes.

Add freshly ground biryani masala and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well. Cover and let the spices cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes, peas and yogurt. Mix well. Cover and let the gravy cook till potatoes are almost done and spices and cooked well. Turn off the heat.

Add 1/4 cup chopped mint and cilantro leaves. Mix.

Individual copper mini cocottes.

Cook and serve in individuals containers.

Grease individual bakeware with ghee. Pour spoon-full of biryani gravy at the bottom. layer with par-cooked rice. Sprinkle some mint and cilantro leaves and few caramelized onions. Layer again with a spoonful of gravy and again with rice. Sprinkle some saffron or little turmeric powder and spread some caramelized onions. Add 2 tbsp. water.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Take one part and roll it or flatten it in your palms. Cover the baking dish with rolled dough. Seal the edges well.Spread some oil or ghee over the dough.

Bake in preheated over for 15 minutes. Broil for 5 minutes till the dough turns beautiful golden brown. Ghee helps to fry the dough to make it deliciously crisp.

Serve with sliced onions, fresh lemon, and side of yogurt raita.

Enjoy Crisp Pie Crust and Steamed Biryani!!