Mochai Kottai is called Field Beans or Hyacinth bean in English. It is also called Mochai payaru or mochai kai in Tamil. Every year during Pongal festival time, they are available in abundance in all the vegetable markets. As it is in season now, I wanted to share this flavorful and delicious biryani (pulao) prepared with fresh field beans/mochai. They are perfect for office lunch box also. Today we will learn how to make mochai biryani following this easy recipe with step wise pictures.
Mochai Kottai Biryani Recipe
Prep Time : 15 mins
Cook Time : 20 mins
Serves: 2-3
Recipe Category: Lunch-Rice Recipes
Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Author:Padhu Sankar
Serves: 2-3
Recipe Category: Lunch-Rice Recipes
Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Author:Padhu Sankar
Ingredients needed
Basmati Rice – 1 cup
Onion -1 cup or 2 medium size
Tomato – 1/2 cup
Potato -1/2 cup
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Fresh Mochai/field beans -3/4 cup
Curd – 2 tbsp
Mint leaves – fistful
Coriander leaves – fistful
Salt needed
Coconut milk -1/2 cup
Water -1 1/2 cup
For the Masala
Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
Cloves -2
Coriander seeds/dhania -2 tsp
Cumin seeds/jeera -1 tsp
Bengal gram/channa dal/kadalai paruppu – 2 tsp
Red Chillies -2
Green chillies -1
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Garlic cloves -4-5
For the seasoning
Oil – 2 tbsp
Cinnamon -1 inch piece
Cloves -2
Preparations
Do not get intimidated by the long list of ingredients above, actually it is a very easy recipe.
First we will prepare the masala
Heat a tsp of oil and fry cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, bengal gram dal and red chillies. Remove from pan. In the same pan, saute ginger, garlic and green chillies. Then grind both together adding little water. Our masala paste for the biryani is ready.
Thinly slice onions. Peel the skin and cut potatoes into medium sized pieces. Chop tomatoes and keep it ready.
Pressure cook field beans with a little salt until soft.
Dilute 1/2 cup of thick coconut milk by adding 1 1/2 cup of water. Now we have 2 cups of liquid (very thin coconut milk) for cooking rice. If you do not want to use coconut milk, just use 2 cups of water but adding coconut milk gives a nice taste.
Soak basmati rice for 30 minutes, drain the water completely and keep it ready.
Now cooked mochai, uncooked soaked rice and the masala paste is ready, we will proceed to make the biryani.
Method
Heat oil in a pan or kadai, add cinnamon and cloves. Saute for a few seconds and then add onions. Saute until onions turn transparent. Add a little salt to speed up the process.
Add tomatoes and saute for a few more minutes.
Add chopped potatoes, turmeric powder, salt and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
Add the masala paste and saute on medium flame until it ooze out oil. Saute the masala paste well stirring continuously.
Add the cooked field beans, curd, chopped coriander and mint leaves.
Then add rice and thin coconut milk. Taste the liquid and check for salt. If required add salt at this stage.
You can do all this directly in the cooker or rice cooker. As I wanted to show the pictures clearly, I did it in a kadai and then transferred it to a cooker. Close the cooker and cook on medium flame until rice is half cooked. Do not put the weight/whistle. Once it is half cooked, stir the contents and close it with weight.
Simmer and cook for another 4 minutes. Once the pressure subsides, open the cooker and serve piping hot mochai biryani with raitha, papads or chips.
Check out more mochai recipes
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What a delicious dish. M loving it. Wanna grab it right now. Too good. Will surely prepare as per the recipe that u have mentioned and will also share the feedback with u. Thank u for the share.
yummy biryani dear..
We like mochai a lot.So, surely this recipe will become one of our favourite meals.
Looks yummy and sounds easy….will definitely try it. Just a doubt…..while cooking mochai initially, how many whistles should I keep it for , in the cooker?
Thanks fr the recipe
It depends on the size of your cooker. As it is fresh mochai, 1 or 2 whistles are enough. If you are cooking directly in the cooker, make sure there is enough water or else it will get burnt.
Yammieee love u padhu..
Hi padhu I have became ur biggest fan love u so much love this recipe thanks for all ur great dishes…
Yummy padhu. Every one enjoyed the biriyani. My son took two boxes of this biriyani to office. Thanks for your recipes
Superb pulav . Going to try tom . Thanks padhu