Soya chunks biriyani(Easy pressure cooker)

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Description:
Favourite of many and often used as a meat extender. This is a pure vegetarian food and very easy to cook

Ingredients:
1. Basmati rice - 2cups(small)
2. Soya chuncks - 1cup
3. Onion - 1 medium
4. Tomatoes - 2 small
5. Ginger
6. Garlic
7. Bay leaf
8. Black pepper corns
9. Cloves - 3 to 4
10. Cinnamon stick - 1
11. Star anise - 2 to 3
12. Curd - 1cup small
13. Turmeric powder - 1/2tspn
14. Chilli powder - 1.5tspn
15. Coriander powder - 1tspn
16. Garam masala - 1/2tspn
17. Coriander leaves
18. Milk - 70 to 80ml
19. Oil
20. Ghee - 1 to 2 tspn
21. Green chiilies - 2to 3
21. Salt to taste

Procedure:
Take a deep bottom vessel, pour some water and milk. Allow to boil and drop the soya chunks into it. Leave it aside for sometime till the soya chunks soak. The purpose of adding the milk is to remove the raw smell of soya chunks while cooking.

Slice the onions and tomatoes. Crush the ginger, green chillies and garlic. Take a pressure cooker and pour oil. Add the bay leaves, star anise, pepper corns and cinnamon stick. Saute for few seconds and then add the onions. Saute till they turn golden brown. Next add the crushed ginger/garlic/green chilli paste, salt and the tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes becomes soft. Then add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and the garam masala. Cook for sometime and add the curd. Mix well and check for salt. Squeeze the soya chunks and drop into the cooker. Throw in the coriander leaves too.

Wash the basmati rice and transfer into the cooker. Add 4 cups of water ie 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice. Add the ghee too. Use the same cup you used to measure the rice. Allow everything to boil properly and then close the lid. Let it cook for 3 to 4 whistles. You can even soak the basmati rice for some 30 minutes before cooking. In that case just 2 whistles may be enough.

After cooking let the cooker release pressure by itself. Open the cooker and check. Soya chunk biriyani will be ready. Serve with some side dish, raita etc.

Note:
The cooking time of the pressure cooker will be different based on the models. For my cooker it takes 3 to 4 whistles for the rice to cook without soaking the basmati rice. It may be less or more for different cooker models.