Kuska or plain biryani is a popular, one-pot biryani recipe that is mouth wateringly delicious. Kuska biryani is an aromatic biryani recipe that is slow-cooked to perfection. This plain-biryani recipe needs no fancy ingredient and taste well with cucumber raita or Mirchi salan.

Kuska is a mouthwatering, popular biryani of south India that is mainly cooked in rice, aromatic spices, tomato, and onions! Kuska biryani has a very rich flavor that comes from slow-cooked basmati rice in roasted spices, onions, and yogurt.

This plain biryani is unlike any other biryani you ever had. Even without any vegetable, egg or meat, this biryani recipe tastes incredible. Like I said before, I often serve the biryani with cucumber raita or salan, you can serve it with any curry of your choice.

I know like me, most of you are on a constant hunt for luscious delicacies. And this hunt brought me straight to this gem of a recipe, or should I say biryani.

Kuska biryani is originated from the South-Indian cuisine and it comes as no surprise that most of the restaurants serve this delicacy.

I was too a bit skeptical before cooking this recipe as it's only cooked with rice and spices, but the moment I had a spoonful of it, I was a goner! Trust me, Kuska biryani might look less fancy but still taste flavorful.

How To Make Kuska Biryani

Kuska Biryani is typically cooked in a pressure cooker but you can cook them in a pan as well. It is important to cook the masalas until oil leaves the pan otherwise the biryani will have a bland taste.

Yogurt gives the perfect tanginess to the recipe but if you like you can also add a teaspoon of coconut milk for that extra flavor.

If you love Kuska Biryani do try Cauliflower rice, Coconut Rice, Veg Fried Rice, and Schezwan rice.

Recipe Note and Tips

I have used fresh yogurt, you can use coconut paste if you like.
You can cook Kuska in Arborio/medium grain rice or basmati/long grain rice for cooking Kuska.
If you are using coconut milk then add water accordingly, otherwise, the rice may be sticky and over-cook.

How to Cook Kuska

To make Kuska Biryani, heat ghee in a pan and when it starts to smoke add cumin seeds in it.

After that, add ½ cinnamon stick, maze, black pepper, bay leaf, fennel seeds, star anise, green cardamom, and clove in the pan. Stir the masalas.

After that add chopped onions, stir the onions until they are light golden brown. Keep stirring them in between to prevent over browning.

When the onions are golden brown add green chilies in it. Stir everything and then add fresh tomatoes (chopped) along with tomatoes add turmeric, red chili powder, and salt.

Keep the heat from low to medium and cook the masalas 'til tomatoes turn soft and pulpy.

When tomatoes are soft and mushy and the masalas start to leave the oil then add curd/yogurt in the pan.
Mix the yogurt fast so that it does not curdle and then cook them again for a minute or two.

Add garam masala and then add washed and soaked basmati rice.

Mix the rice and then add mint and coriander leaves in it. Now, add water (2 cups of water in the pan)

Gently mix the rice so that they do not break and then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid.

Cover and cook everything 'til rice is done. It will take around 10-15 minutes. When the rice is cooked turn off the heat, remove the lid and serve the biryani hot with any curry of your choice.