• Take soya granules in a bowl, add 3 cups of boiling water and soak for 15 - 20 minutes. Drain and squeeze excess water from the granules. See note 1.
  1 cup soya granules, 4 cups water

Biryani gravy

• Heat oil in a deep pot or kadai (to be used for layering biryani), add whole spices - bayleaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, and saute for a few seconds till fragrant. Add onions and saute on low till they turn golden. Add ginger garlic paste, saute for a few seconds till the rawness goes, add spice powders - coriander, cumin, kashmiri chilli, turmeric, meat masala, garam masala & salt and saute for a few seconds. Add tomato puree, 2 teaspoons of the marinade and cook for 7-8 minutes on low until oil separates from the masala. Add whisked curds and cook for 6-7 minutes on low till oil separates. Add soya granules, 1 cup of water and cook covered for 8-10 minutes till it absorbs the masalas. Take off the heat & reserve ½ portion of the soya gravy separately in a bowl.
  3 tablespoons sunflower or any neutral flavoured oil, 1 bay leaf, 1 inch dalchini, 4 cloves, 2 cardamoms, 1 ¼ cups finely chopped onions, 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, 1 green chilli finely chopped, 2 teaspoons coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, 1 ½ teaspoons kashmiri chilli powder, ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 ½ teaspoons meat masala, ⅛ teaspoon garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup tomato puree, ½ cup curds, ½ teaspoon roasted & crushed kasuri methi

Layering Biryani

• add 2 tablespoons of birista to the soya gravy in the pot, 2 teaspoons of chopped mint & coriander leaves.
  ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons birista, 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves, 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves
• Heat water in a pot, add salt, spices, lemon and bring to a boil on high heat. Drain the soaked rice and add to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes just until the rice is cooked 70%. Using a slotted spoon take out ½ portion of cooked rice and spread evenly on top of the gravy.
  6 cups water, 1 ½ tablespoons salt, 1 bay leaf, 1 inch dalchini, 4 cloves, 2 cardamoms, 1 piece stone flower, ½ lemon wedge, 1 ½ cups basmati rice
• Spread the reserved ½ portion of the soya gravy, add the remaining ½ portion of cooked rice. sprinkle 1 tablespoon of birista, 2 teaspoons of mint & coriander leaves. Rub the saffron in the milk to extract the fragrance and the color and sprinkle it evenly on top of rice. Drizzle ghee and cover with a lid. Heat a tawa and place the biryani pot on top and steam for 15 minutes on low and rest for half an hour before serving.
  A pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tablespoons of warm milk, 1 tablespoon ghee