Karachi Beef Biryani Recipe (Raseeli Degi Style from Asad Pakwan)
Karachi beef biryani from a pakwan centre is different from home biryani. It is raseeli: juicy, with a thick layer of beef and potato korma under the rice and enough gravy to colour every grain. We filmed this one at Asad Pakwan Center in Karachi, where it is made in a deg with 2 kg rice and 3 kg beef. Below is every step from the video, with a 1 kg home version.
Serves: 10 people (1 kg rice) | Prep: 30 min + boiling the beef | Cook: about 1 hour
Difficulty: Medium | Best for: dawats, weddings, Sunday lunch
Heat level: Spicy, with a sour note from tomatoes, yogurt and aloo bukhara
Watch the Karachi Beef Biryani Video
The full video plays inside the recipe card below. To jump straight to one step, open it on YouTube:
What Makes Raseeli Beef Biryani Different
The masala is built on one tray. Every spice, paste, the yogurt and the tomatoes are piled onto a single tray and go into the hot oil together. It saves time in a busy kitchen and gives a thick, even masala.
The beef is boiled first. The beef is already tender when it goes into the masala. It only needs to soak up flavour, so the korma stays juicy instead of drying out during a long cook.
Potatoes and aloo bukhara. Karachi biryani is not complete without a big piece of potato and a sweet-sour dried plum. Here the potatoes cook in the masala before the beef, and the plums go into the herb layer.
Lots of gravy. The korma is left loose on purpose. During dum the gravy rises into the rice, which is why the bottom half of the biryani comes out red and moist.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Beef: bone-in or boneless pieces both work. Boil them with salt and water until a piece breaks easily, usually 1½ to 2 hours, or 30 to 40 minutes in a pressure cooker. Keep the stock for the korma if it gets too dry.
- Rice: long-grain basmati for a soft biryani, or sella for grains that stay separate in big batches. Boil it in well-salted water until about 80% done.
- Yogurt and tomatoes: they give the korma its sourness. Use plain, full-fat yogurt.
- Chilli flakes and chilli powder: both are used. Cut them by a third for a milder biryani.
- Food colour: it only adds the yellow and orange streaks. Skip it or use a little saffron soaked in warm milk.
Karachi Beef Biryani Ingredients for 1 kg and 2 kg Rice
| Ingredient | 1 kg riceserves 10 (home) | 2 kg riceserves 20 (video batch) |
|---|---|---|
| Meat and rice | ||
| Beef, boiled until tender | 1.5 kg | 3 kg |
| Basmati or sella rice, soaked 30 min | 1 kg | 2 kg |
| Potatoes, large pieces | 500 g | 1 kg |
| Masala tray | ||
| Cooking oil | 1 cup | 2 cups |
| Red chilli flakes | 1 tbsp | 2 tbsp |
| Cumin seeds | 1 tbsp | 2 tbsp |
| Turmeric | 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Black peppercorns | 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Black cardamom | 3 | 6 |
| Green cardamom | 8 | 15 |
| Cinnamon sticks | 2 | 4 |
| Ginger garlic paste | 3 tbsp | 6 tbsp |
| Green chilli paste | 2 tbsp | 4 tbsp |
| Yogurt | 500 g | 1 kg |
| Red chilli powder | 1½ tbsp | 3 tbsp |
| Garam masala | 1 tbsp | 2 tbsp |
| Tomatoes, sliced | 500 g | 1 kg |
| Salt | to taste (about 1½ tbsp) | to taste (about 3 tbsp) |
| Layering and dum | ||
| Fried onion | 1 cup | 2 cups |
| Mint leaves, chopped | 1 bunch | 2 bunches |
| Coriander, chopped | 1 bunch | 2 bunches |
| Green chillies | 8 | 15 |
| Dried plums (aloo bukhara) | 10 | 20 |
| Orange food colour | ¼ tsp in 2 tbsp water | ½ tsp in ¼ cup water |
The video shows the ingredients and their order, but Asad Pakwan did not share the spice quantities. Only the rice (2 kg) and beef (3 kg) come from the video. All other amounts are our suggestion for this batch size, so taste the korma for salt and chilli before you layer the rice.
Step-by-Step: How Karachi Beef Biryani Is Made
1. Pile the spices on one tray
On a large tray, add the red chilli flakes, cumin seeds, turmeric, black peppercorns, black and green cardamom, cinnamon sticks and ginger garlic paste.
2. Add the pastes, yogurt and tomatoes
Add the green chilli paste, yogurt, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt and the sliced tomatoes to the same tray. Do not mix it yet.
3. Cook the masala and potatoes
Heat the oil in a deg or large heavy pot. Tip in the whole tray and cook on high flame, stirring, until the tomatoes break down and oil shines on top. Add the potatoes, cover and cook until they are about half done.
4. Add the boiled beef
Add the boiled beef and mix it through the masala. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and the gravy is thick but still loose. If it gets dry, add a little beef stock.
5. Make the herb layer
Mix the chopped mint and coriander, green chillies, dried plums and fried onion in a bowl.
6. Layer the herbs, colour and rice
Spread the herb mix over the korma and swirl the food colour on top. Drain the boiled rice and spread it over the korma in an even layer.
7. Dum, then serve
Cover the pot tightly and cook on a very low flame for 15 to 20 minutes, until steam comes out from under the lid. To serve, dig deep with a flat spoon so every plate gets white rice, red rice, beef and a potato.
The Complete Karachi Beef Biryani Recipe
Karachi Raseeli Beef Biryani
Ingredients
Method
- Put all the masala spices, ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, yogurt, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt and tomatoes on one tray.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot, add the tray and cook on high flame until the tomatoes break down and the oil separates.
- Add the potatoes, cover and cook until half done.
- Add the boiled beef and cook 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Keep the gravy loose.
- Boil the soaked rice in well-salted water until 80% done, then drain.
- Mix the mint, coriander, green chillies, dried plums and fried onion. Spread over the korma and swirl the food colour on top.
- Spread the rice over the korma, cover tightly and cook on the lowest flame for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve with raita, digging deep so each plate gets korma and rice.
Video
Notes
Beef Biryani Problems and How to Fix Them
- The beef is tough: it was not boiled long enough before going into the masala. Boil until a piece breaks easily.
- The biryani is dry: the korma was too thick when the rice went on. It should look loose and saucy. Add some beef stock before layering.
- The rice is mushy: it was boiled past 80%. Drain it while the grain still has a firm centre.
- The bottom burns during dum: the flame was too high. Use the lowest flame or put a tawa (flat griddle) under the pot.
Variations
- Mutton biryani: use the same method with mutton. It usually needs a shorter boil.
- Chicken biryani: skip the boiling and cook raw chicken in the masala until done. See our degi chicken biryani.
- Without potatoes: leave them out and add a little more beef.
Serving and Storing Beef Biryani
Serve hot with raita and salad. Leftover biryani keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat it covered on a low flame with a splash of water, or in the microwave with a damp paper towel on top.
Karachi Beef Biryani FAQs
What does raseeli biryani mean?
Raseeli means juicy. It is a biryani with a generous, loose korma, so the rice absorbs a lot of gravy during dum.
Why is the beef boiled before it goes into the masala?
Beef takes much longer to soften than the masala takes to cook. Boiling it first means it is already tender and only needs to take on flavour in the korma.
Why are potatoes added to Karachi biryani?
Potatoes soak up the spicy gravy and are a signature of Karachi-style biryani. Many people pick the potato first.
Can I make this in a normal pot at home?
Yes. Use a heavy, wide pot with a tight lid and follow the 1 kg column. For dum, keep the flame at its lowest or use a tawa under the pot.
How much rice and beef does the video use?
2 kg rice and 3 kg beef, made in one deg at Asad Pakwan Center.
More Biryani and Pulao Recipes
- White Beef Biryani: a degi beef biryani with dakhni mirch instead of red chilli.
- Degi Chicken Biryani: a Karachi pakwan centre chicken biryani.
- Asad Pakwan Chicken Pulao: another recipe from Asad Pakwan.
- Al Tawakkal Beef Pulao: beef cooked in its own yakhni.
