In a bowl,soak the saffron (1/4 tsp) in warm milk or water and keep aside

Combine the mussels with the above mentioned for marinating mussels ingredients.

Heat a pan add oil for shallow fry the mussels and fry till golden colour.(Dont over fry the mussels as it will turn crispy)

Take colves, cinnamon,Chopped shallots,crushed ginger and garlic in cotton cloth and make potli of it.Add potli into boiling water, cover it and boil for 15 mins.

Heat a rice wok pour oil and ghee add 3 thinely sliced onions and gry till it comes golden colour.Keep.it aside

(If you are using basmati wash it and soak it for 20 minutes and darin...) In a same wok add drained rice and saute for 5 mins in medium flame.Add boiled water, salt and cook it in low flame for 15 mins or when the rice comez cooks, remove the potli from it

Masala preparation : Heat a pressure cooker and add oil (which we used for fry the mussels) remaining onion, crry leaves and little salt.saute till onion turn tender.

Add grinded mixture to the onion (ginger, garlic, green chilli) saute for sometimes or raw smell goes.Add tomatoes saute till it gets tender.Add 1 cup boiled water and pressure cook it for 5 mins switch off the flame.

When pressure releaae from.the cooker open.the lid and add mussels,lemon juice, half of the fried onions and cilantro cook for 1 minute (masala should not be too watery).

Dum process: Take a banana leaf, pour mussels masala and then rice,sprinkle saffron.milk,fried onion, and chopped cilantro.

Carefully gather sides of banana leaf and tie it with a thick thread.ensure the leaf does not tears.

Mean while boil water in a idli cooker in high heat for about 10 minutes

Place the biriyani pouch on the inner most idli plate and close the idli cooker.steam the biriyani in medium heat for the next 10 minutes.Once done switch off the stove

Open the lid after 5 minutes.let the banana leaf pouch cool for 5 minutes again

Open and gently mix with a fork.Serve immediately right from the banana leaf.