May 28

Vegetable Biryani

I love my meat and honestly believed that the term Biryani is reserved only for non vegetarian rice dishes.


Many of my vegetarian friends would disagree though. The process is similar to making a nonveg biryani so I believe the title can be shared if I am being generous.


I have adapted this recipe slightly from cookwithmanali.coms recipe. I don’t eat vegetables much but my husband and my client who ordered it said it was awesome.

Ingredients

VEGETABLES

1 cup mixed – french beans, peas, cauliflower, carrot and potatoes cut small cubes.
1 sliced onion
1/3 cup curd
Paste – 1″ ginger, 10 garlic flakes, 4-5 green chillies 
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp jeera
3 green cardamom
3 cloves
1″ cinnamon
1 tejpata
5 peppercorns

RICE
1 cup basmati rice soaked
3 green cardamom
3 cloves
1″ cinnamon
1 tejpata
1 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1.5 tsp kitchen king masala
Salt

OTHER INGREDIENTS
1 sliced onion
2 tbsp cashews
Pinch of saffron soaked in milk
1/4 cup chopped coriander and mint
Oil
1 big piece coal
1-2 tbsp ghee

METHOD

  1. Take 3 cups water, add the soaked rice, whole garam masala and cook till 90% done. Drain and Mix some ghee into it and spread the rice on a plate 
  2. In a pan, take little oil and fry 1 sliced onion and a pinch salt till it caramelises well. Remove add the cashews and toast it well. Remove add the potato cubes and toss it for 2 mins. Add the rest of the veggies and toss it together for 4-5 mins. Remove and keep all aside.
  3. In another vessel heat ghee, add the jeera and whole garam masala and let it sizzle. 
  4. Add 1 sliced onion and sauté it.
  5. When fried well add the GGC paste and fry.
  6. Take off heat, add the beaten curd and mix well.
  7. Place back on heat, add the vegetables, dry masala powders and salt.
  8. Mix well add some water and let it cook.
  9. Allow the vegetables to cook till it’s still firm and has a bite to it. Let the gravy not completely dry up. It should be like a thick gravy, but not too much. Shut gas
  10. Heat coal on a naked flame till very hot.
  11. Put a steel bowl in the center of the the vegetable vessel. Using tongs place the coal in the the vessel. Pour 1 tbsp ghee on the coal. It will immediately emit smoke. Cover it quickly and leave as is for 5 mins. 
  12. Open the lid and discard the coal and remove vessel. Mix the vegetables well.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Divide the rice into 3 portions and vegetables into 2 portions
  2. Take a big vessel, apply ghee on all sides.
  3. Place a layer of the rice. U can sprinkle the saffron milk or mix a few drops in the rice. Don’t pour too much. 
  4. Sprinkle little fried onions, coriander, mint and fried cashews. 
  5. Layer one portion of the veggies.
  6. Add another layer of rice and repeat with the saffron milk, onion, cashew, coriander, mint and again a layer of vegetables.
  7. Add the final rice layer and add the rest of the saffron milk, onion, cashew, coriander, mint.
  8. Make 4 holes around the rice and put little melted ghee in it.
  9. Take a flat tawa, put the vessel on it. Seal the vessel with dough or place another heavy vessel on it. Keep on medium flame for 20 mins