Vegetable Biryani

Vegetable Biryani is a recipe that may sound intimidating, however once mastered it is so easy to whip up this delicacy in no time. This traditional method of preparation using brown onions is amazing and well worth the effort. It needs a lot of patience though. So follow this detail recipe and you will never go wrong. Now this is super cool. Isn't it. B-)



Preparation Time : 20 minutes
Cooking Time : 40 minutes
Serves : 4 

Ingredients

Potato - 1 medium, peeled and cubed
Carrot - 1 medium, srubbed / peeled and cubed
Beans - 150 gms, chopped into 1" pieces
Peas - 1/2 cup (Fresh / Frozen)
Cauliflower - 1/4 of a big floret (optional - i don't like the dominating flavour of cauliflower in my biryani :-))
Onion - 1 big sliced and separated
Mint Leaves - 1/2 cup
Ginger - 1" piece cut into juliennes
Green Chillies - 2 slit vertically
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Thick Curd - 3/4 th to 1 cup
Saffron - 10  - 15 strands soaked in warm water
Kewra Essence - 3 - 4 drops (optional)
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 2 tbsp
Cardamom Powder - 1 tbsp
Cumin ( Shahi Jeera) - 1 tbsp
Peppercorns - 5 to 8
Bay leaf - 1 broken apart
Water - 3 to 4 cups
Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cups
Salt - to taste
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

1. Wash and soak basmati rice for 15 minutes
2. In a kadai, heat oil, when the oil is hot, add the peppercorns and 1/2 tbsp shahi jeera.
3. After it splutters, add the potatoes, carrot, cauliflower(if using) and saute well for a minute on high flame
4. Add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies and ginger juliennes and saute again for a minute.
5. Add the curd, mix well, add chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and mix well.
6. Finally switch off the flame, add the beans and peas. Give a quick mix and keep covered.
7. In a kadai, heat oil
8. When the oil is hot but not smoky, add the onions little at a time and fry them till they start turning brown.
9. Switch off flame and drain them on to a tissue
10. In another pan, heat the water, add the remaining shahi jeera and the bay leaf
11. Once the water starts boiling, add salt to make the water slightly salty.
12. Add the drained basmati rice to the boiling water and bring to a medium flame.
13. While the rice is cooking, add half the fried onions to the vegetable marinade and mix well.
14. Add 1 tbsp of ghee
15. Add the 1 tbsp garam masala, 1/2 of the mint leaves and mix well.
16. When the rice is 3/4 th cooked, drain and spread out half the rice using a slotted spoon and transfer it on the vegetables, spread half of the remaining onions, mint leaves, 1/2 tbsp garam masala, 1/2 tbsp cardamom powder, saffron water with a few strands, kewra essence, 1 tbsp ghee
17. By this time the remaining rice would have cooked a little more, drain and spread out that rice also over this layer.
18. Add the final round of onions, mint leaves, 1/2 tbsp garam masala, 1/2 tbsp cardamom powder, saffron water and ghee along the sides of the rice
19. Cover and cook this mixture till a nice aroma comes.
20. You can use dough or foil to cover and cook to retain the flavours.
21. After some time, make a small hole till deep down in the rice and check if all the water has been absorbed. If not continue to cook for a few more minutes
22. Just before serving, take out the rice using a flat spoon from the sides without disturbing the layers and serve with raita. You can always mix it on the plate.