Vegetable Dum Biriyani

Ingredients (Serves 5 – 6)

1. Oil / ghee/ butter – 2 tbsp

2. Cauliflower florets – 1.5 cup, carrot – 1 medium-large cubed, green beans – 1/2 cup cut into 1 inch pieces, potato – 1 medium-large, cubed

3. Fresh / frozen green peas – 1/4 cup

4. Cardamom – 2, cloves – 3, cinnamon stick – 1/2 inch, kala jeera – 1/4 tsp

5. Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tsp

Green chilies – 2, slit

6. Fried onion – 3/4 cup

Tomato – 1 medium, chopped

Turmeric powder – 1/4 + 1/4  tsp

Kashmiri chilly powder – 3/4 + 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder – 3/4 tsp

7. Yoghurt – 1/4 cup

8. Salt – To taste

9. Mint leaves – 2 tbsp, chopped

Cilantro – 2 tbsp, chopped

10. Paneer – 1 cup, cubed (optional)

For the rice

11. Biriyani rice / basmati rice – 2.5 cups, soaked in enough water for 25 minutes

Ghee – 2 tsp

Whole spices – Cardamom – 2, cloves – 3, kala jeera/ shahi jeera – 1/4 tsp, cinnamon stick – 1/2 inch, star anise – 1 small

Fried onion – 1/4 cup

Salt – As required

To garnish
13. Fried onion – 1/4 cup

Mint and cilantro – 3 tbsp each, chopped

Saffron – 1 pinch, soaked in 2 tbsp hot water / milk

Method

1. Heat 1.5 tbsp butter / ghee in a deep heavy-bottomed pan. Add cauliflower, potato and carrot pieces. Season with salt. Saute at medium-high heat for 5 – 6  minutes until slightly golden. Add green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and cook for a minute. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

 

2. In the same pan, heat 2 – 3 tsp oil. Add whole spices numbered 4, ginger-garlic paste, green chilies and cook for 2 minutes at medium-low heat. Add fried onion, chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 – 3 minutes until tomatoes turn mushy. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp kashmiri chilly powder and 3/4 tsp garam masala powder. Mix well. Stir for a minute. Add  yoghurt and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Taste-check for salt. Add vegetables and mix well. Cook for a few minutes over low-medium heat. Switch off. Sprinkle 2 tbsp each of chopped mint and cilantro. Top it with cubed paneer (you can shallow fry the paneer, if you want) and set aside.

3. To cook rice – Boil water in a large vessel. Add all the ingredients numbered 11 except rice. Taste-check for salt (the water should be slightly salty). Add soaked and drained rice. Bring it to a boil and cook for 7 – 9 minutes until rice is  75 % done. Drain well in a colander and add the hot rice on top of the cooked vegetables. Top it with fried onion, chopped mint and cilantro. Sprinkle saffron milk. Cover it with an aluminium foil and place the lid.

4. Heat a large tawa at medium heat. Place the biriyani pot on top of the tawa and cook at medium heat for 6 – 8 minutes. Bring down the flame to low and cook for 20 minutes. Switch off. Set aside for 10 – 15 minutes. Open the lid and mix gently. Serve hot with raita, pickle and pappad.