Vegetable Biryani recipe

Vegetable biryani is a mughlai recipe and is prepared by a lot of pressure (dum).  Green vegetables, basmati rice, desi ghee, curd and endless spices are brought in use which gives it a unique flavor that is liked by all.

Ingredients for Vegetable Dum Biryani

• Basmati rice - 1 cup (washed, cleaned and soaked in water for ½ hour)
• Desi ghee - ¼ cup
• Oil - ¼ cup
• Curd - ¼ cup
• Cumin seeds - ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Green chilly - 2 (sliced lengthwise)
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilly powder - less then ¼ tsp
• Salt - 1.5 tsp
• Saffron - 20-25 threads
• Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp
• Raisins - 1 tbsp

Ungrinned spices:

• Cinnamon - ½ inch piece
• Black cardamom - 2
• Nutmeg (jaifal) - 2 pinch
• Bay leaf - 1
• Clove - 4-5
• Green cardamom - 3
• Black pepper - 8-10

Green vegetables

• Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
• Green coriander - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Capsicum - 1 (cut into 1 inch thin pieces)
• Carrot - 1 (cut into 1 inch thin pieces)
• Beans - 10-12 (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• Potatoes - 2
• Tomato - 2
• Mint leaves - 10-12

How to make Veg Biryani

Boil rice firstly for making veg biryani. Boil 5 cups of water in any utensil. Add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick, and peeled black cardamom in water. When water starts boiling add rice in the water and cook the rice 80% only because they will be pressurized later.
Rice gets cooked completely during this process.
Meanwhile fry vegetable in a pan. Heat oil in a pan and firstly fry potatoes on high flame. Slice them length wise. Fry until they get light brown color. Add cauliflower florets and carrot in the pan for frying. Fry on high flame for 1.5 minute only and take then out. Fry capsicum for 1 minute only and take it out in plate (Keep the vegetables crunchy, don’t fry them too much)
Now strain the rice with help of a sieve. All excess water will be drained out in the utensil kept below. Keep the sieve filled with rice on other place so that they get cooled quickly. Remove bay leaf and cardamom skin from the rice and make them cool.



Prepare masala in the same pan used for frying vegetables. Roast cumin seeds in hot oil. Add ginger paste, green chilies, turmeric powder and coriander powder and roast a little. Cut tomatoes into small chunks and add in the masala. Cook until tomatoes get mashed properly. Add salt, red chilly powder and coarsely grinned gram masala (2 cloves, black pepper, ½ inch cinnamon stick, green cardamom) in the pan. Roast the masala. Now add curd in the masala and roast for few minutes more. Masala is now ready. Now add fried vegetables in the masala and mix nicely. Vegetable for biryani is ready. Rice has also come to room temperature.


Dum (pressurize) the biryani:
Take one big and heavy utensil, add 1 tsp ghee and layer half of he rice. Now layer the prepared vegetables on top of the rice and spread it evenly. Layer rest of the rice on top the vegetables and spread them evenly. Sprinkle cashew nuts and raisins on surface of the rice, add green coriander and mint leaves too. Pour 4 tbsp melted ghee from top. Soak saffron in 2 tsp water and sprinkle it on top of the rice. Now cover the biryani tightly and properly and dum (pressurize) it for 15 minutes.
Open the lid of utensil and mix all ingredients nicely. Hot and tasty veg biryani is ready. Serve biryani with curd, chutney or raita.

Suggestion: 
If you prefer eating onions, then take 2 onions chopped thinly and fry them as well. Layer the onions on top of the rice. Rests repeat the same procedure. Mix all ingredients and veg biryani is ready.