Veg Biryani

This biryani is a perfect blend of spices and vegetables mixed with aromatic rice , hence this is a culinary delight to relish.

Ingredients

• Basmati rice - 1kg
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
• Black Cardamom -1
• Cloves - 2
• Star Anise - 1
• Bay leaves - 2
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
• Onions sliced- 3 big
• Tomatoes - 2 medium
• Sliced carrots - 1 cup
• French beans - 1 cup (cut to1 inch)
• Peas - 1 cup
• Potatoes diced - 1 cup (with skin)
• Chopped coriander - quarter cup
• Chopped mint - quarter cup
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - half tsp
• Cumin powder - half tsp
• Coriander powder - 1tbsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• yogurt - 1 cup
• Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
• Kewra water - 2 tbsp
• Yellow food color solution - 4 tbsp
• Salt
• Oil

Method

1. Fry 2 sliced onions to golden brown color and keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a cooking pot, add cinnamon stick, black cardamom,star anise, cloves and one sliced onion, saute until the onion is slightly brown.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and all the powders, cover the pot and cook this on medium flame until the tomatoes are mushy.
4. Now add all the vegetables, salt and saute this on medium to high flame for 5 minutes. After this cover and cook the veggies on medium to low flame for 10- 15 minutes or until the vegetables are 90% cooked.
5. Turn off the flame for the above and add yogurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice and chopped coriander, mix well and keep it aside.
6. In a large vessel boil water enough to cook 1 kg rice, add bay leaves, salt , 1tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp oil. Once the water starts to boil add rice and cook this until the rice is 80% done.
7. Drain the water from the rice and keep the rice aside.
8. Layering - keep a vessel on low flame and add 1 tsp oil/ghee and add one big spoon of veg gravy, next spread half quantity of rice, spread the full gravy on it , sprinkle half of fried onions,chopped mint, 1 tbsp kewra water , add the remaining half of rice on top and spread it, sprinkle the fried onions, some more mint, kewra water and put the yellow food color solution in circles and cover the vessel first with aluminum foil and then tightly seal it with the lid and cook this on low flame for 10-15 minutes.

Note

You can also add cauliflower to this, for which i separately saute cauliflower florets in little oil, salt and turmeric powder and roast them until they are slightly golden in color and them directly while layering the rice. This way the cauliflower doesn’t get too mushy.