Vegetable Biryani is one of the most famous traditional recipes made with some easily available ingredients. This irresistible delicacy makes for a perfect wholesome meal, made with rice, spices and veggies, biryani is often prepared for special occasion and festivals. It tastes best when served with Raita, Salad and Sweets. Synonymous with good food and celebrations. biryani is often served with shorba (gravy) and kebabs. It's a perfect party recipe that can also be made in a pressure cooker without layering. This biryani recipe is the traditional way of making biryani in a pot, sealed with dough and slow cooked. We suggest you to follow the authentic way of preparing this dish as it tastes even better and aromatic, when you prepare it in the traditional way. To make it interesting you can add your own twist to this recipe by adding flavours as per your palate preference. Also, to make it more aromatic add some saffron strings and some kewra water, this will make the biryani amazingly delicious.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE VEGETABLE BIRYANI
500g basmati rice
2 tbsp ginger paste
4 cloves of garlic, mashed to a paste with a little salt
2 green chillies, finely sliced
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
200g whole-milk yoghurt/curd
2 tbsp lime or lemon juice
50g fresh coriander, finely chopped (optional)
300g cauliflower, separated into florets
2 carrots, cut into 2cm chunks
300g squash, cut into small cubes
10 green beans, cut into 2cm lengths
25g butter, melted
2 tbsp milk, warmed
Generous pinch of saffron
2 bay leaf
2 green cardamoms
3 cloves
1 black cardamom
1 inch cinnamon
2 single strands of mace
Few cashews, raisins and almonds
2 onions, finely sliced and dried in kitchen paper
vegetable oil, to fry
2 Tsp of rose water or kewra water.
Few sprigs of coriander or mint, to serve
METHOD TO MAKE VEG BIRYANI
1. pick and rinse basmati rice in running water till the water runs clear of starch. soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.
2. after 30 minutes drain the rice and keep aside.
3. when the rice is soaking prep the other ingredients. rinse, peel and chop the veggies.
4. now we need to cook the rice. for cooking rice, you can use any method – microwave, pressure cooking or cooking in a pot. for cooking rice in a pot, take a deep bottomed pan. add 5 cups water and heat the water on a high flame.
5. when the water becomes hot, add all the spices and ½ tsp salt – 1 tej patta, 3 green cardamoms, 3 cloves, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon and 2 single strands of mace.
6. bring the water to a boil on a high flame.
7. then add the rice.
8. just gently stir with a spoon or fork, after you add the rice. check the taste of water and it should taste slightly salty. if the water is not tasting slightly salty, then add some more salt.
9. do not reduce the flame and continue to cook the rice.
10. the rice has to be 75% or ¾ᵗʰ cooked. the grains should have a slight bite to them when cooked. the rice should not be fully cooked but almost cooked.
11. drain the rice in a colander. you can also rinse the rice gently with water so that the grains stop cooking.
MAKING VEGETABLE BIRYANI GRAVY
12. in a pressure cooker or a pan, heat 3 tbsp ghee. add the following spices – 1 tsp shah jeera, 1 tej patta, 3 green cardamoms, 3 cloves, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon. sauté the garam masala till they crackle.
13. now add the sliced onions.
14. stir and sauté them on a low to medium flame.
15. onions take a lot of time to cook, so add a pinch of salt to quicken the cooking process.
16. when the onions are cooking, take fresh curd/yogurt in a bowl. beat the curd with a spoon or whisk till it becomes smooth.
17. sauté the onions till they become golden brown or caramelize.
18. then add the ginger-garlic paste and sliced green chillies. you can also finely chop the ginger-garlic and add.
19. sauté till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
20. add the turmeric and red chili powder. stir and mix well.
21. next add the chopped veggies.
21. sauté for a minute or two.
22. add the beaten yogurt/dahi. stir.
23. then add ½ cup water.
24. season with salt. stir again.
25. pressure cook for 1 whistle on medium flame. if cooking in a pot, then cook till the veggies are done. don’t overcook the vegetables. when the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and check the gravy. if the vegetables are not cooked well, then keep the cooker on the stove top and simmer the vegetable biryani gravy without the lid, till the vegetables are cooked. if there is too much water or stock in the gravy, then simmer till some water dries up. the veg biryani gravy should have a medium or slightly thick consistency and should not be watery.
26. add cashews, raisins and almonds (blanched or raw) to the vegetable gravy. mix and stir. keep aside. do check the salt. add more if required.
27. when the veggies are cooking, warm 4 to 5 tbsp milk in a microwave or in a small pan on the stove top. add ¼ tsp of saffron strands. stir and keep aside.
LAYERING VEG BIRYANI
28. now in a thick bottomed pan, layer half of the gravy first.
29.then layer half of the rice.
30. sprinkle half of the chopped coriander, mint leaves and saffron milk.
31.layer the remaining gravy.
32. layer the remainder of the rice. sprinkle the remaining coriander, mint leaves, saffron milk on the top. sprinkle 2 Tsp of rose water or kewra water. you can make 2 layers or 4 layers like i have done. but do remember that rice should be the last layer.
TO DUM VEG BIRYANI
33. now seal and secure the pot with aluminium foil. then cover with a lid. you can also seal the handi with a moist cotton cloth and then cover with the lid.
34.take a tava/griddle and heat it on medium flame.
35.when the tawa become hot, then lower the flame. keep the sealed veg biryani handi on the tava. keep the flame to the lowest and cook for 25-30 minutes. you can also dum cook veg biryani for the first 15 minutes on direct low flame and then for the last 10 minutes, place the handi on the hot tava and cook on a low flame
36.once done, give a standing time of 5 to 7 minutes and then serve.
37.while serving, make sure you equally serve the vegetables as well as rice.
The delicious hyderabadi veg biryani with your choice of raita, onion salad, mango pickle, roasted papad. other accompaniments for this biryani are mirchi ka salan and veg shorba gravy.
NOTES
For baking veg biryani
For baking veg biryani
you could also preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius and then bake the veg biryani in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
please remember to use an oven proof glass utensil like the pyrex bowl for baking in the oven.
you will have to assemble the vegetable biryani as mentioned above in the oven proof utensil and then bake it.
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