Vegetable Biryani (वेजिटेबल बिरयानी)

I ate my very first biryani in one of the restaurant in Florida, I became fan of it. So whenever we went out in Indian Restaurant ,I would make sure I will order this yummy dish. I tried to make at home in pressure cooker, which is exactly not the biryani concept. Because biryani gets cooked in layer on dum which allows the all flavors and spices to blends gradually. So I decided to make this delicious dish in its authentic way, I read few cooking blogs and I really liked the recipe on  rak's kitchen. I used her recipe as my base with few modifications.

Ingredients:-

(1). 4 cup basmati rice

(2). 2 potatoes

(3). 10-12 pieces of cauliflower florets

(4). 1 cup cut green beans

(5). half cup green peas

(6). 1 cup cut carrots

(7). 1 and half cup cut green pepper

(8). 2 medium size onions

(9). 1 cup chopped cilantro

(10). 2-3 teaspoon chili powder

(11). 2 teaspoon turmeric powder

(12). salt to taste

(13). 4 teaspoon Bombay Biryani Masala

(14). 1 teaspoon black pepper powder

(15). 1 teaspoon asafoetida

(16). 4 cloves

(17). 1 small cinnamon stick cut into two

(18). 1 star anise seeds(badiyan)

(19). 2 green cardamom

(20). 8-10 water melon kernels(Magaj Tari seed)

(21). 2 teaspoon ginger paste
(22). 1 bay leave

(23). pinch of saffron

(24). 4 tablespoon milk

(25). 4 table spoon oil

(26). half cup yogurt (non fat or law fat is fine too)

(27). half cup melted butter or ghee

(28). half cup chopped cashew

(29). 1.5 cup croutons 

Recipe:-

Cut potatoes into big pieces. Cut onion length wise. You can use chopped onion too.

In big bowl take potatoes,carrots,green pepper and cauliflower florets add 2 teaspoon biryani masala, turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper powder. Mix all well so that vegetables are nicely get coated with spices.

In a cup take milk and add saffron and warm it in microwave for 15-20 seconds.Mix saffron well in milk.

Soak rice in water for 30 minutes. If you are running out of time , you can soak the rice in hot or warm water for 15 minutes. Cook rice in rice cooker by adding pinch of salt, 2 cloves ,1 cardamom, 1 bay leave and one cinnamon stick  remove the plug just before you think it will go to warm mode. This will make sure rice has little moisture it is not too dried.

Start stove and heat 1 table spoon oil and add onions and pinch of salt. Cook onion till they are golden browned. Add cashew and croutons in it and cook for another 2-3 minutes. If needed add add one table spoon of oil.  

Start stove, in same nonstick pan take 3 tablespoon oil. Once oil become warm add asafoetida, 2 cloves, 1 cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise seed, water melon seed and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Now add coated vegetables with spices and little water. Cover the pan with lid, let it cook on medium flame 7-8 minutes. Take toothpick or fork and insert in potato and see it is soft or not. Once potatoes are cooked add green peas and green beans. Mix all vegetables , let it cook on medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Now add  yogurt and mix it well in vegetables and cook for 3-4 minutes on low flame. Switch of the stove.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and  oven safe pan,  make first layer of rice, on top of it add 2 teaspoon saffron milk and 2 teaspoon melted butter randomly. Layered the rice with seasoned vegetables. Add some fried onions, cashews, croutons and cilantro on top. Repeat this procedure until you are done with vegetables and your last layer is should be of rice. Add remaining saffron milk and butter. Add remaining onions, cilantro, cashews and croutons on top of rice. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes.

Once done , remove from the oven mix rice ,vegetable and garnishing well and serve it with raita and any Indian pickle. You can also serve with any curry or dal fry.

Vegetable Biryani

Tips:-

• I didn't use garlic paste but if you want you can certainly add 1 teaspoon  with ginger paste. 
• Instead of using oven you can make same layers in slow cooker and cook it slow on medium or low setting for 15-20 minutes. 
• To bring more fun in color throw some sliced beet root while cooking vegetables. Add them before adding peas and green beans. 
• You can also add half cup tomato puree with coated vegetables in cooking to bring more flavor and sour taste.
• If you don't have cauliflower florets handy, you can always replace it with broccoli, add broccoli with peas and green beans not before, to keep its crunchiness.
• You can also use basil leaves to bring aroma to dish. Just use 3-4 leaves on very top layer.
• You can also use food color to make biryani spectacular.