Vegetable Biryani

From few days I got so busy with my life that I don't get enough time to update my blog. I have many clicks waiting in queue to get up and live in my space. My little one started going to a day care near by and I get so occupied that I try utilizing my left over time for my daily chores like setting up the disordered house, cleaning utensils which get piled up every now and then in my pantry sink, laundry work and so on but how can I let go my blog baby? I have to give time to her too. So I try updating every other day without fail. I get so tired as walking to leave her and pick her up takes up all my energy. Sometimes I end up eating bread and cheese even for my lunch. Well, it was last week that I prepared vegetable biryani and was longing to see it up here. I just feel bad when I'm unable to concentrate here.
I followed a very simple recipe.  I used basmati rice for the preparation as the smell of the rice itself is awesome and they are apt for biryanis.
I made use of biryani powder that are available in grocery shops in the preparation. I prefer mild version. So mine won't be a hot and spicy biryani recipe. It would be a mild version which even kids would enjoy eating.

 

I prepared onion fries at home. To make your task simpler you could purchase ready made from groceries. I added ghee fried cashews and raisins. If you do not prefer them, they could be avoided. Here I share the recipe of my version of vegetable biryani.

Ingredients:
Basmati rice-1 cup
Onion-1 thinly sliced to prepare fried onion crisps
Rice flour-3 tsp
Potatoes-1 diced
Carrots-1 diced
Beans-10 chopped into 1'' pieces.
Cauliflower-10-12 florets
Cloves-2
Bay leaves-1
Cardamom-1
Cinnamon stick-1'' piece
Cumin seeds powder-1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tsp
Red chilly powder-1/2 tsp
Biryani masala-2 tsp
Tomato puree-1 tbsp.
Yogurt/Curd-2 tbsp.
Bay leaves powdered-1/4 tsp
Oil as required.
Ghee-5 tsp
Cashewnuts-10-15
Raisins-15-20
Salt to taste
Water as required

Recipe:

1. First to prepare fried onion crisps coat thinly sliced onions with rice flour.
2. Deep fry them in hot oil till they are golden brown and crisp.
3. Remove them off to kitchen towel to take away the excess oil.
4. Cook the chopped veggies like carrot, beans, potatoes with required amount of water and salt till they are just cooked halfway when you need to add cauliflower florets and cook well till they are almost cooked. Once done drain and set aside.
5. In a pan take 2 tbsp. oil and when hot prepare a mixture of spice powders like cumin seeds powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder, biryani masala with around 2 tbsp. of water and add this to hot oil. The spice mixture is prepared with water to avoid the burning of spices when put into hot oil. Add tomato puree to it and cook well till it comes to boil.
6. Then add salt to taste and add the cooked veggies to it and mix well and simmer for around 10-15 minutes till all the flavors get incorporated into the veggies.Now add curd/yogurt to the mixture and mix well. Switch off the flame.
7. Clean rice with water twice or thrice till the water is clear. Soak rice in enough water for 20-30 mins.
8. Open cook rice with 4-5 cups of water, salt to taste, 2 tsp. oil and dry spices like cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon till it is 80-90 % done.
9. Once done, drain and set aside.
10. Your rice and biryani curry mixture is ready.
    
11. You just need to spread them layer by layer well and cook again on a low flame. For that add a layer of curry at the bottom of a vessel.
12. Top it with cooked rice layer.
13. Then add a layer of fried onion crisps. Now again continue the process by adding another layer of rice followed by curry and fried onion crisps.
14. Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashewnuts and raisins in it. Finally, the extreme top of the biryani layer is loaded with these ghee fried cashews and raisins.
15. In a pan take water up to little less than its 1/4th.
16. Place the vessel in which biryani was set in it in such a way that the vessel is safe from getting burnt due to the pan outside which contains water. Cover and cook for 20-30 mins. 
17. When heated on a low flame the biryani cooks slowly in the double boiler method and thus we are free from the risk of getting the biryani burnt at the bottom.
18. After 20-30 mins of slow cooking vegetable biryani is ready.

 

Though little tedious it seems, the end product is worth the effort. I tried explaining it with step by step pictures to make the task clear and easy. Your steaming hot vegetable biryani is ready. Enjoy it with chilled raita or plain curd.

 

 

Enjoy the dish! n don't forget Eat and Eat little MORE.. :) 

Sending this to Gujarati zaika, Akhila's page