Navigation

Vegetable Biriyani

Vegetable Biriyani

Published on May 23, 2020 | In | By
2 Comments
    • Prep Time
    • Minutes
    • Cook Time
    • Minutes
    • Difficulty Level

With practice comes the confidence for recipe development. When I first began cooking I would throw things together and it would turn out well or not and I would just carry on. After I began writing and took the time to document recipes and examine it from a reader’s perspective ,so many things changed.

It dawned on me how well the process needs to be translated for the person trying the recipe to derive complete satisfaction from it. Reading cookbooks was as fun for me as reading a great book, fiction or otherwise. While becoming more familiar at identifying a good cookbook from a mediocre one,I realised the difference was in those details.

One could tell if the point was merely to write the cookbook or to share one’s passion. Therefore I take my recipe writing very seriously , the idea is to get someone who is a complete novice to feel like they can make this. And they really can…

We ate different kinds of biriyani growing up. While I have my absolute favourites in different homes, I have always enjoyed a well made vegetable biriyani. So when I had the time to make just one dish a few days ago (the family was warned ) and I had the carrots and beans looking at me all fresh and vibrant , I knew this was what I wanted to make. I don’t much care for potatoes in a vegetable biriyani.Cauliflower cut up small or peas in the colder months are acceptable and maybe double beans but I can’t think of any other vegetable added to this. Can you ?

The smiles that came when they saw what was on the table (No idea what they thought I was going to serve them !!) was well worth the effort. When we were growing up , the vegetable biriyani at home always had squares of crisp fried bread as a garnish. I thought of that and quickly toasted some bread to add on top. It truly did look like it came from the table at mom’s all those years ago.

Recipe Rating

  • (0 /5)
  • 0 ratings

,

Recipe
    Text size

Ingredients

  • Basmati rice- 1 1/4 C
  • Water- 2 C for cooking + 1/2 C for soaking the rice
  • Curd/yoghurt-1 C
  • Ginger &garlic paste- 1 tsp
  • Onion- 1 large thinly sliced
  • Carrots- 3 medium size- chopped in small cubes
  • Green beans- 100 gms chopped fine
  • Tomatoes- 5 finely chopped
  • Garam masala- 2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder-1 tsp
  • Red chilli powder- 1 tsp or to taste
  • Green chillies- 2 slit and de-seeded
  • Coriander leaves- 1/2 C finely chopped
  • Mint leaves-1/4 C
  • Ghee-1 tsp
  • Cardamom-3
  • Cloves-2
  • Bay leaf-1
  • Cold pressed sesame oil- 2 Tbsp
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash the rice well , drain the water and soak it in 1/2 C water for half an hour.
  2. Take a medium sized pressure cooker and add the oil. Set on low heat.
  3. Add the cardamom, cloves and bay leaf. Once the aromas arise add the onion and saute' until soft. Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute' until the oil floats. Add the green chillies and tomatoes and saute' on low heat. Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala and saute'.
  4. Add the chopped vegetables and mix well. Keep frying in the maslala for 3-4 minutes until the pieces are well coated.
  5. Add salt and the curd and mix well. Cook until the curd becomes like a paste and clings to the vegetables. Turn off the heat. Add the coriander leaves and mint leaves and mix.
  6. Drain and add the rice. Mix gently into the vegetables so that the rice grains don't break.
  7. Put back on low heat and toss gently. Add the water and mix.
  8. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and attach the weight on top. turn the heat up to medium.
  9. Let it cook for 2 whistles and take it off the heat. Let the pressure release on it's own.
  10. Open the lid and carefully transfer the contents to a serving dish. Add the ghee on top.
  11. The dish can be kept in an oven on low heat for half an hour to allow any moisture to be absorbed and grains to be fluffy.
  12. If using the oven is not an option ,keep the dish on a pre-heated tava and place another pre-heated plate on the top of the dish. This is to imitate the dum cooking method where the heat from both sides keeps slow cooking until any residual moisture is absorbed into the rice grains.
  13. Garnish with toasted breadcrumbs or fried onions or roasted cashew nuts.
  14. Serve with any yoghurt raita or pachadi of choice. We served it with a fresh mint and chaat masala raita.

Rate this recipe

  • 0 People Rated This Recipe

  • Average Rating

  • (0 / 5)

COMMENTS

2 Responses to Vegetable Biriyani

  1. Hamsini May 31, 2020 at 9:20 am #

    Absolutely Delicious @ Pinklemontree

    Reply
    • Shanthini Rajkumar May 31, 2020 at 11:29 am #

      Thanks so much. Glad you liked it Hamsini 🙂

      Reply

Post a Comment