VEGETABLE BIRYANI

VEGETABLE BIRYANI

My chicken biryani is always a big hit with my friends and family but I always got requests for vegetarian biryani as well.Since I had never really made a vegetarian version,I kept delaying it and then one day I finally tried it and it came out so well.Infact,even hardcore non vegetarians liked it.

INGREDIENTS:-

for marination-

2 carrots

10-12 cauliflower florets

10-15 chopped French beans

1 cup green peas

250 grms cottage cheese(paneer)

1 ½ cup curd

1 ½ tbsp fresh ginger garlic paste

2 green chillies slit

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp red chilli powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

½ tsp shahi zeera

A handful of fried onions

Freshly chopped coriander leaves

Freshly chopped mint leaves

½ tsp sugar

Salt

For rice-

2 green cardamom pods

1 black cardamom

4 cloves

1 inch cinnamom stick

2 bayleafs

3 blackpepper

1 ½ cup basmati rice

4 cups water

Salt

For Assembling-

1 cup brown onions

½ cup coriander

½ cup mint

4 green chillies

½ tsp cardamom powder

½ tsp cinnamom powder

Food colouring mixed in lemon juice

Saffron soaked in ¼ cup milk

Few drops of kewra

METHOD-

In the cooking vessel,add 2tbsp oil and then the marinated veggies(marinated for atleast an hour).

Sprinkle some fried brown onions,chopped coriander and mint.

Meanwhile,soak basmati rice for atleast 30 mins  and add it to salted boiling water to which the mentioned spices are added.

Drain when the rice is 3/4^th done.

Now to make the layers,

 add half of the rice to the veggies and sprinkle more brown onions,chopped coriander and mint.

Poke 2 slit green chillies in the rice.

Sprinkle a pinch of both cardamom and cinnamom powder.

Now add the rest of the rice,and again sprinkle more brown onions,chopped coriander and mint along with a pinch of cardamom and cinamom powder.

Add food colouring mixed in lemon juice along with the saffron infused milk.

And finally,add a few drops of kewra.

Cover the vessel with aluminium foil and tightly close with the lid.

Cook for 10 mins on medium flame and then lower the flame to the lowest possible(keep it on dum) and cook for more 10 mins.

Check if the rice is done,and keep off the flame.

Let the biryani rest for a while and serve with raita.