Biryani is an aromatic rice dish made with basmati rice, herbs, nuts, and spices. Depending on the ingredients other than rice, there are many variations like vegetable biryani, mushroom biryani, dum biryani, egg biryani, chicken biryani, goat biryani etc. When rice, spices, and vegetables are cooked together, it is called Pulao. For biryani, vegetables+ spices, and rice are cooked separately and then steamed together (with layers too).
Ingredients:
- Whole spices
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1-inch cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 3 cardamoms
- ½ tsp shahi jeera (or cumin seeds)
- 1-2-star anise
- 1 cup mixed vegetables: potato, beans, green peas, carrots, cauliflower
- 10-12 fried cashews
- 1 cup basmati rice (soaked for 20 min)
- 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup Fried onions
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup Soya chunks
- Cilantro/coriander leaves
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tbs biryani masala powder
- 1 tsp green chili+frozen grated coconut paste
- 1 tomato chopped
- 2 tbs oil or butter or combo
- 1 cup yogurt/curd
Method:
- Soya chunks– take ½ cup curd, add 1.5 cups water, and churn it well. Add salt and cumin powder and mix well. Add soya chunks and marinate them for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, squeeze them to remove water and transfer them to a plate. Take 1 tbs butter in a pan, melt it, and roast soya chunks until it changes color. Keep it aside.
- Cashews- roast them in oil or butter and keep them aside. You can use them for garnishing.
- Soak basmati rice for 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
- Chop all vegetables and keep ready.
- Take a pan, add oil or butter or combo.
- Add whole spices (bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, shahi jeera) and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Add sliced onions, the paste of green chili+coconut. Fry them until onions turn golden.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add chopped vegetables and fry them for 2 minutes.
- Next add tomato, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cilantro, 1 cup yogurt/curd, biryani masala, and cook it.
- Simultaneously, on another stove, start cooking rice. Take a big pot, add 3 cups water, 1 tsp oil, bay leaf, salt, biryani masala and bring it to boil. Then add soaked rice to it and cook until rice is cooked 70% only.
- Once vegetables are a little soft, add drained (70%) cooked rice to it. Add fried onions.
- Cover the lid and cook on low flame until veg biryani is fully cooked. Turn off the stove and rest for 15 minutes.
- Garnish with fried cashews.
- Serve biryani with raita.
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