Long back I have shared with you Chicken biryani recipes (Kolkata Style Chicken Biryani, Chicken Kachchi Biryani) which was much liked and adored. However, biryani should not necessarily be made with the meat per se. Vegetables cooked in dum with basmati rice can culminate into a great vegetable biryani as well, the recipe of which is shared below. Various vegetables, from carrot to cauliflower to beans alongwith the blocks of paneer make it a healthy and amazing colourful preparation which is rich in floavour of traditional Indian spices. Just for the reminder, this preparation avoids any short cut and takes the route of typical mughlai biryani to make, which certainly is reflected in its aroma and taste.
Ingredients to serve 4 :
- Basmati rice – 2 cup
- Paneer – 100 gm. (cut into small cubes, optional)
- Potato – 2 (cut into small cubes)
- Carrot – 2 (cut into small chunks)
- Cauliflower – 1 (small, cut into small florets)
- Chopped green beans – ½ cup
- Green peas – ½ cup
- Onion paste (out of 2 onions)
- Ginger – garlic paste – 1 tbspoon heaped
- Yogurt – 3 tbspoon
- Mawa/Khoya (or Milk powder) – 2 tbspoon heaped
- Biryani Masala – 2 tbspoon
- Red chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
- Green cardamom – 4-5
- Black cardamom – 1
- Cloves – 4-5
- Cinnamon stick – 1 inch
- Bay leaf – 2
- Salt to taste
- Cooking oil – 4 tbspoon
- Ghee – 2 tbspoon
- Roasted cashew nut – 2-3 tbspoon
- Rose water – ½ teaspoon
- Kewra water – 1 teaspoon
- Few strands of saffron (soaked in 2 tbspoon warm milk)
- Milk – ½ cup
- Pinch of yellow food colour (optional)
- Wheat flour – 1 cup
Procedure :
Preparation of Rice :
Wash and soak the rice in cold water for 1 hour.
In a small piece of white cotton cloth take bay leaves, cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon stick. Tie the cloth and make a small spice bag.
Bring to boil sufficient amount of water in a pan. Add drained rice, salt (approx. 2½ teaspoon) and the spice bag.
Cook the rice till it is 60-70% done. Drain the water and keep it aside.
Preparation of Vegetables :
Heat oil in a kadai or non-stick pan over medium heat.
Add onion, ginger and garlic paste, cook till their raw flavour disappears.
Add potato cubes and fry for 2 minutes.
Add carrot and beans, again fry for 2 minutes.
Add cauliflower, green peas and salt, cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add red chilli powder, biryani masala, ½ teaspoon kewara water and yogurt. Cook for fruther 2-3 minutes till raw flavour of yogurt goes off.
Add 1 cup of water and paneer cubes. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the vegetables over low flame till 80% done still left little gravy in the pan.
Assembling Vegetables & Rice for Dum :
Now grease a heavy bottomed pan or preferably a “Aluminum Handi” (a deep, narrow-mouthed cooking vessel) with 1 tbspoon of ghee.
Pour half of the vegetables and cover with half of the rice. Spread saffron milk, rose-water, remaining kewra water, mawa and remaining ghee over the rice.
Prepare another layer of vegetables and rice at the top.
Add the food colour into the milk and spread over the rice.
Make a soft dough by wheat flour and water.
Cover the pan with a lid and seal with the dough to make it air tight. Now put the pan over low flame and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Put the gas off and give a few minutes of resting time.
Mix the vegetables and rice in light hand before serving. Also sprinkle over roasted cashew nut.
