Spicy Vegetable Dum Biriyani / Vegetable Rice !!

Today’s recipe is a southern style spiced vegetable dum biriyani. Its is an simple one pot meal, with colorful vegetables. Beetroot is my special ingredient in this recipe, it gives a very natural & bright red color to biriyani. I never prepared veg dum biriyani before, because am afraid that I may mash the vegetables. But it came out well, also it is a simple & perfect lunch menu. Next week, I am travelling to India, so I have to clear all my vegetables in my refrigerator and this biriyani recipe is the best way to use it. It is a heathy meal packed with lots of nutrients.

Vegetables & spices can be used as per wish. This vegetable dum biryani is perfect with onion raita & potato chips.

Bon appetite !!

Ingredients:

Beetroot – 1 no. large (cut it into length wise)

Cauliflower – 10 florets

Beans – 1 cup (chopped into 1 inch)

Potato -3 no. medium size (cut it into length wise)

Oil – 2 tbsp

Ghee / butter – 1 tbsp

Onion – 1 no. small (finely sliced)

Fried onions – 1/4 cup

Tomato – 1 no. small

Red chili Powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Green chili – 4 nos.

Cinnamon – 1 large stick

Cardamom – 5 nos (crushed)

Star anise – 1 no.

Cloves – 5 nos

Bay leaves – 2 nos

Poppy seeds – 1 tsp

Shahi jeera – 1 tsp

Ginger – garlic – 1 1/2 tbsp crushed

Curd / yogurt – 1/4 cup

Lime juice – 1 tbsp

Saffron – a pinch (crushed & soaked in milk)

Salt as required.

Rice preparation:

Basmathi Rice – 2 cups (480 ml)

Salt – ½ tsp

Sombu / anise seed – ½ tsp

Bay leaves – 1no.

Cardamom – 2 nos

Cinnamon – 1 small stick

Fried onion – 1 tbsp

Cloves – 2 nos

Shahi jeera – 1/2 tsp

Mint & cilantro leaves – 1 tbsp

Garnishing:

Cilantro & mint leaves – handful

Method:

Vegetable Masala:

Step 1:

Now keep the large pan on low heat, add oil, whole garam masala, green chili & saute it for a minute.
After that add thinly sliced onions & fry until golden brown.
Add the ginger garlic paste, mint, cilantro & saute it for 2 minutes or until raw flavor goes off.
Now add tomatoes & cook until soft.
Add red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder,salt & saute it for 3 minutes.
Now add the 1/4 cup yogurt & mix it on low flame.
After that add the chopped vegetables & mix it well.

Cover it with lid, cook it for 15 more minutes on low flame or until the vegetables half cooked (don’t add any water).

Step 2:

Rice Preparation:

Soak the basmathi rice for 30 minutes with enough water.
Boil the water in a large pot, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, mint, coriander leaves, bay leaves & salt.
Now drain the water from the soaked rice & add to the boiling water.
Turn off the flame, when the rice half cooked; drain water & wash the rice in the cool water for a minute (prevents rice from over cooking)

Step 3

Layering the Dum Biriyani:

Now layer the half cooked rice over top of the cooked vegetable masala.
Pour the saffron mixture over top of the rice & sprinkle 1/4 cup fried onions.
Garnish with handful of cilantro & mint leaves and cover it with tight lid.
Cook it on high flame for first 10 minutes.
After that cook it on dum, for another 15 minutes on very low flame.
Serve it hot & enjoy with onion raitha & brinjal curry.

Hints:

For dum biriyani use heavy bottomed utensil / nonstick.
Don’t add any water to the vegetables, it will get cooked from its own moisture.
Don’t worry if you are not having the tight lid, cover the pan with news paper / muslin cloth & close it with lid [or] keep heavy vessel over top of the lid (this helps for perfect dum, without releasing pressure).