Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani

Biryani… I have always loved it, and this is one thing I can never say no to.. When in Hyderabad we usually used to go to Paradise Biryani, even during office hours to relish the yummy biryani… Now in Bangalore Meghana Biryani is a topper on the list of eat out places.. 🙂 

Thanks to Divya’s SNC Event that I came across this recipe.. Also thanks to Swasthi  who blogs at Indian Healthy Recipes for the fabulous recipe, I really really enjoyed preparing the same and then had a grand dinner with a plate full of truly amazing biryani…

Preparation Time:-  15 mins (apart from soaking time) |  Cooking Time:– 45 mins |  Serves:- 3 people

INGREDIENTS:

• Fried Onions:
  • 2 Medium sized Onions finely sliced length wise
  • Oil to shallow fry
• Vegetable Masala:
  • 4 table spoons ghee or oil
  • 2 inch cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
  • 4 green cardamoms (Elaichi)
  • 1 black cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
  • 2 big strands of mace (Javitri)
  • 1 star anise (Chakra Phool)
  • 6 cloves (Laung)
  • 1 bay leaf (Tej Patta)
  • ½  tsp shahi jeera
  • 1 large boiled potato cubed (peel the skin and boil till ¾ done)
  • 8 medium sized cauliflower florets
  • 1 large carrot chopped
  • fistful of green peas
  • 5-6 French beans chopped roughly
  • 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tsp of biryani masala powder (readily available at any store)
  • 1/3  tsp red chili powder (Lal Mirch powder)
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric (Haldi Powder)
  •  6 table spoons of Curd (Dahi)
  • 1 ½ tbsps mint leaves chopped finely (Pudina)
  • 1 Green Chilli slit from middle (Hari Mirch)
  • salt to taste
• Rice:
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of Basmasti Rice washed and soaked for at least 1/2 an hr.
  • 1 tea spoon ghee or oil
  • ¼  tsp shahi jeera
  • salt to taste
• For Dum:
  • Few saffron strands
  • 10 table spoons for Curd (Dahi)
  • 30 ml hot milk to soak the saffron strands
  • almonds as per your desire (optional, I have not used)
  • raisins as per your desire
  • cashews as per your desire
  • 2 table spoons of Mint leaves finely chopped (Pudina)
  • 2 table spoons of Coriander leaves finely chopped (Hara Dhaniya)

PREPARATION:

Fried Onions:

• Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions. Fry them till they become brown.
• Do not overcook. Remove the onions from the oil. Drain the excessive oil. Set aside.

Vegetable Masala:

• Heat oil in a pan, add the dry spices except shahi jeera . Sauté till you get an aroma. takes around a min, do not burn.
• Add shahi jeera and sauté.
• Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for a min.
• Add potatoes and fry for 2 to 3 mins.
•  Add the rest of the vegetables and fry for 2 to 3 mins.
•  Add turmeric, salt, red chili powder and biryani masala powder. Fry for a min.
• Pour 6 tbsps curd and mix and cook covered for 2 to 3 mins.
• Cook uncovered till the moisture in the yogurt evaporates.
• Add mint and green chilies. Mix well and fry for a min. Set aside.

For Cooking Rice:

• In a large pot, bring 5 cups of water to boil, add oil, salt, shahi jeera and rice. Adjust the salt.
• Cook this rice till it is ¾ done. Drain off the excess water and set aside.

For Dum Biryani:

• Transfer half of the vegetable masala to a utensil or pressure pan with a heavy bottom or your dum biryani utensil. Set aside the other half of the veggies masala.
• Add nuts and raisins.
• Sprinkle half of the Fried onions.
• Pour the 10 tablespoons of curd to the biryani pan, (not to the one that is set side). Mix well and check the salt. Begin to heat on a low flame.
• Layer half of the rice on top of this masala.
• Now add a layer of the remaining vegetable masala.
• Add a few Fried onions and layer with remaining rice.
• Add nuts, chopped mint and coriander leaves and the remaining fried onions.
• Begin to heat an old heavy bottom tawa (griddle).
• In the biryani pan add the milk with saffron strands dipped.
• Cover the pan with 2 thick moist kitchen towels. Place the lid and a heavy object on the lid.
• Move this pan to the hot tawa, cook on medium flame for 5 mins & set the flame to low. cook this way for 5 mins

SERVING:

• Serve hot with Onion Raita, or any gravy dish.
• Garnish with nuts or mint leaves or fried onions.

Tasty Cooking..!!

Sending this to:

SNC Event:

Spotlight – ”One Pot Meal” &  original spotlight announcement