Vegetable Biryani

There's a carrot...and a pea, and a bean....a cauliflower too, ohh there's potato too and orange orange  rice - that's what my li'l nephew excitedly announced when he tried vegetable biryani for the first time :D. Much to our amazement and delight (of course!!), for the first time, this little brat happily munched away all the veggies without any tantrums.
All we could conclude was that 'Biryani' sure did appease the munchkin's budding taste buds !

This exotic main course dish is a combination of rice, vegetables, curd, spices and nuts, cooked in layers over a slow flame. It sure does take quite some time to prepare but then, which exotic thing has ever been easy to achieve ;) ?!  
Probably, a mouthful of this dish is a sure way to food heaven (if any :P) !!

Biryani - The aroma and the flavours, the spices and the condiments, the rice and vegetables... in short, a full meal in itself - for both the tongue and the tummy!!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Basmati Rice, soaked for at least 30 minutes
• 2 Cups Chopped Vegetables (Cauliflower, French Beans, Potato, Carrot)
• 1 Large Onion, sliced
• 1 Tbspn Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1-2 Green Chilly, chopped finely
• 100 gms Paneer (optional)
• 1/2 Cup Curd
• 1/2 Cup Mint/ Pudina Leaves
• 1/2 Cup Coriander Leaves
• 10-12 Cashews
• 10-12 Raisins
• 1" Cinammon
• 2-3 Green Cardamom
• 1 Black Cardamom
• 1 Star Annise
• 2-3 Strands of Javitri
• 2 Tspn Shahi Jeera/ Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tbspn Biryani Powder
• 2-3 Strands of Saffron (optional)
• 1 Tspn Milk, warm
• Oil or Ghee
• Salt, as per taste

METHOD

• Soak the basmati rice for at least 30 minutes. In a deep container/ pan, boil water. Add a tspn of oil along with a green cardamom and 1/2" cinnamon. Cook the rice in this water till it is 80% cooked. 
• Strain out water and keep aside to cool.

• Heat about 3-4 tbspns of oil/ghee in a pan. Add shahi jeera and all the whole spices (cinnamon, green cardamom, star anise, javitri and black cardamom). Saute for half a minute.
• Add the onion slices and saute till it turns
• Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell disappears. Do not let it burn.
• Add the chopped vegetables and salt. Saute on medium flame till all the vegetables are almost 80% cooked.
• Add chopped coriander and mint leaves. Add the paneer (optional), curd, biryani masala and cashews. Mix well. Saute for another minute before switching off flame.

Vegetable & Gravy Mix

• Add a couple of strands of saffron to a couple of teaspoons of warm milk and mix well. Pour this over the rice. With the help of a fork, mix gently, taking care not to break any of the rice grains. All the rice grains do not need to be coated.

• Take a bigger container (big enough to contain the rice and gravy mix). Spread half of the gravy mix on the bottom. Top it with half of the rice. Layer it with the rest of the gravy. And, then the rest of the rice. And, finally sprinkle some chopped coriander and mint leaves on top. 
• Cover with a lid and let it cook on a very low flame for about 20-25 minutes.

In layers- Rice and Vegetable Gravy

• Relish biryani with an accompaniment of a salan and raita.

Tips

• For a brighter yellow, add a pinch of turmeric powder to the milk and saffron.
• Cooking vessel should be heavy and sealed.
• To avoid the bottom layering from burning (in the last stage of cooking), be sure that the lid is covered properly i.e, without any leakage. This ensures the moisture is intact inside helping in the cooking process rather than escaping. Pressure cooker bottom and lid are the best examples to use.
• Place the cooking container on a tawa. This will ensure a thick bottom base and ensure that the dish does not get burned.
• Cook on the lowest flame (the last stage).
• Be doubly sure to check the gravy seasoning before putting it in layers.