Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani

Vegetable Dum Biryani

INGREDIENTS:

For the rice:

Basmati rice washed and soaked in water for 15 mins – 1.5 cups
Cardamom - 1
Bay leaves - 2
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon – 1/2 inch

Star anise - 1
Salt to taste
Water – 4 cups


For the vegetable gravy:

Ghee or oil – 4 tblsp 
Onions sliced – 1 + 2
Ginger garlic paste – 1.5 tsp
Green chillies – 2 (slit lengthwise)
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1.5 tsp
Biryani masala – 1.5 tsp
Lime juice – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

Chopped carrot + beans + potato + cauliflower + fresh green peas - 1 cup
Curd – 3/4 cup

Cashews

Raisins
Salt to taste

For garnishng:

Chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves – less than 1/2 cup
5-6 saffron strands soaked in 2 tblsp milk(you can also use saffron colour)

PROCEDURE:

Boil the water and put the soaked rice,salt and spices in it and cook the rice till it is cooked by 75%. Drain all the water and put in a strainer  and cool it.

In a pan heat oil or ghee and fry the 1 onion slices till dark brown and keep aside.

In same ghee add fennel seeds and put the remaining onion slices and saute till transparent.

Add ginger garlic paste, green chillies and fry for 3-4 mins.

Put the veggies and cook with a lid covered.

Add salt to taste, cashews, raisins, all spice powders,lime juice and mix well.

Now add the curd and mix well.

In a handi (I have used pressure cooker here since I didn’t have handi) add the masala. Add few coriander and mint leaves. Now spread some rice on this masala, add fried onions, 1 tblsp saffron milk, chopped coriander and mint leaves. Make a layer of rice on this and add chopped corriander and mint leaves along with fried onions. Add saffron milk to this. Repeat these steps for remaining masala and rice.

For the dum :

Cover the pressure cook with a wet cloth and place a lid on this. Place a heavy object on this. I used the grinding stone here. Keep this in low flame for 15 mins. Now place a tawa on stove and keep this pressure cooker on it. Cook in low flame for another 10 mins. Tawa is used here so that the base of biryani doesn’t get burnt. If you are confident enough then you need not keep tawa. Place the handi on direct flame for 25mins.

Vegetable dum biryani is ready J J Serve hot with any raita.