Vegetable Biryani

Serving :	4	Cooking time :	50 to 60 min
Prep time :	20 min

Ingredients :

1 cup basmati rice

1 large red onion thinly sliced

1 Carrot, diced

1/2 cup green peas

6 - 8 french beans, cut diagonally

1/2 cup cauliflower florets, blanched 

1 large potato, diced

2 Tablespoon milk

Few saffron strands

2 Tablespoon ghee

Few cashew nuts

1/3 cup yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoon Biryani masala

1/3 cup coriander leaves

1 inch ginger

3 - 4 green chillies, chopped

2 Tablespoons mint, chopped

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1 1/2 teaspoon rose water

Method :

Boil rice  with water and a teaspoon of ghee and drain the water when the rice is almost cooked (75% cooked). Let it cool.

In a blender, take ginger, coriander leaves and green chillies and blend them to a fine paste.

Heat ghee in a large vessel, when hot add cashew nuts and brown them a bit. Add the sliced onions, little salt and saute them till they are golden brown in color. Add the coriander- ginger- chilli paste  and saute for a minute. Add in all the vegetables, whisked yogurt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and the biryani masala powder. Stir well, cover and cook on a low flame for about 8 to 10 minutes or till the vegetables are cooked. 

Layering the biryani:

Grease a heavy bottomed pan with ghee , add a layer of rice(half of the rice). Add half of the chopped mint, chopped coriander, brown onions and saffron (soaked in warm milk) and the rose water. Place the prepared vegetable gravy (all of it). Add another layer of rice (remaining rice) on top of the vegetable and top it with remaining fried onion, coriander leaves, chopped mint, rose water and saffron. Finally drizzle a teaspoon of ghee and cover the pan tightly. Heat a tava on low flame and place the biryani pan over it and let it cook on dum for 15 to 20 minutes. While serving scoop out the biryani from the bottom of the pan so that each serving has both the rice and the vegetables. Serve it with raita and papad.