Beetroot Biryani

 

You can love it, you can hate it but ignoring the vibrant magenta color of this vegetable is very difficult. I hate the way it colors everything it touches from my hands to the chopping board. As a child I never used to like this vegetable but as I grew up and started cooking myself I started to incorporate this vegetable and would use its natural color for recipes like pav bhaji and cutlet and loved the way it would enhance the look of those dishes. One another vibrant dish that I love is the beetroot biryani which was shared by my Mother in law and since then has become a staple in my kitchen. The best thing about this biryani is that it gets ready in no time and requires very few ingredients. Add this recipe to your lunch or dinner menu and I'm sure it will please everyone's taste buds. Kids who do not like beetroot this way you can make them eat this vegetable because of the mild flavor and amazing taste.

Beets are an excellent source of manganese, potassium, folate and copper. They are also a known source of magnesium, phosphorous, vitamin C, Iron, vitamin B 6 and dietary fiber. They re low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

For preparing beetroot rice, the most ideal type of rice would be rice which is cooked almost 3 to 4 hours prior so they will have less moisture. If you use hot rice the final product would turn mushy resulting into a lumpy beetroot pulao. Also, the type of grain is purely up to you i.e. short grain or long grain depends on your preference. Ideally, biryani is made using long grained basmati rice which is aged and aromatic to get the perfect taste and texture.

Prep time : 20 mins

Cooking time : 20 mins

Serves : 2

Ingredients :

1 cup basmati rice, cooked and cooled

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 Tomato , finely chopped

1 small green Capsicum, finely chopped

1 small Carrot, finely chopped

1 Beetroot, finely chopped

1 inch Ginger, finely chopped

1 clove Garlic, finely chopped

2 Green chilies, slit lengthwise

1 teaspoon Cumin powder

1 teaspoon Coriander powder

1 teaspoon Red chilly powder

1 teaspoon Biryani masala powder

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder

Coriander leaves

Salt

Method :

1. Boil water in a deep bottom pan and add washed rice. Gently stir the rice with a fork.

2. Cook the rice till they are 3/4 done. The grains should still have a slight bite to it. Drain the water and allow the rice to cool completely.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add onions, ginger, garlic and green chilies and fry them till they are soft and transluscent. 

4. Add in the tomato, capsicum, beetroot, carrot and mix well. Now add all the dry powders, water and cover and let it cook till the vegetables are soft but not mushy.

5. Once the vegetables are cooked add rice and give it a good stir. Check for the seasoning and switch off the flame.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with raita of your choice.