Vegetable Biriyani - Method 1

My first recipe for this blog is Vegetable Biriyani, the first dish I tried in the kitchen. My husband and my son love biriyani and I make this often. When we have all the ingredients ready, this is a very quick one pot meal to make. There are so many methods to prepare biriyani. Let me proceed with my Version 1 now.

Ingredients

Basmati rice - 2 cups

Carrot - 1

Potato - 1

Green peas - a handful

Beans - 5

Big onion - 1

Tomato - 1

Green chilli - 1

Ginger - 3 or 4 1" pieces

Garlic - 12 cloves

Fennel seeds - 1 spoon

Mint leaves - a handful

Coriander leaves - a handful

Turmeric - a pinch

Cinnamon - a small piece

Cardamom - 3

Cloves - 6

Black stone flower - 3

Star anise - 1

Bay leaf - 1

Salt - as needed

Water - 4 cups

Ghee - 2 spoons

Cooking oil - 2 spoons

Method

* Wash and soak the basmati rice in 4 cups of water for 30 minutes. Chop the vegetables. Take the whole spices and keep it ready.

* Grind green chilli, fennel seeds, ginger and garlic to a fine paste. (You can add chillies according to    your spice level)

 

* In a pressure cooker, add ghee and oil. Add the whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, black stone flower and bay leaf, I din't have bay leaf during this preparation, hence didn't add) followed by chopped onion.

* Once the onion turns translucent, add chopped tomatoes. When the tomatoes turn soft, add the      ground paste and mix well.

* Add vegetables, coriander leaves, mint leaves and mix well. Add salt and turmeric and mix well.

 


* Now add the soaked basmati rice along with the water. (The rice, water ratio is 1:2). Here for 2      cups of basmati rice, we should add 4 cups of water. Gently mix well and close the pressure cooker with the lid. Pressure cook for 1 whistle.

*Open the cooker and gently mix the rice without breaking it. Aromatic biriyani is ready to serve now.

* Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot with raita or any gravy.