Vegetable Dum Biryani

My Vegetable dum biryani is inspired from Vahrehvah. Love the beautiful blend of flavours

Ingredients:

2 cups - Basmathi Rice  (soaked for 30 minutes)
3 medium size Potato(cut into equal size strips or cubes)
10-15 Beans (cut into equal size strips)
1 Carrot  (cut into equal size strips or cubes)
1 bunch mint leaves(washed and chopped)
1 bunch coriander leaves(washed and chopped)
3-4 medium size green chili
1/2 packet store bought Biryani masala
2-3 cloves
2-3 cardamom
1 strip Cinnamon
 1/2 tsp Shahi Jeera
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1 cup yogurt
Fried onion( onion cut and fried in oil until golden brown)
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste


Method:


Cut the potato, beans and carrot into equal size strips, wash and keep aside. Also finely chop the mint and corriander, wash and keep aside.

In a wide bottom fry pan, head some oil. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and shahi jeera. Now add the cut vegetables. Add 1/2 tsp salt and fry the vegetables in the oil. Do this until the vegetables start to brown up.

Now add 1/2 the mint and corriander. Also add the chilli and fry for a minute. Now add biryani masala powder, salt to taste and 1/2 cup yogurt. Keep cooking on medium-high flame until the vegetables are nicely coated with the masala-yogurt mixture. Remove from heat.(The vegetables are 70-80% cooked at this point)

In a deep bottom pan, add water. Season the water with 1/2 tsp garam masala and 1/2 tsp salt. Shahi jeera can also be added to season the water. When the water comes to boil, add the soaked rice and cook until 70-80% done(same as the vegetables). Remove from heat, drain the water and keep aside.

Now we need to layer the rice in order for it to cook in the dum.

Take a deep, think bottomed pan. (remember that the pan needs to be think bottomed because the rice and the vegetables have to cook in the pan for 30-40 minutes on low heat)

Now add 1/2 the vegetable in the bottom of the pan and add the remaining yogurt and cook for a minute until the yogurt blends with the vegetable. Now add half the cooked rice. On this add remaning vegetable mix, some fried onion, remaining mint and corriander leaves. On top of this add the remaining rice. Add remaining fried onion and food color.  Close the pan with a tight lid.

Cook in the pan for 30 minutes on low heat. Do not open the lid during this 30 minutes. After 30 minutes check if the rice is cooke and cook for a few more minutes if needed. Mine is always well cooked by the 30 minutes are up.

Enjoy with fresh Raita.