Vegetable Biryani

Name: Vegetable Biryani
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes; 2 cups mixed vegetables (carrot, green beans, peas, cauliflower, potato), chopped; 3 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil, divided; 2 large onions, thinly sliced (divided for frying and gravy); 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 1 cup plain yogurt, whisked; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 1.5 tbsp biryani masala; 1/2 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp red chili powder; 2 bay leaves, 4 green cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves; to taste A pinch of saffron soaked in 3 tbsp warm milk; to taste Salt to taste; 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint and cilantro

Vegetable Biryani is a fragrant layered rice dish made by cooking spiced mixed vegetables and partially cooked basmati rice together in a sealed pot ("dum" method), infused with saffron, fried onions, and whole spices. Festive and deeply aromatic.

By YumYum Editorial · Indian

Prep: 25 min · Cook: 40 min · Total: 65 min · Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes
2 cups mixed vegetables (carrot, green beans, peas, cauliflower, potato), chopped
3 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil, divided
2 large onions, thinly sliced (divided for frying and gravy)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 cup plain yogurt, whisked
2 tomatoes, chopped
1.5 tbsp biryani masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
2 bay leaves, 4 green cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves
to taste A pinch of saffron soaked in 3 tbsp warm milk
to taste Salt to taste
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint and cilantro

Instructions

Fry half the sliced onions in 2 tbsp ghee until deep golden and crisp; remove and set aside for garnish (birista).
In the same pot, add whole spices (bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves) and the remaining onions; cook until softened and golden, 6-7 minutes.
Add ginger-garlic paste and cook 1 minute, then add tomatoes, biryani masala, turmeric, and chili powder; cook until the oil separates, 6-8 minutes.
Stir in the mixed vegetables and whisked yogurt, then add salt and 1/4 cup water; cover and simmer until vegetables are just tender, 10-12 minutes. This is your vegetable masala base.
Meanwhile, boil rice in a separate pot of salted water until it's about 70% cooked (still firm at the core), then drain.
Spread the parboiled rice evenly over the vegetable masala in the pot.
Drizzle the saffron milk, remaining fried onions, mint, and cilantro over the rice.
Cover tightly with a lid (seal with dough or foil if needed) and cook on very low heat (dum) for 20-25 minutes to let the rice finish cooking and absorb the aromas.
Rest 5 minutes off heat, then gently fluff and mix the layers together before serving with raita.