Vegetable Biryani

Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients needed:
1. Long grain Basmati Rice - 1 cup
2. One big Onion - sliced finely.
3. Salt - to taste
4. Carrot, Beans, Cauliflower, Potato, Peas - Cut into Cubes (2 cups)
5. Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp
6. Ghee or Oil - 5 tsp
7. Water - 1 3/4 cup

Grind into paste:
1. Shallots - 8 nos.
2. One Small Ripe Tomato.
3. Fennel Seeds 1/4 tsp
4. Elaichi - 2 nos
5. Cloves - 4 nos
6. Small piece cinnamon stick ( Dry roast 3 to 6 )
7. Garlic pods - 4
8. Small piece Ginger
9. Green chillies - 2 to 3 (according to taste)
10. Dry red chillies - 2 (according to taste)
11. Grated coconut - 2 tsp
12. Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
13. Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
14. Mint leaves, Curry leaves & Coriander leaves - little.
Grind every thing into a paste adding little water, if necessary, and keep it aside.

For Seasoning:
1. Bay leaf 1
2. Cloves 4
3. Elaichi 3
4. Cinnamon stick one small piece
5. Cashew nuts.

Method:
1. Wash and drain water from the rice and keep it aside for 20 minutes.
2. Heat Oil in a pressure cooker, add Seasonings, Fry Onion till brown.
3. Add the Cut vegetables and fry for 5 minutes, stirring continuously.
4. Now goes the grinded paste, fry nicely till the raw smell goes.
5. Add Rice and Cook for 5 minutes, adding salt.
6. Pour water, close the lid and cook in slow fire for 15 minutes.
7. Garnish it with fresh Coriander leaves, Mint leaves and Fried bread pieces.

# Serve Hot with Raitha and Papads. #

Tips:

=> Instead of water use coconut milk to get rich Biryani.
=> Add few strands of saffron diluted in warm milk during cooking.
=> To enhance the real flavour of masala, keep the pressure cooker on the dosa pan and cook. ( Slow cooking - it would be like Dum Biryani.)