Vegetable Dum Biryani | Veg Biryani Recipe

I have been making biryani for the past three consecutive Sundays. The love for biryani is blossoming day by day. I made Mughlai Chicken Biryani and also tired the same recipe with goat, the next Sunday. It was super awesome and it never ruins me in taste and flavor. Undoubtedly, the third Sunday I made this Vegetable Dum Biryani which is exactly the same as Chicken Biryani. We wanted to make it light for the third Sunday, hence chose vegetable biryani. But I accompanied the biryani with Chicken Hariyali Tikka, which TH made.

I just used the veggies which I had in hand. Carrots, beans and potatoes are the must-veggies for biryani. Yet green peas, soya chunks are all optional. Since TH doesn’t like Cauliflower, I dint add. Make sure u chop the veggies of same size to cook equally.

Instead of using whole garam masala, just crush the masala with a pestle to 2-3 pieces. This will enhance the flavor of the biryani. For some more tips and notes, please see below.

Now let’s start cooking the biryani!!!

Ingredients

1 cup basmathi rice

2 onions

1-2 tomatoes

1tsp ginger garlic paste

2 green chillies

¼ cup chopped carrot

3-4 french beans

 ½ cup soya chunks

1 potato

¼ cup green peas

5-6 mint leaves

¼ cup Coriander leaves

¼ cup thick curd

1tsp lemon juice

1tsp chilli powder

2tsp coriander powder

1tsp biryani masala or garam masala

1tbsp oil

2-3 tsp ghee

Salt (to taste)

Whole Garam Masala

2 bay leaves

½ inch cinnamon stick

2 cardamoms

3 cloves

How to make it

• Soak basmathi rice in water for 15-20mins. Immerse soya chunks in hot water until use. Slit the green chillies and grind ginger garlic paste, if using home made. Chop carrots, potatoes and beans to medium cubes. Put cauliflower florets in hot water, if using. Thinly slice the onions lengthwise and chop tomatoes to medium.

• Take water till the rice immerse (1:2 ratio). Heat water in a skillet to rolling boil and add the soaked rice and cook in medium-high flame till the rice is half cooked.

• You can even put bay leaves to the hot water to intense the flavor.
• Drain the excess water through a colander. Reserve the water for further use.

• In a skillet/pan heat oil and ghee and splutter the whole garam masala.

• Add the thinly sliced onions and sauté till it turns light brown. Add ginger garlic paste and green chillies and sauté further till the raw smell leaves.

• Now add mint leaves and coriander leaves (keep some for garnish) and sauté well.

• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook in medium flame with closed lid. Cook till the tomatoes turn mushy.

• Then add all the vegetables and blend with the tomatoes. Add all the spice powders, while the flame is in medium-low. Add thick curd and gently mix the vegetables. Squeeze the lemon juice on top of the gravy.

• Mix it till the oil separates out. Add extra oil if needed. Now add a cup of water for the vegetables to cook. You can use the reserved water for cooking the rice.

• Cook the vegetables in medium-low until soft with closed lid. Check for the spiciness and salt at this stage.
• Once the vegetables are cooked, spread the half cooked rice on top of the gravy. Switch the flame to maximum low.

• Gently mix the rice with the gravy. Sprinkle the reserved water on top of the rice, if u need some moisture. Close the skillet with a lid tightly.

• You can keep the skillet directly on stove (max low temperature) or keep a tawa and place the skillet on top of it (medium flame) for the next 30mins.
• At this time the half cooked rice will be completely cooked from the moisture inside the skillet.

• Open the lid and check whether the rice is cooked. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with onion raitha.

Notes

1. After you open the lid, if u notice the rice is not completely cooked, just sprinkle some more water on top of the rice and keep for another 15mins.
2. Placing tawa on bottom will prevent the burning of the rice in the pan. I prefer using this method instead of directly placing it on the stove.
3. You can even top the rice with some more ghee to intense the flavor.
4. Using different vegetables is completely ur personal choice.
5. Adding lemon juice while cooking the basmathi rice will retain the color and also prevent the rice from sticking with each other.