Vegetable Biriyani

This recipe is for my colleague who complained to me one day saying that they ordered vegetable biriyani at an Indian restaurant and it was obviously rice mixed with some vegetable curry!

It is very unfortunate that she was served this dish in the said manner - because when you make a biriyani right, it is impossible to fool even novices.  The whole dish is very fragrant and succulent and I hope you make this at home, Ali, so that you do not feel disappointed next time!

It is an easy dish to make - we make it in parts, assemble it in a cast iron pot and then finish the cooking process.

Do not be put off by the long list of spices - they are all easily available at your local Indian Grocery store!

Ingredients:

For the rice:

3 cups long grain rice - I used India Gate Basmati rice

1 teaspoon shahi jeera - also called black cumin

3 cardamom pods

3 cloves

1 star anise

1 stick of cinnamon

1 bayleaf

6-7 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

Wash the rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, drain  the water using a colander.  In a saucepan, add all the whole spices, salt and water.  When the water boils, add the rice and cook for approximately 10 to 12 minutes - till it is almost done but not yet completely done.

Drain excess water and set aside.

Note:  Indian Bay Leaf is different to the Western Bay Leaf.

Indian Bay Leaf : Cinnamomum tamala

Western Bay Leaf: Laurus nobilis

For the vegetable mix:

You can use any vegetable you like, I used the ones I had in my fridge.  You should have about 3 to 4 cups of vegetables.  The vegetables must also be cut up to a similar size so they cook evenly.  I have made them into cubes where possible - of about 2 inches.

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 small eggplant cubed 

1 carrot, peeled and cubed

20 beans, topped and cut to 2 inch pieces

1/4 of a cauliflower cut to chunks of 2 inches

1 capsicum, cut to 2 inch pieces

vegetable oil for shallow frying

In a saucepan, heat oil and individually roast each vegetable and then put them together in a saucepan.

We do this because potatoes and carrots take way longer to roast than beans, cauliflower and eggplant.

Infusing the vegetable mix with biriyani spices:

1 red onion, sliced

2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste

2 green chillies, slit

1 large tomato, sliced

1/2 cup yogurt, whisked

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup water

salt to taste

2-3 cloves

2-3 cardamom pods

1 piece of cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon oil / ghee

Roasted vegetables from previous step

In a saucepan, heat the ghee, add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bayleaf. When they release the fragrance, add onions and saute till they go golden brown.  Then add the ginger garlic paste, and continue to saute till there is no more raw smell of ginger or garlic.  Next add the green chillies and tomato. When the tomatoes go mushy, add the spice powders and garam masala. Add the yogurt, salt to taste and the coconut milk. Add water, check for salt.  When the liquid boils, add the roasted vegetables, mix well and cover the pot.  The vegetables will cook in about 8 to 10 minutes.  They should not go mushy.  We want them to retain their shape as much as possible.

Layering:

2 onions, sliced finely and deep fried golden in oil

1 tablespoon cashew nuts, fried in ghee

1 tablespoon sultanas, fried in ghee

1 small bunch of coriander leaves, chopped finely - reserve a tablespoon for garnish at the end

1 small bunch of mint leaves, chopped finely

1 pinch of saffron, soaked in a tablespoon of warm milk

A few drops of rose essence

Cooked Rice

Cooked Vegetables

1 cast iron pot

Heat the oven to 200 deg C - not fan forced. While the oven is heating up, start layering your biriyani.

First put in a layer of rice, next all the vegetables, followed by one more layer of rice. Next add the coriander/mint mix followed by fried onions and then the cashew nuts and sultanas.  Then add the milk with the saffron in.  I did not have saffron so I have skipped this step. Add 3 to 4 drops of rose essence.  Shut the lid firmly and place the pot in the oven for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take the biriyani out of the oven.  Let it rest for a couple of minutes.  The beautiful smell of this biriyani will make you want to eat it right away!

Using a ladle, gently take the rice out along with the vegetables and nuts and place in a serving platter.

Add some extra coriander leaves for a bright green garnish.

Serve with raita and curry of your choice.

Note: If you want this recipe to be vegan, just substitute the ghee for vegetable oil, and nut based yogurt where the recipe calls for yogurt.