Best Veg-Biryani Recipe

Nothing feels as great as like a good plate of aromatic biryani! This Vegetable Biryani hits all the right tastebuds with its wonderful aroma and exotic flavors!

This biryani is loaded with lots of vegetables, crunchy cashews, warm spices like saffron, herbs like cilantro(coriander) and mint, this biryani is a delight to the taste buds in every bite!

It is not a quick recipe but I assure you that it is worth the effort.

Veg-Biryani Recipe

  PREP TIME: 20 MINS

 COOK TIME:50 MINS

 TOTAL TIME:70 MINS

  COURSE:MAIN COURSE

   SERVINGS:  3

  Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice soaked in 3 cups water for 30 minutes
• 6 whole green cardamom 
• 4 cloves 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1.5 tablespoon +1 teaspoon ghee 
• 2 medium red onion thinly sliced, divided
• 2 tablespoons broken cashews
• 100g of paneer cut into cubes.
• 1 small potato cubed
• 1/2 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 medium carrot cut diagonally
• 5-6 green beans cut diagonally
• 2 tablespoons milk 
• saffron strands or you can use food colours
• 1 inch ginger crushed
• 4-5 large garlic cloves crushed
• 2 green chilies crushed
• 1.5 tablespoons oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 whole black peppercorns
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt 
• 1.5 teaspoon biryani masala 
• 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder 
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or coriander
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 1.5 teaspoon rose water or kewra water 

Instructions

For the rice

·     Soak the rice in 3 cups (24 oz) water for half-hour. After the rice has soaked, drain the water employing a colander.

·     Heat a pot filled with water, add 3 green cardamom, 2 cloves and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Let it come to a boil. Add rice, stir with a spoon.

·     Let it cook uncovered (don't lower the heat) until it's almost cooked (around 70-75% cooked but not fully cooked).

·     This takes around 6 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat and drain rice using a colander and add a teaspoon of ghee to the rice. Set aside.

 

Caramelize onion & cashews and frying the vegetables.

·     Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a pan on medium heat.

·     Once hot, add 1 sliced onion and cook until they turn golden brown and caramelize. This takes around 8 to 9 minutes. Remove on a plate.

·     To an equivalent pan, now add cashews and cook until golden brown, around 1 to 2 minutes. Remove on plate and put aside.

·     To an equivalent pan, now add paneer cubes and cook until golden , around 4 to 5 minutes. Remove on plate and put aside.

·     To same pan add potato, cook for two minutes until brown. Remove on a plate.

·     To an equivalent pan, now add cauliflower, beans and carrots. Sauté for two to three minutes until veggies appear brown. Remove on a plate.

·     Make the saffron-milk and cook the vegetables Heat 2 tablespoons milk in a saucepan.

·     When warm, add saffron strands (crush it before adding) or you can add food colours if you are short on saffron.

·     Let it sit for 10 minutes for that lovely yellow color. Saffron milk is prepared , set it aside.

·     Crush ginger, garlic and chili employing a mortar and pestle. Set aside.

·     Heat 1 ½  tablespoons oil in a pan/pot on medium heat.

·     Add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, peppercorns, remaining 3 cardamom and remaining 2 cloves. Stir and let the spices sizzle for few seconds. Add the sliced onions also add 1/4 teaspoon salt.

·     Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until onions turn brown .

·     Then add the crushed ginger-garlic and green chilies paste. Cook for two minutes until the raw smell goes away. Remove pan from heat and whisk within the yogurt, whisking continuously until it's all absorbed.

·     Put the pan back on heat. Add all the veggies and toss to mix . Add the biryani masala and kashmiri red flavorer . Add 1/4 cup water.

·       Let it cook for around 6 to 7 minutes until veggies are almost cooked but not overcooked. they ought to be firm to bite.

·     There should not be much water left, it should be quite thick mixture.

·     Remove from heat.

 

Layering the biryani

·     Now take a deep bottom pan. Grease the bottom of the pan with ghee.

·     Then add a layer of rice (half of the rice). Top with half fried onion, half fried cashews and half cilantro and mint.

·     Add 1/2 teaspoon of perfume.

·     Now place the veggies on top (all of it).

·     Then add another rice layer (remaining rice) on top of the veggies and paneer cubes. Then top it with remaining with fried onion, cashews, cilantro and mint.

·     Add the prepared saffron milk and therefore the remaining 1 teaspoon perfume on top.

·     And finally drizzle 1 teaspoon ghee on top. Sprinkle some biryani masala.

·     Cover the pan tightly with aluminium foil . Then cover with a fitted lid.

·     Heat a flat pan on medium heat. Once hot, reduce the flame to lowest.

·     Place your biryani pot on top of the pan and let it cook for 25 to half-hour on lowest heat (dum).

·     Scoop out the biryani from rock bottom of the pan in order that each serving has both the veggies and therefore the rice.

·     Serve hot vegetable biryani with a side of raita.

In case you made this, please take a pic and tag me on Instagram (#the.foodseasons), Facebook. Find this pin on Pinterest. I’d love to see your Veg-Biryani looked 😊.