admin Whether you have guests coming over for dinner or want to cook up a special meal for your family to celebrate a special day, there is nothing that can match a potful of vegetable biryani. If you’re wondering that biryani is only for the meat lovers, then let us tell you this restaurant-style vegetable biryani will make you think again! The long-grained flavorful Basmati rice that is rightly cooked with fresh veggies, crunchy cashew, hand-picked spices, fresh ghee, and a dollop of your love – it is hard to say no to this sinful indulgence. Here’s the recipe for you.
Ingredients
- Basmati rice – 1 cup, soaked in water for 30 minutes
- Cardamom – 6
- Cloves – 4
- Two big onion – thinly sliced
- Cashew – 2 tablespoons
- Assorted veggies (potato, cauliflower, carrot, beans) – 1 cup, cut into small cubes
- Saffron – 1 teaspoon, soaked in warm milk
- Chillies – 2
- Ginger garlic paste – 1
- Mesmara extra virgin olive oil – 1-1/2 tablespoons
- Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
- Cinnamon stick – 1 inch
- Bay leaf – 1
- Peppercorn – 2
- Plain yogurt – 1/3 cup, whisked at room temperature
- Biryani masala – 1-1/2 teaspoon
- Kashmiri red chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
- Water – 1/4th cup
- Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tablespoons
- Chopped mint leaves – 2 tablespoons
- Rosewater or Kewra water – 1-1/2 teaspoon
- Salt to taste
- Pure ghee – 3 tablespoons
Method
Drain the rice in a colander once it is soaked for 30 minutes. Now take a pot, fill with water, add 3 cardamom, a pinch of salt, and 2 cloves. Once the water starts boiling, add the drained rice slowly, keep stirring with a spoon. Cook the rice without the lid in high flame for five to six minutes or until cooked to almost 75%. Drain the water and set the rice aside.
Now take a pan and add half portion of the ghee. Caramelize half portion of the onion in the ghee and remove it on a plate. Add the Mesmara olive oil in the same pan, cook the cashew until it turns brown. Set aside. Now cook the potato in the same pan and keep aside once it turns light brown. Stir fry the rest of the veggies in the same pan for 2-3 minutes. Remove on a plate.
Add the remaining portion of the ghee in the pan and add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, bay leaf and the rest of the cardamom and cloves. Add the remaining onions and a pinch of salt. After cooking it for three to four minutes, add the ginger-garlic paste and the green chillies. Cook until the raw smell goes away. Turn off the heat and whisk in the yogurt. Turn on the flame and add the stir-fried veggies. Add Kashmiri red chilli powder, biryani masala and water. Cook for five to six minutes. Remove the pan from heat.
Vegetable Biryani is almost done!
Now take a heavy-bottomed pan and grease it with ghee. Add a layer of rice, layer with fried onion, cashews, and some coriander and mint leaves. Drizzle rose water and layer with the veggies on top. Repeat the same steps until you have added all the cooked ingredients in layers. Finish it off with the saffron milk, a few drops of rose water, ghee, and sprinkle some biryani masala.
Seal the lid with an aluminium foil. Now place a tawa or a flat pan on heat. Place your pot on it and slow cook it on the reduced flame. (This is called dum). Keep it like that for 20-30 minutes and your flavorful vegetable biryani is ready to be served!
Scoop out the biryani from the bottom of the pot so that each serving has all the ingredients. Serve with freshly prepared raita.
Pro tip: This biryani tastes best when you use fresh veggies and spices. Remember, not to overcook the rice or the veggies which can kill the taste and texture of the biryani. After all, no one likes to eat soggy biryani, right?
We’re already drooling over it! How about you?
We, at Mesmara, are celebrating the month of love. Use the coupon code and get to indulge in more than what you had planned for.
