HYDERABADI VEGETABLE DUM BIRYANI

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati Rice	2 cups
Potato	1 medium
Carrot	1 medium
Green Beans	10-12
Green Peas	¼ cup
Cauliflower	5-6 big florets
Onion	2 medium
Mint leaves	¼ cup chopped
Coriander leaves	¼ cup chopped
Curd	1 cup
Ginger paste	1 tbsp
Bay leaf	2
Cinnamon sticks	2-3   1” sticks
Cloves	6
Star anise	2
Cardamom	4
Shahi jeera	1 tsp
Salt	2.5 tbsp
Turmeric powder	½ tsp
Red chili powder	1 tsp
Biryani masala	2 tbsp
Ghee	3 tbsp
Oil	2 tbsp

METHOD:

• Wash and soak basmati rice for 20 minutes.
• Peel the potatoes and carrots. Chop them into big cubes. Trim the ends of green beans and cut into 1” long pieces. Wash and cut the cauliflower into big florets.
• Finely chop 1 medium onion and finely slice the other medium onion.
• In a wide pan, add 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee. Fry the sliced onions on low flame until brown and crispy.
• Drain the fried onions from the oil and keep aside.
• In the same pan, add 1 tbsp oil. Then add 1 bay leaf, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 cardamoms, 3 cloves, 1 star anise and 1 tsp shahi jeera. Sauté until spices are aromatic.
• Add finely chopped onions and ginger paste. Sauté until onions are golden brown and raw smell of ginger goes away.
• Add the chopped vegetables (potato, carrot, green peas, green beans, cauliflower). Sauté for 2-3 mins.
• Meanwhile, whisk the curd well. Once the vegetables are sautéed, add curd, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, biryani masala.
• Also add 1 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves and 1 tbsp of chopped mint leaves. Mix well and add 1 cup of water. Cover and cook the vegetables for 15 mins.
• While the vegetables are cooking for the gravy, take another deep pan and add 8-10 cups of water.
• Add 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamoms, 3 cloves, 1 star anise, 1 tbsp of ghee and 2 tbsp of salt. Boil the water until a rolling boil comes.
• Once the water boils, add the drained basmati rice to it. Cook the rice on high for 2 mins. Then simmer the flame to med-low and cook for another 8 mins.
• Strain the rice and keep aside. The rice should be cooked only 75%.
• As the vegetables get almost cooked and gravy consistency is achieved, turn off the flame.
• In a thick bottomed pan, grease the bottom with a tsp of ghee and add a layer of vegetable gravy.
• Add half of cooked rice as the second layer. Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onions.
• Add the remaining vegetable gravy as the third layer and the remaining rice as fourth layer. Top off with chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves, fried onions, a pinch of biryani masala and a tsp of ghee.
• Cover the pan with an aluminum foil and then with the lid.
• Place the pan on med-high heat for 2 mins so that the steam builds and then simmer to lowest setting and cook for 25-30 minutes.
• Serve hot with raita. While serving use a flat spatula and scoop from the sides so as not to break the grains.