Sandhya's Kitchen

Vegetable Biryani

I  am posting this recipe out here with a dual purpose.. First of all , this recipe for Vegetable Biryani goes to my perfect recipe list and secondly I love to share it  with YOU.
We had a second  birthday celebration for my boyz with my remaining guests this weekend.. Vegetable Biryani was the main rice dish and I paired it with Boondi  Raitha, Aloo Gobi .. There were more dishes on the card – Mixed Veg Salad on the Starter Section.Aloo Gobi ( shhh coming up v soon in posts to follow) , Paneer mutter to go with Garlic Coriander Nan ( with love from the M& S store) . Also made my perfect Chocolate Cake !!!Must thank my dear friend Lavanya for this recipe who is an expert in Rice Varieties and she can never go wrong!! We can vouch on that 🙂

VEGETABLE BIRYANI

INGREDIENTS:

Whole Garam Masala’s:

 

Bay Leaf 3 Nos
Bada Elachi 3 Nos
Cinnamon Sitck 1″
Shahi Jeera 1 Tsp
Cloves 3-4 Nos
Rest of the core ingredients:

 

Basmati Rice 1Cup ( 250 ml sized glass)
Water 2 Cups
Vegetables of choice 1/2 Cup
Ginger Garlic Paste 1 Tblspn
Store bought Pulav Masala /Biryani Masala 1 Tblspn
Oil+ Butter 3-4 Tblspn
Chopped Green Chillies 1 No
Turmeric Powder 1/4th Tsp
Chilli Powder 1/4th Tsp
Squeeze of Lemon 1 Tsp
Salt To Taste

 

For Garnishing: 

 

Sliced Onions 1 Nos
Potatoes 2 Nos medium sized
Cashewnuts Stir fried ( Optional)

DIRECTIONS:

  • Wash Rice under running tap water and keep it aside. In the mean while , lets get the veggies ready . I chose Carrot , Beans and Peas to my job. Chop the Carrots n Beans about 3/4th inch in length .
  • Heat oil + butter mix in a Non stick Pan. I have used half butter and half oil .. U could substitute butter with ghee too … Once heated , pop in the whole garam masala’s. Fry them for 1-2 minutes until done .Pop in Ginger Garlic paste & saute for 1 whole minute to eliminate raw smell. Now add the washed rice followed by the addition of turmeric & red chilli powder. Fry them in this buttery – masala mix for roughly 4-5 minutes. Remember not to over stir else the rice can break.
  • At this stage , add in the veggies , chopped green chillies ,biryani masala & 2 glasses of water.  Sprinkle half the salt and give it a good stir.. Cook in medium – high  until the water nearly evaporates .. Reduce the flame to sim , squeeze a tsp of lemon juice , remaining salt & cover the pan with lid and cook for 4- 5 minutes. Turn off the gas and let the rice be covered for another few minutes.
  • Simultaneously , generously add oil in another pan. Once heated , fry the onions until it turns brown and a bit crsipy. Drain them to a kitchen towel to soak all the excess oil.
  • Half boil the chopped potatoes and fry them in the same pan as the onions.. Sprinkle some turmeric , chilli powder and salt over the potatoes and fry them until a light brown coating is formed all over.
  • To garnish , sprinkle the fried onions and fried potatoes over the rice . Pan fried cashews could also be added . Its optional though.  Serve them with raitha of your choice or with boondi raitha like I did.. They paired very well .
  • Since I had prepared the vegetable biryani early in the morning and the guests were to arrive for lunch , I had transferred the rice to an oven safe dish and warmed it at 200 C with a foil covered over the rice  for about 15  minutes.. until just perfectly hot..  I would not recommend reheating in microwave.. It leaves a bit of a moist texture to the rice.

 

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Comments

  7. Sandhya Hariharan says

    Thank you soo much Satrupa for enquiring.. I m actually in the midst of too many dealyed chores..and its affecting my bloggy baby.. ( my posts)
    … Trying to get regular and catch up with most ppl …gradually.

    Reply

  21. Prathima Rao says

    Awesome looking biryani…Rice is perfectly cooked too…Must have been quite a feast..And looking forward to ur other recipes as well..;)
    Prathima Rao
    Prats Corner

    Reply

  34. Sandhya Hariharan says

    Thank you Ladies… Your comments mean a lot to me.. It makes me want to do better..

    @ Prathima… It sure was a feast dear.. Afterall my boyz bday celebration again !!
    Chocolate cake will b coming up sooon…too

    Reply

  50. Shuba says

    I used this recipe many years ago. I lost your link and was hunting through Google images because I loved your presentation and the picture stuck with me. Finally found my bookmark and here I am, gleefully cooking..

    Reply

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