Restaurant Style Vegetable Biryani
This restaurant style vegetable biryani tastes amazingly delicious and is beautifully cooked in a dum process. It is worth to make a minimum of 4 servings as this recipe takes time.
© Swasthi's Recipes
Servings: 4 to 5
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 grams) aged basmati rice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (to cook rice)
- 1 tablespoon oil (to cook rice)
- 6 green cardamoms (divided 2 + 4)
- 6 cloves (divided 2 + 4)
- 1 large bay leaf (torn to 2)
- 2 - 1" cinnamon pieces (divided 1 + 1)
- 1 teaspoon shahi jeera (divided ½ + ½)
- ¼ cup mint leaves (pudina, chopped)
- ¼ cup coriander leaves (chopped)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) ghee (or oil)
To make the gravy / curry
- 1 cup (120 grams) onions sliced thin & even, layers separated (1 large)
- 1 green chilli slit (optional)
- ¾ cup (120 grams) carrots (1 large, peel & chop to 1 inch)
- ¾ cup (100 grams) green peas
- ⅓ cup (50 grams) beans (5 to 6, chop to 1 inch)
- ½ cup (85 grams) potatoes (1 medium cut to 1 by ½ inch, keep them in a bowl of water)
- 8 (100 grams) cauliflower florets (keep them medium to large)
- 1½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup (240 ml) plain yogurt (fresh, not sour, whisked)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water (more if needed)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1½ to 2 teaspoons biryani masala or garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
To garnish
- 22 (35 grams) cashews
- 3 tablespoons (35 grams) raisins
To make saffron milk
- ¼ cup (60 ml) hot milk
- 2 pinches saffron (soaked in hot milk)
- ½ tablespoon kewra water or rose water (mixed with saffron milk)
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse rice well and soak in water for 30 minutes.
- Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pot and fry cashews until light golden. Stir in the raisins and fry until they swell up. Remove to a plate, retaining most of the ghee in the pot.
- Add the sliced onions and spread them in a single layer. Let fry on a medium heat for 5 mins, stirring often in between. Reduce the flame to low and fry for another 3 to 4 mins until caramelised but not burnt. Remove these to a plate and set aside. Turn off.
- While the onions fry, on another burner bring 7 to 8 cups of water to a rapid boil with salt, oil, lemon juice, green cardamoms, cloves, shahi jeera, cinnamon and bay leaf.
- Drain the rice and add to the boiling water. Cook on a high to medium high heat until the rice is just 90% cooked (ensuring the water does not over flow but keeps boiling rapidly). When the rice slightly undercooked and have a bite to it, drain to a colander.
Make the Gravy
- To the same pan of ghee (you used to fry onions), add bay leaf, star anise, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon and shahi jeera.
- Regulate the heat to low and quickly saute ginger garlic until slightly aromatic, for a minute.
- Drain the water from potatoes and add them to the pan. Also add carrots, peas, green chilli and cauliflower. Saute on a medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Pour ¼ cup water and cook covered on a medium heat until the potatoes are fork tender but not mushy. (evaporate any excess water)
- Stir in red chilli powder, biryani masala, salt and turmeric powder. Saute for 2 minutes & reduce the heat to low,
How to make restaurant Vegetable Biryani
- Deglaze with 2 tablespoons water and stir in the whisked yogurt. Cover and cook on a low heat for 4 minutes, until heated through.
- Add ¾ of the fried onions and 2 tablespoons each of mint & coriander leaves. Turn off the heat. Taste test your gravy and adjust salt to taste.
- On another burner, heat a griddle or a pan on a medium heat for dum process. Avoid using non-stick.
- While the pan heats, layer the hot rice over the biryani curry. Pour rose & saffron infused milk. Sprinkle the rest of mint leaves, fried onions, raisins and nuts. Reserve half of the nuts and raisins to garnish later.
- Seal the pot with aluminium foil and press down to the sides of the pot carefully so the edges stick to the pot. This ensures the steam is trapped well. Place a heavy lid.
- Transfer this on to the hot griddle and cook for 22 minutes on a low heat. You can also cook this over direct flame for 12 minutes at the lowest heat (only on a small burner). Once done remove the pot from heat and let it rest for at least 20 minutes.
- Oven Baked - Alternately bake it in a preheated oven at 350 F (180 C) for 20 minutes. Later rest it in the oven itself for another 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve vegetable biryani with a flat serving spoon, from the bottom of the pot such that every serving gets a portion of the curry and rice. Mirchi ka salan or shorba and a raita make great sides.
