Best Ever Spiced Vegetable Biryani Recipe

This is one easy recipe, that is very flavorful and tasty. I have posted several vegetable biryani recipes on this blog – a healthy meal section with its own specialty, but this recipe is a keeper for its simplicity, great taste, and aroma. A good recipe for beginners!!!

Vegetable Biryani Recipe

Ingredients

➛2 cups basmati rice
➛6, large (2 sliced + 4 chopped) onion
➛1 tbsp of ginger paste
➛1 tbsp of garlic paste
➛1, chopped green chili
➛¼ cup + 2 tbsp of ghee (clarified butter)
➛6 to 8 green cardamom
➛6 to 8 cloves
➛2-inch stick cinnamon
➛2, large (de-seeded and pureed) tomato
➛1 & ½ tsp of fennel seed powder
➛1 tbsp of Coriander Powder
➛1 tsp of red chili powder
➛½ tsp of turmeric powder
➛½ cup, beaten yogurt
➛2 tsp of sugar
➛¼ tsp of black pepper
➛1 cup cauliflower florets
➛2, large, cut into ½ inch cubes carrots
➛2, large, cut into ½ inch cubes potatoes
➛½ cup green peas
➛8 to 10, cut into 1 cm long strips green beans
➛¼ cup, loosely packed fresh chopped mint leaves
➛½ cup, loosely packed fresh chopped coriander leaves
➛1 pinch saffron
➛¼ cup milk
➛Cardamom powder – 1 Tsp
➛4 tbsp vegetable oil
➛2 cups (or 1 cup of thick coconut milk mixed with water to make 2 cups) light coconut milk
➛Salt to taste

For homemade coconut milk

Grated coconut – 1 cup
Boiling water – 2 cups

Instructions

Wash and soak the basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Then cook the rice in salted boiling water until ¾th done. This would take about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and keep in a colander.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and sauté the 2 sliced onions until golden brown and crisp. Take them out and set aside in a bowl until further use.
Warm the milk and add the saffron strands to it. Let the saffron infuse the milk. Set aside.
Heat the ghee in a deep wok or stockpot. Once the ghee is melted and hot, tip in the green cardamoms, cinnamon, and cloves. Sauté them for half a minute until fragrant.
Now add the chopped onion and cook on medium heat until translucent, for about 5 minutes. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and green chili and stir well. Cover and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are deep brown and ghee starts to release. This would take about 15 minutes.
Now add the fennel seed powder and coriander powder and mix well.
Next goes in the pureed tomato. Give a good mix and add the red chili powder and turmeric powder. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper. Cover and cook until the tomato puree is cooked through and the ghee starts releasing again. This would take about 10 more minutes on low heat.
Add the beaten yogurt now and give a good stir. Keep the heat on minimum to ensure the yogurt does not split.
Now add the vegetables. If using frozen peas, then do not add them now as they are half-cooked, they will turn mushy by the end of the cooking. Mix well. Add half a cup of water and bring to boil. Then cover and cook until the veggies are ¾th done, about 15 minutes.
Now add the coconut milk and sugar and bring to boil. Mix well. Check for the seasoning and adjust if needed. Cover and cook until all the veggies are cooked through, about 10 minutes. If you are using frozen peas, add them now once the veggies are all cooked.
Once the veggies are cooked through, switch off the flame and begin to assemble the biryani. Do not worry if you see a lot of liquid in the wok, it will get absorbed by the rice during the final cooking time.
Spread the cooked rice covering all the veggies. Sprinkle the coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onions all over. Dot the 2 tablespoons of ghee all over and sprinkle the cardamom powder. Finally drizzle the saffron-infused milk all over.
Now cover and cook the biryani on minimum heat for 15 to 20 minutes more until all the liquid is absorbed. Switch off the flame and let the biryani sit for 15 minutes more before serving.
Serve the biryani.

To make the coconut milk

Add the grated coconut into the blender and pour the boiling water to it. Let the coconut sit in the hot water for 30 minutes so that it softens a bit.
Then blend the coconut with the water for about 1 to 2 minutes until the coconut is pureed and the mixture looks milky. There will still be flakes of coconut in it which you will have to strain as described in next step.
Strain the coconut milk using a fine strainer. Alternatively, you can use a cheesecloth to squeeze out the coconut milk. It is now ready to use.