4.Hyderabadi Vegetarian Biryani.......

Indian food is diverse and the combination of dishes one can cook using vegetables is homogenous. While an amateur cook struggles and learns the basics of cooking different vegetables, a daring cook experiments with different dishes and tries new vegetables. It becomes a matter of challenge, enthusiasm, and passion for cooking to go ahead and try stuffed parathas, Indo- Chinese dishes, soups, pizzas and many baked goodies. My favorite always has and always will be experimenting with rice dishes.

I love the results that rice and vegetable combos turn out. The simple addition of tomato and cilantro add a whole new flavor to Tomato Rice. Though I have not made the famous Vangi Bhaat, I have tasted and loved it. A bunch of different veggies clubbed with Chinese sauces gives rise to everyone’s favorite Fried Rice. While these veggie-rice combos are easy to put together, there are other varieties that include time, effort, and loads of patience to try out. Top in the category are Vegetable Pulao and Biryani. Cutting vegetables is the most time consuming task; once done, it’s as good as half of the work been done. Whilst the pulao being a mixture of rice, vegetables, and pulao masala cook to perfection, the biryani is an intricate dish prepared using layers of vegetable gavy and saffron-flavored rice.Really I Just love this vegetable biryani and few days back I tried making it at home and also experimented it on dear and near family friend of mine...and to the surprise both my hubby and our friends just loved it!

I think this one is the best one pot meal especially during Friday nights when you are bored cooking same things every day and want something different or change in your daily routine.This Biryani serves three purposes of mine – it gave me a welcome break from the usual chapatti bhaji, and it gave me a valid excuse to stuff our tummies with our not-so-favorite veggies. And of course, making Biryani allows you to clean the fridge of all those itty bitty vegetables. The addition of saar would be “sone pe suhaga”. Now, I was a light eater in my teenage days and only such favorite suppers would turn me into a hungry hyena. I would/could/do consume at least 3-4 plates of  this and saar or along with dahi/curd. Check out the recipe.

Hyderabadi Vegetarian Biryani

Ingredients:
2 tbsp ghee
2 cup Basmati Rice
4 cups boiling water
3-4 whole cardamom pods
salt as per taste
2 tbsp Oil
few sticks of cinnamon
3-4 cloves
2 Bay leaves
2 star anise(optional)
1 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 cashew nuts chopped into pieces
onion chopped lengthwise
2-3 green chillies
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tomato finely chopped
1 tsp of turmeric
1 tbsp of Hyderabadi masala powder
Mixed veggies like carrot ,french beans,potato, green peas,cauliflower as per your choice chopped lengthwise and half cooked (microwave them for 5 mins)
1 cup curd or plain yogurt
coriander leaves for garnishing
few saffron strands
2 tbsp of milk.

Procedure:
It involves 3 steps as follows

A.Cooking Rice Separately-

1.Heat Ghee in a big deep vessel.
2.Add rice and fry it a bit.
3.When you start getting nice aroma add boiling water to it.(exactly double the amount of rice taken)
4.Add few whole cardamon pods and salt.
5.Cook till hole appears on top of rice.Now rice is cooked keep it aside till gravy is made.

B.Making gravy

1.Heat mixture of Oil and ghee.
2.Add Cinnamon,cloves,bay leaf,star anise,cardamon ie khada masala.
3.Add cumin seeds and when it changes it color a bit add cashews.
4.Now add chopped onions and fry till it becomes brown.
5.Add finely chopped green chillies followed by ginger-garlic paste.
6.Cook till the raw flavour of ginger garlic paste goes away.
7.Add tomato and salt.
8.Now add turmeric powder and biryani masala powder.
9.Now add half cooked veggies..see to it that veggies are coated with masala nicely and fry it for 5 mins.
10.Add plain yogurt to mixture.
11.Garnish with coriander leaves.
12.Now your gravy is ready.

C.Arrangement done before serving.

1.Mix saffron strands in warm milk.
2.Take oven proof vessel or big container which can be heated on stove.
3.At bottom place one layer of rice followed by gravy on it.
4.Continue this way with alternate layers of each of rice and gravy...
5.Sprinkle saffron flavoured milk on top of the vessel along with few chopped coriander leaves.
6.Heat it on stove on low flame for at least 6-7 mins or in oven at 300 degrees for few mins.
7.Now your mouthwatering biryani is ready to serve.
8.Serve it with multilayers...you are bound to enjoy it...mix it thoroughly well and enjoy the feast.

Sending this to the amazing event- Show me your Hits....guest hosted by sangee and event by Vardhini....