Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani

For this month's Daring Cook's Challenge, a non blogging member of the daring cooks - Grace, challenged us with a delicious dish from India- Biryani. he had gi!en us " !ariations of biryani among which one was !egetable and all the others with chiciken, lamb and fish. I o#ted the !egatable biryani but didn't try out her reci#e. $yderabadi %egetable biryani has been in my list for long since it was announced as a challenge in &C for the northern team. o I thought this would be the #erfect occasion for trying this out. $yderabadi biryani is a layered biryani and can be finally cooked in o!en to merge the fla!ours. 'nce I saw the reci#e on %ahre!ah and followed it. But no one liked it as the !egetables were !ery big and didn't merge with the dish. I came across a reci#e at wasthis's blog and looking at the final dish I was tem#ted to try. he had all the ste# wise #hotos and e!en a reci#e for the biryani s#ice #owder. I made it on a unday and fortunately I had some guests that day. o I was so ha##y to ser!e them this along with onion raitha and mushroom !aru!al. (e had a filling lunch and finally com#leted it with a kesar #ista kulfi. ounds fun right)

Recipe Source: Swasthi Ingredients: For The Spice Powder: Bay *eaf-+ tar ,nise-Green Cardamom-. Black Cardamom-Black /e##er-+ +0- ts# Cinnamon-" -1 sticks Clo!e-+ tbs Coriander eeds-2 tbs hahi 3eera-- tbs 4ace -+ Grated &utmeg-+0- ts# For The Masala:

Cinnamon tick--1 Green Cardamom-2 Black Cardamom-+ 4ace-+ tar ,nise-+ Clo!e-"-. hahi 3eera-+0- ts# Cauliflower-5 small florets Green /eas-+0- cu# /otato-+ Carrot-+ Button 4ushroom-5-+6 Coriander *ea!es-+07 cu# Ginger /aste-- tbs Garlic /aste-- tbs Biryani 4asala /owder-+ +0- ts# 8ed Chilly /owder-+07 ts# 9urmeric /owder-+0- ts# :ogurt0 Curd- - cu#s Ghee-2 tbs affron trands-a few (arm 4ilk-+0- cu# alt-to taste For The Rice: Basmati 8ice-- cu#s 'il-+ ts# hahi 3eera-+0- ts# alt-to taste For Garnish: ,lmonds-+07 cu# Cashew &uts-+07 cu#

8aisins-+07 cu# Fried 'nions-+ cu# Coriander *ea!es-+07 cu# Procedure: For The Spice Powder: +. In a #an dry roast all the ingredients until aromatic. -. Grind it to a fine #owder. 7. Cool and transfer to an air tight ;ar. <se it while making biryani. For The Rice: +. (ash and soak rice for 76 minutes. -. In a #an add rice, shahi ;eera, salt, oil and 5 cu#s of water. 7. ,llow it to boil. 2. =ee# on checking the rice. ". (hen it is cooked, #our it into a metal strainer. .. Drain water and fluff the rice with a fork. For The Masala: +. $eat ghee and add all the s#ices. -. aute for a minute and add garlic and ginger #aste. 7. (hen ghee se#arates, add the !egetables. 2. aute for - minutes. ". ,dd the s#ice #owder, red chilly #owder, turmeric #owder and salt. .. aute for a minute. >. &ow add + cu# of curd and mi? it well. 5. Co!er and cook until the !egetables are done. @. =ee# on stirring until the masala becomes dry. +6. ,dd coriander lea!es and mi?. =ee# it aside.

For The Fried Onions: +. lice - onions into thin long slices. -. $eat oil in a #an and dee# fry the slices until brown and cris#y. 7. Drain and kee# it aside. 2. Fry the almonds, cashew nuts and raisins until golden. ". Drain and kee# it aside. Assembling The Bir ani: +. In a hea!y bottomed #an A use an aluminium #an with out any handles as it will go inside the o!enB, add +0the !egetable masala and + cu# of curd. 4i? well and s#read it out e!enly on the bottom. -. 9o# with +07 rd of fried onions, almonds, cashew and raisins. 7. &ow add +0- the rice on the masala and s#read it out e!enCly. 2. &ow s#read the remaining masala o!er the rice and to# with +07 rd of garnish. ". ,dd the remaining rice and #ress it well. .. Garnish with the remaining nuts, fried onions and coriander. >. oak saffron in milk for +6 minutes. 5. /our this milk o!er the rice e!enly. @. /reheat o!en to +>"C. +6. Co!er the #an with aluminium foil. ++. /lace it in hot o!en and bake for -6--" minutes. +-. 8emo!e from o!en. +7. ,t the time of ser!ing transfer the layers to a ser!ing bowl, gi!e a gentle stir, garnish with coriander lea!es and ser!e hot.

Dry roast the s#ices.

Grind it to fine #owder.

,llow it to cool and store in a ;ar.

(ash and #re#are the !egetables.

aute the s#ices and ginger garlic #aste in ghee.

,dd the !egetables.

,dd the s#ice #owders.

,dd curd

,dd coriander lea!es.

lice onions.

Dee# fry in oil.

Drain and kee# itaside.

Fry the dry fruits.

,dd water, shahi ;eera, salt, oil and rice.

Cook and drain it in a large strainer.

4i? half the !egetables with curd in a #an.

*ayer with nuts, coriander lea!es and fried onions.

,dd +0- the rice and to# again with the remaining masala.

9o# with the nuts, fried onions and coriander lea!es.

*ayer the remaining rice.

,dd the remaining garnish.

,dd the saffron soaked milk on to#.

Co!er with foil and bake for -6--" minutes.

8emo!e from o!en and remo!e foil.

Can you see the layers) 9hey ;ust look fabulousDDD

Gi!e a nice mi? in a bowl.

er!e with raitha and mushroom masala.