HYDERABADI VEGGIE BIRYANI - Recipe from my friend

[Last friday mekkinaa le - full mast vundhi pouce - Teasy certifies it to be the best Wink ...]

Cook time - 2 hours Rolling Eyes
Rice - 6 cups or bit more.

Soak Basmati rice for about 30 minutes, and cook until done in the rice cooker with 2 tbs ghee and
salt.
Chop 2 onions lengthwise (in strips).
Heat about 2 tbs ghee and 4 tbs oil in a pan, and add whole garam masala (bay leaf, clove, cinnamon,
whole black pepper, shajeera, black cardamom, green cardamom and jeera).
When you get a nice aroma, add onions and fry until brown.
Then add 2 tbs ginger garlic paste (or fresh garlic 10-15 cloves and fresh ginger 2 inch piece finely
chopped).
Add 3-5 slit green chillies.
Fry until raw smell of ginger and garlic disappears and let it cool.

Masala 1:
Coriander - 1 handful
Khus khus 2 tsp
Saunf 2 tsp
10-12 red chillies
First roast separately and then grind to a fine powder.

Masala 2:
1 cup grated coconut
cup roasted cashews
cup yoghurt (thick)
Grind to a fine paste with as little water as possible.

In the same pan as the onions, add Masala 2 and add more oil as necessary.
After frying for about 5 min, add Masala 1.
Add salt, garam masala (1 tsp), biryani masal (1tsp), tandoori masala (1tsp), chilli powder (1 tsp) and
fry for about 5 min.
Now add about 2 tbs of tomato paste, add some water and cook for about 5 min.
Now add 2 cups of Veggies -mushrooms, cauliflower, peas, capsicum. You can substitute this with
marinated meat if you like. Marinate meat in yoghurt with salt and chilli powder for about an hour. Cook
the veggies until cooked but still crispynot soft and mushy.
Transfer and cool.
Chop 2-3 onions lengthwise (in strips) and add to the same pan.
Fry until golden-brown/crisp. You can choose to buy fried onions from the store if you want to
circumvent this process.
In an aluminum baking tray, first layer rice, then generously sprinkle fried onions.
Then add a layer of the veggie masala (be generous...masala shrinks in the oven).
Then add another layer of rice. Always start and end with rice.
Now top with another layer of fried onions.
To a cup of yogurt, add 1 tsp Tandoori masala and 1tsp chilli pdr. Pour this over the layer of fried
onions. Try to arrange stuff on the top in a oval (elliptical) fashion so you cover the endsthe flavour will
seep into the middle in the oven.
Add about 10 strands of saffron to warm (not hot) milk (4 tbs) and pour it on the rice similar to the
yoghurt.
Now arrange strands of Mint (pudina) and Coriander (be generous as they will wilt in the ovens heat).
Sprinkle biryani masala and tandoori masala (2 pinches) along the rim of the pan for aroma.
Stick it in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 30-35 min.

Some advice (from past experiences):
Preparing the masala before hand will leave you only the arrangement on the day of the dinner.
Do not buy MDH brand of masalas. ?
Use fresh ginger-garlic for better taste and aroma.