Vegetable Biryani

Holi Hai!

How best to celebrate Holi but with colours? Given that I am a neat freak, my splash of colours went my plate rather than my clothes! After all, Vegetable Biryani is well worth it when it comes to cooking for festivals. This is an authentic veg biryani recipe and not the phoney pilaf versions sold at some fake Indian restaurants.

Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. You will be well rewarded for your endevaour with the results. Thanks to my college chum Nidhi and blogger buddy Prathu for being my inspiration for this recipe.

Ingredients:
1. Safrron, 4-5 strands
2. cloves, 8
3. cardamom, 8
4. black cardamom (badi elaichi) 2
5. bay leaf, 1
6. yogurt 2 cups, whisked.
7. Salt to taste
8. .5 tsp red chili powder
9. Ghee or clarified butter, 2 tsp
10. oil, 4-5 tsp
11. cinnamon or dalchini, 2 1-inces sticks
12. Veg biryani masala, appx 4-5 tsp
13. veg biryani paste, 4-5 tsp
14. onions, 2, sliced.
15. tomato, 1 chopped in bite size pieces.
16. red bell pepper or shimla mirch, 1, chopped
17. cauliflower, florets abt 15
18. green beans, 1 cup, chopped
19. peas, 1 cup
20, carrots, 1 cup.
21. cashewnuts, a handful
22. rice, 2.5 cups
23. garlic, 2 pods, minced
24. ginger, 2 inches long, minced
25. potatoes, 2, diced
26. fresh curry leaves, 3 twigs
27. whole peppercorns, 4

Instructions:
1. Wash rice and in a rice cooker, add rice, water, bay leaf, 1 inch cinnamon, peppercorns, 4 cloves, 4 green cardamom,2 black cardamom, salt, oil, saffron and let it cook.
2. When done, set it aside and let is cook.
3. In a big bowl, marinate potato, cauliflower in whisked yogurt.
4. In a big wok, heat ghee.
5. Add 4 cardamom, 4 cloves, 1inch cinnamon, cashewnuts,curry leaves, onion, garlic, ginger and fry until the onion turns golden brown.
6. Add the marinated vegetables in yogurt and then add veg biryani masala and paste.
7. cook until the potatoes turn golden brown and slightly coated with the spices.
8. Add red bell pepper, peas, carrots, green beans, some water and mix well.
9. Cook until all vegetables are al-dente and adjust seasoning as per taste. Add salt and mix.
10. In an oven safe dish, line it with aluminium foil.
11. Add a layer of rice then the cooked vegetables, alternate layers of rice and vegetables in this oven safe dish.
12. Cover with foil and put it in a pre-heated oven at 350 deg for 5 mins.
13. Mix well and cook for another 5 mins.

Serve warm