Veg Biryani Recipe

How to make Vegetable Biryani | One pot Veg Biryani Recipe | Veg Biryani by absorption method

Hello Friends,

Today I am going to share my version of veg biryani recipe which I have been following religiously for many years.. Sharing recipe with step by step photos..

 Quick Recap

Vegetable Biryani is an aromatic, rich and exotic rice based dish cooked with the goodness of colorful assorted vegetables and flavored with an aromatic spices.

The word biryani is an Urdu word and it is derived from the farsi words Birian and Birinj. Birian means fried before cooking and Birinj means rice.

Did you know that Biryani is actually a non vegetarian rice and meat based dish and their is no such existence or mention of veg biryani anywhere in the history. To be very honest our veg biryani recipe is the modified recipe of biryani where meat is replaced with vegetables..

Traditionally the dum pukht - slow cooking method was used to make this dish. Another interesting thing is that for this recipe rice were not rinsed or soaked, but they were used as it is and directly fried for a nutty flavor and to prevent it from clumping.

Did you know there are two types of biryani - Kachi (raw) biryani and Pakki (cooked) biryani. In Kachi biryani raw marinated meat is layered with raw rice and both cooked together and where as in pakki biryani is like half cooked rice are layered with completely cooked meat and then dum cooking is followed...

For today's recipe I am going to follow absorption method of cooking.. I also make this recipe by cooking rice by draining method, but it depends on the mood and availability of time.. And in that method layered process is accompanied. Today's recipe is uncomplicated and quick compare to cooking rice by draining method.

Let's get started 

☑Recipe details

♨Preparation time 10-12 minutes

♨Cooking time 25-30 minutes

♨Servings 2-3

☑Ingredients required

✔1 cup (150 grams) long grain basmati rice

✔1 onion

✔2-3 garlic cloves

✔2 cups assorted vegetables

(Preferably cauliflower, potato, french beans, peas and carrots)

✔2 tbsp ghee

✔⅓ tsp shahi jeera or cumin seeds

✔1-2 cloves

✔4-5 peppercorns

✔1 no. Tez patta - bay leaf

✔1 tsp red chilli powder

✔Salt to taste

✔ 8-10 saffron strands or saffron color

☑To grind - For Biryani Masala paste

✔1½ tbsp biryani masala

✔2-3 tbsp Curd (preferably sour)

✔1-2 tbsp fresh cream

✔1 green chilli

✔2 tsp red chilli powder

✔½ tomato

✔¼ tsp sugar

✔2-3 garlic cloves

☑Method

♨Step 1 Mise en place - rice soaking & Vegetable cutting

◾Rice - wash the rice under running tap water, soak it for 20-25 minutes and then drain the water. Keep it aside until called for.

◾Onion - peeled and sliced.

◾Garlic - peeled and roughly chopped

◾Carrots - peeled - cut into little cubes

◾Potato - peeled - cut into little cubes.

◾Cauliflower - cut into small florets.

♨Step 2 Prepare Biryani masala paste

◾Combine all the ingredients mentioned under ' to grind' in a blender and mix till smooth. Keep it aside until called for.

♨Step 3 Cooking time

◾Heat a heavy bottomed handi, kadai or non stick pan with 2 tbsp of ghee in it over moderate flame. Add shahi jeera, saute till they begin to sizzle. Add cloves, whole peppercorns, bay leaf and saute them till they become fragrant.

◾Add onions - stir fry for 3-4 minutes till it turns light golden brown.

◾Add mixed vegetables, mix it well and then saute them over a low heat for 3-5 minutes.

◾Add salt and red chili powder to it. Mix it all well

◾Add biryani masala paste prepared above. Mix it well and cook till the oil starts to separate. 

◾Add rice and saffron and stir fry rice in this mixture for 3-4 minutes on medium flame. Take good care at this stage as mix gently and ensure to it rice doesn't get stuck to the bottom.

◾Pour required amount of water (depending on the quality of rice) at this stage and bring it to boil. Now cook rice on high flame until 85-90% water is evaporated.

◾After that, follow dum cooking method, i.e. you have to place a griddle pan on a gas stove and place rice pan above it. Gently stir rice with the back of the​ rice spoon, tightly cover it with lid and cook it on slow flame till the rice is done. Remove from flame and switch off the gas stove. 

◾Our biryani is ready to dish out. Garnish it with cashew nuts.

◾Serve hot with veg boondi raita, papad and pickle.