INGREDIENTS:
- Fried Onions:
- 2 Medium sized Onions finely sliced length wise
- Oil to shallow fry
- Vegetable Masala:
- 4 table spoons ghee or oil
- 2 inch cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
- 4 green cardamoms (Elaichi)
- 1 black cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
- 2 big strands of mace (Javitri)
- 1 star anise (Chakra Phool)
- 6 cloves (Laung)
- 1 bay leaf (Tej Patta)
- ½ tsp shahi jeera
- 1 large boiled potato cubed (peel the skin and boil till ¾ done)
- 8 medium sized cauliflower florets
- 1 large carrot chopped
- fistful of green peas
- 5-6 French beans chopped roughly
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp of biryani masala powder (readily available at any store)
- 1/3 tsp red chili powder (Lal Mirch powder)
- 1/8 tsp turmeric (Haldi Powder)
- 6 table spoons of Curd (Dahi)
- 1 ½ tbsps mint leaves chopped finely (Pudina)
- 1 Green Chilli slit from middle (Hari Mirch)
- salt to taste
- Rice:
- 1 and 1/2 cups of Basmasti Rice washed and soaked for at least 1/2 an hr.
- 1 tea spoon ghee or oil
- ¼ tsp shahi jeera
- salt to taste
- For Dum:
- Few saffron strands
- 10 table spoons for Curd (Dahi)
- 30 ml hot milk to soak the saffron strands
- almonds as per your desire (optional, I have not used)
- raisins as per your desire
- cashews as per your desire
- 2 table spoons of Mint leaves finely chopped (Pudina)
- 2 table spoons of Coriander leaves finely chopped (Hara Dhaniya)PREPARATION:Fried Onions:
- Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions. Fry them till they become brown.
- Do not overcook. Remove the onions from the oil. Drain the excessive oil. Set aside.
Vegetable Masala:- Heat oil in a pan, add the dry spices except shahi jeera . Sauté till you get an aroma. takes around a min, do not burn.
- Add shahi jeera and sauté.
- Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for a min.
- Add potatoes and fry for 2 to 3 mins.
- Add the rest of the vegetables and fry for 2 to 3 mins.
- Add turmeric, salt, red chili powder and biryani masala powder. Fry for a min.
- Pour 6 tbsps curd and mix and cook covered for 2 to 3 mins.
- Cook uncovered till the moisture in the yogurt evaporates.
- Add mint and green chilies. Mix well and fry for a min. Set aside.
For Cooking Rice:- In a large pot, bring 5 cups of water to boil, add oil, salt, shahi jeera and rice. Adjust the salt.
- Cook this rice till it is ¾ done. Drain off the excess water and set aside.
For Dum Biryani:- Transfer half of the vegetable masala to a utensil or pressure pan with a heavy bottom or your dum biryani utensil. Set aside the other half of the veggies masala.
- Add nuts and raisins.
- Sprinkle half of the Fried onions.
- Pour the 10 tablespoons of curd to the biryani pan, (not to the one that is set side). Mix well and check the salt. Begin to heat on a low flame.
- Layer half of the rice on top of this masala.
- Now add a layer of the remaining vegetable masala.
- Add a few Fried onions and layer with remaining rice.
- Add nuts, chopped mint and coriander leaves and the remaining fried onions.
- Begin to heat an old heavy bottom tawa (griddle).
- In the biryani pan add the milk with saffron strands dipped.
- Cover the pan with 2 thick moist kitchen towels. Place the lid and a heavy object on the lid.
- Move this pan to the hot tawa, cook on medium flame for 5 mins & set the flame to low. cook this way for 5 mins
SERVING: - Serve hot with Onion Raita, or any gravy dish.
- Garnish with nuts or mint leaves or fried onions
