SERVES 4
Even though biryanis are usually prepared with meats such as chicken, lamb or goat, or with seafood, this one is for the vegetarians. It owes its origins to the Indian city of Hyderabad, a city known for its meat dishes, particularly its biryanis. This dish captures all the hearty flavors of the typical Hyderabadi biryani, and you will not miss the meat or seafood. Enjoy it hot with a side of yogurt raita.
For preparing the vegetable-yogurt base
10 medium-sized cauliflower florets
1 large potato large, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes and half-boiled
1 large carrot, chopped into 1½-inch pieces and halved
½ cup green peas
6 beans chopped into 1½-inch piece
3 tbsp mint leaves, chopped
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
3 tbsp fenugreek leaves, chopped
2 green chilies, slit
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2-inch cinnamon stick
4 green cardamoms
1 black cardamom
¼ tsp ground mace
1 star anise
6 cloves
2 bay leaves
½ tsp caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
1 tsp biryani masala powder. You can also use garam masala
½ tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste). I use the mild Kashmiri chili powder
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1 cup yogurt, beaten
4 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp saffron strands
1 onion large, thinly sliced
For cooking the rice al dente
1½ cups long-grained basmati rice
¼ tsp caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
1 bay leaf
For layering the biryani
3 tbsp milk to soak the saffron strands
¼ cup black raisons
½ cup cashews
1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1 Heat the vegetable oil and 1 tbsp of the clarified butter in a large pan over high heat. Add the sliced onions and fry them till they golden brown. Set aside half of them for later.
2 Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add 2 tbsp of the clarified butter to the pan. Add dry spices (cinnamon stick, green cardamom, black cardamom, ground mace, star anise, cloves, bay leaves) and sauté them till they release their aromas, about 2 minutes.
3 Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes away.
4 Add turmeric, biryani or garam masala powder, red chili powder and slit green chilies. Sauté for about 2 minutes.
5 Add ½ cup of the beaten yogurt and mix well.
6 Add the vegetables to the yogurt-spice mixture, mix well and cover. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the vegetables till they are al dente (cooked such that they are still firm when poked with a fork), about 8 minutes.
Complete the next three steps while the vegetables are cooking.
7 While the vegetables are cooking, bring about 10 cups of water to a boil. Add the rice, caraway seeds and bay leaf to the water and bring to boil again. Cook the rice till it is al dente, about 5 minutes. Pour the contents in a colander and drain the water out.
8 Warm the milk and soak saffron in it. Set aside.
9 Heat 1 tbsp of the clarified butter in a small pan over medium-high heat. When the ghee is hot, add the cashews and roast them till they turn brown, stirring constantly, about 1½ minutes. Be careful as the cashews can burn fast.
10 Add the remaining ½ cup of the beaten yogurt, 1½ tbsp of the mint leaves, 1½ tbsp of the cilantro leaves and 1½ tbsp of the fenugreek leaves to the al dente cooked vegetable mixture and mix gently.
11 Layer the al dente cooked rice on top of the vegetable-yogurt mixture.
12 Pour the saffron soaked warm milk over the rice. Layer the rice with the fried onions, the remaining mint, cilantro and fenugreek leaves, roasted cashews and raisins.
13 Cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil that is big enough to wrap around the edges of the pan. Cover the pan by placing the lid tightly over the aluminum foil. If possible, place a heavy weight over the lid to get a tight sealing.
14 Turn the heat to low and let the rice and vegetables cook completely, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and mix gently. The vegetable biryani is ready.
Serve with plain yogurt or with yogurt raita
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