Veggies and Me!

Today I am going to share with you all the recipe of ‘Vegetable Dum Biryani’, ‘Rice Cooked With Vegetables and Spices, from the Cookbook India’s Vegetarian Cooking, by Monisha Bharadwaj. I have modified this recipe according to my tastes here and there. Sounds Yummy, Isnt it !

Biryani’s are everyone’s favourite, may it be Vegetarian or Non-vegetarian – the Chicken Biryani or Mutton Biryani. I, somehow always had disliked Vegetarian Biryani. My Mom always had to run after me to make me have my Vegetable Biryani whenever she would make it 🙂 Infact it was scary for me to have all the veggies, in one plate at a time ! They looked like as those veggies were challenging me to gulp them down 👿 😀 Now when I look back, I myself wonder about the possible reason for my hatred towards them during my childhood, was it the taste ?! .. they look fab and colourful to me now when together in a plate, so looks might not have been a reason.. Cannot really make out the reason for that. I guess there’s really some direct relation between childhood and the repulsion towards Veggies 😀 Oops, am talking in chemistry language !! 😆 My Hubby though still hates veggies 😉 Men,’ Most’ men, and Veggies arent friends anytime of life 😀

As I grew older, and came in the Nutriton field, I began to have food more based on the ‘nutrient’ value rather than my likes and dislikes. And likes automatically became what is healthy and what’s not ! I now love Veggies, and Vegetable biryani too, a lot. I prepare it on weekends mostly for lunch or dinner, and very occasionally on weekdays for dinner.

Vegetable Biryani is healthy, and delicious, especially this one. Yes, I, who once used to ‘hate’ it, am admitting it today. Like Mutton Biryani and Chicken Biryani, Vegetable Biyani is not a Mughalai dish, as far as I know. It is a modified version of the Pulao. A rich, aromatic version of pulao, resembling the Authentic and Aromatic Non-Veg Mughalai Biryani’s.

I usually cherish spending my time in the kitchen. And I reserve these kind of lengthy recipes for moments like these. Leisurely and carefully preparing meals in the kitchen helps me relieve and wind down. I enjoy my time cooking with love for everyone.

The spices, that I am using in the recipe can be bought from any Asian spice stores. I love to add milk and cream to my Biryani’s and make them rich in flavours. You can always alter the amounts of Salt in any of the recipes according to your tastes. I use the mixed frozen vegetables from the market, when I do not have fresh veggies in my house. I find it very useful at those times. You can however use chopped fresh veggies for the Biryani in the recipe.

Vegetable Dum Biryani –  Rice Cooked With Vegetables and Spices

Source: India’s Vegetarian Cooking

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• Spices for the Rice water:

1. Bay Leaves – 2
2. Fennel Seeds/Saunf – 1 tsp
3. Nutmeg Powder – 1 tsp
4. Cinnamon – 1 small stick
5. Cloves – 5
6. Black peppercorns – 8
7. Green cardamom – 3

• Milk – 4 tbsp
• Saffron strands – 1/2 tsp
• Rose Water – 4 tbsp (optional)
• Green cardamoms – 2
• Butter/Canola Oil – 6 tbsp
• Yellow Onion – 3, medium, thinly sliced
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Tomato paste – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt – 1 1/4 tsp
• Frozen Mixed Vegetables (Corn, Carrots, Potatoes, French Beans, Lima beans) – 270 gms
• Red capsicum – 1, chopped
• Basmati Rice – 300 gms
• Mint leaves – 1 tbsp
• Cilantro – 1 tbsp
• Slivered Almonds – 3 tbsp

 

Vegetable Dum Biryani / Tarkari Ka Chawal

Method:

• Preheat Oven to 425 °F /220 °C/Gas Mark 6
• Put the spices meant for the rice water in 600 ml of water. Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Cover the pan and allow the flavours to infuse. This will be our liq. 1.
• Meanwhile crush the two green cardamoms with milk and saffron and rose water and keep aside in a small bowl. This will be our liq. 2.
• In a pan on medium heat, pour 3 tbsp of butter/oil and stir fry the chopped red capsicum. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
• In the same pan and butter/oil fry the onions until brown. Remove half of them and reserve for garnish. Add Ginger garlic paste to the pan and stir fry it along with the remaining onions. Remove from heat and let it cool. Grind the fried Ginger-Garlic and Onion.
• Heat 1 1/2 tbsp butter/oil in a pan and pour the above grinded mixture along with turmeric powder, Garam masala and tomato puree. Season with salt and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.
• Add the frozen mixed vegetables to the tomato and onion mixture in the pan. Also add the stir fried red capsicum. Mix Well and simmer. Let it cook for 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.
• Strain the liq. 1 and keep aside. Throw away the spices.
• In a pan add 1 1/2 tbsp of butter/oil and fry the rice over high heat. (Note: Do not wash the rice before hand. Rinsing will wash away the significant amount of surface starch that contributes to the dish.)
• When the rice has become shiny, add half of the liq. 1 and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover for about 6-8 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
• Take an oven proof dish and start the layering process of the Biryani. The top and bottom layers are always the rice in a Biryani. Start by a layer of rice in the bottom of the dish, then add a layer of Vegetable mixture, then a layer of rice, and layer of vegetable mixture, and then the final rice layer. Pour evently the remaining liq.1 and the liq. 2 and the reserved fried onions on the rice layer. Also sprinkle the chopped coriander and mint leaves, and the slivered almonds on it. Seal the dish with tinfoil.
• Cook the biryani for 40 minutes in the oven reducing the heat to 375 °F/190 °C/Gas Mark 5 after 20 minutes. Open the dish/Remove the tinfoil from the dish, just before serving.

Suggested Accompaniments: Tamatar ki Chutney

This goes as my contribution to Sharmi for the event she is holding Jihva for Ingredients JFI and its Rice this month at her place.