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Biryani is a South Asian mixed rice dish with its origins among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent.

Biryani is made with spices, rice and meat (chicken, mutton, beef, prawn, or fish) or vegetables. Sometimes egg is also added.

Depending on the region and the condiments available and popular in that region, there are different varieties of biryani. The variety often takes the name of the region (for example, Sindhi biryani developed in the Sindh region of what is now Pakistan, Hyderabadi biryani developed in the city of Hyderabad in South India etc.).

In vegetable biryani you may use any vegetables of your choice for example potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, green peas, beans etc.

It is a four steps cooking - first step requires frying of onions, second step is cooking of vegetables in spices and yogurt (dahi), third step requires cooking of rice (or basmati rice) with aromatic whole spices and final step requires making layers of cooked rice, cooked vegetables and fried onions in a big pot and then cook them together.

Vegetable Biryani requires lots of patience and time but the outcome is super delicious, so it's worth in all senses. It's a perfect dish for any occasion.

It's a main dish, can be served in lunch or dinner and goes very well with dahi (yogurt/curd) chutney or any raita of your choice.

Ingredients

Preparation

• To deep fry the onions, heat oil in a saucepan or a kadai on a medium heat. Once oil gets hot lower the flame and put thin sliced onions into it.

• Be careful when you put onions in oil as oil foam may rise up. Don't add onions in one go but add in small portions.

• Now change the flame to medium and fry the onions till they turn into golden brown. Stir occasionally.

• Take out the fried onions on an absorbent paper and spread them to stop their further cooking process. Keep them aside for later use.

• Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in another pan. Add black pepper corns, 1.5 tsp cumin seeds, cloves, potato cubes, chopped carrots, cauliflower florets. Mix them well.

• Sauté them for approximately 5-7 minutes on a medium flame or till they are slightly cooked and turns a bit into golden brown. Stir in between.

• Now add ginger julienne and half splitted green chillies. Cook for 2 more minutes.

• Then add green beans, green peas, turmeric powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste and 1/2 tsp garam masala. Mix well and cook for another 2 minutes. Green beans and green peas requires less time to cook that why add them in the end.

• Now add yogurt into it, mix well and remove the pan from the flame. Keep it aside.

• Wash rice properly until the water runs clear. Soak them in water.

• Take water in a saucepan (for 1 cup of rice use 5-6 cups of water), add 1/2 tsp of garam masala, 1.5 tsp of cumin seeds, bay leaves and salt (to taste) into it. Bring it to a boil.

• Add soaked rice into it. Cook on a medium flame till rice gets half cooked.

• Take a big saucepan. Spread the half portion of cooked vegetables into it. Then make a layer of half cooked rice over it. Spread deep fried onions on rice and sprinkle some garam masala.

• Again spread the remaining vegetables on the top of it. Spread another layer of remaining rice over it. Sprinkle deep fried onions over it. Sprinkle some garam masala. Spread ghee evenly on the top. Add 1/4 cup of water.

• Cover it with a tight lid. Cook it for approximately 5 minutes on a medium flame and then 15 minutes on a low flame.

• Make sure rice is cooked properly and no water is left behind.

• Vegetable biryani is ready to serve.

• Serve it hot with raita of your choice and/or chutney.