Vegetable Dum Briyani

Briyani is a luxurious treat given to us by Mughals. When it comes to briyani, we all stand together irrespective of religion, culture and anyother differences.

Simply it can be said as, “Briyani is not just a food but an emotion”❤ Every briyani lover would understand this!! To us, briyani is everything!!

When it comes to Dum Briyani, though it appears to be a tedious process with many steps involved, it is one of the best ways to eat briyani, as the rice along with gravy mixed with spices is getting slow cooked, sealing the lid with a paste of flour or covering it tight with an aluminum foil and then closing with a lid. If ur lid is loose, you can place a weight on top too.

Traditionally dum briyani is prepared with the mix of meat, vegetables and rice, however this a vegetarian alternative with only vegetables. To check my chicken dum briyani, refer to the link attached.

I have used more quantity of vegetables when compared to rice. This way, you can have more vegetables which increases the taste of briyani too. You can select your own vegetables.

As I have said many times, the secret to good cooking is patience❤ It is very important to saute the onions and mint leaves in medium flame to very dark like fried onions. Rest process is very easy and simple. I have shown the color change of onions in below pictures.

Coming to yogurt, it is best to use it or fresh curd. Do not use the sour one. Please keep an eye on this!! The vegetables should be immersed in yogurt. Yogurt brings the taste to this briyani.

This briyani is simply mouth-watering and lite that you will end up eating more for sure. It is not spicy, so even kids can have it though you can always increase the spice by increasing the number of green chillies used.

Any variety of raita- onion raita, boondhi raita, cucumber raita, carrot raita etc.., can be used. It tastes good with salna too.

Highly recommended recipe to try at home. The briyani will be definitely tastier than the restaurant one. Let us check the recipe now❤

INGREDIENTS

To marinate:

  • Mixed vegetables- 900 grams. ( I used cauliflower, carrot, green beans, peas and potato)
  • Yogurt- 700 ml. ( fresh curd which is not sour can be used or go with yogurt)
  • Red chilli powder with coriander powder mix- 1 tbsp
  • Briyani powder- 1 tbsp
  • Fennel seeds powder- 1 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder- 1/4th tsp
  • Salt- as needed to marinate.

To make gravy:

  • Onion- 4 to 5 ( sliced thin lengthwise)
  • Green chilli- 10 ( slit lengthwise)
  • Tomato- 1 ( diced)
  • Ginger garlic paste- 1 and a half tbsp
  • Mint leaves- 1 bunch
  • Coriander leaves- half bunch
  • Cinnamon stick- 1 inch
  • Cloves- 5
  • Cardamom- 3
  • Star aniseed- 1
  • Bay leaf- 2 big ( I used 3 small)
  • Salt- as needed for gravy.

To make rice:

  • Basmati rice – 700 grams
  • Bay leaf- 1
  • Cinnamon stick- 1 inch
  • Cardamom- 2 pods
  • Cloves- 3
  • Peppercorns- 5
  • Star aniseed- 1
  • Salt- as needed to cook rice.

To layer:

  • Fried Onions- 1 cup
  • Saffron soaked in hot milk
  • Mint leaves- handful
  • Coriander leaves- handful.

PROCEDURE

Please go through the explanations carefully.

Clean the vegetables very well and slice them in shape and you wish. If you slice the pieces in big size, they will be looking good in briyani. So slice the pieces big.

Add all the spices in “to marinate” section.
Add yogurt now and marinate for atleast 2 hours. Be generous with yogurt or fresh curd. Do not use sour curd.
Tie all the spices in “to make rice” in a piece of cloth like this. Keep it ready. The spices can be added directly to the rice and cooked too.
Clean the rice well and soak it in water for 30 minutes.
Hear 1 and a half tbsp of ghee and 1 tbsp of oil in a pan in medium flame. Add bay leaves, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, star aniseed.
Add the slit green chillies and saute for a minute.
Add the finely sliced onions. Sauting the onions in medium flame is the most important process. Saute till it turns golden brown.
Once onions turn golden brown, add ginger garlic paste. Saute till the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes away. The onions should turn dark brown.
Once the onions turn dark brown, add mint leaves. Saute till the mint leaves turn dark in medium flame.
Mint leaves are dark now. Onions are completely browned like fried onions. This consistency should be reached for good taste and it should be done in medium flame.
Add the diced tomatoes now. Mix everything together.
Add the marinated vegetables now.
Mix everything together. Let the gravy come to boil.
Add the finely chopped coriander leaves.
Cover it with a lid and cook till the vegetables get cooked slightly above three-fourth in medium flame.
Drain the water from soaked rice.
Boil water in a big pot. Once water comes to boil, add the drained rice, cloth with spices and salt needed.
Cook rice to three-fourth but not full.
Once rice is cooked to three-fourth, drain the rice in a sieve. I threw the cloth with spices out.
Meanwhile gravy is also ready. Vegetables are cooked slightly above three-fourth. Switch off the flame now.
Now keep a dosa tava on the stove.
Keep a big pot on top. Add 1 tbsp of ghee and 1 tbsp of oil.
Add the gravy first.
Now layer on top with three-fourth cooked rice and level it on top.
Add the fried onions and the saffron milk on top.
Add the chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves on top.
Cover it tight with an aluminum foil on top. Make sure there is no way for the flavor to escape out. You can also cover it with a flour paste around the corners of the lid by closing it. Keep the flame in very low.
Close it tight with a lid on top. If your lid is not tight, place a weight on top. Cook in very low flame for 40 to 50 minutes.
Once opening after 40 to 50 minutes. It is cooked completely. The briyani can be served as layers too or it can be mixed together before serving.
Ready.

TIPS

  • Only fresh curd which is not sour should be used. Best go with yogurt.
  • The measurements are very accurate.
  • You can always serve it as layers too. It can be layered in two layers too. I have shown you one layer method.
  • Marination of the vegetables should be done for atleast 2 hours.