Vegetable Biryani
Vegetable Biryani - A bold and flavorful Indian dish with spiced basmati rice and a thick, fragrant vegetable gravy. This dish may have a lengthy process, but the end result is well worth the effort.
Servings: 8
Calories: 321kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice or other white long grain rice
- 6 cardamom pods
- 6 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 star anise pod
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2.5 tablespoon olive oil or ghee
- 1 white onion sliced 1/4" thin
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron
- 1/4 cup milk hot
- 1/4 teaspoon whole peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick 2" long
- 2 Yukon gold potatoes peeled or unpeeled, cubed to 1/2-3/4" bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 medium carrot peeled and sliced into 1/4" rounds
- 1/2 cup green beans cut into 1" pieces
- 1/2 cup peas fresh, canned, or frozen
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more if you like heat
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint chopped
Instructions
Prep the rice
- Soak the rice in room temperature water for 30 minutes.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add the rice along with 3 cardamom pods, 3 cloves, bay leaf, star anise, and 1 tsp salt. Cook until the rice is 70% cooked- not fully cooked. It should still have some bite to it. Drain the rice and set aside.
Fry the onions & prep saffron milk
- Add 1 tbsp oil to a skillet over medium heat. Dump in the onion, and toss to coat the slices in oil. Let them fry for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until they begin to turn golden.
- Add the raisins, cashews, and almonds to the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes or until the onions are well browned and the nuts are toasty.
- Stir the saffron into the hot milk and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Cook the veggie gravy
- Heat 1.5 tbsp oil or ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and the remaining cloves, cardamom, and bay leaf. Let the spices cook for 10-20 seconds.
- Add the potatoes, cauliflower, carrot, green beans, and peas to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and ginger, stir, and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Stir in the yogurt, water, 1/2 tsp salt, cumin, garam masala, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a bubble then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let everything cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are tender. About 10 minutes. Add more water as the veggies cook if the gravy reduces too much.
Assemble and cook the biryani
- Spread half of the veggie gravy into a heavy bottomed pot with a well fitting lid, I used a dutch oven. Top the veggies with half the rice, then drizzle half the saffron milk over the rice. Top with half the onion mixture, and half of each the cilantro and mint. Repeat with the remaining veggie gravy, rice, saffron milk, and onion mixture.
- Place a large, flat skillet (or pan) with 3 cups of hot water onto the stovetop element over low heat. Add the pot with your biryani into the skillet. Let the biryani cook for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked and tender. This method will give you a nice, even, low heat to gently cook your biryani without burning the bottom.
- Garnish with remaining cilantro and mint before digging in.
Notes
- Leftover biryani will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, stored in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 463mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1471IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 2mg