Ingredients
For Cooking Vegetables
- 1 box Biryani Sauce
- 20 oz Mix vegetables of your choice (Peas, Chopped carrots, Green beans, Boiled Potatoes, Broccoli, Cauliflower)
- 6 oz Paneer (optional)
- 1 tsp Salt for cooking
For Cooking Rice
- 2.5 cups Uncooked Basmati Rice
- 7-8 cups water
- 1 Bayleaf
- 2-3 cardamom pods
- 4Tbsp Oil of your choice
For Garnishing
- Fried Onions (store bought or homemade)
- Rose Water (optional)
- Melted Ghee (optional)
- Cilantro and Mint for garnishing
- 10-15 strands of Saffron soaked in half cup of warm milk
Method
- Cook basmati rice for exactly 5 minutes in boiling water with whole spices, salt and oil to get it to the right doneness - which is 70%. Drain the rice well to get rid of any excess water. The rice will continue to steam when we finally cook it along with vegetables. Keep the rice aside.
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Place the Biryani sauce, mix vegetables and salt in a dutch oven or a large pot that you plan to use for cooking the biryani, and cook them covered for 5 minutes.
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Once the vegetables are partially cooked, the next step is to layer it with the fried onions, mint and cilantro.
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The final step is layering with 70% cooked basmati rice. Sprinkle saffron milk and ghee on top and cover tightly with a lid. It's important to cook this on a low flame so that the heat distributes evenly and the bottom doesn't get burnt. Cook for around 30 mins.
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Serve with Raita (yogurt with vegetables)
Tip
Cook the Biryani in a dutch oven because it heats evenly and stays warm. It also has a thick bottom that does not let your food get burnt easily. Another tip is to keep the biryani pot on a tava or flat skillet. This will stop it from coming in contact with direct heat, and it'll steam at a low heat.