Vegetable Dum Biryani

Vegetable Dum Biryani is the most popular rice, prepared with flavourful Indian spices and varieties of colourful vegetables. In this Biryani, rice and vegetables are cooked  separately,then layered and cooked on dum, Dum is nothing but the steam and  hence this biryani got its name as Dum Biryani.It is the most authentic dish of Hyderbadis. Vegetable Dum Biryani  goes best with Mirch Ka Salan , which I am going to post it very soon.  Let see what all is required for this wonderful recipe..........

INGREDIENTS 

For Rice

• Rice - 4 cups(small rice cooker cups)
• Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
• Oil - 1tbsp
• Salt to taste

 Whole spices for Rice

• Bay leaves - 3
• Cloves - 5
• Star anise - 2
• Mace( Javitri ) - 2 pieces
• Green cardamom - 2
• Black cardamom - 1
• Cinnamon stick - 2 inch
• Shahi jeera - 2 tsp or Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Curry for Biryani

• Onion (large) - 1 sliced
• Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
• Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Green chillies - 5
• Potato - 2 big
• Carrot - 6 medium
• Green peas - 1/2 cup
• French beans - 1/2 cup
• Thick beaten yogurt - 1 cup
• Cauliflower - 1/2 cup
• Cilantro - 1/4 cup
• Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
• Tumeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves), crushed - 1 tsp
• Oil - 3 tbsp
• Salt to taste

 Whole spices for curry

• Bay leaves - 3
• Cloves -4
• Star anise - 2
• Green cardamom - 2
• Black cardamom - 1
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
• Shahi jeera - 2 tsp or Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Nutmeg (grated/powder) -1/2 tsp
• Peppercorns - 5

Ingredients for in between the layers

• French fried onions - 1& 1/2cup
• Cilantro - 1 cup
• Mint leaves - 4 tbsp
• Saffron strands - 1/2 tsp (soaked into 1/4 cup of milk
• Food colour - red, yellow (optional)
• Badshah biryani ready made masala - 2 tsp

PREPARATION

For making rice

• Wash  the rice and soak them  for 20 minutes .
• Bring large pot of water to boil. Once the water comes to boil add oil, lemon juice,salt and whole spices.
• Then add soaked rice  into water and cook till it is 70% done. 
• Drain the cooked rice using strainer. Rinse the rice with cold water and drain the water completely from rice.
• Then spread the rice on the plates.Do not pile up the rice.

For making curry

• Cut all the vegetables and slice the onion very thinly.
• Heat the thick bottom pan on medium flame and add oil into it.
• When oil heats up,add whole spices and saute them for about 1 minute.
• Then add sliced onions and fry till they are light brown in colour.
• Add all the paste and dry masala powder and fry till all the raw smell goes away.
• Now add yogurt and all the cut vegetables except cauliflower and cook till it is 70% done.
• If required you can add little water to vegetables which will help the vegetables to cook.Do not add more water because we want a thick gravy.
• Finally add  cauliflower,crushed kasoori methi and cilantro.
• Cauliflower is added at the end because it cooks fast and loses its texture.

• Before the assembling of biryani ,Soak the saffron strands into the warm milk. 
• If your using food colours,add each colour into 2 tbsp of milk.
• Chop the mint leaves and cilantro.
• Have the ready french fried onions.

Assembling and cooking of Biryani

• For cooking I used large size aluminium foil tray.
• Preheat the oven at 375 F.
• Start the first layer with vegetable curry,add half of the vegetable curry into the tray and spread it evenly.  Now add half of the rice over the curry and spread evenly. Now sprinkle saffron milk  and food colour milk.Do not pour the mixture, use your fingers for sprinkling the mixture over the rice.Then add chopped mint leaves,chopped cilantro, french fried onions and 1 tsp ready made biryani garam masala powder.
• In same way,repeat the second layer by adding vegetable curry and rice as in the above step.
• Cover the tray using the multiple layers of aluminium foil  and seal them around the edges of the tray and make sure that the steam does not escapes from the biryani.
• Then place  the tray in the oven and cook the biryani for 45 minutes.
• Vegetable Dum Biryani is ready to serve. It goes well with Mirch Salan and onion raitha.