Vegetable Hyderabadi Biryani

Ingredients

1½ cups Basmati rice 2 large sized Potato 3 medium sized Carrot 5-6 French beans 1/4 small sized Cauliflower 4 large sized Onion 3/4 inch piece Ginger 6 cloves Garlic 1/3 medium bunch Fresh mint (pudina) 1/3 medium bunch Fresh coriander leaves Saffron a few strands 2 tbsps Milk 5 Almonds 2 tbsps Raisins (kishmish) 5 Cashew nuts Oil to deep fry 1/2 cup Yogurt 3 tbsps Biryani Masala powder 4 tbsps Pure ghee Salt to taste Dough to seal

Method

Pick, wash and soak rice in three cups of water for half an hour. Drain. Add four cups of water and salt. Bring to a boil and cook till the rice is three fourth done. Drain excess water and spread out on a plate to cool. Peel, wash, cut potatoes and carrots into half inch sized cubes. String, wash and cut French beans into half inch sized pieces. Separate cauliflower into smaller florets, wash and drain them. Peel, wash and slice onions. Peel, wash and grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste. Clean, wash and chop mint leaves and coriander leaves. Par boil potatoes, carrots, French beans and cauliflower in two cups of salted water. Drain and keep aside. Dissolve saffron in warm milk. Blanch almonds in half a cup of warm water. Wash raisins and pat them dry. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep-fry sliced onions till golden brown. Drain onto an absorbent paper. Beat yogurt. Add two tablespoons of Khazana Biryani Masala, half of the fried onions, ginger-garlic paste and parboiled vegetables. Allow to marinate for one hour. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed vessel, add the marinated vegetables and sauté for two to three minutes. Add three-fourth cup of water and bring to a boil, then simmer for two to three minutes. Preheat oven to 180°C. Transfer the vegetables into a thick bottomed handi. Layer the rice over the cooked vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining Biryani Masala, chopped mint leaves, chopped coriander leaves and the remaining fried onions. Garnish with cashew nuts, almonds and raisins. Sprinkle saffron milk. Place a moist cloth on top, cover with a lid and seal with dough. Put the sealed handi in the pre-heated oven and cook at 180°C for fifteen to twenty minutes. Alternately keep the handi on a heated tawa and cook on very low heat for fifteen to twenty minutes. Serve hot.