VEGETALBLE HYDERABADI BIRYANI: Preparation Time : nil Cooking Time : nil
Serves / Makes : 4 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 tillthe rice is three fourth done. Drain excess water and spread out on aplate to cool. Peel, wash, cut potatoes and carrots into half inchsized cubes. String, wash and cut French beans into half inch sizedpieces. Separate cauliflower into smaller florets, wash and drain them.Peel, wash and slice
onions. Peel, wash and grind ginger and garlic toa fine paste.Clean, wash and chop mint leaves and coriander leaves.Par boil potatoes, carrots, French beans and cauliflower in two cups ofsalted water. Drain and keep aside. Dissolve saffron in warm milk.Blanch almonds in half a cup of warm water. Wash raisins and pat themdry. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep-fry sliced onions tillgolden brown. Drain onto an absorbent paper. Beat yogurt. Add twotablespoons of Khazana Biryani Masala, half of the fried onions,ginger-garlic paste and parboiled vegetables. Allow to marinate for onehour. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed vessel, add the marinatedvegetables and sauté for two to three minutes. Add three-fourth cup ofwater and bring to a boil, then simmer for two to three minutes.Preheat oven to 180°C. Transfer the vegetables into a thick bottomedhandi. Layer the rice over the cooked vegetables. Sprinkle theremaining Biryani Masala, chopped mint leaves, chopped coriander leavesand the remaining fried onions. Garnish with cashew nuts, almonds andraisins. Sprinkle saffron milk. Place a moist cloth on top, cover witha lid and seal with dough. Put the sealed handi in the pre-heated ovenand cook at 180°C for fifteen to twenty minutes. Alternately keep thehandi on a heated tawa and cook on very low heat for fifteen to twentyminutes. Serve hot.