Restaurant Style Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients

• 3/4 inch ginger
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 inch cinnamon
• 3 cloves
• 3 dried red chillies
• 5 cashews
• 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds (sombu)
• 3 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 2 Maratti Moggu (kapok buds)
• 2 cardamom
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 cups diced veggies
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 heaped tablespoon yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves
• 1.5 cup water
• 1 cup seeraga samba rice or basmati rice

Instructions

1. 1

   Before starting to cook, soak the basmati rice in water.

2. 2

   First lets make a paste. Grind the ingredients listed under “masala paste” with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Set aside.

3. 3

   Heat oil in a pan. I have used 3 tablespoon of oil today. Add in the maratti moggu and cardamom. Add in the bay leaf and sliced onions and fry till the onions are starting to brown.

4. 4

   Add in the tomatoes and saute til the tomatoes are well cooked and juiced down.

5. 5

   Add in the vegetables. Saute the veggies for a minute. Add in the ground masala paste and saute the mixture for five minutes on a medium flame.

6. 6

   Add in the lime juice, yogurt and turmeric.

7. 7

   Add in the salt. Saute the mixture well for a couple of minutes.

8. 8

   Add in half a cup each of chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves. Saute for a minute. Add in the water. Let it come to a boil. Add in the drained basmati rice to the pressure cooker. Mix well once. Cover the pressure pan with a lid and leave it exactly for 2 whistles on medium flame. Switch off the flame and let the pressure from the cooker release naturally.

9. 9

   Serve hot.