Vegetable biryani recipe

1. 1

   Soak the saffron in nondairy milk. Set aside.

Make biryani rice

1. 2

   Place basmati rice in a colander and wash it under running water until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a bowl covered with an inch of water. Let the rice stand 30 minutes, then drain,

2. 3

   Bring a large pot of salted water to boil with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and caraway seeds. Once the water is at a rolling boil, add the strained rice. Cook 6-7 minutes until the rice is about 80 percent done--tender but with a good bite to it still. Strain the rice in a colander and rinse in cool water. Set aside.

   6 min

Make biryani curry sauce

1. 4

   Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the caraway seeds, cloves and cardamom.

2. 5

   Add to the pot the carrots, potatoes and squash. Add the ginger garlic paste, salt and mix. Cover and cook the veggies for 5 minutes or until they are almost cooked. Stir frequently to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.

   5 min
3. 6

   Add the bell peppers and mushrooms and mix. Cover and continue cooking another five minutes. Add the herbs--cilantro, dried mint and dried dill. Mix well.

4. 7

   Add the vegan yogurt followed by ground coriander and cayenne or paprika. Mix them in. Stir in half the fried onions, raw cashews and biryani masala spice mix.

5. 8

   Stir in the optional tofu. Add a cup of water to the pot and stir it in to make the masala curry sauce. Once the masala comes to a boil, check for salt and add more if needed. Turn off the heat.

Assemble biryani

1. 9

   Scatter the cooked rice over the masala in an even layer. Sprinkle the saffron milk over the rice followed by some fresh or dried mint, a few pinches of biryani masala and the remaining fried onions.

2. 10

   Cover with a tight lid and cook over high heat for five minutes, then lower the heat and continue cooking 10 more minutes. Let the biryani stand 10 minutes, uncovered, before serving.

   10 min