Vegetable Biryani Recipe (Desi Biryani)

For cooking the rice perfectly forvegetable biryani, clean and wash the rice till you get clear water. Always make use of best quality long grained rice to get aromatic and flavorful biryani.

Submerge the rice in enough water, cover with a lid and soak for 30 minutes.

Drain the basmati rice and keep aside.

In a deep non-stick pan, add 4½ cups of water and salt. Bring it to a boil.

Add the bayleaf, cinnamon, clove and cardamom. They provide a subtle flavour and pleasant aroma to the basmati rice.

Transfer the soaked and drained rice.

Gently stir the rice once. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium flame for 10 to 12 minutes or till the rice is almost cooked (95% cooked).

Strain the rice using a strainer.

You can also refresh the rice with cold water so that the internal cooking of rice grains stops. Transfer the rice to a big plate or thali and cool completely. Keep aside.

To make the vegetable gravy for vegetable biryani, Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan. Also, you can make use of ghee to give a rich flavour.

When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds.

When the seeds crackle, add the onions.

Sauté the onions on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes or till the onions turn translucent.

Add the ginger-green chilli paste. Our website has a recipe for which you can store for upto 2 months.

Add the turmeric powder.

Add the coriander powder.

Add the chilli powder. If you love spicy food, then add some more.

Add the garam masala and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds. I have made use of a freshly made, aromatic, homemade garam masala.

Add the tomatoes. You can skip adding tomatoes if you dislike.

Also, add 2 tbsp of water which will help in cooking the tomatoes & prevent the spices from burning.

Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the mixed vegetables.

Add the paneer. We have used homemade fresh paneer.

Add the salt and milk. Milk enhances the flavor of the vegetate biryani.

Mix gently and cook on a medium flame for another 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

Add the sugar. Sugar is optional but, it helps in balancing the flavours especially the tang from tomatoes. Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 more minute & our vegetable gravy forveg biryaniis ready.

To make vegetable biryani, Put the curds in a medium sized bowl.

Whisk the fresh curd using a whisk.

Add the coriander.

Add the saffron colour or saffron powder and mix well. Instead of saffron colour you can make use of saffron strands soaked in a little warm water.

Mix it well using a spoon.

Add the curd-coriander-saffron coloured mixture to the prepared rice.

Mix gently with the help of two spoons so it spreads evenly.

Transfer ½ of the rice mixture in a handi.

Spread it evenly with the back of a spoon to form a layer.

Add all the prepared vegetable gravy on it and spread it evenly.

Top it with the remaining ½ of the rice mixture and spread it evenly.

Pour the ghee evenly over it. If you don’t like ghee, then drizzle milk.

Cover it with a lid and place the handi on a non-stick tava (griddle).

Cook on a slow flame for 25 to 30 minutes and our vegetable biryani is ready.

Garnish the vegetable biryani with fried onions.

Garnish thewith fried cashew nuts.

To serve along with vegetable biryani, you can prepare a raita quickly referring our recipe of Boondi Raita, Beetroot, Cucumber and Tomato Raita or Onion Raita.

Mix gently.