Vegetable Biryani | One Pot Meal — KarthisKitchenStudio

Hey buddies,

Hope everyone is enjoying a Fantastic Friday. My recent days in Burgh are completely different from my usual ones. I commute to work by bus and each person I meet during travel has numerous stories to share – few engrossed in a book, some lost in their mobile whereas few ones are crazy like me observing everyone with a sheer curiosity.

My present mornings are calm and harmonious. And my evenings are serene with my plants, some loud music and millions of kooky wacky thoughts in mind unlike the usual talkative ones with my bestie. I am taking life in its pace and moving with the flow rather than my usual hasty nasty days. This is different but I am liking it and I am not certain as how long I could enjoy such calm days! Typical Me!

It’s Friday again and this weekend will be consumed by the classic – The Sea Garden. And though I wander alone in my home, I never forget to celebrate Friday and welcome weekends. I am enjoying this Friday with my childhood favorite – Vegetable Biryani

Vegetable Biryani is woven with lots of childhood memories. This is a must delectable relish at least a weekend in a month. I am my cousins stayed nearby during my childhood days in my hometown. Oh, I miss the place dearly. Whenever aunts or amma prepares Biryani at home, they never forget to pack a box for others – a box packed with spicy delicious Biryani and pure love. But then we grew and we live in different regions presently. That’s the sad part of growing up! Those flawless childhood days are awesome when we had the only responsibility of studies.

This Vegetable Biryani is prepared in the same way like how my Amma and aunt used to prepare. The ingredients and preparation of Biryani may vary from region to region and the spiciness depends entirely on the spice level of the person. Though there are numerous delicious Biryanis available over the world, this homemade version of Vegetable Biryani always remains close to my heart not for its taste but also for the memories it carries along with it.

Here it goes…

The amount and the variety of vegetables added in the biryani depend on you. You can reduce the amount or increase it and can omit certain vegetables if you don’t prefer them. You can cube them, or cut into medium sized pieces

Ingredients:

Serves – 2 persons

1 ½ cup Basmati Rice
3 cups Water
2 tablespoon of Ghee/Cooking Oil
1 Bay leaf
3-4 Cloves
2 Star Anise
1-2 Mace
2 Medium sized Onions chopped finely
3 Green Chilies, slit
1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
10 Green Beans, cut into small pieces
3 Medium Sized Carrots, cubed/chopped into small pieces
1 medium sized Potato, cubed
¼ cup of Green peas
¼ cup of Soya granules
1 ½ teaspoon of Biryani Masala (available in Indian grocery shops, optional)
1 ½ teaspoon of Red Chili Powder (adjust according to your spice level)
½ teaspoon Garam Masala powder
½ cup of Mint leaves, chopped
½ cup of coriander leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon Curd
1 teaspoon of salt (adjust according to your taste)

Method:

Wash and Soak basmati rice in water for about 30 mins.
In a pressure cooker, add ghee and heat it over medium heat.
Add bay leaf followed by cloves, star anise, and mace. Fry them until the bay leaf changes it color, about a minute.
Add green chilies and onions. Cook them until the onions become translucent. Add salt to the onions to enable fast cooking
Add ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell goes off.
Meanwhile, boil water in a pot and add soya granules to the water. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.
To the mixture in the pressure cooker, add all chopped vegetables and combine them well
Add chili powder, garam masala and biryani masala to the vegetables. Stir them well.
Add soya granules and combine them well. Add chopped coriander and mint leaves.
Add the required amount of water and curd.
Cook until the vegetables are half cooked with the lid uncovered and become tender.
Add basmati rice and salt.
Mix them well and pressure cooks them for three whistles in medium flame.
Allow the pressure to release on its own. Serve spicy biryani with raita of your choice.