Vegetable Dum Biryani

Vegetable Dum Biryani is dish made where cooked long grained rice and gravy made with onion, tomato, spices and vegetables are assembled in layers in a big thick bottom pan. The vessel is then covered and cooked on a low heat keeping on a pan for 20-30 minutes till the spices are nicely infused with rice. The cover of the biryani is opened and the biryani is served hot in layers with boondi raita or vegetable raita, papad and salan. The biryani can be enjoyed by gluten intolerant people. It is glutenfree.

Making Biryani takes a lot of preparation. It is one meal dish and the outcome of the dish is worth the effort put. Generally the onions, potato and nuts used in the biryani are deep fried. I have shown you the method of using onions, potatoes and nuts without deep frying. I have cooked them on pan with little oil and they were delicious.

The picture below is after the biryani is served and the layers are mixed well.

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Vegetable Dum Biryani

Vegetable Dum Biryani is dish made where cooked long grained rice and gravy made with onion, tomato, spices and vegetables are assembled in layers in a big thick bottom pan. The vessel is then covered and cooked on a low heat keeping on a pan for 20-30 minutes till the spices are nicely infused with rice. The cover of the biryani is opened and the biryani is served hot in layers with boondi raita or vegetable raita, papad and salan. 

Course dinner, gluten free, Main Course, one meal dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword festivalfood, gluten free, mixedvegetables,, onemealdish, picnic, potluck, rice, traditional

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings 10 people

Calories 652kcal

Ingredients

Fried Onion/Birasto

• 3 small onion sliced
• 1 tbsp oil

Fried Nuts and Potato

• 15 almonds chopped
• 15 cashewnuts chopped
• 3 medium potato washed, peeled and cut into strips
• salt as per taste
• 1 tbsp oil for potato
• 1 tsp oil for nuts

Saffron Milk

• 1/2 cup milk warm
• 1 tsp saffron strands

Biryani Gravy

• 9 tbsp oil
• 2 cinnamon stick around 1 inch each
• 5 cardamom
• 2 bay leaf
• 6 cloves
• 3 tsp cumin seeds jeera or shahi jeera
• 4 medium onions finely chopped
• 7 medium tomatoes washed and finely chopped
• 4 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 medium green capsicum washed and finely chopped
• 1 medium red capsicum (optional) washed and finely chopped
• 3 carrot washed, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup peas boiled
• 1/2 cup corn boiled
• 3/4 tsp turmeric powder haldi
• 3 tsp red chili powder
• 6 tsp coriander cumin powder dhania jeera powder
• 2 tsp biryani masala (store brought) or garam masala
• 1 cup yogurt fresh curd (dahi)
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves kasuri methi
• 1 tsp kitchen king masala optional
• salt to taste

Cooking rice for Biryani

• 3 cup basmati rice long grained rice washed and soaked
• 6 cup water
• 2 cinnamon stick
• 4 cardamom
• 2 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Assembling Biryani and giving Dum

• 1 thick heavy bottom pan or pot or a thick bottom pressure cooker
• 9 tsp ghee clarified butter (use 2 tsp for greasing)
• 1 cup mint leaves washed and roughly chopped
• 1 cup coriander leaves washed and finely chopped
• 10 green chili washed and slit
• 2 tsp garam masala
• salt to sprinkle
• aluminium foil to cover

Instructions

Fried onion/Birasto

• Washed and thinly slice onions.
  
• Heat oil in a non stick pan. Once oil is heated add onions and saute on medium flame.
  
• The onion will soften and will start to become golden. 
  
• Now increase heat and cook till the onions become brown and crisp. Keep on stirring in between.
  
  
• The onions are now crisp and ready. Remove on the absorbent paper and let it cool. Keep aside
  

Fried nuts and potato

• In the same pan.  Heat oil and add chopped almonds and cashew nuts. 
  
• Saute on low heat till golden and crisp. (Do not cook on high heat). Remove in a plate and keep aside. They will get crunchy once cooled.
  
• Heat oil in the pan. Add the chopped potatoes. Add salt and mix well. Cover and cook till potato soften on medium heat.
  
• Now open the lid and cook on low to medium heat till the potato are golden and crisp. Remove in a plate and keep aside.
  

Saffron milk

• Warm milk in a microwave or pan. Add saffron strands and mix well. The milk will get nice colour. Keep it aside.
  

Biryani Gravy

• Heat oil in a pan. Add whole spices - cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf. Add cumin seeds to it. Let the cumin seeds crackle. (I have not taken the picture with cumin seeds). (You can also use shahi jeera in place of cumin seeds and add other whole spices such as star anise, javantri- whole mace, black cardamom-n moti elaichi if you have them in your pantry).
  
• Add chopped onions and saute. Add little salt and saute the onions till they are translucent.
  
• Add the chopped capsicum and mix well and cover and cook till they soften.
  
• Once the capsicum are soften add the ginger garlic paste and saute well.
  
• Add the chopped tomatoes, mix and cover and cook till the tomatoes are soften.
  
• Add spices - turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander cumin powder, biryani masala and kitchen king masala. (add kitchen king masala is optional). I have used store brought biryani masala. However if you do not have biryani masala you can use garam masala instead.
  
• Mix well and cook for a minute. Now lower the heat and add fresh yogurt. (Do not use sour yogurt, it will make the gravy sour. Adding yogurt on high heat will curdle the mixture). Mix well.
  
• Now add milk and mix well on low heat.
  
• Add the boiled carrot, corn and peas and mix well. (you can also add other vegetables such as cauliflower, french beans, baby corn as per your choice).
  
• Add kasuri methi and mix well. 
  
• Simmer the gravy for 5-7 minutes on low heat.
  
• The oil is separated and floating on top. The gravy is ready.
  
• Remove in a bowl and keep aside. (During winter, you can cook the gravy one day ahead and refrigerate before using).
  
• The biryani gravy is ready.
  

Cooking Rice for biryani

• Add rice, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamon, lemon juice, salt, oil and water.
  
• Bring the water to boil.
  
• Cover and cook on low heat till the water is absorbed and rice is cooked.
  
• The rice is ready.
  

Assembling Biryani and giving dum

• Take a thick bottom pan. Grease it nicely with ghee/clarified butter.
  
• Put 4-5 big spoon of rice and spread it evenly.  Add some chopped potato, 1 tbsp of chopped mint, 1 tbsp chopped coriander, 2-3 slit green chili, 2-3 tsp ghee, 3-4 tbsp saffron milk. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp garam masala and little salt. Gently press.
  
• Add 5-6 big spoon or laddle of gravy. Spread it evenly and gently spread.
  
•  Add some chopped potato, 1 tbsp of chopped mint, 1 tbsp chopped coriander, 2-3 slit green chili, 2-3 tsp ghee, 3-4 tbsp saffron milk. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp garam masala and little salt. Gently press.
  
  
• Put the third layer or rice. Put 4-5 big spoon of rice and spread it evenly. Add some chopped potato, 1 tbsp of chopped mint, 1 tbsp chopped coriander, 2-3 slit green chili, 2-3 tsp ghee, 3-4 tbsp saffron milk. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp garam masala and little salt. Gently press.
  
• Repeat the above process with curry and rice in alternate layers. (4th layer - curry, 5th layer-rice, 6th layer curry and 7th layer rice). The layers will depend on the size of vessel or pot. But the top layer should be of rice. Layer the top layer with rice and add fried onions, potatoes, mint, coriander, garam masala, slit green chili, saffron milk, ghee and salt. (you can also put the toasted nuts in the layers. I have skipped and added on top).
  
• Cover the vessel with aluminium foil. Put it in oven for 20 minutes @200 C for giving dum. Alternatively, heat a pan/tava and put the vessel with biryani over it cook on it for 20-30 minutes on medium heat. 
  
• Remove the foil and sprinkle the toasted nuts, coriander and mint leaves and serve biryani hot with boondi or vegetable raita, papad or salan. 
  
• Dum Biryani is ready. 
  
• 
• The biryani when mixed while eating. 
  

Nutrition

Calories: 652kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 284mg | Potassium: 2027mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 6195IU | Vitamin C: 197.1mg | Calcium: 479mg | Iron: 14.8mg