Veg Biryani Awadhi Style

Biryani is a dish made from rice and vegetables or meats.It is popular throughout the Indian subcontinent and one can find variety of biryanis from different regions.Biryani is my most favorite dish that actually tops the list of my favorite foods and if it is made to perfection then no other dish on the spread can make me drool.My appetite for biryani is voracious and I can gorge on it endlessly.Veg biryani Awadhi style is an adapted vegetrian version of the mutton biryani from the region of Lucknow (Awadh).The style of cooking and the flavors are akin to Awadhi mutton biryani.The dish is a delectable treat for the vegetarians with lots of vegetables and it can turnout ones meal into a memorable one with lots of aromas and flavors.

I wish that all my readers should give it a try and I am sure they won’t be disappointed.But before jumping to the recipe ,do check out some more from my biryani treasure which may also be helpful in getting you the perfect biryani.

Recipe

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain aged basmati rice
1 cup mixed vegetables (cauliflower,potato,carrot,mushroom and peas)
1/2 cup ghee or oil for biryani
3-4 tbsp oil to cook the vegetables and spice paste
7-8 crushed green cardamoms
3-4 bay leaves
1 pinch saffron soaked in little milk or water
Orange or yellow color
Kewara essence
Salt to taste

Spices and condiments to grind together into a fine paste

1″ ginger piece
6-7 garlic flakes
1 medium size onion
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper corns
1.5″ cinnamon stick
6-7 all spice or kabab chini
8-9 cloves
1 petal mace
1/2 nutmeg
2 black cardamom
3 green cardamom
1 tsp stone flower
8-10 red chilies whole or according to taste

Method:

Preparing & Cooking the vegetables

Cut cauliflower into medium size florets,dice the carrots and potatoes and cut mushrooms into halves or quarters depending upon the size.
Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry cauliflower florets and diced potatoes.
Shallow fry the diced carrots.
Saute mushrooms till they sweat.
In the same pan add some more oil if needed and add the ground spices and condiments paste.
Cook till the oil separates and add salt to taste.
Toss in all the vegetables and green peas.Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes while mixing and switch off the flame as vegetables are already 90% cooked and the remaining gets cooked while the process of dum(cooking on very low heat with rice).

Cooking rice and assembling biryani

The process of cooking rice and assembling the biryani is same as Kathal ki Biryani.
The pictures below do not show the proper layering of rice and vegetables because I have prepared less quantity of rice and the layering was not possible.I have thus put all rice in the bottom layer with color and saffron and then topped with vegetables and have cooked on dum or very low heat for another 7-8 minutes.
Pour melted ghee on top of biryani when it is done and rest it for 15 minutes before serving.
Serve hot along garnished with chopped coriander or mint leaves with accompaniments like raita,green chutney and salad.

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Tips & Tweaks:

The vegetables can be used as per your taste.You can either use mix vegetables like I have used or can go ahead with single vegetable of your choice.
The cooking time of each vegetable varies so keep that in mind while cooking them.This is the reason I have sauteed or shallow fried the vegetables separately.
In any biryani the real technique lies in cooking of the rice which should be well cooked,separate and flavorful.
Use of color,kewara essence and saffron are must and integral to the aroma of any biryani so please do not skip these ingredients.

Enjoy!!! and…………………………………………Happy Cooking !!!