VEGETABLE BIRYANI - 2

Ingredients;

For the rice:

2 cup basmati rice
1/2 tsp salt........For the vegetables and masala:

2 carrots diced
1 cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup fresh beans 
1 cup peas

Boil water and add vegetables and let them simmer for 2 min. So that they do not lose colour and remains crunchy....drain the water and run the vegetablea under cold water to stop further cooking and set aside.

For the masala:

2 onions grated
3 tomatoes blended
1 cup thick curd
Paste of 8-10 cashews and 2 tbsp of khuskhus
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 bayleaves
4-6 cloves, black pepper ...
Salt and red chilly to taste
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp corriander powder
1 tbsp garam masala or biryani masala
1 cup chopped corriander and mint leaves.................

METHOD :

1) Boil water and add vegetables and let them simmer for 2 min. So that they do not lose colour and remains crunchy....drain the water and run the vegetablea under cold water to stop further cooking and set aside.

2) Cook the rice with salt and little saffron till 3/4 done. Drain the water in collander and let the rice cool.

3) Take a wok . add oil to it and upon heating add whole garam masala and grated onion, saute it for 10 min.on medium heat or till they get brown. 4) Add the kaju and khuskhus paste to it and saute for a min.

5) Add ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, salt, cumin and coriander powder and the garam masala and saute well.

6) Now add the blended tomatoes and saute till oil seprates. 

7) Take off the pan from the flame and add curd to it (do not add curd while in the gas else it will curdle).

8) once a bit cool, put back on flame on low heat and add all the cooked veggies and mix well. 

9) garnish with chopped coriander and mint leaves

For layering :

Now take either a heavy bottomed pan or degch (I layer it in a rice cooker)i.. 

Put half of the veggies in the pan. add half the rice. put 1 tsp of butter, sprinkle garam masala, chopped mint leaves and 1 tbsp milk. 

again out the balance veggies, and repeat the same layer. close this and cook on slow fire for an hour. 

serve hot with raita or chips.

Note : you can put fried onions on top if you wish, tastes yum. I dont unless I have guests as fried is a NO NO..