Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients:

Basmati rice – 1 cup
Chopped onions – 1 cup
Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp
Vegetables – 2 cups (carrot, beans, peas,sweet corn, potato)
Green chilly – 2 (slit)
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Biryani masala – 3 tbsp
Curd - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon – 1″
Cardamom – 2
Cloves – 2
Small bay leaves – 2
Finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and mint leaves - 1/4 cup
Oil – 1 tbsp
Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method 

1. Cut vegetables to 1″ in length.
2. Soak basmati rice for 20 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add cinnamon,broken cardamoms and cloves. Fry for a minute and add chopped onions and fry till it becomes golden brown.
4. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes.
5. Add green chillies. After two minutes add the vegetables and stir well.
6. Now add salt, mix curd in one bowl with biryani masala and add to vegetables.
7. Cook until the raw smell of the spices are gone for about 5 to 6 minutes.
8. In between, heat ghee in another pan and add the cashew nuts and bay leaves.
9. Drain rice and add it to the pan. Stir gently without breaking the rice for a minute. Turn off the stove.
10.Add mint leaves and cilantro to the vegetables and spice mixture. Add some water if required.
11.A thick gravy is obtained. Add rice to this gravy and mix well.
12.Remove from heat and transfer it to an electric cooker or pressure cooker. Add 1 1/2 cups of water.
13.If you are using a pressure cooker, cook the rice for one whistle and then remove from heat.
14.If you are using an electric cooker as soon as the light turns to warm or the the rice is cooked, transfer the contents to a hot pack or a serving tray to avoid burning rice at the bottom.

Serve hot with Raitha