Vegetable briyani | vegetable rice

Vegetable briyani or vegetable rice is a special meal for vegetarians. There are lot of different variations, many people do in different ways, I usually follow this way. For pulao or pilaf I don't use masalas. A very good and wholesome meal for a weekend lunch. The ingredients given may look like a big list but everything will be easily available at your home itself. Try this method.......

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice - 1 cup
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 2
• Green chilly - 1
• Carrot, beans, bell peppers - 1.5 cup, chopped
• Potato and peas - 1/2 cup
• Mint leaves - 10, roughly chopped
• Yogurt - 1/4 cup
• Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil + butter(or ghee) - 4 tbsp

To grind:

• Ginger - 1 tbsp
• Garlic - 10 pods
• Mint leaves - 1/4 cup, loosely packed

To temper:

• Cloves - 4
• Cinnamon - 1 small stick
• Bay leaf - 1, small
• Fennel seeds | Saunf - 1 tsp

Method:

Chop the vegetables and onions lengthwise. Add potato in water to remove starch. Dice the tomatoes. 

In the blender, grind ginger, garlic and mint leaves to a fine paste using water if need. Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes in plenty of water. After soaked drain through a strainer and keep aside.

Heat a wide pan with butter and oil and add all the ingredients given 'to temper'. Add the ground paste of ginger and garlic and the chopped mint leaves.

After the raw smell goes, add onions and green chilly. Fry till onions are translucent. Add the diced tomatoes and fry till tomatoes are mushy. Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. 

Add curd/yogurt and fry till the oil oozes out. Transfer the vegetables and fry till the masala coats well. 

Add the rice and fry for 5 minutes. Transfer to the electric cooker and add water and turn the nob to cook button.

When turned to warm, serve hot with raitha or papad.

Note:

• I usually use the ratio of rice and vegetable as 1:2. Add according to your taste.
• You can cook the rice in nonstick pan itself, by covered or you can pressure cook too.
• For extra richness and flavor coconut milk can be added.