Vegetable Dum Biryani

I tried this veg dum biryani after referring to vah chef's recipe and chef Harpal Singh's recipe. It came out very well and tasted like restaurent biryani. I am going to share the recipe with you and hope you will also try this soon :)          

                                                                                     

                                                                 

          

                                         
What you need:

Basmati rice-4 cups
Cauliflower florets-1 cup
Cubes of carrots-1 cup
Cubes of potatoes-1 cup
Slices of beans-1 cup
Cubed paneer-1/4 a cup
Chopped onions-2 cups
Chopped mint-1 cup
Chopped coriander leaves-1 cup
Green chilly paste-1 tablespoon
Ginger garlic paste-1 tablespoon
Curd or yogurt-1 cup
Chopped cashews and almonds-1/4 a cup
Saffron soaked milk-1/2 a cup
Lime juice-1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Ghee-1/4 a cup
Oil to deep fry the chopped onions

For powdered masala:                                
Bay leaf-1
Cloves-5
Cinnamon-1 stick
Nutmeg-1
Mace-1
Star anise-1
Sahijeera-1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds-2 tablespoons
Block pepper corns-5
Cardamom-2
                                   
   

                                                 

                                                               

Preparation:
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1. Rinse and soak the rice in water for thirty minutes.Deep fry the chopped onions in the oil until they turn golden brown in colour on a low to medium flame and keep them aside. Soak the saffron in half a cup of warm milk and keep it aside. 
2. Start boiling twelve cups of water in a big vessel. Add two tablespoons of ghee, one bay leaf, one cardamom, four cloves and salt to taste to the boiling water. Now lower the flame and add the soaked rice to it.
3. Heat two tablespoons of ghee and two tablespoons of oil in a deep wide pan on another stove. Add all the chopped vegetables and saute them for two minutes on a medium flame. 
4. Now add the green chilly paste and ginger garlic paste and mix it well. Add the powdered masala, half of the browned onions, half of the chopped mint and coriander leaves, chopped cashews, chopped almonds and salt. Saute for two minutes and add the curd.
5. Mix it well.and sprinkle two tablespoons of ghee on the top. Lower the flame and now start adding the 70% cooked rice to the marinated vegetables in the pan. Over the top of the rice, add the remaining browned onions, lime juice, chopped mint and coriander leaves, saffron soaked milk and the remaining ghee. 
6. Cover it with a lid and keep a vessel with the water (that has remained after cooking the rice) on top of it as a weight.
7. Cook it on a low flame for ten to twelve minutes. Turn of the stove and remove the weight from the top. Remove the lid and check the middle of the rice for any water. If there is, then cook it for two more minutes. 
8. Turn off the stove and leave it for ten minutes. While serving, use a flat spatula and take rice from the sides of the pan down to the bottom and transfer it onto a serving plate. Enjoy the veg dum biryani along with onion raita and gravy of your choice.

   Note: Use a big vessel to dum the biryani. Mine was already full so I used a deep lid to cover it.     Cut the vegetables into medium size pieces.