Vegetable Biriyani

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice soaked for 1/2 an hour - 1 1/2 cups
• Onion diced - 2 medium
• Carrot ( cut in to 1/2 inch pieces ) - 2 medium
• Beans ( 1/2 inch pieces ) - 20
• Cauliflower - 10 - 15 florets
• Green Peas ( shelled ) - 1 cup
• Salt - as per taste
• Green cardamom - 8
• Black cardamom - 1
• Cloves - 15
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch stick - 2
• Bay leaf - 1
• Fennel seed ( sombu ) - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger- Garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp
• Rose water - 1 tsp
• Curd - 1 cup
• Saffron - a few strands ( optional )
• Fresh tomato puree - 1 cup
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves chopped - 2 tbsp
• Mint leaves - 2 tbsp

    Method : 

•        Boil rice in three cups of salted boiling water along with two green cardamoms, one black cardamom, five cloves, half inch stick of cinnamon, until done. Keep aside.
•         Heat a non-stick pan. Add the remaining green cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon along with bay leaf and fennel seeds and roast. 
•         Add onions, carrots, beans, cauliflower florets and green peas. 
•         Sprinkle salt, cover and cook on medium heat for two minutes. 
•         Now add ginger-garlic paste mixed with a little water and stir. Cover and cook for two minutes. 
•        Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder and cook. 
•        Add tomato puree to the vegetables along with half teaspoon garam masala powder and mix well. Simmer for two minutes and then switch off the flame.
•        Whisk Curd with rose water and saffron. Add a little water or milk and whisk well. Keep aside.
•        Take a deep bowl. Arrange a layer of rice at the bottom. Over that arrange half the cooked vegetables followed by another layer of rice. 
•       Sprinkle half of the remaining garam masala powder, half the coriander leaves, half the mint leaves and half the curd mixture. Now add the remaining vegetables followed by the remaining rice.
•      Sprinkle the remaining garam masala powder, remaining coriander leaves, remaining mint leaves and the remaining curd mixture. Cover with a lid and cook it for five minutes on medium flame. Let it stand for five minutes. 
•  Tasty Vegetable Biriyani is ready to eat now. Serve hot.