VEGETABLE DUM BIRYANI

Biryani has always been a favorite to all of us, be it a chicken, mutton, egg or seafood and
Vegetable Dum Biryani for the vegetarians. Earlier in many of my post I have cited that biryani is

my son’s all-time favorite, so it has to be a consistent affair at our home 

One of these – Keema masoor Biryani, Murgh Tamatar Biryani, Egg Biryani, Hyderabadi Chicken

Dum biryani, Mango Chicken Biryani  and Prawns biryani are usually on our tables every other
Fridays or even on Sundays. Out of the list above, was missing – Vegetable Dum Biryani and it was
also requested since long, by my dear readers. Thus, the vegetable dum biryani post is here for
you all.

You might get panicked seeing the long list of ingredients, but trust me, it is very easy to make
biryani and outcome of this bulky affair is just exceptional. Once you master in the effort along
with the important tips following this recipe, it will always be a breeze and never a cumbersome
effort.

You will find the special ground masala in the recipe below that I mentioned here is according to
the measure of biryani. Increasing the amount proportionally, you can make it in a bulk and store
it easily in a clean air tight container for couple of months or in freezer for 5 months. Doesn’t that
sound stress-free??

So, without wasting much time, let’s head on to make this lip-smacking Vegetable Dum Biryani
 Vegetable Dum Biryani

Ingredients:

Vegetables should be around 1.25 kgs in total for 1 kg of rice. You can increase or decrease the
amount of vegetables as per your liking making sure it weighs 1.25 kgs in total.

 2 cups, cauliflower florets, medium sized

 4-5 nos, medium potatoes, cut in 1& ½ inch cubes
 1& ½ cup, green peas,
 1 cup, carrot, cut in 1& ½ inch strips
 1 cup, French beans, cut in 1& ½ inch length
 2-3 medium onions, cut in 1& ½ inch cubes
 1 large capsicum, cut in strips
 2-3 tablespoons, ghee

Grind it to a fine spice powder: (you make it in bulk and store in airtight container, use it as and
when required)

 ½ teaspoon, black peppercorns

 ½ teaspoon, cloves
 8-10 green cardamom
 2-3 black cardamom
 2 sticks of 1inch cinnamon
 1 cm pieces of stone flower (dagad phool)
 ½ tablespoon cumin seeds
 ½ tablespoon, fennel seeds
 ½ tablespoon, khus khus (poppy seeds)
 1 small blade of mace
 ¼ nutmeg

For Marination:

 Above Mentioned vegetables

 350 gms, thick yogurt
 10 green chilies(you may add more if you prefer)
 2 tablespoons, ginger-garlic paste
 1&1/2 teaspoon, red chili powder
 1 teaspoon, turmeric powder
 2 teaspoons, coriander powder
 ¾ of ground spice powder (reserve one fourth of it for later use)
 1 teaspoon, shazeera
 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
  1 cup, brown onions
 Juice of 2 lemons
 ¼ cup of mint leaves
 ¼ cup if coriander leaves, roughly chopped)
 Salt to taste
 ½ cup of oil
 For Rice:
 1 kg rice, long grain basmati, soaked for 45 minutes
 2 sticks on 1inch cinnamon
 3-4 bay leaves
 1 teaspoon, Shazeera
 1 tablespoon ghee
 1 teaspoon lemon juice
 Salt as required
 Enough water for boiling rice

For layering:

 3-4 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

 1/3 cup of ghee
 1 tablespoon oil
 ¼ cup mint leaves
 Few saffron strands soaked in 4 tablespoons of plain hot water or water from the pot of
boiling rice.
 ½ cup, fried onions
 Reserved ground spice powder
 Vegetable Dum Biryani

Method:-

For vegetables:

In a heavy bottom pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee.

Add potatoes and toss very well on high for a minute. Sauté for another 3-4 minutes until lightly
seared. Transfer the potatoes on a plate and keep it aside

In the same pan, heat another tablespoon of ghee. Add cauliflower, carrot and sauté on high for 2
minutes, then add beans and green peas and sauté them all for another 2 minutes.
Take them out on plate and keep it aside

In the same pan with remaining ghee, sauté capsicum and onions together for just a minute. Take
it off the heat and keep it aside (do not over cook)

For Marination:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients (along with the sautéed vegetables) mentioned under
margination, cover and keep it aside for 15 minutes

 For Rice:

In a large handi or pot, add shazeera, ghee, cinnamon, bay leaves, lemon juice and enough water.
Bring it to a boil. Add salt (little extra than usual) and mix

Add soaked and drained rice and cook until just 60 percent done. Do not over-cook the rice.

Take ¼ cup of hot water from the pot into a bowl and add 1/3 cup of ghee (mentioned under
layering) until melted and mixed. Keep it aside

For Layering :-

 Take a heavy bottom pot in which biryani is to be layered for dum

 Grease the base of the pot with 1 tablespoon of oil.
 Now, arrange the tomato slices evenly at the greased base. This will help the vegetables
not to stick at the bottom and will avoid burning.
 Now, layer the marinated vegetables over the tomato layer evenly. Add all the remaining
marinade, if any.
 Sprinkle, mint leaves and fried onions evenly.
 Sprinkle one tablespoon of saffron water over the vegetables
 Add rice evenly on the vegetable layer
 Sprinkle remaining spice powder, saffron water and melted ghee over the rice.
  Cover with lid and seal it with the dough (I did it)
 Place the biryani pot on high flame and allow it to cook for few minutes (12-15minutes).
At this stage, you will notice steam coming out either from vent of the lid or from the side
of the dough. This is the point when biryani is ready to be kept on dum.
 Place hot tava/griddle below the handi and keep it for “Dum’(simmer) exactly for another
15 minutes.
 After 15 minutes, switch off the heat and leave as it is for 8-10 minutes.
 After 10 minutes, open the lid, dish out yummy hot biryani and serve with raita of your
choice.