Mast Biryani Grand Vegetable Biryani Recipes

VEG BIRYANI | VEGETABLE BIRYANI RECIPE

Steps:

• Soak rice for at least 20 minutes. Drain the water and set aside.
• Chop all the veggies, coriander and mint leaves. Keep these aside as well.
• If using cauliflower keep them slightly larger.
• Add oil to a hot pressure cooker or heavy bottom pot.
• Next add bay leaf, star anise, shahi jeera, cloves, cardamoms & cinnamon. Saute for 1 to 2 mins.
• Add sliced onions and slit green chilies. Fry them stirring often until the onions turn evenly golden or light brown.
• Next add ginger garlic paste and saute for about a minute or until the raw smell has gone off.
• Add all the chopped vegetables and fry for about 2 minutes.
• Next add tomatoes, ⅛ teaspoon salt, yogurt, coriander leaves, mint leaves,red chilli powder, turmeric and garam masala.
• Mix all of these and fry on a high flame for 2 to 3 mins. The tomatoes should break down completely and the raw smell disappear.
• Reduce the flame to low. Drain the water from the rice completely and spread it in a layer evenly over the veggies.
• Measure the water or coconut milk to a separate bowl & add ¼ tsp salt. Mix well and taste the water. It has to be slightly salty.
• Pour the salted water across the sides or edges of the pot.
• If you do not mix up everything then the veg biryani will cook in layers. (However you can also mix up everything and cook just like it is done normally.)
• Optional - Sprinkle 1 tsp ghee, 2 tbsps chopped mint leaves, handful of fried onions & saffron soaked milk. (refer notes)
• For pressure cooking: Cover the cooker and pressure cook for 1 whistle on a medium high flame.Turn off the stove. For al dente non mushy veg biryani, I release the pressure manually after 1 to 2 mins using a wooden spatula. When the pressure releases, open the lid and fluff up veg biryani with a fork.
• If cooking in a pot, cook covered on a low flame until the water is absorbed and the veg biryani is cooked fully. Turn off the stove & rest for 15 mins. Serve veg biryani with raita or salan.
• Optionally squeeze lemon juice while serving.
• Press the SAUTE button on your IP and pour oil or ghee to the steel insert.
• Add thinly sliced onions. Spread them to a single layer and saute occasionally until uniformly deep golden. Remove half of these and set aside for later.
• Then add the whole spices and green chili. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute until a nice smell comes out.
• Add tomatoes, chopped veggies, mint, coriander leaves and sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon salt. Saute until the tomatoes breakdown. This takes about 1 to 2 mins.
• Stir in the garam masala and red chilli powder.
• Press CANCEL button & add yogurt. Deglaze by scraping the bottom of the pot with a spatula. This releases any bits of food stuck there.
• Spread the veggies to a single layer. Next layer the drained rice and level it.
• In another bowl, stir in ¼ teaspoon salt & 1¼ cup water and taste it. It has to be slightly salty. If needed add more.
• Pour the water starting from the sides and then in the center. Do not mix. Ensure all of the rice is under the water.
• Secure the IP with the lid. Position the steam release valve to sealing position.
• Press pressure cook/ manual (set to high pressure) & set the timer for 5 mins. If you double or triple the recipe then set to low pressure with the same cook time. (Alternately you can pressure cook for 4 mins on high pressure setting and wait for 8 mins. Then release the rest manually.)
• When the IP finishes, for aldente cooked vegetable biryani quick release the pressure manually. For softer rice, wait for 5 to 7 mins (natural pressure release) and then release the rest manually with the help of a spoon. Garnish with fried onions. Serve with Raita.

MAST BIRYANI (GRAND VEGETABLE BIRYANI)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F and line three baking pans with foil. Wash the rice in a few changes of cold water, then leave to soak.
• Next, wash the sweet potatoes and beets well (no need to peel them) and cut into wedges around 2½ x ¾ inches. Put them on separate pans. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, then eighths. Place them on the final baking pan and add the chickpeas and cubes of paneer.
• Put 6 tablespoons of oil into a small bowl with 1⅓ teaspoons of salt, the ground red chile, cumin, garam masala, and lemon juice. Mix well, then spoon over the vegetables, adding more to the tomato and paneer tray than the other two. Make sure everything is evenly coated, then put the pans in the oven-with the paneer on the top shelf-and bake for 40 minutes, checking and stirring after 20 minutes.
• In the meantime, put 3 tablespoons of oil into your casserole or biryani dish over medium heat. When hot, add the onions and fry for 15 to 20 minutes, until really soft, brown, and caramelized, stirring regularly. Remove to a bowl and keep the dish to one side.
• While the onions are cooking, place all the ingredients for the coconut and cilantro sauce into a blender and whizz to a fine consistency. Pour it into a frying pan (make sure to scrape down the sides of the blender) over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Check the salt and take off the heat.
• Next, drain the the rice and place in a deep saucepan. Cover with plenty of cold water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a fast simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the rice is just tender. Drain well, cover with a clean tea towel, and leave to one side. Break the egg into a small cup, add a generous pinch of salt, and whisk with a fork.
• Now you are ready to layer your biryani. The aim is to end with a rice layer topped with caramelized onions. First, put half of the paneer, tomato, and chickpea mixture into the bottom of the pot. Follow with a quarter of the rice and a quarter of the onion mix. Then add half of the coconut and cilantro sauce and half of the beets and sweet potatoes, then a further quarter of the rice and onions. Repeat, finishing with a final layer of rice and onions.
• Cut a square of puff pastry to fit over the top of your pot. Working quickly (as you need to keep the pastry as cold as possible), press it down tightly around the edges of the pot. Brush the top liberally with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with the seeds. Place in the oven for 25 minutes.
• Gingerly take out of the oven and place on the table. Cut the pastry away and discard to reveal the steamy biryani. Serve big spoonfuls so that everyone gets good colorful layers, alongside raita, and a salad.