Vegetable Biriyani:(Mughalai Style)

Ingredients:

Cinnamon sticks 2-4
Cloves 5
Cardamom pods 5
Bay leaves 3
Biryani flower 2
Marathi mokku 3
Ghee 2 cup
Green chillies 6-8 slitted
One large onion finely chopped
3-4 ripe tomato finely chopped
Mint one cup
Lemon juice 2-4 spoon
Ginger-garlic paste 4-6 spoon
Coriander leaves 4-6 twigs
Curd half cup
Rice 3 cups
Vegetables – diced 3 cups(carrots, beans, double beans, peas, cauliflower, potato)
Salt to taste
Red chili powder 1-2

Method:

1. Add one spoon of ginger-garlic paste with vegetables. Followed by salt +lemon juice + curd and set this aside/in fridge. Maybe for 20 minutes minimum.

2. Pour generously ghee in the pressure cooker and bring it to smoky hot…now add the spices one by one…cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, maratti mokku and birinji flower to it. Let them fry for a while.

3. Add chillies, and wait till it splutters.

4. Followed by onion and remaining ginger-garlic paste. Fry them well till its raw smell leaves.

5. Now add tomatoes, coriander leaves and mint. Fry them until all water content evaporates and oil shows up in the top.

4. Now start adding marinated vegetables to this and toss them well.

5. Add food color(optional), salt and red chili power. Semi cook them without adding any water….until the raw smell of chili powder goes.

6. Now add water 5 cups of water and bring it to boil followed by rice. Pressure cook them over medium heat till one whistle or two maximum. Never release the pressure before time. Let it be on dum for 10-15 minutes.

7. Garnish with roasted cashew nuts.

Serve hot with onion raita, mint chutney and brinjal serva.