Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients

Serves 3to4 people.

1. Rice, 1 cup
2. Olive oil, 3 tablespoons
3. Cloves, 3 pieces
4. Cardamom seeds, from 3 pods
5. Cinnamon, 1 inch piece
6. Onion (sliced), 2 no. or 250 g
7. Ginger (finely chopped), 1 teaspoon
8. Garlic (finely chopped), 1 teaspoon
9. Green chilly (chopped), 1 no.
10. Tomato, 1 no. or 120 g
11. Tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon
12. Cauliflower florets, 100 g
13. French Beans, 100 g
14. Carrot, 1 no. or 100 g
15. Capsicum, 1/2 a piece
16. Turmeric,   1/4 teaspoon
17. Chilly powder, 1/2 teaspoon
18. Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon
19. Pepper powder, 1/2 teaspoon
20. Jeera powder, 1/2 teaspoon
21. Garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon
22. Fennel powder, 1/4 teaspoon
23. Rose water, 1/4 teaspoon
24. Ghee, 1 tablespoon
25. Cashews and raisins, 1/2 cup
26. Coriander leaves
27. Salt, as required
28. Vegetable oil, enough to fry one sliced onion
29. (Optional) Pappadam

Note: Unless you are using organic vegetables, make sure to soak them for half an hour for thorough cleaning.

Preparation

• Wash the basmati rice in running water until it is clean.Soak the rice in water for 20 minutes and drain, then set aside.
• Meanwhile clean all the vegetables thoroughly and chop them. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan and add cloves, cardamom seeds and cinnamon. Saute until they crackle. Add half the sliced onion and saute until light brown on medium low flame. Adding salt to the onion will make the process easy.
• Add ginger, garlic and green chilly; saute until the raw smell goes away.
• Add Ingredients 16 to 22 and stir for a minute.
• Add all the vegetables, tomato and tomato sauce. Saute for two minutes and cover for ten minutes or until the tomato is completely mashed, on low flame. Stir occasionally. 
• Add rice and mix for two minutes to coat with masala.
• Add boiled water and salt, mix again. Once the water boils, cover and turn the flame to simmer, stirring occasionally. When the water completely evaporates, the rice is done. Then remove from flame.
• Add rose water and mix well, cover again.
• In a pan, heat ghee and add washed cashews and raisins; and roast until the raisins swell. Remove from pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, heat vegetable oil and reduce the flame. Add the rest of the sliced onion and fry until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
• (Optional) In the same oil, you can fry the pappadam. Do not use this oil again.
• Sprinkle the roasted cashews, raisins, onion and chopped coriander leaves above the rice. Covere and heat on low flame for one minute.
• Mix once last time. 

Your biryani is ready. Enjoy with raita, pappadam or pickle. Thank you! :)