Veg biryani recipe, Learn to make vegetable biryani with step by step pictures. Most restaurants serve veg biryani that is not dum cooked since it is not economical to make it in large quantities. So they come up with so many quick versions of serving biryani to the customers, this is at least true in South India and even in Singapore. The most common method used is to make a very good vegetable gravy in bulk and cook the basmathi rice in bulk. When ever they get orders, they either layer or mix the vegetable gravy with the al dente cooked rice and serve. There is no dum process involved yet they taste great and very aromatic.
This is one such easy recipe, that is very flavorful and tasty. It includes fresh ground masala paste and masala powder. I have posted several vegetable biryani recipes on this blog each with their own specialty. But this recipe is a keeper for its simplicity, great taste and aroma. A good recipe for beginners, but if you are particular about the dum cooked biryani, you may go ahead and make this awesome hyderabadi veg dum biryani, which I shared an year ago.
Veg biryani recipe iam sharing today can be prepared in a pot or pressure cooker or can be dum cooked without layering. It is special, a light veg biryani, not pungent, but has unique flavors that comes from the onion mint coriander paste and homemade instant biryani masala powder which iam sharing in the same post. If you have any other biryani masala powder in hand you can use it, biryani gets its taste and flavors from the biryani masala we use, so choose a good one.
Veg biryani can be made with coconut milk or vegetable stock too. Just use coconut milk or vegetable stock instead of plain water to cook the biryani.
Step by step photos on how to make veg biryani recipe
1. Wash rice and soak for 20 minutes. Drain off in a colander. Set this aside. These are the spices to powder. Powder finely and keep this aside.
2. Make a fine paste of ginger, garlic, mint, coriander and onion. Set this aside.
3. Heat the pot with oil, add spices and fry till they begin to sizzle.
4. Add the green paste from step 2 and fry for about 3 to 4 minutes, the raw smell has to go away.
5.Add the yogurt, salt, tomatoes, chili powder and turmeric. Cook till the tomatoes turn mushy. I had to cover and cook on a medium flame to prevent burning.
6. The oil begins to separate from the mix, add the powder from step 1 and fry. Since I used raw spices to make the powder, i fried the masala well till it turned fragrant. Do not burn it.
7. Add chopped veggies and mix well.
8.Fry for another 3 to 4 minutes.
9. Pour 3 1/2 cups water and little salt. we already added salt to cook tomatoes, so add little. Taste the water, it has to be slightly salty.Bring the water to a rapid boil.
10. Soaked rice should be drained well, with no water left. After draining add it to the boiling water and cook till there is very little water left, as you see in this picture. Add kewra or rose water.
11. Cover it with a tight lid and simmer the stove and cook till the rice is done. For the dum process: Transfer the biryani pot over a hot tawa. Cook for exactly 10 mins on a medium flame.Stir well when it is cooked and cover the lid and off the stove. Leave the rice undisturbed for about 15 to 20 minutes.
veg biryani is ready to serve. If you desire, you can add a tbsp. ghee on top and fluff up the rice.
Serve with onion raita.
A simple onion or cucumber raita goes well as a side dish to this veg biryani. You can even accompany this with capsicum salan, veg shorba, potato kurma or mushroom kurma.
find veg biryani recipe below
Veg biryani recipe, how to make veg biryani (restaurant style)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Veg biryani, fragrant rice cooked in Indian spices and ground masala
Author: Swasthi
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Yield / Serves: 4
Ingredients (240 ml cup used)
To powder
- Fat pinch of nutmeg
- 4 cardamoms
- ¼ to ½ tsp. Pepper corn
- 5 cloves
- Small cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp. fennel seeds / saunf(can increase to ¾ tsp.)
- ½ tsp. stone flower/ kalapasi / dagad phool
To make a fine paste
- 12 to 15 mint leaves / pudina
- 12 to 15 stalks of coriander leaves, leaves plucked
- 1 inch ginger
- 3 large pods of garlic or 6 small
- 2 green chilies
- 1 large onion chopped
To temper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small black cardamom (optional)
- 4 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- Cinnamon stick
- Star anise
- 1 strand of mace
- ¼ to ½ tsp. shahi jeera
Other ingredients
- 2 heaped cups chopped mixed vegetables (carrots, beans, cauliflower,peas)
- 2 cups of aged basmathi rice
- 3 ½ cups water
- 3 tbsp. Oil
- Salt as needed
- ⅛ tsp. turmeric
- ¼ tsp. red chili powder
- 1 medium tomato
- ½ cup curd / yogurt
- 1 tsp. kewra or rose water
Instructions
Preparation:
- Soak rice for at least 20 mins.
- Wash vegetables under running water, drain the water chop them to bite sized pieces.
- Chop tomatoes, slice onions, and slit chili. Keep them aside for later use.
- Wash mint and coriander leaves in lot of water, set them to drain.
- Powder all the ingredients mentioned under “To powder” in a blender. Make a fine powder. Keep it aside.
- Add green chilies, onions, mint, coriander leaves, ginger and garlic to a blender jar and make a fine paste.
Cooking:
- Drain the soaked rice in a colander. Ensure there is no water left in the rice.
- Heat a heavy bottom pan, add dry spices and sauté till they begin to sizzle
- Add the ground paste and fry for about 3 to 4 minutes
- Add tomatoes, yogurt, red chili powder, turmeric and salt. Cook or fry till the tomatoes turn soft. If needed cover the pan and cook till the tomatoes soft. Fry till the oil begins to leave the sides of the pan.
- Add powdered masala and fry till it becomes fragrant
- Add carrots, peas, cauliflower and beans. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes
- Pour 3½ cups water and adjust salt. Check the salt, the water must be slightly salty. Bring it to a rapid boil, not just hot.
- Add rice to the boiling water and cook till very little water is left, stir occasionaly. At this stage the rice is under cooked or ¾ cooked. Drizzle the rose water or kewra water. Cover the pot with a tight lid.
If cooking in a pot:
- Cook on a low flame till rice is fully cooked. Stir everything well. cover. Switch off the stove and keep covered. Do not open the lid for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
For the dum:(optional)
- After step 8, Place the boiling rice pot on a hot tawa and cook for about 10 minutes. Off the stove and leave it on the tawa for some more time.
If using pressure cooker: (optional)
- After step 8, close the pressure cooker lid and cook for about 5 minutes on a low flame. Do not let the cooker whistle. Off the stove. Fluff up the rice after 20 minutes.
Serving
- Leave the biryani pot undisturbed for at least 20 minutes. open the lid just before you serve to retain the flavors
- Serve with raita and lemon wedges