Vegetable Dum Biryani | Hyderabadi Veg Dum Biryani

Method44 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Pick and rinse basmati rice (300 g) in running water till the water runs clear of starch. Soak the rice in 1 cup of water for 30 minutes.

   Soak basmati rice · 30 minUses 300 g aged basmati rice (source 1½ cups) · Water for rinsing rice and vegetables (quantity unspecified, drained) · 1 cup water (for soaking rice)

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   Step 2: After 30 minutes drain the rice and set aside.

   Uses rice after thirty-minute soak

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   Step 3: While rice soaks, rinse, peel and chop the chosen vegetables. Thinly slice the onion (115 g); prepare the measured finely chopped ginger (1½ tbsp)/garlic (1 tbsp) and two slit green chillies. Chop the coriander and mint for layering and keep those herbs separate.

   Uses 1.5 cups cauliflower florets (- 150 grams) · 1 cup chopped potatoes (- 100 grams or 2 medium-sized) · ½ cup chopped carrots (- 100 grams or 1 medium to large carrot) · ¼ cup chopped french beans (- 50 grams or 11 to 12 french beans) · 8–10 white button mushrooms, sliced or chopped, optional · 50 g bell pepper, chopped, optional · ½ cup green peas (- fresh or frozen) · 115 g onion, thinly sliced (source 1 heaped cup)

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   Step 4: Take a deep bottomed pan. Add water (5 cups) and heat the water on a high flame.

   Uses 5 cups water

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   Step 5: Add the rice-section 1 tsp salt, 3 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 3 whole cloves, 1-inch cinnamon (1-inch) piece, one tej patta and two mace strands to the hot rice-boiling water.

   Uses hot five-cup rice-boiling water · 1 teaspoon salt (or add as per taste) · 3 green cardamoms · 1 black cardamom · 3 whole cloves for rice-boiling water · 1-inch cinnamon piece · 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf) · 2 thin mace strands for rice-boiling water

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   Step 6: Bring the water to a boil. Then add the soaked basmati rice.

   Uses seasoned rice-boiling water with rice-section whole spices · drained soaked basmati rice

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   Step 7: Gently stir the rice. The boiling water should taste slightly salty; add separate extra rice-water salt only if needed.

   Uses soaked rice in boiling spiced water · Additional salt only if rice-boiling water needs it (quantity unspecified)

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   Step 8: Do not reduce the flame and continue to cook the rice grains.

   Uses rice boiling in spiced water

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   Step 9: Stop boiling when the rice is about ¾ cooked: grains should retain a slight bite and must not yet be fully tender.

   Par-cook rice to slight-bite endpointUses rice during par-cooking phase

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    Step 10: Drain the par-cooked rice in a colander, gently fluff and reserve. Discard its boiling water; it is not gravy liquid.

    Uses three-quarter-cooked basmati rice

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    Step 11: For the source’s ordinary-pan vegetable-gravy route, heat 3 tbsp ghee OR oil in a pan. Add the gravy-section shahi jeera (1 teaspoon), tej patta (1), 3 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 1-inch cinnamon (1-inch) and separate 3 whole cloves; sauté until fragrant and crackling.

    Uses 3 tbsp ghee for gravy (OR 3 tbsp oil instead) · 1 teaspoon shahi jeera (caraway seeds) · 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf) · 3 green cardamoms · 1 black cardamon · 1-inch cinnamon piece · 3 whole cloves for vegetable gravy

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    Step 12: Now add the onions. Stir and sauté them on a low to medium flame.

    Uses gravy-section whole spices in hot chosen fat · thinly sliced 115 g onion

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    Step 13: Add a pinch of salt to quicken the cooking process.

    Uses onions frying in spiced gravy fat · Pinch from unmeasured gravy salt supply for onions

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    Step 14: When the onions are cooking, take 1 cup fresh curd (yogurt (1 cup)) in a bowl and whisk the curd with a spoon or wired whisk till it become smooth.

    Uses 1 cup fresh full-fat plain yogurt for gravy

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    Step 15: Sauté the onions till they become golden brown or caramelize.

    Uses onions during gravy-base frying

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    Step 16: Add the prepared 1½ tbsp finely chopped ginger, 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic and two slit or sliced green chillies. This follows the source’s chopped-aromatic option, without adding a second paste supply.

    Uses golden browned onions in spiced fat · measured finely chopped ginger · measured finely chopped garlic · two prepared green chillies

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    Step 17: Sauté till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.

    Uses golden onions with chopped ginger/garlic/chillies

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    Step 18: Add the turmeric and red chili powder. Stir and mix well.

    Uses cooked aromatic onion base · ½ teaspoon turmeric powder · 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper or paprika)

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    Step 19: Add the prepared chopped vegetables and green peas, including mushrooms and bell pepper only if chosen. Mix and sauté for 1–2 minutes.

    Brief vegetable sauté · 2 minUses spiced aromatic onion base · chopped cauliflower florets · chopped potato · chopped carrot · chopped French beans · prepared optional mushrooms · prepared optional bell pepper · prepared green peas

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    Step 20: Lower the heat, stir in the prepared whisked yogurt promptly, then add the separate ¾ cup water for this ordinary-pan cooking route.

    Uses briefly sautéed vegetables in onion-spice base · full cup smooth whisked yogurt · ¾ cup water for chosen ordinary-pan vegetable gravy

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    Step 21: Season with salt and mix again.

    Uses vegetables with yogurt and measured pan-cooking water · Gravy salt to taste from same unmeasured supply

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    Step 22: Cook the vegetable gravy gently in the ordinary pan until the vegetables are tender without becoming mushy, stirring as needed.

    Cook pan-gravy vegetables until tenderUses seasoned vegetable-yogurt gravy

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    Step 23: Warm 4 to 5 tablespoons milk in a microwave or in a small pan on the stove top. Add ¼ teaspoon of saffron strands. Stir and keep aside.

    Uses 4–5 tbsp milk for saffron infusion · ¼ teaspoon saffron strands

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    Step 24: Check the cooked vegetables and gravy in the ordinary pan.

    Uses vegetable gravy after ordinary-pan cooking

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    Step 25: If any vegetables are still underdone, continue simmering until tender.

    Uses pan-cooked vegetable gravy

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    Step 26: If excess liquid remains, simmer uncovered until the gravy is medium to slightly thick, with no watery stock-like consistency.

    Uses tender-vegetable gravy

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    Step 27: Now add cashews (2 tablespoons), raisins (1 tablespoons) and almonds (2 tablespoons) (blanched or raw) to the vegetable gravy. Mix and stir. Set aside. Do a taste test and check the salt in the vegetable gravy. Add more if needed.

    Uses tender vegetables in medium-thick biryani gravy · 2 tablespoons cashews · 1 tablespoons raisins (without seeds) · 2 tablespoons almonds (- raw or blanched, peeled and sliced) · Additional gravy salt only if needed from unmeasured supply

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    Step 28: Now in a thick bottomed pan, layer half portion of the vegetable gravy first.

    Uses half of prepared vegetable gravy

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    Step 29: Then layer half portion of the semi-cooked rice.

    Uses bottom half-gravy layer · half of drained par-cooked basmati rice

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    Step 30: Sprinkle half of the chopped coriander leaves (cilantro), mint leaves and saffron milk.

    Uses first prepared gravy-rice layers · half of prepared chopped coriander leaves · half of prepared chopped mint leaves · half of prepared saffron-infused milk

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    Step 31: Layer the remaining vegetable gravy.

    Uses first herb-and-saffron-topped gravy-rice layers · remaining half of prepared vegetable gravy

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    Step 32: Layer the remaining half of the par-cooked rice over the second gravy layer. Sprinkle the remaining half each of prepared coriander, mint and saffron milk, then optional 2 tsp kewra OR rose water and optional ⅓–½ cup ready fried onions.

    Uses layers with remaining half vegetable gravy · remaining half drained par-cooked rice · remaining half chopped coriander leaves · remaining half chopped mint leaves · remaining half saffron-infused milk · 2 tsp kewra water OR rose water, optional for top layer · ⅓–½ cup ready golden fried onions (birista), optional for layering

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    Step 33: Keep the vegetable gravy at the bottom of the assembled layers and the rice at the top.

    Uses assembled vegetable-gravy and rice layers with divided toppings

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    Step 34: Seal the top of the pot with aluminium foil and cover tightly with its lid. This follows the source’s foil-and-lid sealing route.

    Uses fully assembled layered vegetable biryani

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    Step 35: Heat a tawa or heavy griddle over medium heat; you may begin while layering the biryani.

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    Step 36: When the tawa is hot, turn the heat to its lowest setting and place the sealed biryani pot on the tawa.

    Uses sealed layered vegetable biryani

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    Step 37: Cook on the tawa over the lowest heat for 30–35 minutes. This follows the full tawa dum route from the source.

    Dum cook biryani · 35 minUses sealed layered biryani over hot tawa on lowest heat

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    Step 38: Carefully open and check the rice and bottom layer: the rice should now be tender and there should be no pooled liquid at the bottom. If needed, reseal and continue gentle dum cooking until those endpoints are reached.

    Uses dum-cooked layered vegetable biryani

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    Step 39: Turn off the heat and let the completed biryani rest for 5–7 minutes before serving.

    Rest biryani · 7 minUses fully tender dum biryani without pooled bottom liquid

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    Step 40: While serving, make sure you equally serve the vegetables as well as the rice.

    Uses rested finished vegetable dum biryani

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    Step 41: Serve the finished biryani with optional ready savory raita of choice.

    Uses finished vegetable dum biryani · Ready savory raita of choice for optional serving (quantity unspecified)

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    Step 42: Other optional ready accompaniments are onion-tomato salad, separate fresh plain yogurt, mango pickle, lemon wedges or roasted papad.

    Uses finished vegetable dum biryani · Ready onion-tomato salad for optional serving (quantity unspecified) · Fresh plain yogurt for optional serving (quantity unspecified) · Ready mango pickle for optional serving (quantity unspecified) · Lemon wedges for optional serving (quantity unspecified) · Ready roasted papad for optional serving (quantity unspecified)

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    Step 43: You may also serve the finished biryani with optional ready mirchi ka salan OR shorba.

    Uses finished vegetable dum biryani · Ready mirchi ka salan OR shorba for optional serving (quantity unspecified)

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    Step 44: The completed biryani may also be served on its own without accompaniments.

    Uses finished vegetable dum biryani