Veg Dum Biryani (Vegetable Dum Biryani)

Method12 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Rinse the rice and soak in fresh water for at least 30 minutes while you work. Separately parboil the peeled cubed potato (1 large) in water until about three-quarters cooked, then drain. Heat 3 tbsp from the 4 tbsp cooking-fat stock and fry the thinly sliced onion (1 large), stirring often, until golden and crisp without burning. Reserve half the fried onions, leaving the other half and fat in the pan.

   Uses 1½ cups aged basmati rice · Water for rinsing and soaking rice, discarded · 1 large potato, peeled and cubed for parboiling · Water for parboiling potato, discarded · 3 tbsp fat for onion and gravy · 1 large onion, thinly and evenly sliced (about ½–¾ cup)

   
2. 2

   Step 2: In the retained onion pan, briefly sauté all the gravy whole spices except shahi jeera (½ tsp) until aromatic. Add the gravy’s ½ tsp shahi jeera and sauté until it crackles.

   Uses Half the fried onion batch and retained fat · 1 cinnamon stick, 2 inches long · 4 green cardamom pods for gravy · 1 black cardamom pod for gravy · 2 large mace blades for gravy · 1 star anise for gravy · 6 whole cloves for gravy · 1 bay leaf for gravy

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Lower the heat, add the ginger garlic paste (1 tbsp) and sauté, stirring, until the raw smell disappears.

   Uses retained onions with fragrant whole spices · 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Add the drained parboiled potato, cauliflower (8 medium), carrot (1 large), peas, beans and slit green chilies (2). Fry for 2–3 minutes.

   Uses fragrant onion-spice base · drained parboiled potato · 8 medium cauliflower florets · 1 large carrot, chopped · 1 handful green peas · 4–5 chopped green beans · 2 slit green chilies

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Add the turmeric (⅛ tsp), 1 tsp garam masala, red chili powder (⅓ tsp) and separate vegetable salt to taste. Fry for 2 minutes until aromatic.

   Uses sautéed mixed vegetables · ⅛ tsp turmeric · 1 tsp garam masala for vegetables · ⅓ tsp red chili powder · Salt to taste for vegetables

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Add exactly 100 ml from the 250 ml yogurt stock. Mix and cook until all vegetables are just tender, covering if needed. Uncover to evaporate any excess moisture, then turn off the heat.

   Uses seasoned vegetable mixture · 100 ml yogurt for cooking vegetables

   
7. 7

   Step 7: While the vegetables cook, bring the separate 5 cups rice-boiling water to a boil with rice salt to taste, a little oil, the rice bay leaf (1) and ¼ tsp rice shahi jeera. Drain the soaked rice from step 1, add it and cook until about 90% done: tender with a slight bite and separate grains. Drain promptly and keep hot for layering. Separately soak the saffron in the 3 tbsp hot milk.

   Uses 5 cups water for open-pot rice boiling, drained after cooking · Salt to taste for boiling rice · A little oil for rice boiling · 1 bay leaf for boiling rice · ¼ tsp shahi jeera for boiling rice · soaked drained basmati rice · A few saffron strands for topping · 3 tbsp hot milk for saffron topping

   
8. 8

   Step 8: For two vegetable layers, reserve one-third of the cooked vegetable mixture. In the dum pot, mix the remaining two-thirds with the remaining 150 ml yogurt, some of the measured mint and coriander, and a few of the reserved fried onions. Retain the rest of the herbs and reserved onions for the rice layers. Nuts and raisins are used only in the topping at step 10.

   Uses cooked vegetable mixture for reserve and base · Remaining 150 ml yogurt for assembly · Some mint for vegetable base, remainder reserved · Some coriander for vegetable base, remainder reserved · A few of the reserved half-batch onions

9. 9

   Step 9: Spread half the hot drained rice over the vegetable base. Layer the reserved one-third vegetable mixture over it, then sprinkle a little of the retained mint, coriander and fried onions.

   Uses Base containing two-thirds of cooked vegetables · half the hot drained rice · Reserved third of vegetables from step 6 · Some retained mint for middle layer · Some retained coriander for middle layer · some reserved fried onions for middle layer

10. 10

    Step 10: Add the remaining half of the hot rice, then the remaining measured herbs and reserved fried onions. Pour over the saffron-infused milk from step 7. Separately heat the remaining 1 tbsp cooking fat, fry the cashews until golden and add raisins toward the end until plump. Pour this fat, nuts and raisins evenly over the rice. Seal the pot rim with foil and fit a heavy lid to trap steam.

    Uses first rice and vegetable layers · remaining half hot drained rice · Remaining measured mint · Remaining measured coriander · remaining reserved fried onions · saffron-infused milk · Remaining 1 tbsp fat for nut topping · Cashews as desired for fried topping

11. 11

    Step 11: Place the sealed dum pot on a preheated heavy-bottomed tawa or griddle. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, then reduce to low and cook for another 5–7 minutes, adjusting for your pot thickness.

    Low-heat dum stage after 5 minutes medium · 7 minUses sealed assembled dum biryani with fried nut topping

12. 12

    Step 12: Remove from the heat and rest sealed for at least 15 minutes. Open carefully and serve from the bottom upward so every portion has rice and vegetables.

    Rest sealed dum biryani · 15 minUses dum-cooked vegetable biryani