Veg Dum Biryani

Ingredients

• 2 cup basmati rice
• 1 bowl mixed vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, green peas)
• 2 onions
• 1 capsicum
• 1/4 cup fried onion
• 1 cup curd
• 4 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 Bay leaf
• 3 cardamom pods
• 5 black pepper
• 2 tsp biryani masala
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 2 tsp green chillies garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• Oil
• Ghee
• leaves Coriander
• leaves Mint
• Saffron strands diluted in some milk

Steps

1. Wash the basmati rice and soak for half an hour. Add the whole spices and cook the rice, then strain off excess water and set aside.
2. Churn the curd and fried onion together in a mixer jar. Mix the green-chillies-garlic paste and all the dry masalas into this paste thoroughly, then add the chopped vegetables to marinate.
3. Heat a pan and add oil and ghee. Sauté the cashews and remove them. Sauté the sliced onion and capsicum, then add the marinated vegetable mixture and salt. Cover and cook until the vegetables are cooked.
4. Heat a pot for layering. Begin with the prepared sabji, then rice, saffron milk, fried onion, mint leaves, coriander leaves, and fried cashews. Repeat the same layers.
5. Cover with the lid and put the pot on a cast-iron tawa over low flame. Cook on dum for 30 to 40 minutes.
6. Accompany the vegetable dum biryani with curd or raita.