Before this Covid situation, our weekends would be Veg Biriyani from the nearby restaurant and I used to wait for it after bored of my own cooking. But since March, we have stopped restaurant foods completely and I started making Biriyani at home.

Though the initial few times it did not come out so well, now my husband says it comes out even better than restaurant ones. So I thought I must share this recipe with my readers as I know most of you must be cooking only at home and missing Biriyani from restaurants.

I feel homemade ones taste better mainly because of the pure ingredients that we use such as ghee as compared to the refined oil used in restaurants. Now I can’t imagine eating that and feel satisfied when my family loves the Biriyani I make. Don’t think we will ever go back to eating out. One of the many positives that Corona has taught us, I must say.

Hope you all try for your family and love it too. Happy and healthy cooking. Stay safe!

RECIPE:

Ingredients: {Serves 3}

For the rice layer:

1 1/2 Cups raw Basmati or any long grain rice, soaked for 30 mins

Salt to taste

2 Cardamom pods

2 Cloves

1 Bay leaf

For the gravy layer:

2 Tbsp Ghee

1 Tbsp Oil

1 tsp Cumin seeds or Jeera

1 tsp Fennel seeds

1 tsp Peppercorns

2 Cardamom pods

2 Cloves

1 Bay leaf

6 to 8 Cashews

1 large Onion, thinly sliced

2 Cups Mixed Vegetables (carrot, potato, beans, green peas) { I used frozen peas}

1/2 Cup Yogurt or thick Curd

2 tsp Red chilli powder or to taste

2 tsp Garam masala powder

1/2 tsp Haldi powder

Salt to taste

Other ingredients:

4 Tbsp finely chopped Mint or Pudina leaves

4 Tbsp finely chopped Coriander leaves

1/4 Cup Milk

A pinch of Saffron strands

Step by step recipe:

1. Boil water in a large pan. Add soaked and drained Basmati rice along with salt, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf. Cook till the rice is almost done. Keep aside to cool.

2. Heat ghee plus oil and add jeera, fennel seeds, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaf and cashews. Fry till cashews turn brown. Add thinly sliced onions (with a pinch of salt) and fry till they start turning brown.

3. Now add the mixed vegetables and fry well for couple of minutes.

4. Add little water and cook the vegetables till almost done. Now mix Yogurt with turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala powder till there are no lumps and it turns a smooth paste. Add to the cooked vegetables while mixing well on low flame.

5. Cook on low flame for about 5 mins. Remove from flame. Keep aside.

6. Now heat the saffron stands in milk for little while. I microwave on high for 1 minute till the colour of milk changes.

7. Now start layering. Take a large pan and first add a layer of the curry. I use the same pan in which I cooked the rice.

8. Now add a layer of the cooked rice (half of it) evenly over it. Add half of the saffron milk and half of the finely chopped Mint – coriander leaves evenly over it.

9. Now layer the rest of the curry over it.

10. And finally the rest of the rice along with the saffron milk and mint coriander leaves evenly over it.

11. Now take another large pan with little water in it. Place this layered Biriyani pan in it and cook covered well for atleast 20 mins in the lowest flame possible.

12. Remove and serve with raita.

Notes:

* Don’t cook the rice fully in the first step or it will get mashed when steaming after layering.

* This style of Biriyani may seem difficult than one pot ones but trust me, it tastes very delicious and is easier than other layered Biriyanis.

* The spice level is to taste. I don’t make the Biriyani spicy as my kids eat it as well. You can add more red chilli powder in the Yogurt if desired.

* Make the gravy thick and dry, not watery or the Biriyani won’t come out well.

* For raita, I add finely chopped tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, coriander leaves to yogurt with little water, salt and chaat masala. Mix well.