One Pot Mix Veg Green Biryani - Meatless Monday
Quick & Easy Biryani Recipe, made with Low GI basmati rice, mint, mix veg and whole spices. An unconventional Biryani Recipe from Indian Cuisine.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- Basmati Rice - 2&1/2 cups. I used the low GI Basmati. You may use regular Basmati Rice
- Onions - 1 cup chopped fine or lengthwise
- Ginger - 1 small piece chopped fine
- Garlic - 2 small pods chopped fine
- Green Chili - 1 chopped fine
- Mix Vegetables - 4 cups chopped into big cubes. I used a combination of Green Bell Peppers (Capsicum), Carrots, Broccoli, Green Peas, Potatoes. You may use the vegetables of your choice.
- Mint - handful chopped roughly
- Coriander/Cilantro leaves - handful chopped roughly
- Yogurt - 1 cup
- Water - 2&1/2 cups
Oils & Spices
- Ghee - 2&1/2 tbsp. I used Olive Oil.
- Bay leaf - 1
- Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
- Pepper corns - 5
- Cloves - 5
- Green Cardamom - 2 small opened up a bit
- Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp + more
- Garam Masala - 1 tsp + more
- Salt - 2&1/2 tsp or to taste yes it needs to be seasoned nicely
- Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
- Saffron - a fat pinch soaked in 1/4 cup want milk
- Mint powder dry - 1&1/2 tsp
Instructions
- Wash the rice thoroughly and soak in enough water till everything else if ready for layering. Set aside.
Prepping the Onions
- Heat 1 tbsp ghee/oil in a big sauce pan. Once hot, lower the flame and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom, cloves and pepper corns to the pan. When the cumin seeds crackle, add ginger, garlic, chili and onions to the pan. Sprinkle a fat pinch of salt and cook the onions on medium high flame, till they are golden pink, for about 4-5 minute. Once done, set them aside in another bowl.
Prepping the Mix Vegetables
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil/ghee in the same pan. Add Red chili powder, turmeric, Salt and 1 tsp Garam Masala to the pan and sauté for few seconds on medium flame. Now add all the other chopped vegetables in the pan. Cook and sauté till potatoes and carrots are partly cooked. Now add 1 tsp dry mint powder and yogurt in the pan. Stir and cook on medium flame for another 3 minutes. Switch off the flame and empty the vegetables cooked in yogurt in another bowl. Set aside.
Layering and Cooking One Pot Mix Veg Green Biryani
- Drain the water off the soaked rice. Divide the rice in 3 equal parts.
- Add 1/2 tbsp oil/ghee in the same big sauce pan. Keep the flame really low, almost on simmer. Start Layering.
- Layer 1 - Spread one part of the soaked rice at the bottom. Layer it with 1/3rd of the Mix Vegetable in Yogurt Sauce. Top it with 1/3rd of the sautéed onion mix. Pour 1 tbsp of saffron milk on top. Sprinkle with 1 tsp each of chopped mint and cilantro leaves, a pinch of dry mint powder, Garam masala and red chili powder.
- Repeat the above process for 2 more times. You will have 3 layers in total. Pour any leftover saffron milk and yogurt from the vegetables on the top.
- Slowly add 2 &1/2 cups of water to the pan, from the sides.
- Bring it to a boil. Now put the gas stove to simmer. Cover the pan with foil first and then put the lid on. Cook on simmer till all the liquid is absorbed. It takes good18-20 minutes. Keep checking in between from the side, to avoid burning.
- Switch off the gas stove. Let it rest like that for about another 10-15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the foil. Take a fork and gently work through the Biryani, forking and separating the rice grains with gentle hand.
- Serve it warm with Cucumber Raita, Pickles and Mint Coriander Chutney.
Notes
If you use any other kind of rice, you have to adjust the water accordingly. The low GI Basmati gets cooked in lesser water. If you are using regular basmati, then use 3 cups of water or accordingly.
You may use any seasonal vegetable including above and cauliflower, green beans, corn etc.
The vegetables have to be chopped in larger pieces.
You may skip the dry mint powder and make it a regular Biryani.
You may also use partly cooked rice and layer and simmer accordingly till rice is cooked.
You may use any seasonal vegetable including above and cauliflower, green beans, corn etc.
The vegetables have to be chopped in larger pieces.
You may skip the dry mint powder and make it a regular Biryani.
You may also use partly cooked rice and layer and simmer accordingly till rice is cooked.