Vegetable Biryani

Questions About Vegetable Biryani

The Method for Vegetable Biryani

Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.

1. Soak the rice in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

2. Fry the onions in the oil over a medium heat for 15 minutes, until dark brown and crisp. Drain on paper.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

3. Mix the vegetables with the yoghurt, ginger and garlic paste, chillies, chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, half the fried onions and 1 tsp of the salt. Leave 15 minutes.

   Mark done

4. Bring the water to a rolling boil with the remaining salt, the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay.

   Mark done

5. Add the rice and boil 5 minutes, until a grain breaks into three with a white core. Drain at once.

   Mark done

6. Spread the marinated vegetables in a heavy pot with 2 tbsp of the ghee.

   Mark done

7. Cover with the drained rice, then scatter over the remaining fried onions, the mint and coriander.

   Mark done

8. Spoon the saffron milk over in stripes and dot with the last of the ghee.

   Mark done

9. Cover the pot with foil, press the lid down hard on top, and cook on the lowest heat for 25 minutes.

   Mark done Start 25 min timer

10. Rest sealed for 10 minutes, then open and lift the layers with a flat spoon rather than stirring.

    Mark done Start 10 min timer

Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Choosing rice.

Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.

Tips That Matter

• Seventy per cent rice: it breaks in three with a white core.
• Seal with foil under the lid or the steam escapes.
• Lift to serve, never stir, or the grains break.

If You're Missing Something

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the green chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

What to Serve With It

Cucumber and mint raita · Mirchi ka salan · Papad

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Idiyappam, Lachha Paratha, Makki di Roti.

Storage

Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Reheat covered with a splash of water.

Nutrition per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (how much frying oil the food takes up cannot be known from the recipe). Why some recipes have none.

Your notes on this recipe

Cooked this? Keep a note for next time

Your own rating out of 5

5 stars★ 4 stars★ 3 stars★ 2 stars★ 1 star★

Your note

Save note

Private to you: notes and ratings are saved in this browser only, are never sent anywhere, and other readers cannot see them.