Easy Recipe For Vegetable Biryani & Biryani Pot -HealthTalki

If you are searching healthy and flavorful dish that is easy to cook in less time and compatible with any occasion then look no further than vegetable biryani. Vegetable biryani is very simple, cost-effective, and requires no cooking skills.

Vegetable biryani is a very famous and traditional dish of India that has lots of spices and flavors. It is a one-pot dish and is usually served at special occasions such as parties, festivals, and gathering and celebration events.

Vegetable biryani is a mixture of vegetables, spices, and aromatic herbs, these ingredients come together and form a vegetable biryani dish.

Vegetable biryani is a healthy and nutritious option for vegetarians because it contains a blend of vegetables that are rich sources of both macronutrients and micronutrients.

In this article, we will look through a recipe for vegetable biryani and different kind of biryani pots used for biryani cooking.

Recipe of vegetable biryani

The following ingredients are mandatory in the recipe for vegetable biryani.

Ingredients

To make a delightful vegetable biryani recipe, first arrange the basic ingredients that are used in the recipe of vegetable biryani. The following ingredients are mandatory:

2 cups = basmati rice
2 tbsp = ghee or oil
Salt = according to the taste
1 cup = mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, tomatoes, beans, potatoes, and cauliflower)
2 = sliced onions
1/2 cup = chopped mint leaves
1/2 cup = chopped cilantro leaves
1 tsp = ginger paste
3 cups = water
3-4 = chopped green chilies
1/2 cup = yogurt
1/2 cup = chopped mint leaves
1/2 cup = chopped cilantro leaves
1 tsp = ginger paste
1 tsp = garlic paste
1 tsp = cumin seeds
1 tsp = coriander powder
1 tsp = garam masala
1/2 tsp = turmeric powder
1/2 tsp = red chili powder

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Step 1: Preparing the Spices

The taste of biryani is depended on the spices, so making spices is a very important step in biryani cooking. Follow these steps:

First heat the dry pan. When the pan is hot then add cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks.
Heat the pan for 2-3 minutes and stir the ingredients occasionally, until they become darker in color and fragrant. This will release the essential oils from ingredients which will enhance the flavor of biryani.
Now remove the spices from the pan and turn off the heat and let the spices cool for a few minutes.
Grind the spices either on a grinder or mortar and pestle. Pre-ground spices are also available in the market but making fresh spices add a unique flavor to your biryani.
Mix ground spices with some cumin, coriander, and turmeric in a small bowl. This will create biryani masala which is known as “Garam Masala”

By following these steps, you will create a tremendous aromatic spice for your vegetable biryani. Garam masala is a key component in the recipe for vegetable biryani.

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Step 2: Preparing the Vegetables

vegetables for biryani

Making vegetables is an important step in cooking delicious vegetable biryani. Follow these steps in preparing a recipe for vegetable biryani.

You can use a variety of vegetables in the recipe of vegetable biryani such as potatoes, onions, peas, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, cauliflower, peas, and bell peppers. You can also use other vegetables it just depends on your choice.
Thoroughly rinse vegetables with clean water and chop them into bite-sized pieces.
Add oil or ghee into a large skillet pan or wok pan and heat it. When the oil is hot then add some chopped onions and cook them until their color becomes golden brown and caramelized. These caramelized onions will give a sweet and savory flavor to the biryani.
Now add chopped vegetables to the skillet pan and stir them for 5-10 minutes or until the vegetables are slightly softened. Stir vegetables intermittently to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
To add pungent and aromatic flavor to the biryani, add some ginger-garlic paste to the skillet and cook it for 2-3 minutes or unit it becomes fragrant.
Add garam biryani masala that we have already prepared, to the skillet and stir-fry it for 2-3 minutes or until it evenly coats the vegetables. This will add a delightful flavor to the biryani.
Add some water to the vegetables and cover the skillet with a lid and cook the vegetable for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables become soft and tender.
When vegetables are cooked, turn off the heat and add fresh cilantro leaves. These cilantro leaves will add fresh and herbaceous flavor to the biryani.

You will prepare a delicious and flavorful vegetable filling for biryani by following these steps. The spices, caramelized onions, and fresh cilantro will give a unique taste to your biryani.

How to make vegetable biryani

Vegetable biryani is prepared through the following steps:

Step 3: Rice cooking

Rice cooking is an essential step in the preparation of delicious vegetable biryani. Follow these steps in the cooking of rice:
Cooking rice perfectly is essential for making a delicious vegetable biryani. Here’s how to do it:
Rinse thoroughly two cups of basmati or other breed rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Washing of rich will help to remove excess starch, extra particles, and dust.
To reduce the cooking time, soak the rice in cold water for 15-30 minutes. This will soften the rice.
Boil 8 cups of water in a biryani pot and add some whole spices that we have already prepared to the water to flavor the rice.
When the water starts to boil, then add soaked rice to the pot and stir it gently. Let the rice cook for 6-10 minutes or until about 60-70% part of the biryani is cooked. To prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot, stir it occasionally.
Now drain the rice from the biryani pot into a colander and rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Mix some saffron strands in warm water or milk in a large bowl. This solution will give aesthetic golden color and subtle aroma to the rice.
Now layer partially cooked rice and the vegetable filling in alternate layers in a biryani pot or Dutch oven. Start with a rice layer followed by a vegetable layer continue this process until all rice and vegetables are used up.
Finally, pour the saffron milk over the top of the rice and vegetables.
Cover the biryani pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it on moderate heat.
Leave the biryani to cook for 15-25 minutes or until the rice and vegetables are fully cooked. Check the biryani occasionally to make sure that it is not sticking to the bottom of the biryani pot.
Turn off the heat, once the biryani is fully cooked, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Now fluff biryani with a fork and set it aside.

Step 4: Layering the Biryani

Layering the biryani is a crucial step that ensures all the spices and flavors are uniformly distributed through the biryani. It is the main and last step in the vegetable biryani recipe. Biryani layering steps include:

Spread a thin layer of cooked rice with the help of a spoon or spatula on the bottom of the skillet pan. Make sure that biryani has covered the entire surface.
Now add a thin layer of cooked vegetables on top of the rice. Make sure that vegetables cover the entire surface of the rice.
Sprinkle a mixture of yogurt over the vegetable. This will add a creamy and tangy flavor to the biryani.
Repeat the process of layering until all the rice and vegetables have been used up. The top layer should be a rice layer.
Now cover the skillet pan with a tight-fitting lid and place it on moderate heat. Cook it for 10-15 minutes or until the biryani is fully cooked.
When the biryani is fully cooked, turn off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes to slightly cool. This resting time allow the biryani to absorb the remaining moisture.
When the biryani is slightly cooled, garnish it with some chopped cilantro leaves and serve it hot with raita, chutney, and sauce.
These are the basic steps in the recipe for vegetable biryani. You will prepare delicious and yummy vegetable biryani like an expert by following these steps.

Calories in vegetable biryani

The number of calories in vegetable biryani are depending on the ingredients used in the biryani.

200 grams of typical vegetable biryani provide around 300-400 calories.
If the biryani is made from high calories ingredients such as clarified butter or ghee then the count of calories will be high.
If biryani is prepared from low calories ingredients such as tomatoes, mushrooms, and bell peppers then the calorie count will be lowered.

To know the exact count of calories then it is best to determine the calories of each ingredient separately.

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Biryani pot for cooking

The most common biryani pot are:

Handi

Handi is made from clay and it is a traditional Indian and Pakistani cooking vessel. Handi has a wide base and narrow neck, which help to trap moisture and keep flavors inside the biryani.

Degchi

Degchi is usually larger than Handi and it is made from stainless steel or copper. It is not only used for biryani cooking but also for all kinds of rice cooking. But in restaurants, it is usually used for biryani cooking.

Dutch oven and skillet pan

Dutch oven and skillet pan is designed for all kinds of dishes but mostly it is used for biryani cooking because the taste of biryani that is cooked in Dutch oven and skillet pan is unique.

It is made from iron and has a tight-fitting lid. It tremendously reduces cooking time.

Rice Cooker

A rice cooker is an electric appliance that is specially designed for rice cooking. It is very simple to use and cooks rice in a very short time.

Pressure Cooker

A pressure cooker is a common home cooking appliance that is used for a variety of cooking tasks such as cooking meat sauce, vegetable biryani, chicken biryani, yakhni, chicken sauce, etc.

A pressure cooker uses steam to cook food items quickly. It reduces the cooking time and increases the taste of food.

In choosing a biryani pot, first, make sure that it has a tight-fitting lid and has a considerable size to hold all the ingredients that are used in the biryani recipe.

Author

Gowhar Ali

Pharm D, Mphil, Diploma in Nutrition
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