Vegetable Biryani
Rice parboiled separately, layered over a spiced vegetable base, and steamed sealed so the two finish together.
- Prep
- 40m
- Cook
- 55m
- Waiting
- 10m
- Total
- 1h 45m
- Serves
- 6
- Effort
- Involved
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done. Tap an ingredient once for got it, twice for need it.
| 4 tbsp | Fry until deeply browned, then set half aside 15m Properly browned onions — birista — are the backbone of the dish. | Cook the vegetable base until thick 25m | Layer rice over the vegetables, scattering as you go 10m Two layers of rice, one of vegetables. Never mix until it is served. | Seal and steam on the lowest heat 25 minutes, then rest 10 35m Dum — a tight seal traps the steam so the rice finishes in aromatic vapour. | |
| 3 | |||||
| 2 tbsp | Add and cook out 10m | ||||
| 1 cup | |||||
| 700 g | |||||
| 2 tbsp | |||||
| 1 tsp | |||||
| 2 tsp | |||||
| a large handful | |||||
| 3 cups | Rinse, then soak 30 minutes 35m | Boil 5 minutes in heavily salted water, then drain 15m 70% cooked only. It finishes in the steam. | |||
| 3 l | |||||
| 2 tbsp | |||||
| 1 tbsp | |||||
| a pinch | |||||
| the reserved half | |||||
| a handful | |||||
| 2 tbsp | |||||
-
Fry until deeply browned, then set half aside
15m- ghee 4 tbsp
- onions 3
Properly browned onions — birista — are the backbone of the dish.
-
Add and cook out
10m- ginger-garlic paste 2 tbsp
- yoghurt 1 cup
- mixed vegetables 700 g
- biryani masala 2 tbsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp
- salt 2 tsp
- mint leaves a large handful
-
Cook the vegetable base until thick
25m- from 1 Fry until deeply browned, then set half aside
- from 2 Add and cook out
-
Rinse, then soak 30 minutes
35m- basmati rice 3 cups
-
Boil 5 minutes in heavily salted water, then drain
15m- from 4 Rinse, then soak 30 minutes
- water 3 l
- salt 2 tbsp
- whole spices 1 tbsp
70% cooked only. It finishes in the steam.
-
Layer rice over the vegetables, scattering as you go
10m- from 3 Cook the vegetable base until thick
- from 5 Boil 5 minutes in heavily salted water, then drain
- saffron a pinch
- fried onions the reserved half
Two layers of rice, one of vegetables. Never mix until it is served.
-
Seal and steam on the lowest heat 25 minutes, then rest 10
35m- from 6 Layer rice over the vegetables, scattering as you go
- coriander leaves a handful
- ghee 2 tbsp
Dum — a tight seal traps the steam so the rice finishes in aromatic vapour.
Two components, cooked apart
Rice and vegetables want completely different treatment: rice needs a hard, brief boil in lots of salted water, vegetables need slow frying in fat. Cook them together and one of them is wrong. Parboiling the rice to about 70 % and finishing it in trapped steam over the base lets each get what it needs and still arrive at the same moment.
Notes
- Soak the basmati for 30 minutes. The grains hydrate evenly and are far less likely to break.
- Salt the rice water like pasta water — it is the only chance the grains get to be seasoned.
- Seal the lid with foil or a flour-and-water paste. Escaping steam is the usual reason the top layer is dry.