Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani

I want to tell all hyderabadis a place where u can get perfect vegetable dum biryani . It is in 'santosh dhaba' ( purely vegetarian) , it has 2 branches one in Begum bazar and other in Banjara hills . I ate veg dum biryani in almost all famous restaurants like paradise , bawarchi , seventh heaven , ... etc,. But i never found one like a santosh dhaba biryani . What a flavour , aroma and superrrrr taste . When i was in chennai whenever i visit my parents its my condition to take me to that restaurant atleast once in my visit . If u are a hyderabadi and a pure vegetarian then u must go there for all vegge yummy dishes . There they serve biryani in bowls in layers of curry and rice . Anyway now we will see my version of making Vegetable dum biryani. Hope u like it.

Preparation :-

• Soak 2 electric rice cooker cups /250 gms of basmathi rice in sufficient water for 45 mins .

• In mean time chop 1 big onion , 4 green chillies , 1 potato , 10 french beans , 1 carrot , few cauliflower florets , 1 tomato . Chop all into big chunks.

• Take half handful of pudina leaves ,wash them and chop them .

Biryani Masala :-

• Heat a pan dry fry 5-6 cashews , 1/2tspn fennel seeds(saunf) , 3 cloves , 3 cardamoms , 1" cinnamon stick , 1 tspn poppy seeds . Grind these to a fine powder .

• In second round , in same mixcy container add 3 green chillies , 5 strigs of coriander leaves , 3 tbspns of fresh/frozen coconut , 1 big garlic pod , equivalent ginger piece. Grind these all into a fine paste . Donot add water while grinding.

Cooking Rice :-

• Take a big vessel and fill it with water , bring it to boil , while boiling add 2 tspns of salt , 1 tspn of oil , 2 lightly crushed cardamoms , 2 cloves , 1" cinnamon stick , 1/4 tspn shajeera , 5 pudina leaves . Once water is boiling nicely add soaked and drained rice. Cook rice till 90% . After rice is cooked Strain rice . After 5 mins add 1 tspn ghee on rice and fluff the rice carefully with a fork.

Curry preparation :-

• Heat a wide pan , add 2 tbspns oil , add whole garam masala ( 1/4 tspn shajeera , 3 cloves , 3 lightly crushed cardamoms , cinnamon stick , 2 star anise , mace , 2 bay leaves , 2 anasa puvvu.

• Next add chopped green chillies ( 3) , pudina leaves , add sliced onions. Add pinch of salt & 1/4 tspn turmeric and brown onions . Next add 1/4 tspn ginger garlic paste .

• Now add all vegetables ( potato , beans , carrot , cauliflower , frozen peas) except tomato . Add 1 tspn salt , mix all nicely and fry vegetables till they are 90% done (while frying veggies put lid ) . For checking take a potato piece and pierce it with a spoon , if it cuts easily then u can know that veggies are cooked .

• Now add 1/4 tspn garam masala powder , 1 tspn coriander powder , 1/4 tspn cumin powder, mix nicely and add grinded biryani masala paste . Mix nicely and fry for 5 mins .

• Next add 1 cup of thick curd and tomato pieces. Mix nicely and fry for 5 mins . Switch off the stove and add 2 tspns lemon juice , mix it well and put a lid . With this ur curry is completed.

Layering :-

• Take a oven safe pan or aluminium tray , spray oil allover . Spread curry nicely , sprinkle fried onions on top.

• Now as second layer spread cooked rice uniformly.

• On top of it add 2 tspns lemon juice all over , sprinkle fried onions , finely chopped coriander and mint leaves , sprinkle 1 tbspn oil allover the rice , now sprinkle food colour mixed water ( u can use multi colours or a single colour) .

• Now seal the pan tightly with aluminium foil .

• Bake this in preheated oven @ 400 degree F for 30 mins . After that switchoff oven and after a standby of 5 mins u can open the seal and serve hot with raitha or salan . (Best way to know whether biryani is baked perfectly or not is by looking at fried onions , coriander and mint leaves . They should turn dark )

Note :-

• After opening seal u can serve without mixing it . if u do like this u get curry in down layer and rice on top layer.

• If u are making biryani in large quantity then put rice as first layer , on top add curry , on top add again rice , next curry , finally spread rice . on top sprinkle coriander leaves , pudina leaves , oil , fried onions and food colour. Seal it and bake it . when u are baking large quantity bake @ 400F for 40 mins .