Vegetable Shahi Biryani

Vegetable Shahi Biryani:


Biryani, the word is so appealing towards our taste buds, and to add to it, when it's Shahi, you just get wrapped into the authentic Mughlai cuisine. Wondering who invented this Biryani is a big story, when its question of your tummy, nobody digs into the history of it. Just jump over it and voila!! Why do certain words tickle our taste buds is a big question.

Today I shall share with you vegetable Shahi Biryani recipe which i tried for the first time and it turned out so perfect, full of aroma and authenticity. But before I would like to share a knowledge on what do you mean by Biryani and what is Shahi.

Biryani is a mixed rice dish made with spices, chicken or red meat. Its originated by Muslims or some historical aspects focuses on its origin in Iran and bought to India by Mughals. It is said that biryani is a combination of rice and meat. If you replace meat with vegetables, then its called pulav. But if you prepare the same way like a biryani, then it can be called veg Biryani. There are 15 typed of biryanis prepared with different spices as per different cultures. Coming to the word  Shahi. Shahi means Royality. A dish prefixed with word shahi means a rich dish full of spices having a rich aroma and flavour in each bite. Its a dish invented by Mughals who ruled India for almost 300 years. Mughlai recipes are rich with spices, nuts and dried fruits.

So let's focus on the recipe of vegetable Shahi Biryani.

Ingredients:
Basmati rice-2 cups
Vegetables of your choice- carrots, green peas, capsicum, beans etc
2 big onions to fry
Cashewnut and badam pieces-2 tbsp each.
1 medium onion finely chopped
Shahi Biryani masala-2 tbsp
I have used this shahi biryani masala, which has unique blend of aromatic spices and is the best I can for you to use in your biryani. Its readily available at all stores in market.

Kesar milk-2-4 tsp
Oil as required
Ghee as required
Salt as per taste
Lime juice -2 tsp
Spices :
Cloves-2-4
Cinnamon-2 sticks
Star anise-2 flowers
Bay leaves-2
Peppercorns-5-6
Cardamom-2
Masala elaichi-2

Green chillies-5-6
Coriander leaves-1 fistful
Pudina leaves-1 fistful
Ginger garlic paste-2 tsp
Tomatoes-2 or puree


Method:
Wash rice nicely and soak it in water for 30 minutes.

Chop onions long slitted and keep them in pan with little oil and leave till onion turns brown. Keep aside. In the same pan add cashewnut and badam pieces and slightly roast them and keep aside.
Chop all vegetables of your choice.

Make a paste of coriander leaves, green chillies and pudina leaves with little water. Keep some pudina leaves aside for layering of your Biryani.

Keep a big vessel and boil water. Once the water boils, add half the spices like cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, masala elaichi, star anise, bay leaf. Then add a spoonful of ghee,  pinch of salt and lime juice. Spices are added for flavour, salt and ghee for making your rice nonsticky and lime juice to retain the white color of your rice. Then add washed rice and stir and allow your rice to cook exactly for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, check, it will be cooked well and since you soak your rice for 30 minutes earlier tends to make your rice grains longer. So now off the flame and drain your rice on a sieve. When full water gets drained off, spread your cooked rice on a large plate. Put 2-4 drops of oil and ghee all over, drops of kesar milk( put kesar strands in milk or use a food color), salt as required and mix slowly and keep aside.


In a Biryani making handi, add oil, add remaining half spices as mentioned above along with peppercorns, finely chopped onions, finely chopped all vegetables and let them cook. Add paste from mixer and let it cook. Then add chopped tomatoes or puree, the way you prefer. I prefer chopped tomatoes instead of puree. Add little salt and then Shahi Biryani masala. Mix well and let it cook. Off the flame. Remove 3/4th part of this vegetable mixture in another container. Keep 1/4 th part there itself.

Now the layering of your Biryani.
1 st in the above Biryani vessel with 1/4 th part of vegetable mix, add cooked basmati rice. Add fried onions, fried nuts, pudina leaves, a tsp of ghee.
Again on top add vegetable mixture, then rice, fried onions, fried nuts, pudina leaves, ghee.
This way make layers of your Biryani depending on the quantity of your rice, fried onions and vegetable mixture.
After you are done with layering, keep the vessel closed and cook again on low flame for 5 minutes, then on tawa for 5 minutes. Then keep aside on hot water of rice which you had drained earlier. This keeps your Biryani hot for long hours.


Serve with raita or chopped onions or as it is the way you prefer.




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