Mughalai Vegetable Briyani (With Step-Wise Pictures)

Mughalai Vegetable Briyani

There is a popular saying about Briyani.. "If there is such a thing as food of god, it is undoubtedly Briyani'.. Its true, right?? I love to try various types of Briyani... This Mughal Briyani  taste is very different from that of our usual one pot briyani.. Here rice  and  the gravy are cooked separatley..  Then both are cooked together in low heat (Dum).. I made use of oven for it..

Its a very rich n aromatic briyani perfect for a heavy weekend lunch.. Then for what are you waiting for?? here is the recipe!!

Ingredients: (Recipe For 4)

For Rice:

Basmati Rice          - 2 cups

Lemon Juice           - 1 tbsp

Oil                          - 1 tsp

Water                     - 6 cups

Salt                         - As required

Vegetables To Boil:

Carrot                   - 2 (medium size)

French Beans       - 8-10

Peas                      - 1/4 cup

Cauliflower          - 1/4 cup

To Grind(1):

Coconut                - 1 tbsp

Cashew Nuts        - 4-6

Poppy Seeds         - 1/2 tbsp

To Grind(2):

Tomato                 - 2

Others:

Oil                                   - 2 tbsp

Ghee                                - 1 tbsp

Whole Garam Masala     - Everything 2

Big onion                        - 2

Ginger-Garlic Paste        - 1 tbsp

Yoghurt                           - 1/2 cup

Salt                                  - As needed

Chilli Powder                  - 1.5 tbsp

Cumin powder                - 2 tsp

Coriander Powder           - 2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder   - 2 tsp
Coriander Leaves           - 2 handful
Mint Leaves                    - 2 handful

Procedure:

• Boil 6 cups of water in  a sauce pan. When the water boils, add washed Basmathi rice. When the water boils again, reduce the flame and switch it off in another 8 minutes. By this way, rice would have cooked only 3/4 th.. When you take out the rice it should be mashable with hands but it should be little chewy when you eat.. Drain the excess water and let the rice cool..

• Boil all the vegetables with less water. Grind both under ' To Grind' separately. Grate big onions.
• Wash and chop coriander and mint leaves.
• Heat oil +Ghee in a pan. Add whole Garam Masala to it. After a minute, add grated onions.. Once it gets browned, add Ginger - Garlic paste.. Add tomato puree after a minute.
• When the raw flavor of tomato goes off, add in coconut paste. 
• Saute it for about a minute and then add all boiled vegetables..
• After some time, add yogurt and all powders.
• Add half cup of water and simmer the gravy.. Switch it off when the gravy gets thickened.

• Take a baking pan. Grease it. Place half of the rice. Then Gravy.. and throw coriander, some coriander and mint leaves.
• And then add rest of the rice, gravy and again Coriander, mint leaves.
• Cover the pan. I used baking sheet for it.

• Pre heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Bake it for 15 minutes. Let briyani sit in the switched off oven for 10 more minutes.

• If you wish fry onions, cashews and add it to the Briyani. Mix everything and serve it hot with Raita..
• If you don't have oven, simply heat a dosai pan. Place rice,gravy,coriander leaves in layers in a Pan and place it over the dosai pan.. By this, Dum briyani can be done on stove top.

Chicken Briyani

Chicken Briyani

Here coming an much excited food  "Chicken Briyani".. Our all time favourite food. If we would like to celebrate anything,  Cooking Briyani is the first thing which comes to our mind. Whenever we prepare briyani it would always be a platter.. Briyani & Co.. We used to have briyani with Boiled egg, Onion Raita, Chicken 65 , Coriander chutney and Brinjal Kothsu. 

Ingredients:  (for 2 persons)

To Grind: For Masala

Chopped Ginger                                        - 2 tsp

Chopped Garlic                                         - 2 tsp

Green Chillies                                            - 2

Cinnamon                                                  - 1

Cloves                                                        - 1

Star Aniseeds                                             - 1

Cloves                                                        - 1

Green cardamom                                       - 1

Fresh Coriander                                         - a handful

Others :

Briyani rice ( Seeraga Samba rice)           - 2 cup

Chicken                                                     - 1/2 kg (cut into medium size pieces)

Big onion  (cut lengthwise)                       - 2  ( medium size)

Tomato                                                      - 2 

Fresh Coriander leaves                              - a handful

Fresh Mint leaves                                      - a handful

Curd                                                           - 1 tbsp

lemon                                                         - 1/2

Oil                                                              - As required

Ghee                                                           - 2 tsp

Water                                                          - 4 cups

Salt                                                             - as required

Masala Powders

Turmeric powder                                       - a pinch

Chilli Powder                                             - 2 tsp

Cumin Powder                                            - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder                                       - 1 tsp

Whole Garam Masala

Cloves                                                        - 1

Star Aniseeds                                             - 1

Cloves                                                        - 1

Green cardamom                                       - 1

Procedure:

1.  Wash the rice , empty all water and keep it aside
2. Grind all things mentioned in the list
3. Heat oil + ghee in a cooker
4. Add rice to it. saute for some time. You can see rice getting dry. That is the perfect time to switch off the flame. This is done to prevent the rice getting sticky.
5. Take out the rice 
6. Add more oil + ghee and add everything listed in whole garam masala.
7. Then add onions
8. Once onions become translucent add chicken.
9. After some time add tomatoes.
10. Add the masala and all the powders including salt.
11. Add 2 cups of water
12. Close the lid and wait for 5 continuous whistles.
13. After the pressure faded away, open the cooker. add rice , curd and remaining 2 cups of water.
14. Add coriander leaves and mint leaves. mix it well and keep the cooker for 1 whistle.
15. Add lemon juice atlast after opening the briyani.  Be careful while mixing up briyani. Make it a perfect round when you are mixing up the briyani otherwise you might end up breaking the rice.
16. Enjoy your briyani with raita, Boiled eggs, Kothamalli thuvaiyal,, brinjal gothsu and chicken 65.

Quick Tips :

1. You can increase the chilli powder if u like much spicy foods. The quantity which i have mentioned would be of medium spice only.
2. If your tomatoes are very sour, you can skip adding curd and lemon juice. otherwise our briyani would have turned to tomato briyani.
3. Note, i have not soaked  rice before. so adding 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice. If you are soaking the rice 1.5 cups of water for every 1 cup would be fine.
4. Don't add too much turmeric powder as it will spoil the briyani colour