Carrot Biryani Recipes

VEGETABLE BIRYANI

Steps:

• Melt ghee in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in cumin seed, cinnamon stick, and peppercorns; cook until the spices are fragrant, and the cumin seeds begin to pop, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas, carrot, and potato. Season with chicken bouillon, salt, red chile, black pepper, garam masala, and turmeric. Stir well, then cover, and cook for 3 minutes.
• Pour in 4 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, stir in basmati rice, reduce heat to medium, recover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook until the rice has softened, 10 to 15 minutes more.

TASTE OF HEAVEN - MUSHROOM AND CARROTS BIRYANI

Steps:

• Cut mushrooms into quarters and keep aside.
• Chop the carrot into 1/2 inch pieces and keep aside.
• Soak rice in 4 cups of water.
• Keep aside for 30 minutes.
• Drain and keep aside.
• Slice onions and keep aside.
• Grind together the ginger and garlic, adding water as required, to get a fine paste.
• Wash and finely chop coriander and mint leaves.
• Puree the chopped tomatoes in a blender.
• Whisk the yoghurt and keep aside.
• Soak saffron in 1/4 cup warm skimmed milk and keep aside.
• Boil 4 cups of water in a thick-bottomed vessel.
• Add bay leaf, cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cinnamon, sugar and 1 teaspoons.
• salt.
• Add rice when the water starts boiling rapidly.
• Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the rice is 3/4ths done.
• Drain in a colander.
• Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
• Add onions.
• Stir-fry over high flame for 3 minutes or until the onions turn translucent.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and cook briefly.
• Add red chili powder, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, cumin powder and turmeric powder.
• Stir-fry briefly.
• Add the pureed tomatoes.
• Cook over high flame for another 3 minutes, stirring continuously or until the masala is very thick.
• Add the whisked yoghurt, garam masala powder and half the quantity of chopped fresh coriander and mint leaves.
• Stir well.
• Cook for 2 more minutes.
• Add mushrooms, carrots and salt to taste.
• Stir-fry over high flame for 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Arrange the cooked rice and mushroom masala in alternate layers in an oven-proof dish or biryani vessel.
• Sprinkle chopped fresh coriander and mint leaves, kewra water and the skimmed milk with saffron on top.
• Ensure that the topmost layer is of rice.
• Cover the biryani with a tight-fitting lid.
• Seal the edges with kneaded atta (flour) dough (if required).
• Place the dish on a flat bottomed pan.
• Cook on low flame for 10 minutes.
• Place a few burning charcoals on the lid.
• Alternatively, cook in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 10 minutes.
• Break open the seal.
• Grab a spoon and serve this biryani immediately.
• ENJOY this with a raita of your choice.
• I like it with a cucumber raita.

VEGETABLE VEGAN BIRIYANI WITH CARROT SALAD

Steps:

• Soak the rice for 30 mins, then rinse in several changes of water until it runs clear. Cover with about 1 cm water, add the saffron (if using), cover the pan, bring to the boil, stir once, then turn off the heat. Leave for 10 mins, covered, then stir again and leave to stand, covered.
• To make the paste, blitz all the ingredients together in a food processor. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Tip in the paste, then add the cauliflower and potatoes. Cook in the paste to colour, then add the lentils and green beans, and cover with about 400ml water. Add the curry leaves, season with salt, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 mins until the lentils and vegetables are tender Add the peas for the last 2 mins to defrost. Stir the rice through the curry until completely mixed and hot, then spoon onto a platter and scatter with coriander and cashews.
• For the carrot salad, use a peeler to shave the carrots into ribbons. Sprinkle with the sugar and dress with the lemon juice, then toss with the other ingredients. Serve the biryani on a large platter for everyone to help themselves, with the carrot salad on the side, poppadoms for any vegans and naan bread for the vegetarians.

ONE-POT VEGETABLE BIRYANI

Steps:

• Rinse the rice, cover with cold water in a bowl and soak for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat ghee in a large pot over medium until it melts, 30 to 45 seconds. Add bay leaf, star anise, cloves, cardamom and green chiles and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion and fry, stirring often, until they start turning golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add ginger and garlic and continue frying and stirring until the raw smell dissipates, about 1 minute. Add turmeric and red chile powder and stir for 30 seconds to toast (don't let them burn). Add tomato and 2 tablespoons water. Add half of cilantro and mint. Continue stirring until the tomato starts to break down, about 5 minutes.
• Add the carrot, potato, cauliflower, green peas, green beans, yogurt and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the ingredients are incorporated.
• Drain the rice and add to the pot, along with the lemon juice and garam masala. Stir until everything is evenly mixed. Add the vegetable stock and stir. Cover and cook on medium for 5 minutes.
• Uncover and stir. Add the rest of the cilantro and mint and the lemon slices. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the pot stand for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice and garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds and cashews if you like.