Nothing beats the comfort and warmth of a one pot meal. And biryani happens to be one of my favorite ones. Chicken, mutton, prawn, vegetable, soybeans or even kabuli chana, i enjoy all the varieties that come with this awesome dish. The Hyderbadi 'Dum' style of making biryani is the closest to my heart. And i have managed to replicate the results by using a presure cooker instead of a handi.
One can get very close to the 'hyderabadi biryani' by half boiling the rice in a vessel and then transferring it to a pressure cooker ( with the whistle taken off ) along with the 3/4th cooked chicken for the final dish. But i always end up making it a one step process due to shortage of time.
When we moved to Blore, my husband used to get very nostalgic about Hyderabad and that made him frequent 'Ammi's biryani'. It is the best we have had till date in Blore. and they deliver at your doorstep too. But the effects do show up on your waistline and that made him stop.
Home made biryani allows more control over the quantity of ghee and spices used. Plus one can cook the chicken/mutton/vegetables/soya and keep it in the fridge for 4-5 days and make some mouth-watering biryani whenever desired. Vegetable biryani can provide the right balance of carbohydrates and fats along with dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This time i combined the vegetables with some soya chunks to enrich the protein content of my meal.
Here is the recipe:
Preparation Time - 30 mins.
Ingredients - Basmati rice ( 2 1/2 cups ), milk ( 1 cup ), chopped carrot ( 1 /2 cup), chopped beans (1/2 cup), chopped onion ( 1 no, medium sized ), boiled soya granules (1 cup), green peas (1/2 cup), coriander powder ( 1 tsp ), cumin powder ( 2/3 tsp), chilli powder (1 tsp), turmeric ( 1/3 tsp), garam masala powder ( 1/6 tsp), ghee (2 tsp), oil (2 tsp), curd ( 3 tbs), ginger garlic paste ( 1 1/ 2 tsp), 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1 green cardamon, 1/2 of a mace, 1 star anise, 4-5 cloves, salt to taste.
Preparation - Take the curd, chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix together. Add the boiled soya granules, green peas and chopped vegetables. Mix and allow to marinate for 30 mins.
Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the chopped onion and fry till translucent. Add the marinated ingredients and cook for 5-6 minutes to get rid of the raw smell and half cook the vegetables.
Put a pressure cooker on the flame. Add 1 tsp of ghee and fry the whole spices in it for 20-30 seconds. Wash the rice and add to the cooker. Pour in the milk. Add enough water to cover the rice and an extra 1 inch above it. Stir in the cooked vegetables and soya . Drizzle the remaining ghee on top and close the cooker lid.
It takes about 10-12 minutes or 1-2 whistles to cook through. Remove from flame and allow to stand for 10 mins.
Serve hot with Dahi pacchidi/phalahari raita.
