Ingredients
vegetarian
6 servings
- 1-1/2 cups Long grain rice
- 2 Potatoes quartered boiled
- 2 Capsicums cut into strips
- 2 Onions chopped into strips
- 2 Onions quartered
- 1 tsp Ginger grated
- 2 Tomatoes Chopped
- 1 tsp Garlic grated
- 1 cup Curd
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 Cloves
- 1" Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Cardamoms
- 4 or 5 Whole Black Peppers
- 1 tsp Red Chilli powder
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 or 3 pinch Asafetida
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Coriander (chopped)
- 10 to 15 Cashews
- 10 to 12 Almonds sliced to flakes (optional)
- 4-5 tbsp Ghee
Directions
A handi is a round pot like vessel, with a neck narrower than the base. It may be made of metal or in earthenware. It must be heatproof though. If not available use a deep heavy saucepan.
- Wash and soak rice in salted water for 30 mins.
- Heat ghee in a heavy saucepan. Fry onion strips till crisp, brown, drain, keep aside.
- Fry cashews till light brown, drain, keep aside. Fry capsicums till tender, drain, keep aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 6 cups water in a large vessel.
- Add bay leaves, peppers, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, salt.
- When it comes to boil, drain and add rice. Bring to boil, cook for 8-9 minutes, till rice is just but not fully done.
- Drains in a large colander, spread in a big plate, cool.
- Grind quartered onions, ginger, garlic to a paste.
- In hot ghee, add paste stir fry for 2-3 mins. Add all powdered masalas, tomatoes, mixed vegetables, stir, cook till fat separates.
- Beat curd, add stir till the boil resumes, cook for 2-3 mins. Add potatoes, stir, keep aside.
- TO FILL HANDI : grease an oven proof handi well on the inside. Place in half of rice, spread at the bottom. Top with half vegetables layer, spread over rice.
- Mix together fried onions, capsicums, cashews, sliced almond, coriander. Sprinkle half over vegetable layer. Sprinkle half lemon juice all over. Repeat rice to lemon juice layer by layer.
- Either cover with fitting lid, seat edges with chappati dough, or seat with a tightly packed foil sheet. Make a small slit for excess steam to escape.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 130 degrees for 15-20 mins.
- Break seal at the table to get the most out of the aroma.
- For a stronger flavored biryani, mix in some powdered mace, nutmeg into rice before transferring to handi.