Veg Biryani has a rich history, going back to the Mughal era in India. Originally a royal dish, it has become a favourite in many Indian homes. It offers a delightful mix of flavours and aromas.
I love Veg Biryani due to it’s a fragrant rice dish cooked with mixed vegetables, aromatic spices, and sometimes saffron. Each bite bursts with flavours, making it a hearty and delicious meal that’s truly satisfying.
For the best experience, I like to serve Veg Biryani with raita or yogurt. Adding spicy pickle and crunchy papadum makes it even better. This combination creates a perfect, well-rounded meal for any occasion.
Ingredients
For preparing biryani masala
- ½ teaspoon cumin seed
- 1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick
- 7 peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 tomato, diced
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup peas
- ½ cup diced carrot
- ½ cup diced potato
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 4 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon ground red chilly pepper
- 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter), or olive oil
- 1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
Cooking Instructions
Veg Biryani
- Melt ghee/oil 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.