Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani

I prepared this Hyderabadi biryani for a weekend lunch. Hyderabadi biryanis are admired for their beautiful coloration and flavor. The ingredients and steps involved may look a bit complex but in reality it will be an easy breeze if we have around 3 hours of time. If prepared with care, this vegetarian version will be equally tasty like a non veg one.

Typically Hyderabadi biryanis are made with a slow cooking process called dhum cooking and I did my best to bring out the true flavors. Here goes the recipe.

Hyderabadi vegetable biryani served.

To cook rice:

Basmati rice - 2.5 cups (500 gm)
salt - 1 tsp
water - 6 cup
bay leaf - 3
star aniseed - 1
black cumin - 1/2 tsp
cinnamon - 1 inch
cardamom - 4
clove - 4
lemon juice- 1/4 of a fruit

Wash and clean the rice. Soak it for 30 minutes. Bring to boil some 6 cups of water.
Add the bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, lemon juice salt, kali jeera (black cumin) and let the rice gets semi cooked. It should be very firm and almost raw. Drain the water using a colander and keep aside.

For garnishing and decoration:

Bread - 2 slices
(or) soya chunks - 10
cashews - 10
ghee - 2 tbsp
mint leaf , cilantro (chopped)- 2 tbsp
yellow or orange food color - 1 drop ea.
(we can use saffron instead)
cooking oil - 3 tbsp
Red onion - 1 cup (chopped lengthwise)

Heat oil in the same dhum vessel and fry the chopped onions to golden brown. Take it out and save for garnishing.
Cut the bread into 2 inch squares. Heat remaining oil + ghee in the same dhum vessel, fry and take out the cashews. Then carefully fry the bread squares / soya chunks and set aside.

For the masala:

cauliflower - 2 cup
carrot - 1
green peas - 3/4 cup
green beans - 10
raisins - 2 tbsp
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
ghee - 1 tbsp
plain yogurt (from whole milk)- 1 cup

Now ,wash and clean the vegetables. chop the beans, carrot to long stripes. Branch out the cauliflower to some big chunks. Put all the vegetables with everything mentioned above in to the bottom of the dhum vessel. Mix and spread them uniformly.

For flavored water:

salt - 1/2 tsp
lemon - 1/2
sugar - 1 tsp
kewra water - 2 tbsp
(or, rose essence 2 drops + 2 tbsp water)
ghee - 2 tbsp
black pepper corn - 10
cinnamon - 1/2 inch
cardamom - 2
clove - 2
black cumin (kali jeera) - 1/2 tsp
green chilly - 2
Mace (javithri / jathipathiri) - 1 strand
nutmeg (jathikkai) - a small shaving

Run everything above in a mixer and make a fine liquid. If you don't have enough time then , omit the whole garam masalas and mix 2 tbsp of some good brand biryani masala powder with the other things mentioned above. (I will suggest shaan brand biryani masala powder).

For dhum process:

wide vessel with tight lid
A dosa tawa
chapathi dough using 1 cup wheat flour

Mix the wheat flour with water to get a bread dough consistency and keep aside.
We can use an aluminum foil also, if we do not want to waste the dough. But sealing with dough is the best method and it is called dum / dhum process, which means 'slow cooking with hot steam sealed inside'. I would suggest sealing with the dough for a tasty dhum biryani.

Arranging the layers:

Now spread the semi cooked rice uniformly over the raw vegetable layer.
Mix saffron with 1/4 cup warm milk (or) mix the food color with 2 tbsp water and sprinkle it over the rice. I used food color here.(Food color gives a beautiful look, whereas saffron is healthy).
Place a thick dosa tawa over stove and place the dhum vessel over the tawa.
Over the rice, spread the fried cashews, finely chopped cilantro , mint, friedonion and sprinkle the flavored water.
Place the fried bread / soya chunks and close the vessel with a tight lid.
Seal the edges with the prepared chapathi dough.
If possible add hot charcoal over the lid (I never get a chance to do this).
Start heating the arrangement. Keep the flame at high till the tawa gets heated and then reduce it to a minimum. Leave the whole set up for 2 hours.
After that discard the dough, open the lid carefully.

Hyderabadi vegetable kachchi biryani is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve the biryani like a layered rice, so that every plate gets a portion of rice, vegetable masala and colorful topping.The guest has to mix and devour:)
Serve with some spicy gravy  or  raitha of your choice.
I usually prepare some non veg gravies along with this biryani.
Serves 5 to 6 people.