Vegetable briyani in Dutch Oven

During this Thanksgiving sale, I asked my hubby to buy me a 'Dutch oven'. (The tradition is , most people buy Christmas gifts during these sales).  So he started looking for some deals in Kohl's. But a week before 'Thanksgiving' day, we saw a 6.5qt 'ChefElect' brand Dutch oven in a nearby Shoprite. It was on sale and that price of $30 seemed more elusive , as most of the brands of that size would come around $70 or more. I could see this one has a larger circumference and shorter when compared to others.  So we decided to buy it and I told him that I found my Christmas gift. But my hubby dear insisted me that, this is his 'Thanksgiving' gift for me :) and I can start cooking with that from this Thanksgiving :) I definitely like his ideas when it comes to early Christmas gifts :)

So I decided to prepare his favorite a briyani. I made a vegetable briyani for 'Thanksgiving' lunch. Instead of a traditional 'Thanksgiving dinner', we had this as lunch and would start enjoying the shopping in the evenings. This has become our usual way of celebrating 'Thanksgiving' nowadays 😃

My dutch oven (in front), behind that is my instant pot. 

Traditionally briyani should be cooked in a heavy bottom vessel in slow cooking method. Even though I prepare briyani using many gadgets like pressure cooker, electric cooker or in dosa tawa dum method,  I totally enjoyed preparing 'briyani in Dutchoven' , as this tasted exactly like the traditional 'Dum briyani'. The thickness of the cast iron dutchoven and its heavy tight lid and the self basting features inside the lid are the secrets behind this aromatic briyani. Also this is a fool-proof method instead of going through all those processes that calls for ina dhum briyani method. So if try my recipe once, you will definitely say that, Dutch oven and briyani are made for each other 💕

Cook covered for 30-40 minutes at lowest heat setting.

Vegetable briyani is ready

Our Thanksgiving lunch : Veg briyani, egg curry, raitha, mini pecan pie

Thanksgiving lunch

Homemade ice cream with store bought pie

Cinnabon (center of the roll)  in mall , we had on Thanksgiving night.

Vegetables:
Cauli flower - 1/4 flower (chopped 1 cup) , green beans - 10 , carrot - 2 , fresh green peas - 1/2 cup , dry soya chunks - 1 cup, butter beans or rajma (cooked) - 1/2 cup

Ingredients:
Basmathi rice (long grain) - 3 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Red onion - 2 (medium size)
green chillis - 5 (slit).
Lemon - 1/2
ghee - 2 tsp (to add at the end)
rose essence - a tiny drop
whole plain yogurt - 1/2 cup
coconut milk - 1 cup

To temper:
peanut oil - 1/2 cup + ghee 1 tsp
Fennel - 1 tbsp
bay leaves - 2
star aniseed - 1,
cinnamon stick - 2 inch
cardamom - 4
cloves - 4
Stone flower (kal pasi -Tamil ) - 1 piece
mace - 1 tiny bit
nutmeg - a tiny bit
almond or cashew  -10
raisins- 10.
salt - to taste

Masala 1:
Tomato - 4

Masala 2:
cilantro- 10 stems
mint leaf -1 handful.
green chilly - 10
black pepper - 1 tbsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp

Masala 3:
Ginger -1/3 cup (chopped)
Garlic - 1 whole

Preparation:
Wash and clean the vegetables. peel the skin of carrot and cut into long thin slices.
Cut the green beans in to long pieces.
Pluck 5 -6 florets from the cauliflower.
Defreeze the green peas.
Boil the dry soya chunks for 2 minutes and put it in cold water. Squeeze the water and keep it along with vegetables.

Wash the rice and soak it for 1/2 an hour in cold water.

Grind all the masala 2 and 3  separately.

Chop onion and keep aside.

Chop tomato and keep it aside.

I use coconut milk powder sometimes. I mix 2 tbsp coconut milk powder with 1 cup water and take it as coconut milk. But fresh milk tastes better.

Method:
Heat peanut oil +  ghee in a  dutch oven.
Put all the items given for tempering and fry few minutes till fennel gets reddish hue.

Then goes the chopped onion .
Fry it till golden brown and add the ginger garlic paste and stir well till the raw smell goes (not more than 30 secs).

Now add the tomato paste and cook till the oil oozes out of it. Add turmeric powder. In this point if needed add 1 tsp garam masala powder or briyani powder.

Then add the cilantro , mint paste and cook till the oil start oozing out. Now put the vegetables and add salt. Just stir well. Don't cook them now. Add the yogurt, coconut milk. rose essence. Pour water just enough to cover the vegetables. Check for salt.

Meanwhile boil some 10 cups of water in a separate vessel and add the soaked rice. Cook it until it is half done (5 mins). Drain the hot water and add the half cooked rice along with uncut green chillies. Squeeze some lime juice over.

Close with the lid and reduce the flame to minimum.

Cook for an hour , the biryani will be ready!

Serving suggestions:
Garnish with 2 tsp ghee , chopped cilantro , mint leaves.
Serve vegetable biryani hot with onion raitha .
Serves 6 people.