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Vegetable Biryani is an Indian rice dish bursting with flavor. With so many layers of delicious spiced vegetables and rice and so many levels of flavor, it is definitely a satisfying meal all by itself. Try this recipe for a very popular and widely recognized Indian dish.
Ingredients:
For Rice:
Basmati Rice – 2 cups – washed, soaked for 1 hr and drained
Water – 8 cups
Bay Leaf – 1
Cloves – 5
Green Cardamom – 1
Cinnamon Stick – 1 inch piece
Salt – to taste
Oil – 1 tsp
Mint Leaves – few
Clarified Butter (Ghee) – 1 Tbsp
Saffron – 1/4 tsp soaked in 2 Tbsp water
For Biryani Masala:
Whole Dried Red Chilies – 6
Whole Cloves – 6
Whole Coriander Seeds – 2 Tbsp
For Vegetable Mixture:
Ginger/Garlic Paste – 2 Tbsp
Coriander Powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – to taste
Potatoes – 3 medium, peeled and cut into large pieces
Cauliflower – 1/2 medium, cut into big florets
Frozen Green Peas – 1 cup
Green Beans – 1 cup, cut into long pieces
Carrots – 1/2 cup, cut into big pieces
Green Chilies – 3 to 4 (or to taste), slit
Mint Leaves – handful
Dried Fenugreek Leaves – 2 Tbsp
Cilantro (Coriander Leaves) – small bunch, finely chopped
Tomato – 1 large, cut into big pieces
Yogurt – 1 cup, lightly beaten
Oil – 3 Tbsp
Whole Cashews – 1/4 cup
Walnuts – 1/4 cup
Paneer – 1 cup, cubed
Black Cumin Seeds (Shahi Jeera) – 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon Stick – 1 inch piece
Cloves – 4
Black Cardamom – 1
Bay Leaf – 1
Onion – 1 large, sliced
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
For Garnishing: Store bought Fried Onions and chopped Cilantro.
Method:
1. Soak Saffron in 2 Tbsp of water and set aside for later use.
2. For the rice: Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil and add Cinnamon Stick, Bay Leaf, Whole Cloves, Green Cardamom, 1 tsp Oil, Salt, drained soaked rice and a few mint leaves.
3. Set a timer and cook rice for exactly 5 minutes. Immediately drain the water from the rice and add Clarified Butter (ghee) and mix gently making sure not to break the rice grains. Rice should be 3/4 cooked – not fully cooked.
4. For the Biryani Masala: In a skillet, add Whole Dried Red Chilies, Whole Cloves and Whole Coriander Seeds. Dry roast until the spices release a nice fragrance and have browned (do not burn).
5. Allow whole spices to cool before roughly grinding them (should not be a fine powder). Set aside.
6. For Vegetable Mixture: In a bowl, add Ginger/Garlic Paste, Coriander Powder, 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder, and Salt – mix well.
7. Add Potatoes, Cauliflower, Green Peas, Green Beans, Carrots, Green Chilies, Cilantro, chopped Mint Leaves, Dried Fenugreek Leaves – Mix well and allow to marinate while you work on the rest of the steps.
8. In a non-stick pan, heat 3 Tbsp Oil on medium heat.
9. Add Whole Cashews and Walnuts and saute until they are golden brown. Drain off all excess oil from them nuts and remove them onto a plate. Set aside.
10. In the same, add cubed Paneer and saute until golden brown. Drain excess oil from Paneer and remove onto a plate. Set aside.
11. In the same Oil, add Black Cumin Seeds and allow them to sizzle.
12. Add Cinnamon Stick, Bay Leaf, Whole Cloves and Black Cardamom.
13. Add Sliced Onions and brown lightly.
14. Add 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder, 1 Tbsp (or to taste) previously ground Biryani Masala, salt and mix well.
15. Add marinate vegetable mixture and additional salt, mix thoroughly, cover and cook until the veggies are 3/4 cooked. Do not overcook. Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent sticking/burning.
16. Switch off stove and add back in sauteed Paneer, Cashews and Walnuts.
17. Add Tomatoes and lightly beaten Yogurt and mix gently.
18. Coat bottom and sides of a baking dish with spray cooking oil.
19. Layer bottom of baking dish with 1/3 of cooked rice.
20. Sprinkle 1 tsp of Biryani Masala on the rice.
21. Layer 1/2 of the vegetable mixture over the rice and sprinkle Fried Onions on top.
22. Layer another 1/3 cooked rice over the veggies and sprinkle 1 tsp Biryani Masala.
23. Layer remaining vegetable mixture and sprinkle Fried Onions on top.
24. Layer remaining 1/3 cooked rice and sprinkle 1 tsp Biryani Masala.
25. Drizzle Saffron water over the rice, more Fried Onions and garnish with cilantro.
26. Cover and cook for 45 minutes in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven.
27. Serve with Raita.
28. Serves 8.
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July 10th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
[...] Hetal & Anuja wrote a fantastic post today on “Vegetable Biryani – Indian Rice Recipe”Here’s ONLY a quick extractWith so many layers of delicious spiced vegetables and rice and so many levels of flavor, it is definitely a satisfying meal all by itself. Try this recipe for a very popular and widely recognized Indian dish. … [...]
July 11th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
Thank you for the wonderful yet easy Biryani recipe…
[Reply]
July 19th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
This is a great recipe. Plus Anuja is looking great in this video.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Hi,
Both of u r doing gr8 work…keep it up….
By the way, I would like to know if i can follow the same recipe without baking …I mean, Is it possible to do it in a pressure cooker and yield the same result…
[Reply]
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Hi Deepa,
Baking allows all of the flavors from the vegetable mix and rice to combine into one great tasting dish.
Following the same method but cooking in a pressure cooker will not work because you need to have some liquid in a pressure cooker (or things burn).
Cooking everything (rice + veggies) together in a pressure cooker will give you more of a vegetable pullav.
You could follow all the step but cook in a double boiler where you place a smaller covered pot of biryani in a larger pot of boiling water. This way, the biryani finishes cooking without burning at the bottom.
[Reply]
July 25th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Thanks for the prompt reply..
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September 22nd, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
You all have really been great … It’s so good that you are giving a reason to try some thing new every day. And trust me I have been trying most of the things that you tell. The best part is you cook in a very homely style, and it does not look commercialised at all. I appreciate the effort that you put in finding new recipes and filming them for all of us.
Thanks a lot for adding a pinch of spice in our lives
Cheers,
Prashant
[Reply]
September 29th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I tried this and it was excellent….the combination of all the flavour really makes it ONE OF A KIND RICE DISH.. I did add raisins to give it a sweet touch and my kids loved it….All in all its a great dish and your presentaion is excellent…Thanks so much…
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October 23rd, 2008 at 5:19 am
great biriyani, easy to prepare and tastes fabulous.My entire family just loved it
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October 28th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
Hi Both
I have tried this recepie with a little modification…instead of making it in a oven i made the vegetable mixture to which i added the fully cooked rice as mentioned above as i was running short of time,however it was just wonderful…..absoulutely yummy… thanks a lot for this amazing receipe…
[Reply]
December 6th, 2008 at 1:55 am
Hey Hetal and Anuja,
Great videos, great recipe, great presentation!!!
Which grinder did you use to grind those spices? Is it a coffee grinder? Please suggest me a good one. Thanks in advance.
[Reply]
December 29th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Hi,
I would like to know if i can cover the baking dish with aluminium foil while baking in oven.
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December 29th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
HI Deepa,
Yes, you can use aluminum foil to cover the baking dish.
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January 18th, 2009 at 6:17 am
hi hetal & anuja me & my daughter really appreciate your recipe you are simply great every recipe is yummy yummy
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January 20th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Hi Hetal and Anuja
Thanks for sharing your recpies. Especially the veg. briyani. They came out so good. I have suggested to couple of my friends. Hip Hip Horray to you girls.
[Reply]
February 8th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
I adapted this recipe to use Quinoa instead of rice. I think the flavors of the spices and vegetables comes together very well. Thanks for the recipe.
Praki
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February 9th, 2009 at 2:44 am
Hi Praki,
Wow! That’s innovative. We love Quinoa but have never used it in a Biryani. Now we will have to try it.
Thanks so much for sharing the idea with us.
[Reply]
February 15th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I could not make more than tea till 4 weeks back. I had given up on cooking after a few botched attempts. Then I came across your site and believe it or not, I could make a decent Tadka Dal on the first go. After a few more items like Butter chicken(yummy) and Chicken Curry, yesterday I made Vegetable Biryani as a valentine gift for my wife. We live in a place in US where there is no decent Indian Resturant in a radius of 60 miles, so you can imagine my wife’s pleasure of being served a delicacy like Biryani without her cooking it. I have to thank you for making my wife feel so happy about the Biryani but also my new found ability to cook.
Keep up the good work. Courtsey to both of you, a new cook is born.
Thanks
Vijay & Bindu
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February 17th, 2009 at 4:52 am
Hey Anuja and Hetal,
I have a quick question. Can I use frozen vegetables instead of fresh ones?
Thanks
Sanchitha
[Reply]
February 17th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Hi Sanchitha,
In a bind, you can use frozen veggies, but you will notice a big difference in the texture. The frozen veggies tend to be a little mushy when cooked. If you are making this for a party or guests, we’d recommend you use fresh.
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February 18th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Hello,
Thank you very much for helping me so much ion my cooking.
the best thing in your website is Vedio…..
wow,
coz i am not a good cook but by watching your vedio i can make things right.
my husband also likes my food.
thank you very much.
keep adding new receipes.
everyday i check your website to see if anything new is there.
thanks again.
Sheenal
UK
[Reply]
February 22nd, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Wonderful recipe hetal and anuja. I will surely try this….
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March 15th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Hi Hetal and Anuja
I made this Veg. Biriyani (first time in the oven) with your masala .. and God …. I have no words .. it was suuuuuperb … My two year old son was also amazed looking at the baking pan .. it was so colourful .. filling and absolutely tasty … love your site .. keep up the good work ..
Its evening and I am trying out the eggless cake .. keeping fingers crossed .. (I am not a good cook)..
Thanks for your recipes .. they make my day .. almost everyday … have tried many of them before .. haven’t thanked you for all those .. So … Thanks …
You Rock !!!
Bye
Bindu
[Reply]
March 16th, 2009 at 4:22 am
Hi Bindu,
Thanks so much! We’re glad you find our site useful.
[Reply]
March 28th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
hey guys..!!!
Thank you sooo….much for ur wonderful videos…I am a student and it really helps me alot if I follow you…I miss my mother…but I am definitely sure when I go back and make the vegetable biryani for her….she is gonna love it…and also she will be amazed…Thank you again for ur wonderful show…and I am looking forward for your other recipes too…thank you and ur doing a good job…u guys rock…
[Reply]
April 5th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
I tried ur recipe of Vegetable Biriyani and it turned out very nice….awesome!….we enjoyed a lot…I followed ur other recipes too…really gr8 videos.
Thank You.
Dipti
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April 8th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Can I use green bell pepper or red bell pepper in this recipe?
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
April 9th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Hi Snehal,
Bell peppers may not work very well in this recipe because they tend to cook much faster than all of the other veggies. By the time everything else is perfectly cooked, the peppers will have turned to mush.
[Reply]
April 10th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I came across your recipe for vegetable-Biryani through YouTube. Believe me, when I’ve seen videos (part 1 and 2) for the first time, I felt like I found some treasure for myself. Because, I’ve been wondering of what would chefs do inside the kitchen on this delicious recipe. Of course I’ve tried several times to mimic the same, but failed as many times as I did try. Well, after looking your video, it has become something like, now secrete is unravelled. I thought I must say thanks for all the work your are doing and keeping the Indian dishes living for all the times. In fact, you are keeping the art of cooking alive at least for about a couple of decades (may be more)? Amazing, thanks a lot, now the biggest treasure for me is, I no need to depend on the restaurants, I can cook the dishes “Independently”.
A final question, for some reason video for vegetable Biryani Part 2 isn’t working. Is there any way that I can get it for my reference?
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
April 10th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Hi Swaroop,
Thanks for the excellent feedback. It made our day!
Regarding the part 2, we just tried it and it is working on our side. Please try again and let us know if it is not working.
Thanks.
[Reply]
April 26th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Hi,
First off, a huge thank you to both of you! I got married 6 months ago after surviving my twenties without ever stepping into a kitchen. Thank god I found you guys and here I am today cooking and enjoying it (most of the time)
Is there anyway to make this in a microwave?
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
April 26th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Thanks Snigdha! You could possibly do the last step (oven baking) in the microwave but you will not get the caramelization.
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May 15th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Hi Anuja & Hetal,
First of all great presentation. I have been learning few recipes watching your videos & they have come out real good. Hats off to you both!
I also tried veg biryani yesterday as given & it came out very good, flavorful.
Just one problem- after cooking in the oven finally, the top layer of the biryani which is the rice came out very crispy.. I was wondering if I overcooked it. Any suggestions?
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
May 15th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Hi Swetha,
The biryani does form a nice golden crust, but we wouldn’t call it “crispy” (unless you’re talking about the onions, in which case it would be ok). Did you cover the pan when you put it in the oven? The juices from the veggie mixture (when covered) should provide some steam to make the biryani moist.
[Reply]
Swetha Reply:
May 16th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Hi Hetal,
Thanks for the prompt reply.
Yes I did cover the pan when I put it in the oven, guess I had less of fried onions garnished & also may be the veggie mixture that I made might have been quite dry. I shall try again today ensuring the veggie mixture is slightly liquidy (last time I put thick curd) & having less rice as the top layer this time. Hope it will help.. Otherwise it was great. Can’t wait to try it again!
Thanks a lot.
Regards,
Swetha
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May 22nd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Love your blog and so pleased you’re updating again. Looking forward to checking out your new recipes
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June 20th, 2009 at 12:43 am
Dear Hetal and Anuja,
This is close to watching an artist at work.
I have enjoyed watching the video for veg biryani.
Your video recipe was the only one I could find easily that uses baking method in the end.
I love biryani when the rice is very moist.
I know that you answered a similar question (#30) but I am not sure if steaming will make it the way I wish.
Is there any other modification I can make accordingly (such as draining less water from rice, etc.)?
Thanks for your time.
Raj
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hetal Reply:
June 20th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Hi Raj,
You could try to add a little more yogurt to the veggie mixture. When you layer this mixture over the rice, the moisture from the yogurt “sauce” will get absorbed by the rice and make it moist. Alternately, you could just sprinkle some water over the rice.
If you cook the rice any more than the required 3/4 way done, the biryani will be mushy (like khichadi).
Good luck and let us know how it comes out!
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July 16th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
i was not able to find black or shahi jeera. can i substiute it with the normal jeera. How different are their tastes ?
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
July 16th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Hi Deepa,
The taste is a little different, but you can definitely substitute the regular jeera if you can’t find it.
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July 17th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
Luv ur reipes, videos, presentation style and tips. Which grinder have u used in this video? I would liek to buy one of those. Does it only grind dry masalas and does it come with other bigger jars? Thanks
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
July 20th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Hi Gitah,
We have used a coffee grinder to grind the spices. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with additional jars.
If you are interested in an “Indian” style grinder with different jars, please check out our Kitchen Store – you may find something you like.
http://showmethecurry.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/23
[Reply]
July 22nd, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
Wonderful recipe. I make a similar biryani but with 2 layers, One of veggies and the other of rice (rice is 60-70% cooked). Except that I use a mixture of fried onions, yoghurt, raw veggies, mint, finely chopped chillies, cilantro, ginger garlic paste and ready shaan biryani masala. You dont need to add oil to this, there is enough in the fried onions. Layer this on the bottom of a heavy bottom pan and sprinkle some freid onions as u did. Then layer the rice and saffron and onions and 1 tsp ghee and cover with a lid and seal it with atta. Place this on top of a tawa and cook for about 30-40 mins. Makes a perfect biryani and lesser oil too. You can sprinkle the cilantro after opening the lid. I also use meat in a similar way to make fish/chicken/mutton biryani.
Thanks,
Poonam
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August 21st, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
Thank you so much for doing this. when ever i feel like preparing some dishes i used to google after i found your site i just search for recipes in you website. This is a great website. Thanks so much.
Mounika
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September 6th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
[...] ordered a unique, house speciality, naan bread stuffed with nuts and dried fruits along with Vegetable Biryani or rice that contained green chili, cauliflower and cashews. How could anyone eat so much food? [...]
October 8th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I want to reduce the quantity u used to half, so should i even reduce the oven cooking time to half or not?
thanks..
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
October 9th, 2009 at 2:13 am
Hi Anu,
You shouldn’t have to reduce the cooking time since the veggies still have to cook all the way through.
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