Easy vegetable Biryani was a long due Recipe on the blog. I had been making this Vegetable Biryani for years. Last year, I wrote this recipe and tried it. Then, I made few changes and tried again. Now, I’m quite satisfied with the recipe. It’s aromatic, juicy, reasonably spiced and a delight for all vegetable lovers.
With great pleasure, I share this recipe. Do post a comment if you try it, I’ll be really pleased.
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How to make it?
Cook Rice
Soak basmati rice in water for 20 minutes.
In a large pot add rice spices, salt and water. Bring it to boil. (The water should have soupy salt level.) Then add soaked rice. Boil it for 5-10 minutes until rice are 70% cooked.
In a colander strain rice, and drizzle little oil to keep grain separate. Set aside.
Cook Vegetable curry
In a large pot fry onion until slight golden.
Have a look at spices for vegetable curry.
Add spices to the onions. Mix well and cook for a minute.
Add puréed tomatoes.
Mix well and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat until oil separates. Cover the lid.
Cut veggies while tomato cooks. (Have a look at proportions. Potatoes, carrot and cauliflower are in almost same volume. Cut eggplant and bitter gourd right before adding to pot as they tend to turn dark quickly. )
Oil had separated.
Add carrot, peas, potatoes and spinach in the gravy. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat with lid covered. (These vegetables take longer to cook.)
After 10 minutes add remaining veggies like eggplant, bottle gourd cauliflower, curry leaves, coriander leaves and green chilli slices.
Rub fenugreek leaves between the two palm and add to the pot. Mix well and cook for another 10 minutes on slow heat, veggies are tender.
Vegetable curry is ready. (Taste the curry and adjust salt if needed.)
Smear the pot with oil.
Add a layer of ⅔ of total rice in the pot.
Add a layer of vegetable curry and finally a layer of remaining ⅓ rice.
Sprinkle saffron soaked in water over rice. (Or food color is using food color.)
Fry an onion in oil.
Add fried onion along with about 2 tablespoons of same oil on top of rice. Cover the lid tightly and cook for about 10-15 minutes until steam rises to the top of pot. Vegetable biryani recipe is ready!
Enjoy and don’t forget to post feedback!
Tips
- Don’t get overwhelmed by the long list of ingredients. Most of these are available home and some are repeated as well.
- You can always change quantity of assorted vegetable to your delight. Add or remove any vegetable you like.
- You can cut your veggies into large chunks or diced, that completely your choice. I prefer carrots to be diced while eggplant, bottle gourds and cauliflower to be chunky. As last three vegetable cook quickly and might get mashed in the gravy.
- In step by step pictorial recipe, I gave photos of vegetables so you can simply have visual estimation while making the recipe.
- I have added three herbs, curry leaves, coriander leaves and fenugreek leaves but you may skip any herbs you don’t have.
- You can also use readymade fried onions to save time.
- Finally, you can make the vegetable curry a night ahead.
- Saffron is added mainly for color so you may skip it.
- Skip fenugreek leaves if you don’t like it’s aroma. Although, I recommend adding it.
- You may switch red chilli powder for green chilli paste. If you avoid red chillies.
- Lastly, all spice powder is also optional, if you don’t like too many spices.
My other Biryani recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegetable Biryani
Ingredients
For rice
- 3½ cup Basmati rice
Spices for rice
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- ½ cumin seed
- 8 black pepper
- 4 cloves
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon oil, , to smear the pot
For vegetable curry
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 medium onions, , sliced
Spices
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 2 tablespoon green chilli paste
- 2 tablespoon coriander powder, (dhanya)
- 2 teaspoon red chilli powder, (lal mirch)
- 1½ teaspoon cumin seed, (zeera)
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder, (garam masala), optional
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder, (haldi)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, (kali rai)
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seed, (methi)
Other
- 5 medium tomatoes, , purée or chopped
Assorted vegetable
- 2 cup chopped spinach, (palak)
- 2 medium carrots, , diced
- ½ cup peas
- 3 medium potatoes, , diced
- ½ small cauliflower, , cut in small
- florets
- 1 medium eggplant, , diced (baingan)
- ½ bottle gourd, , diced (Lauki)
- 2-3 medium green chillies, , sliced
- Few curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
- Few coriander leaves, , chopped
*you can use other seasonal vegetables too, like cluster beans, French beans or drumsticks etc.
Layering
- Few saffron strands, (or a pinch yellow color), dissolved in water
- 1 medium onion, , fried
- 2 tbs oil from fried onions
Instructions
For Rice
- Soak rice water for 20-30 minutes.
- In a large pot for biryani take water, bay leaf, cumin, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Bring water to boil then add soaked rice. ( The water should have soupy salt level.)
- Cook rice until 70% cooked then drain all water and keep rice in strainer until required.
For vegetable curry
- Heat oil in a large pot and add sliced onions and fry on medium flame for 10 minutes until slightly golden.
- Now add all of the spices and fry a minutes then add tomatoes. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat until oil separates.
- Then add spinach, carrots, peas and potatoes. Cook for another 7 minutes on medium.
- Next, add all remaining ingredients of vegetable curry and cook for 7-10 medium on slow heat until cooked.
Layering
- Smear bottom of your Biryani pot with oil. Then make a layer of ⅔ rice in the bottom of pot.
- Add another layer of vegetable curry.
- Finally, add the layer of remaining rice.
- Sprinkle saffron water or yellow food color water on top layer.
- Fry an onion in oil until golden and crispy. Spread onion along with 2 tablespoon of same oil on top of rice. (This Step is optional.)
- Cover the lid tightly and keep the pot for steaming or Dum for 15-20 minutes. Until steam rises and rice are puffed.
- Serve with kachumber, chutney and raita.
Rakib says
Great tips for veg biryani rice. it's a very famous food in India.
ashleyjudd1020 says
I tried this last week and came out so delicious!
Recipe 52 says
Sabzi Biryani is my favourite. So happy to read your comment. Thanks