Veg Dum Biriyani

Briyani is a rice -based dish cooked with spices and chicken,mutton,egg,shrimp,fish and vegetables also. Biriyani comes from the Persian word  BERYA(N) which means fried or roasted.It is very popular dish in India.
Biriyani was introduced in India in the era of Mughal. It was one of the famous dish in the kitchen of the Mughal Emperor. 

Each region of India has its own way of making Biriyani,mainly Kashmir, Heydrabad, Malabar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Delhi, Agra are the main centres of Biriyani.
Today I am going to share easy way of making Veg Dum Biriyani at home.

Veg Dum Biriyani  is made by cooking vegetables and paneer in ghee with warm aromatic spices until the vegetables  is tender, then adding semi boiled  rice and cooking in the sealed pot over low heat till done.

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Author - Moumita 
Preparation Time - 15 Minutes 
Cooking Time - 45 Minutes 
Servings - 2
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INGREDIENTS  FOR VEGETABLES CURRY

Carrots-2 chopped
Cauliflower florets/gobi -10-12(small)
Button mushrooms-6 (chopped)
French beans-½ cup(chopped )
Green peas-1/2 cup
Paneer-1cup (cut into medium  cubes)
Yoghurt-1/4 cup
Onion-2 (Chopped)
Ginger paste-1tbsp
Garlic Paste-2tbsp
Turmeric powder-1tsp
Coriander powder -1tsp
Red chilly powder-1tsp or according to your taste
Cinnamon stick -1"
Green Cardamom -3
Cloves-4
Bay leaf-2
Whole jeera-1/2 teaspoon (for tempering )
Garam masala powder-1tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar-1/2teaspoon
Oil/ghee or clarified butter - 2 tablespoons+1 teaspoon 


INGREDIENTS  FOR MAKING BIRIYANI  MASALA

Cinnamon -1inch stick

Green Cardamom-4

Black Cardamom-3

Cloves-5

Black Pepper-3

Star Anise-1

Nutmeg-1

Mace-1tsp

Sha jeera-1teaspoon  (optional )

Coriander seeds-1teaspoon

Kabab chini-1/2 teaspoon

METHOD  OF MAKING BIRIYANI MASALA

Roast all the spices powder in a pan.Let them cool down and grind them to make a fine powder.

OTHER INGREDIENTS 

FRIED ONIONS OR BIRISTA

Slice the onions..separate the slices. ..then fry untill golden brown

INGREDIENTS  FOR RICE

Basmati Rice-2 cups washed and soaked for 15 minutes in water

Water-4cups

Green Cardamom -3

Black Cardamom -3

Cloves -4

Cinnamon Stick-1"

Star Anise-1

Oil-2 tsp

Salt to taste

Saffron-1 pinch soak into 1 cup warm milk

Rose water-2 teaspoon

Kewra essence-3-4 drops


PREPARING BIRIYANI  RICE


Take a big  pan,add 4 cups of water, put bay leaf, oil and salt

Bring it to boil, when the water will start boiling, add rice,cook the rice till 3/4 is done.

Drain and spread the rice on a tray

Vegetable Dum Briyani is rice based dish made by layering cooked Vegetables and cooked Basmati rice,though I just cooked  it just by making   two layers, thats why it is a easy way of making Vegetable Dum Biriyani.


FINAL PREPARATION

Heat ghee and oil in a non-stick or heavy  bottomed vessel . Vessel  should be very big thus you can cook your biriyani  in this vessel later.

Add chopped onions ,fry till golden brown  .Add all the vegetables ,paneer and little  bit salt and cook for 2 minutes. 

Combine ginger garlic paste,biriyani masala  into yoghurt ,mix well  and add into the pan

Mix with vegetables  and cook for 2 minutes

Add cooked rice  on it

Make a hole between  the rice and  vegetables layer and pour saffron induced milk over it.

Add a little salt,  remaining garam masala, fried onions, kewra essence  ,gulab jal and 1teaspoon ghee or clarified butter over it.

Cover the pan with the aluminium foil, then put  the lid.


Cook for of low flame for 25-30 minutes,turn off the gas.Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Your Veg Dum  Biriyani is ready to serve. Serve it with raita.

Want to know more Veg Recipes Without  Onion and Garlic,click HERE

Want to know more Veg Recipes  With Onion and Garlic, click HERE

Want to know more Indian bread and Rice recipes,clickHERE

NOTE:-
If you are using other vessel except non-stick pan then place a thick bottomed tawa on gas stove,keep the biriyani vessel on this tawa.




                            PICTORIAL RECIPE

Dry roast all the ingredients  of Biriyani  Masala and grind to make a fine powder

Cook rice following  the above mentioned method

Soak saffron  into one cup warm milk

                     
             Heat ghee in a pan,temper the oil with  cinnamon,bay leaf,cardamom,cloves,onions and peas.

Add ginger garlic,yoghurt and biriyani masala paste

Add semi cooked rice

Mix rice with vegetables 

Add saffron mixed milk

Add fried onions,ghee,gulab jal and kewra essence

Cover with foil and put the lid and cook for 20-25 minutes on low flame 

 Veg Dum Biriyani  

Dum Paneer Kali Mirch (Slow Cooked Indian Cottage Cheese with Crushed Black Pepper)

Paneer or Indian Cottages Cheese is very popular food item,specially for those who are vegetarians.
There are variety  of delicious  paneer  dishes that you come across  in restaurant'  menu card,mainly in North Indian Restaurent,Dum Paneer Kali Mirch is one of them.

This creamy   paneer dish has been cooked in vacuum (dum) to infuse the peppery flavor of fresh black pepper! Really,the aroma of the infused fresh black pepper makes this dish more tastier.

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Author -Moumita
Preparation Time -10 minutes
Cooking Time-20 minutes
Servings-4
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Ingredients 

Paneer-250 grams (cut into cubes)

Onion-2 (sliced)

Ginger Paste-1 teaspoon

Garlic Paste-1teaspoon

Green Chilli Paste-1/2teaspoon

Black  Pepper corn-10 ( crushed)(do not use readymade pepper powder, it will not give the nice aroma  of freshly grounded pepper) and 6 (For tempering )

 Cloves-3

Green cardamoms -4

Cinnamon stick-1 inch

Yoghurt/Curd/Dahi-2 tablespoons (beaten with little bit water)

Coriander Powder-1teaspoon 

Red Chilli Powder-1/2teaspoon

Turmeric Powder-1/4 teaspoon 

 Garam masala-1/2 teaspoon 

Salt to taste

Sugar little bit

Cream-2 tablespoons

Water-1 cup

Coriander, to garnish

Method

Heat oil and add onions,fry till brown,remove from heat,allow to cool and then grind with  little water  to make a fine paste.

Heat  the remaining oil and add the cloves, black peppercorns,cardamoms and cinnamon , saute till nice fragrant.

Now add onion paste and cook well.

Add ginger, garlic and green chilli paste. Saute until raw smell of masala goes away

Add yogurt / dahi/curd,mix well and cook for a minute. 

Add coriander powder, crushed black pepper, turmeric powder red chilli powder,salt and sugar.. Mix and cook for 2 minutes .

Add 1 cup water, cottage cheese cubes and cream  and mix.

Cover the pan with a aluminium foil and and keep a lid over this. Simmer the gas and cook for 15 minutes on low flame. Ensure you have added enough water to the gravy,else it may get burnt at the bottom.  

Now open it ,if it is little  bit watery then cook further if you like to dry it up.

Garnish with coriander  leave and serve hot with 
Roti,Tandoori Naan,Paratha,Tawa Butter Garlic Naan

Want to try more Paneer Recipes, Please click HERE

                             PICTORIAL RECIPE

Heat oil in a pan,fry the sliced onions.

Fry the onions until  brown,then grind to make a fine paste.

Temper the oil with  cloves,black pepper corn,cinnamon and green cardamom.

Add fried  onions paste and cook.

                  

Add ginger,garlic and green chilli  paste.

Add coriander powder,turmeric powder,red chilli  powder,crushed black pepper,sugar and salt,mix well and cook for 2 minutes. 

Add beaten yoghurt and mix well.

Add cream and mix.

                   

Add water and garam masala .

  Add paneer cubes and mix well.

Cover with aluminium foil,put lid,cook on low flame for 15 minutes.

See how less oil is required  for this dish if you cook in a non-stick cookware, it is a tasty and healthy also.

KUMROR CHAKKA (PUMPKIN CURRY WITH POTATO AND BLACK CHEEKPEAS )BENGALI STYLE,A VEGAN RECIPE

Kumro means pumpkin  in English and kaddu in Hindi,Kumror Chakka is a traditional  bengali vegetable  dish made with pumpkin, potato or aloo and kala chana or black Cheakpeas or kalo chola (in Bengali). It does not have onion,garlic and any dairy based product so it can be used as a Vegan recipe. The method of cooking this dish differs slightly from home to home in West Bengal . Every home has their own variation but  the main ingredients are always the same.
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Author - Moumita 
Preparation Time - 10 Minutes 
Cooking Time - 15 Minutes 
Servings - 2 
Recipe Category - Bengali Vegetarian Dish 
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INGREDIENTS 
Kumro or Kaddu or Pumpkin -1cup (peeled  and cut into 1inch cubes)

Aloo or Potato -3/4th cup (peeled and cut into litt bit smaller  size of pumpkin  as potatoes  cook faster than pumkpin )

Black chickpeas-1/2 cup(boiled)

Pachphoron -1 teaspoon ( it is a bengali spices mix,
made with 5 spices- fenugreek or methi, mustard or sorso,white cumin or jeera, black cumin or kalonji & fennel/aniseed(mouri) or saunf - mix each in equal quantity and store for future use)

Bay leaf-1

Dry Red Chilli - 2

Ginger paste-2 tablespoons

Green Chillies - 2

Tomatoes -1 small (chopped )

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder -1 / 2 teaspoon

Mix ginger paste,green chilli paste, cumin powder, turmeric powder in a bowl with little bit water, in this way the masala will not get burn while cooking )

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1 / 2 teaspoon

Oil-1/4 cup ( preferrably mustard oil )

Roasted Cumin Powder -1/ 2 teaspoon  (dry roast cumin seeds then grind to make a fine powder )

METHOD 

Cook the chickpea in 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker until it is soft and done. It takes about 6-8 whistle.

Heat a oil in a pan, add potao cubes...fry on medium flame until light brown..remove from heat and keep aside.

Add bay leaf , dry red chilli and panch phoran into the remaining oil,  let them splutter.

Add ginger ,chilli and spices mixture..mix and stir for 30 seconds.


Add chopped  tomatoes. .mix and cook  until oil gets  separated.

 Now add pumpkin  and  fried potato cubes..mix and  continuously  stirring  on medium  flow for 2 minutes.

Add salt  and sugar.. mix...add 1/2 cup water..bring it to boil..when the water starts boiling. .simmer the gas and cover with lid

Cook over medium heat until vegetables  are almost done.

Add boiled chickpeas,roasted cumin powder. .and cook for another 2 minutes  on medium flame.

Your Kumror  Chakka  is ready to serve .

 Transfer  to a serving bowl. .it goes well with poori or luchi,ruti,chapati and also with dal rice.