Veg Biryani and mix veg Raita

Hey Readers!

We have a guest post today by a very talented Archana Bhargava; an Arts Graduate from  Home Science College Jabalpur. Her cooking journey started at a very young age, she was 6 when she made her First Chapati :) and then helping her seniors in school during Home Science Practicals. Archana is surely a bundle of talent.

Here's her take on Mouthwatering Veg Biryani with Mix Veg Raita!

Ingredients:

For rice: 

• 2 cups basmati rice 
• 1 tsp oil 
• Salt to taste 
• 4 cloves 
• 3 green cardamom 
• 8 black peppercorns 
• Water as required 

Method:

• Wash rice and soak for half an hour. 
• In a heavy base pan heat oil then add all the spices, salt and cook until cooked 80%, keep aside cooked.

For Barista (fried onions): 

• 8 medium size onions 
• Oil for deep frying 

Method: 

• Peel onions and slice finely in equal thickness. 
• Spread the sliced onions on a piece of cloth for drying for two hours. 

• Heat oil on high and put sliced onions for frying in small batches, put the flame on low and let them fry till brown and crispy.

For vegetables:

• 12 baby potatoes 
• 1 medium sized cauliflower florets 
• 1 carrot 
• 12 beans 
• 1cup peas 

Method: 

• Peel potatoes and deep fry them on low flame till completely cooked. 
• Fry cauliflower florets. 

• Cut carrot beans into stripes and boil them with peas and strain.

Other ingredients: 

• 4 big tomatoes puree 
• 1 tbsp garlic paste 
• 1 tbsp green chilly ginger paste 
• 1 tsp red chilly powder 
• 2 tsp coriander powder 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
• 1/2 tsp garam masala 
• 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder 
• 12 cashews fried 
• 1/2 cup mint leaves 
• 1 tsp butter 
• 2 tbsp Ghee or oil 
• 1tsp cumin seeds 
• 4 cloves 
• 8 black peppercorns 
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 3 black cardamom 
• 10-15 strands saffron 
• 1 cup milk 

Method for cooking vegetables:

Heat oil in a pan, add whole spices, let them splutter, add garlic paste cook till it changes colour, add green chilly ginger paste, saute for a minute, then add dry spices and tomato paste, saute till oil separates. Then add one and half cup fried onions and all vegetables with salt as required.

For assembling:

• Take a microwave proof bowl, grease with butter. 
• Put one layer of vegetables, then rice, sprinkle pinch of  garam masala, mint leaves, fried onions. 
• Repeat the layering process, top it with fried cashews, little butter, saffron soaked in warm milk (this will maintain moisture and also enhances taste). 

• Now cover the bowl with cling wrap and micro for 6-7min. 

It is ready to serve. 

For raita: 

• 1 cucumber finely chopped 
• 1 tomato finely chopped 
• 1 onion finely chopped 
• 1 boiled potato finely chopped 
• Few mint leaves 
• Salt to taste 
• 1tsp cumin powder 
• 1tsp red chilly powder 
• 1tbsp roasted crushed peanuts 
• 1tsp sugar 
• 2 cups curd 
• Pinch of black salt 

Method:

• Mix curd with salt, black salt, red chilly powder, cumin powder. 
• Add rest of the ingredients and mix well . 
• Ready to serve.