Hyderabadi Veg biryani recipe (Veg dum biryani)

About this recipe

In this post, I am sharing the Hyderabadi veg biryani recipe that is cooked on dum. Trust me…this veg dum biryani tastes better than the biryanis served at restaurants. I love to make it for special occasions.

Making a perfect biryani requires time, ingredients, patience & experience. But all the hard work is paid off when the biriyani is ready.

Everyone at our home loves the beautiful aroma & exotic flavors of this biryani. No doubt once the biriyani is ready...the amazing aroma will make you feel hungry instantly.

Here’s why this recipe works?

1. Easy - This recipe is made easy for beginners. There is the step by step process shots & a video.
2. Cooking instructions with timings - If you have never made biriyani before then do follow the instructions properly. Especially the cooking instructions & timings. Each step is shown & discussed in detail.
3. Tried and tested recipe. I can assure you that you will make the best veg dum biryani following this recipe.
4. Make ahead - You can make it in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stays good for 2 days. While serving reheat the biryani in microwave and serve. If reheating on stove-top, sprinkle some water on it. Keep the biryani pot over hot griddle (Tawa) and then heat it on a low heat.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Basmati rice - Long grain, aged basmati rice is an important ingredient. Basmati rice has a beautiful aroma & after cooking the rice grains are long & do not turn out mushy. That is why basmati rice is a perfect choice to make biryani.
• Whole spices - You can skip adding a few whole spices mentioned in the recipe card. But add a few that is available in the kitchen pantry like cardamom, cinnamon, black peppercorns, cloves & bay leaves. Addition of whole spices enhances the aroma of of the dish.
• Biryani masala powder - Use either store-bought or homemade biryani masala powder. If you skip adding few whole spices, the flavor & aroma will be balanced by the masala powder.
• Vegetables - Use any vegetables as per the availability. I have added potatoes, green peas, french beans, carrot and cauliflower. Make sure you select those vegetables that do not turn soggy after cooking.
• Green chilies - Skip the addition of green chilies if you do not prefer spicy.
• Paneer - Paneer adds protein to the dish. You can skip it, if you do not have it.
• Herbs - Fresh mint and coriander leaves. Both are important ingredients that adds fresh flavor to this rice dish. Biryani is loaded with spices and generates heat to the body. Mint leaves gives a cooling effect to the body.
• Curd/Yogurt - Use fresh curd/yogurt. Fresh curd is sweet to taste. I have used homemade curd. If the curd is sour then do not add lemon juice in the recipe. If possible add ¼ teaspoon sugar to the sour curd and then add it to the biryani.
• Ghee/Clarified butter - Do not skip adding ghee. Biryani is incomplete without ghee. Ghee adds flavor to the dish & also keeps the rice non-sticky & moist.
• Saffron - If you do not want to use saffron in the dish you can skip it. Add only milk in the same quantity as mentioned in the ingredient list below.

How to make Hyderabadi veg biryani

Preparations:

1. Chop the vegetables & keep them ready. Chop the vegetables in slightly bigger pieces.
2. Fry cashews in ghee/clarified butter until lightly golden. Use it later for garnishing.
3. Fry raisins in ghee/clarified butter until it puffs up. We will use it later to garnish the dish.
4. Soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain off the water. Keep the basmati rice aside.
5. Prepare fried onions or birista - Heat oil. Fry the sliced onion until golden. Remove, spread it on a plate & keep it aside. You can skip this step & use store-bought fried onions (birista) too.
6. Saffron milk - Soak a pinch of saffron in ¼ cup of hot milk. Keep it aside. This step is optional. See notes for details.
7. Chop coriander leaves, mint leaves & slit the green chilies & keep it aside.

Cooking rice

1. Take 6 cups of water in a vessel & heat it on medium flame.
2. Add salt, whole spices & 1 teaspoon ghee/clarified butter.
3. Let the water come to a boil.
4. Now add the basmati rice & let it cook for 4-5 minutes.
5. The rice should be 80 % cooked (check the notes for details).
6. Drain off the water & keep it aside.

Cooking vegetables

1. Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a kadhai (Indian Wok).
2. Sauté the whole spices for a minute.
3. Add chopped vegetables (except beans), ginger-garlic paste & salt.
4. Sauté it for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. The vegetables should not be cooked completely at this stage.
5. Now add beans & sauté for a minute. Beans require less time to cook.
6. Next, add red chili powder, turmeric powder & biryani masala powder.
7. Mix it well. Switch off the flame.
8. Add curd & mix.
9. Add paneer, chopped mint leaves, chopped coriander leaves, cardamom powder, lemon juice, ghee, fried onions & slit green chilies. Mix it well.

Layering the veg biryani

1. Spread half of the cooked rice on top of the vegetables.
2. Sprinkle cardamom powder, mint leaves, coriander leaves, lemon juice & fried onions.
3. Spread the rest of the cooked rice.
4. Sprinkle fried onions, saffron milk, mint leaves, coriander leaves, cardamom powder, rose essence (optional), biryani masala powder & ghee. Cover with a lid.

Dum cooking

1. Seal the sides of the lid with dough. If you have a heavy tight-fitting lid then you can skip this step.
2. Cook on high flame for 3 minutes. At the same time heat a tawa (Iron griddle) on another flame.
3. Place the biryani kadhai on a hot tawa. Do not place the Kadhai on direct flame. It may burn on direct heat.
4. Cook on the lowest flame for 20-25 minutes.
5. Switch off the flame.
6. Keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
7. Open it slowly.
8. Garnish it with some fried onions, coriander leaves, raisins & cashews.
9. Serve veg biryani hot with raita, salad or salan.

Serving suggestions

• Serve it hot with Raita, Mirchi ka Salan or Salad.
• I like to serve it with raita, salad & Gobi 65 or Gobi Manchurian with it. The salad may include onion slices, lemon wedge & cucumber slices.

Storage suggestions

• You can store the leftover veg biryani in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume it within 48 hours.
• Store it in small portions. Whenever needed take out the portion & reheat it in the oven. Serve it hot & enjoy!

Tips to make Best Veg Biryani

1. Soak the basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Soaking the basmati rice cuts down the cooking time. Also, when cooked the rice grains looks long.
2. If you do not have the entire whole spices then add a few whole spices that are easily available in the kitchen. Addition of whole spices makes the biryani more aromatic and flavorful.
3. Use fresh herbs & spices.
4. Always use long-grain fragrant basmati rice to make biriyani. Basmati rice has its own aroma & is non-sticky.
5. Curd/yogurt should be fresh.
6. You can add any vegetables of your choice. But make sure it does not turn out soggy after cooking.
7. Adjust the spice as per your taste.
8. If you have a heavy tight-fitting lid then no need to seal the biryani pot. Just cover it with the lid. Place it on an iron griddle or tava & follow the cooking time.
9. Biryani masala powder is the heart of the dish. You can easily purchase it online or from the store near you. You can make it at home too.
10. Please try not to cut down the quantity of ghee/clarified butter. It makes the rice moist & enhances the flavor of the dish.

Other Popular Biryani Recipes

• Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani
• Mutton Biryani
• Lucknowi Biryani
• Egg Biryani in Pressure cooker
• Kolkata Chicken Biryani

FAQs

Other Rice Recipes You Might Like

• Jeera rice
• Veg Pulao
• Veg fried rice

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Recipe Card

Hyderabadi Veg biryani (Veg dum biryani)

Hyderabadi Veg biryani made with basmati rice, vegetables, herbs & spices. This veg biryani is cooked on dum & has the authentic Hyderabadi biryani flavors & aroma.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main

Cuisine: Hyderabadi, Indian

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 340kcal

Author: Preeti Nayak

Equipment

• ▢
  Heavy bottom Wok or Pot

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups basmati rice
• ▢ 200 gm paneer (cottage cheese)

Vegetables

• ▢ 1 big size, potato (aloo)
• ▢ ¼ cup green peas (matar)
• ▢ ¼ cup french beans (beans)
• ▢ 1 small carrot (gajar)
• ▢ ¼ cup cauliflower florets (gobi)

For making fried onions (birista)

• ▢ 2 onions, medium size, sliced
• ▢ oil for deep frying

Whole spices for cooking vegetables

• ▢ ¼ teaspoon caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
• ▢ 1- inch cinnamon sticks (dalchini)
• ▢ 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
• ▢ 1 mace (javitri)
• ▢ 3 cloves (laung)
• ▢ 3 black peppercorns (kali mirch)
• ▢ 1 black cardamom (badi elaichi/masala elaichi)

Whole spices for cooking rice

• ▢ 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
• ▢ 1- inch cinnamon (dalchini)
• ▢ 2 cloves (laung)

Other ingredients

• ▢ 2 slit green chilies
• ▢ 1 cup curd fresh, (dahi)
• ▢ ½ cup chopped coriander leaves (hari dhaniya)
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped mint leaves (pudina)
• ▢ 5-6 teaspoon ghee/clarified butter
• ▢ 3-4 teaspoon biryani masala powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (kashmiri lal mirch)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi powder)
• ▢ 4-5 teaspoon lemon juice If the curd is sour in taste do not use lemon juice
• ▢ 3-4 teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi powder)
• ▢ a pinch of saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoon of milk

For garnishing

• ▢ 6-7 cashews (kaju)
• ▢ 10-12 raisins (kismis)
• ▢ coriander leaves
• ▢ fried onions

Instructions

Preparations

• Chop the vegetables & keep them ready. To make veg biryani, vegetables should be chopped in bigger pieces.
• Prepare fried onions or birista - Heat oil. Fry the sliced onions until golden. Remove, spread it on a plate & keep it aside. You can skip this step & use store-bought fried onions (birista) too.
• Fry cashews & raisins in ghee/clarified butter. We will use it later to garnish the biryani.
• Soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain off the water. Keep the basmati rice aside.
• Saffron milk - Soak a pinch of saffron in ¼ cup of hot milk. Keep it aside.
• Chop coriander leaves, mint leaves & slit the green chilies & keep it aside.

Cooking biryani rice

• Take 6 cups of water in a vessel & heat it on medium flame.
• Add salt, whole spices & 1 teaspoon ghee/clarified butter.
• Let the water come to a boil.
• Now add the basmati rice & let it cook for 4-5 minutes.
• Once the rice is 80 % cooked (check the notes for details).
• Drain off the water & keep it aside.

Cooking vegetables

• Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a kadhai (Indian Wok).
• Sauté the whole spices for a minute.
• Add chopped vegetables (except beans), ginger-garlic paste & salt.
• Sauté it for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.
• Now add beans & sauté for a minute.
• Next, add red chili powder, turmeric powder & biryani masala powder. Mix it well. Switch off the flame.
• Add curd & mix.
• Add paneer, chopped mint leaves, chopped coriander leaves, cardamom powder, lemon juice, ghee, fried onions & slit green chilies. Mix it well.

Layering the biryani

• Spread half of the cooked rice on top of the vegetables.
• Sprinkle cardamom powder, mint leaves, coriander leaves, lemon juice & fried onions.
• Spread the rest of the cooked rice.
• Sprinkle fried onions, saffron milk, mint leaves, coriander leaves, cardamom powder, rose essence (optional), biryani masala powder & ghee.

Dum cooking

• Cover with a lid. Seal the sides of the lid with dough. If you have a heavy tight-fitting lid then you can skip this step.
• Cook on high flame for 3 minutes. At the same time heat a tawa (Iron griddle) on another flame.
• Place the biryani kadhai on a hot tawa. Do not place the Kadhai on direct flame. It may burn on direct heat.
• Cook on the lowest flame for 20-25 minutes.
• Switch off the flame.
• Keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
• Open it slowly.
• Serve biryani hot with raita, salad or salan.

Video

Notes

1. Soak the basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Soaking the basmati rice cuts down the cooking time. Also, when cooked the rice grains look long.
2. To check whether the rice is 80% cooked - Take a rice grain & press it between your thumb & index finger. If the rice grain is soft & splits immediately then it is done.
3. If the rice grain gets mashed easily when you press it then it is overcooked. Do not use this rice to make biryani.
4. If you do not have the entire whole spices mentioned in the recipe card then add a few whole spices that are easily available in the kitchen. The addition of whole spices makes the biryani more aromatic and flavorful.
5. Use fresh herbs & spices.
6. Always use long-grain fragrant basmati rice to make biryani. Basmati rice has its own aroma & is non-sticky.
7. Curd/yogurt should be fresh. Skip adding lemon juice if the curd is sour.
8. You can add any vegetables of your choice. But make sure it does not turn out soggy after cooking.
9. Adjust the spice as per your taste.
10. If you have a heavy tight-fitting lid then no need to seal the pot. Just cover it with the lid. Place it on an iron griddle or tava & follow the cooking time.
11. Biryani masala powder is the heart of the dish. You can easily purchase it online or from the store near you. You can make it at home too.
12. Please try not to cut down the quantity of ghee/clarified butter. It makes the rice moist & enhances the flavor of the dish.
13. After opening the seal, check the bottom of the Kadhai/wok. If you find that there is still moisture left then place it on the stovetop on a low flame & cook until the moisture evaporates completely.
14. If you do not want to use saffron the skip it and add only ¼ cup of milk. 

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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