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5 from 1 vote

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.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Hyderabadi, Indian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 340kcal
Author: Preeti

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