PRESSURE COOKER VEGETABLE BIRYANI WITH PICTORIAL

Biryani is one of the most sought after rice delicacies in India and the world. It is so flavourful and delicious that it is made at least once a week in my home. I have shared several different recipes of Biryani like Muslim mutton biryani, chicken biryani, white chicken biryani, etc but somehow I forgot to post one of my most favourite biryani and that is Vegetable Biryani. It has all the goodness of veggies (and you can make your children eat them without any fuss) and gets cooked really fast as I use a pressure cooker to make this delicious Vegetable Biryani.

Here I have used Green peas, French beans, double beans, carrot and potatoes, but you can use any vegetable of your choice to make this Vegetable Biryani. For more Biryani varieties, you can also check out the Biryani recipes page. And I will be posting another special recipe of Biryani called Ambur Biryani very soon in my blog. It is one of my favourites and since my native place is Ambur, I have had the privilege of relishing it on several occasions. So without further delay, let’s head over to the delicious and really easy recipe of Vegetable Biryani.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

¾ kilo basmati rice (It comes to 6 cups in my measuring cup) 

¾ cup oil

3 cardamoms

3 cinnamon

3 medium sized onions sliced
3 tbsp garlic paste
3 tbsp ginger paste

6 medium sized tomatoes deseeded and pureed

3 flat tsp red chilli powder

4 tsp salt (or to taste)

3 tbsp curd

2 carrots skin peeled and cut into small pieces

¼ cup green peas

½ cup double beans

8 french beans finely sliced

2 large potatoes skin peeled and cut into 1” pieces

½ cup coriander and mint leaves

½ lemon

Method

• Wash the basmati rice in water a couple of times and allow it to soak in water for about 15 minutes.
• Cut the veggies into small pieces and keep this ready as well soaked in water. 
• Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and grind it to a paste in a mixer jar. Keep this also ready.
• Heat oil in a 7.5 litres pressure cooker and add sliced onions along with cardamoms and cinnamon.
• When the onion turns golden, add garlic paste and saute for a couple of minutes till the raw smell goes.
• Add ginger paste and saute for another 2 minutes.
• Add red chilli powder and salt and cook for a minute.
• Net add tomato puree and cook for 3 to 4 minutes till the oil starts separating.
• Add curd and mix well.
• Next add the veggies along with coriander and mint leaves.
• Give a quick stir and then add the drained basmati rice.
• Add 9 cups water and mix well.
• Finally add lemon juice and close the lid of the cooker.
• Pressure cook for 2 whistles.
• Allow the steam to come out and then open the lid.
• Mix well, and transfer to a serving dish.
• Serve hot with Chicken 65, onion raita, and pepper eggs.

PICTORIAL

1. Cut the veggies into small pieces and keep ready. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and grind it to a paste in a mixer jar.

2. Heat oil in a 7.5 litre pressure cooker and add onions, cardamoms and cinnamon. When the onions turn golden, add garlic paste and saute for a couple of minutes till the raw smell goes. (I have added 3 tbsp of garlic paste. Only 1 is shown in the image below while the rest has already been added.)

3. Add ginger paste and saute for another couple of minutes. Add red chilli powder and salt and cook for a minute. Next add tomato puree and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

4. When oil starts separating, add curd and mix well. Next add the veggies along with coriander and mint leaves.

5. Give a quick stir and then add the drained basmati rice. Add 9 cups water and lemon juice and mix well.

6. Close the lid of the cooker and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Allow the steam to come out and only then open the lid of the cooker.

7. Mix well, and transfer to a serving dish. Serve Vegetable Biryani hot with Chicken 65, onion raita, and pepper eggs.

Notes

• Always use fresh ginger garlic paste while making Biryani. It is this that gives a great flavour to the biryani. Please don't go with ready made ones available in the market.
• Here I have used 6 cups of basmati rice, hence have used 9 cups water. Hence the general proportion of cooking with basmati rice is taking 1 and 1/2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice.
• Here I have used a large pressure cooker for making Biryani in large quantity. If you have a small family or have a 5 litre pressure cooker, you can reduce the proportion of ingredients and make Vegetable Biryani with 1/2 kilo basmati rice.

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