Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani Recipe – a famous hyderabadi biryani which is layered with rice and gravy, then its cooked on dum.We love biryanis and pulaos at home be it veg or non-veg. We club vegetable biryaniwith onion raita, kachumber (salad) and some side dish if required.
The quantity of biryani cooked at our place suffices us over two days for two people. Also biryanis taste better the next day. Generally make them during weekends as less work for me and more time to have fun and frolic.
The challenge to make biryani is the chopping of veggies especially onion. Also second challenge is the to master the art of cooking biryanis with separated rice and not mushy rice. Third challenge is to select the basmati rice for the biryani. I would try to cover each segment that would help you in making a fruitful and flavorful biryani 😉
You would find lot of biryani coming from various region in India. Some of them are Mughlai Biryani, Awadhi Biryani, Mumbai Biryani, Calcutta Biryani, Thalaserry Biryani and Sindhi Biryani. The two main types of biryani are pakki and kacchi biryani. The first one pakki biryani has the meat or chicken which is semi cooked or cooked meat is layered with the rice and cooked. Second method kacchi biryani raw meat is cooked with the gravy and layered with rice which is slightly difficult to cook. As one needs to know the exact proportion of ingredients, rice and the cooking time for the latter process.
Cooking Method: No biryani is a biryani if it’s not dum pukht. What is dum pukht??? it’s a process where biryani is slow cooked on a dum. Dum means no air is allowed to escape from the cooking process. The biryani is sealed with the dough or aluminium foil and cooked on slow fire or heat.
Selection of rice for Biryani: In the ancient days long grained brown rice and zeera sama rice (south indian) were used. But now basmati rice is used and preferred while making biryanis or pulaos. There are several good brands like India Gate, Daawat, Kohinoor, Tilda etc. However I purchase my basmati rice which is from Dehradun sold in loose packets at Dorabjees – Pune which is perfect for biryanis and pulaos. It has a lovely aroma, taste, texture and gives me each separated rice in my biryanis and pulaos.
Chopping veggies: Slice onion a day prior to making biryani. Cover them with a lid or foil and place in the fridge. Next day would be lesser work for you all you have to do is just chop the other veggies which is not so time consuming 😉 I hope I have answered to all your doubts and queries in making a beautiful biryani.
Alternative Cooking: You could make this on stove top or even bake in the oven. I prefer both method and cook as per my convenience.I have adapted and modified this recipe from my moms hyderabadi biryani recipe. Thanks to my mother for this lovely biryani recipe
How to make Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani recipe :
1. For the spice powder drygrind all the ingredients for the spice powder and place aside. This spice powder has to be sprinkled while layering the biryani for a fragrant biryani.
2. Soak the basmati rice for 30-40 mins.
3. In the meanwhile for garnish take some ghee or oil in a pan and fry the chopped onion till dark brown and crispy. Add little sugar which aids in caramelizing the onion faster. Place this aside and reserve for layering.
4. First take a big wok or vessel. Add water with few spices ( 1 bayleaf, 2 inch Cinnamon stick, 3 green Cardamom, 1 Mace, 4 Cloves, 4 to 5 Pepper corn). Alternatively you could tie the whole spices in a muslin cloth like a potli. Boil the water with all these whole garam masala.
5. Take water as required to make the basmati rice.
6. Please note you just have to par boil the rice (half cook) or cook upto 70%. Don’t cook the rice completely. Remove from fire once the rice is half cooked.Strain the water and keep the rice aside.
7. For the green paste combine all the ingredients and grind to a smooth paste.
8. Add little water if required. Keep this green paste aside.
9. Take a heavy bottomed sauce pan heat ghee or oil, Once oil is hot fry add the potatoes.
10. Fry them until golden brown in color.
11. in the same pan add cauliflower florets until golden brown in color.
12. Time to fry the green peas. Fry for 3-4 mins.
13. This way fry all veggies one by one. Place the fried veggies aside. I have used brinjals as I had lots but it’s optional.
14. In the same pan add some more ghee or oil saute bay leaves, shahi jeera, rest of cloves, pepper corn, cinnamon, stone flower, nag kesar, black cardamom, star anise, nutmeg powder and green cardamom. Fry until they are fragrant and aromatic.
15. Now add chopped onion to it.
16. Fry them until they are light brown in color but on low flame.
17. Put the chopped tomatoes saute them.
18. Cook the tomatoes until they soften.
19. Add the biryani masala/garam masala powder, turmeric and red chili powder.
20. Add the green paste along the fried veggies and salt.
21. Cook for4-5mins and add the beaten yogurt. Switch off the gas and combine all of themnicely.
22. Now we will arrange layers for the biryani. Take another big vessel.Now add half of the aboveveggravy to it.
23. Cover the gravy with half of parboiled rice.
24. Sprinkle a tsp of grounded spice powder, some ghee, somefood color, kewra water, some lime juice, few mint leaves and coriander leaves to the rice.
25. Now spread the rest of veg gravy and spread evenly.
26. Spread the rest of parboiled rice evenly covering the gravy.
27. Again sprinkle a tsp of grounded spice powder, some ghee, somefood color, kewra water, some lime juice, few mint leaves and coriander leaves to the rice.Don’t forget to garnish with fried onion on the top.
28. Heat a iron tava or a thick metal tava on high fire for 5 mins. Place thestacked layers of biryani vessel on the heatedpan. Reduce the heat to low.
29. Cover the vessel with an aluminium foil, also cover with a metal lid or plate.
30. I haveplaced a heavy object so the air doesn’t escape out.Alternatively you could seal the periphery of the vessel with dough covering with a lid and placing an heavy object.This process is important to give dum (pressure) to the biryani.
31. Roughly about 30mins your Hyderabadi VegBiryani should be ready.
Switch off the gas and serve yourveg biryani hot with salad or raita.Garnish your Hyd Veg Biryani with fried onion and coriander leaves.
Hyderabadi Veg Biryani Recipe card below:
Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani Recipe, Vegetable Biryani Recipe | Veg Biryani Recipe
Recipe Type: Main, Vegetarian
Cuisine: Indian, Hyderabad Cuisine
Author: Maria@flavorsofmumbai.com
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-7
Hyderabadi Biryani recipe is made with vegetables like cauliflower, brinjal, potatoes, with step by step photos.
Ingredients
- [b]For parboiling the rice:[/b]
- 2 cups basmati rice soaked in water for 30 mins then parboiled
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 4-5 cloves
- 8-10 peppercorn
- 1 black cardamom
- 2-3 mace strands
- 4-5 green cardamom
- 1 cinnamon stick
- a pinch of nutmeg powder
- For the green paste:
- 1 inch ginger
- 6-7 garlic
- 1 cup coriander leaves
- 1 /2 cup mint leaves
- 5-6 green chilies
- [b]For the biryani:[/b]
- 2 tbsp ghee or oil
- 1 cup green peas
- 150 gms long brinjal chopped length wise[b] (optional)[/b]
- 3-4 medium sized potatoes chopped into chunks or wedges
- 1/2 medium sized cauliflower florets
- 6 onion chopped into julienne
- 3 tomatoes chopped finely
- 1 tsp caraway seed
- 2 bay leaves 2 one inch cinnamon stick
- 2-3 nagkesar 2-3 stoneflower
- 3-4 green cardamom
- 2 star anise
- 2 black cardamom
- 7-8 peppercorn
- 3-4 cloves
- a pinch of nutmeg powder
- 1.5 tbsp garam masala powder or biryani masala powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 cup yogurt beaten until smooth
- 4- 15 mint leaves
- 3 tbsp coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- few drops of vetiver essence
- few drops of color optional 2 tbsp more ghee for layering rice
- salt as required
- [b]For the spice powder[/b]: (this is used to sprinkle while layering the biryani for a fragrant biryani)
- 1 tbsp caraway seed
- 7-8 cloves 4-5 green cardamom
- 2 mace strands a pinch of nutmeg powder
- For the garnish:
- 2 medium sized onion chopped into julienne
- 2 tbsp ghee or oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt as per taste
- [b]For the garnish:[/b]
- 2 medium sized onion chopped into julienne
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp ghee or oil
Instructions
- For the spice powder dry grind all the ingredients for the spice powder and place aside. Soak the basmati rice for 30-40 mins.
- In the meanwhile for garnish take some ghee or oil in a pan and fry the chopped onion till dark brown and crispy. Add little sugar which aids in caramelizing the onion faster. Place this aside and reserve for layering.
- First take a big wok or vessel. Add water with few spices ( 1 bayleaf, 2 inch Cinnamon stick, 3 green Cardamom, 1 Mace, 4 Cloves, 4 to 5 Pepper corn). Alternatively you could tie the whole spices in a muslin cloth like a potli. Boil the water with all these whole garam masala.
- Take water as required to make the basmati rice.
- Please note you just have to par boil the rice (half cook) or cook upto 70%. Don’t cook the rice completely. Remove from fire once the rice is half cooked. Strain the water and keep the rice aside.
- For the green paste combine all the ingredients and grind to a smooth paste. Add little water if required. Keep this green paste aside.
- Take a heavy bottomed sauce pan heat ghee or oil, Once oil is hot fry the potatoes.
- Fry them until golden brown in color.
- Now fry the brinjal until golden brown in color.
- Remove the brinjal and fry cauliflower florets until golden brown in color.
- Time to fry the green peas. Fry for 3-4 mins. This way fry all veggies one by one.
- In the same ghee or oil saute bay leaves, shahi jeera, rest of cloves, pepper corn, cinnamon, stone flower, nag kesar, black cardamom, star anise, nutmeg powder and green cardamom. Fry until they are fragrant and aromatic.
- Now add chopped onion to it. Fry them until they are light brown in color but on low flame.
- Put the chopped tomatoes saute and cook until they soften.
- Add the 1 tablespoon of biryani masala or garam masala powder, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and teaspoon of red chili powder.
- Add the green paste along the fried veggies and salt.
- Cook for 4-5 mins and add the beaten yogurt. Switch off the gas and combine all of them nicely.
- Now we will arrange layers for the biryani. Take another big vessel. Now add half of the above veg gravy to it.
- Cover the gravy with half of parboiled rice.
- Sprinkle a teaspoon of grounded spice powder, some ghee, some food color, kewra water, some lime juice, few mint leaves and coriander leaves to the rice.
- Now spread the rest of veg gravy and spread evenly.
- Spread the rest of parboiled rice evenly covering the gravy.
- Again sprinkle a tsp of grounded spice powder, some ghee, some food color, kewra water, some lime juice, few mint leaves and coriander leaves to the rice.Don’t forget to garnish with fried onion on the top.
- Heat a iron tava or a thick metal tava on high fire for 5 mins. Place the stacked layers of biryani vessel on the heated pan. Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the vessel with an aluminium foil, also cover with a metal lid or plate. I have placed a heavy object so the air doesn’t escape out. Alternatively you could seal the periphery of the vessel with dough covering with a lid and placing an heavy object. This process is important to give dum (pressure) to the biryani.
- Roughly about 30 mins your Hyderabadi Veg Biryani is ready. Switch off the gas. Serve your veg biryani hot with salad or raita. Garnish your Veg Chicken Biryani with fried onion and coriander leaves.
Notes
1. Ensure the whole cooking process of biryani is done on low heat. [br]2. I always place on heated tawa just similar to preheating the oven as I don’t have a tandoor at my place. [br]3. You could also bake this biryani at 180ºC for 30 mims. [br]4. You could use any veggies of your choice. Also I have fried and added them as this saves time. You could add them directly but it would take a longer tome to cook so choice is yours.
