Vegetable Hyderabadi Biryani

VEGETABLE HYDERABADI BIRYANI   Veg | Spicy | Hyderabad        Method    Pick, wash and soak rice in three cups of water for half an hour. Drain. Add four cups of water and salt. Bring to a boil and cook till the rice is three fourth done. Drain excess water and spread out on a plate to cool. Parboil potatoes, carrots, French beans and cauliflower in two cups of salted water. Drain and keep aside. Dissolve saffron in warm milk. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep-fry sliced onions till golden brown. Drain onto an absorbent paper. Beat yogurt. Add two tablespoons of Biryani Masala, half of the fried onions, ginger paste and garlic paste and parboiled vegetables. Allow to marinate for one hour. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed vessel, add the marinated vegetables and saut� for two to three minutes. Add three-fourth cup of water and bring to a boil, then simmer for two to three minutes. Preheat oven to 180�C. Transfer the vegetables into a thick bottomed handi. Layer the rice over the cooked vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining Biryani Masala, mint leaves, coriander leaves and the remaining fried onions. Garnish with cashewnuts, almonds and raisins. Sprinkle saffron milk.Place a moist cloth on top, cover with a lid and seal with dough. Put the sealed handi in the pre-heated oven and cook at 180�C for fifteen to twenty minutes. Alternately keep the handi on a heated tawa and cook on very low heat for fifteen to twenty minutes. Serve hot. Ingredients   Serves 4    1 1/2 cups Basmati rice     2 large Potatoes (� inch cubes)     3 medium sized Carrots (� inch cubes)     5-6 French beans (� inch pieces)     1/4 small sized Cauliflower (small florets)     Salt to taste     4-5 strands Saffron     2 tbsps Milk     4 large Onions (finely sliced)     Oil to deep fry     1/2 cup Yogurt     3 tbsps Biryani Masala powder     1 1/2 tsps Ginger paste     1 1/2 tsps Garlic paste     4 tbsps Pure ghee     2 tbsps Fresh mint leaves (chopped)    2 tbsps Fresh coriander leaves (chopped)     5 Cashewnuts (quartered)     10 Almonds (blanched and halved)     2 tbsps Raisins (kishmish)     Dough to seal

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