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Vegetable biryani is made with long-grain Basmati rice and a variety of vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, etc. along with aromatic spices and is cooked slowly on a low flame. The steps to make vegetable biryani at home are elaborate but easy to follow, as you will learn in my recipe.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Vegetable biryani is liked by all vegetarian or non-vegetarian foodies.
Enjoy it with simple salad or raita.
Vegetable biryani tastes sweet and spicy with a hint of creamy experience.

The similar dishes are veg pulao, chicken biryani, and mutton biryani.

The Ingredients:

500 gram long grained Basmati rice (2 standard cups)
2 tbsp salt
Water – An adequate amount
2 pieces bay leaves
1 piece cinnamon (1-inch stick)
4 pods green cardamom
10 pieces cloves
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp lemon juice

For making the aromatic spice blend:

10 pods green cardamoms (without the outer cover)
1 tsp mace (javetri) (ground)
¼ tsp nutmeg (jaifal) (ground)
1 tsp garam masala powder (heaped)

For marinating the vegetables and making the curry:

200 gram cauliflower (large chunky florets)
1 piece potato (medium to large size of about 100 gm)
2 pieces carrots (medium size)
30 gram green peas (Fresh or frozen)
60 gram green beans (Fresh or frozen)
1 cup plain yogurt (unflavored)
1 tsp black cumin seeds (shahi jeera)
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
1 tbsp coriander (dhania) powder
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 tbsp ghee
2 pieces onions (large, finely sliced)
Salt – A pinch
1 piece bay leaf (regular, torn in half)
3 pods green cardamoms
1 piece cinnamon (1 inch stick)
1 tbsp ginger (finely grated)
6 cloves garlic (1 tbsp finely grated)
¾ cup water (hot)
Salt – To taste
30 pieces mint leaves
1 tbsp Kewra water (optional)
2 tsp rose water (optional)
¾ cup rice water
Saffron – A few threads

For layering:

1 tbsp ghee

I bought a pack of vegetable masala powder some days back and found this recipe printed on the pack. Before throwing the empty pack away, I was intrigued and wanted to give it a try. So, I noted the ingredients and went for shopping. I was both excited and intrigued by the thought that I was going to try something new.

I measured the ingredients precisely and what followed was sheer magic. Though the dish was not quick to make, the taste was very nice and well appreciated by my family. Since then, I make vegetable biryani often when my kids specially create a fuss on eating plain trice and vegetables. It is their hot favorite.

How to Make Vegetable Biryani? (Step by Step Guide with Images)

Step 1: Take 500 gm or 2 standard cups of long grained Basmati rice in a bowl. Wash thoroughly and soak it in water for about 30 to 45 minutes before cooking. Keep it aside.

(Pro tip: Soaking the rice is crucial as it removes the surface starch and make the cooked rice fluffy with each grain remaining separate).

Step 2: Next to make the aromatic spice blend, take a mortar and pestle and put 10 to 11 green cardamoms pods in it. Tap them gently to crush and remove the outer cover first. Once removed, crush the seeds to make a fairly fine powder.

(Pro tip: Do not discard the outer cover of the green cardamom. Keep them in the container of tea leaves and use it for making aromatic masala chai).

Step 3: Next, to this powder add 1 tsp of ground mace (javitri), ¼ tsp of ground nutmeg (jaifal) and 1 heaped tsp of garam masala powder. Mix them nicely and keep it aside.

(Pro tip: Cover the spice blend to retain its unique natural flavor).

Step 4: Now, drain all the water from the soaked rice using a colander and spread it nicely with your hand on it to let the excess water drip off.

Step 5: Next, to marinate the veggies, take a bowl and put about 200 gm of cauliflower cut into large chunky florets, one medium to large size potato measuring about 100 gm diced roughly, 2 pieces of medium size carrots cut into small circular pieces, 30 gm of fresh green peas, 60 gm of fresh green beans, a cup of plain unflavored yogurt, 1 tsp of black cumin seeds (shahi jeera) or regular cumin seeds if not available, ½ tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tbsp of Kashmiri red chili powder or 1 tsp of regular dry red chili powder, and 1 tbsp of coriander (dhania) powder in it. Mix them nicely and keep aside for 30 minutes.

(Pro tip: I have not added green peas and beans to the vegetable marinade since I will be using the frozen ones which I had blanched before freezing. I will add them after the vegetable curry is done. You must add only fresh beans and peas during marination).

Step 6: Now, heat a large heavy-bottom pan or kadai on high flame and put 1/3 cup of cooking oil and 1 tbsp of ghee in it.

(Pro tip: You may skip the ghee if you are vegan but adding it will enhance the flavor of the biryani).

Step 7: When the ghee and oil is hot, turn the flame of the gas stove to medium and add 2 pieces of finely sliced onions in it and sprinkle a pinch of salt to it. Fry them.

Step 8: When the onions turn golden-brown in color, turn the flame to low and stir the onions continuously until they turn brown in color. Turn the flame of the stove off and remove them on a paper towel and spread them immediately. Keep them aside.

Step 9: Heat the remaining oil again and put 1 piece of regular size bay leaf torn in half, 2 to 3 whole pods of green cardamom and an inch-size cinnamon stick. Fry them for a few seconds and add 1 tbsp of finely grated ginger and 6 cloves or 1 tablespoon of finely grated garlic to it. Fry them on a medium flame a bit until the raw smell of the ginger and garlic is gone.

Step 10: Now add the marinated vegetables to it. Keep stirring continuously and cook them on a medium flame until it comes to a boil. Let it cook until all its juice evaporates and it becomes dry.

(Pro tip: Stirring continuously will not allow the curd to coagulate. Even if it clots a bit, do not worry because the rice will cover it nicely for you and no one will be able to tell).

Step 11: Then, add ¾ cup of hot water to it. Also, add salt to taste along with the aromatic spice blend that you made earlier along with half of the brown onion (birista) to it. Mix everything nicely.

Step 12: Now add the frozen green beans. Mix. Cover. Let it come to boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 13: In the meantime, heat an adequate amount of water to cook the rice. Add 2 regular pieces of bay leaves, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 3 to 4 pods of green cardamoms, 8 to 10 pieces of cloves and 1 tbsp of cooking oil to it. Cover it and let it boil.

(Pro tip: Using a lot of water to boil the rice will allow it to expand nicely and freely).

Step 14: Remove the whole spices from the water using a strainer. You may or may not remove the bay leaves at this stage. These can be removed easily later.

Step 15: Now, add the rice along with 1 tbsp of fresh lime or lemon juice and 2 tbsp of salt. Stir it and let it come to a boil on high heat.

(Pro tip: If you do not have fresh lime juice, you can use an equal amount of vinegar to the rice while cooking).

Step 16: Then, reduce the flame to medium and check the rice. It should be 80% cooked. If it is not very chewy, switch off your stove.

Step 17: Now, keep aside about three-quarter of a cup of rice water and drain the excess water from the cooked rice.

Step 18: Now, check the vegetables. If they are done, add 20 to 25 pieces of fresh mint leaves to it, torn roughly. Also add the frozen green peas to it. Mix them nicely and turn off the heat.

Step 19: At this stage, take out half of the cooked vegetables along with the gravy in a separate bowl.

Step 20: Now, on to the layering part. Spread half of the rice very loosely on top of half of the cooked vegetables left in the kadai.

Step 21: Then put half a tablespoon of ghee on the rice.

Step 22: Also, spread half of the remaining birista and the remaining torn pieces of mint leaves on top of the ghee.

Step 23: Now, put the rest of the vegetables you kept aside in the bowl. Spread them nicely on the rice.

Step 24: Put the remaining rice on top of it. Spread it.

Step 25: Put the other half-tablespoon of ghee on it. Now, spread the rest of the barista and torn mint leaves along with a few threads of saffron, the remaining aromatic spice blend on top. Lastly, add a 1 tbsp of Kewra water, 1 to 2 tsp of rose water if you want.

Step 26: Now, put a flame tamer on top of your gas stove. Switch it on.

(Pro tip: If you do not have a flame taker at home, you can use a tawa or a skillet made of cast iron instead).

Step 27: Add the rice water.

Step 28: Cover it with a tight lid to complete the cooking process. Let it cook for 5 minutes on high heat first so that the steam builds up and then simmer it on absolutely low heat for 15 minutes more.

(Pro tip: If you do not have a tight lid at home, use an aluminum foil to cover the pot or kadai and then put on the lid).

Step 29: Turn the flame off after that and let it sit like that on the stove for another 10 minutes. Now, remove the lid and mix the rice with the veggies very gently starting from the sides and gently working down.