Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biriyani ~~ SN Challenge

Every first of the month, my followers know very well that i'll post the challenge of the month suggested by the Northern team under the event South vs North Challenge an event owned by Divya Pramil. This month its a celebration time and its been a year this event is going around successfully.Since its a celebration month,Divya suggested to cook and post the challenges which we didnt able to do during this year. But i have already finished my all challenges challenged by the Northern team, i chosed to cook from the challenges suggested by the Southern team.

I always want to cook the veritable vegetable Hyderabadi dum briyani and i chosed to cook it, this challenge was suggested by Swasthi of Swasthi's Indian Food Blog, this dum briyani was our today's Sunday lunch. Trust me this dum briyani is definitely everybody's favourite at home. As Swasthi told, even i was bit scared for the only reason that mostly the bottom part of this kind of layered biryani gets burnt and it will affect the taste of the entire dish. Swasthi did an incredible work by taking step by step pics and shared many notes to make this biryani easier, loved all her efforts. Seriously i enjoyed thoroughly making this prefectly cooked,flavourful famous Hyderabadi vegetable biryani.

Hyderabadi dum briyani are very famous among South Indians, i had a chance to taste the original dum briyani when i travelled last time to India and my chithi makes a wonderful dum briyani and my family is a great fan of her's dum briyani. I couldnt stop myself drooling here when i was typing about this biryani, yes i still remember the taste of the flavourful biryani i tasted in Hyderabad. If you have a get together, dont forget to make this fantastic biryani and am sure you will get many appreciations from your guest.

For cooking rice:
2cup Basmati rice (soaked for half an hour)
1/2tsp Shah jeera
1tsp Oil

For Biryani:
3cup Mixed cubed veggies (i used carrot,potatoes,french beans, green peas,green bellpepper)
2nos Green chillies (slit opened)
1tbsp Ginger garlic paste
1tsp Biryani masala powder
1/2tsp Red chilly powder
1/4tsp Turmeric powder
1cup Yogurt
1/4cup Oil
Few Saffron strands
1/4cup Warm milk
1/4cup Mint leaves (chopped finely)
Few coriander sprigs (chopped)
4nos Green cardamoms
1no Black cardamom
1inch Cinnamon stick
5nos Cloves
2nos Bay leaves
1/2tsp Shah jeera
1no Star anise

Fried Onions:
2nos Onions (sliced thinly)
1tsp Corn flour
Oil for frying

Frying the onions:
Heat oil for frying the fried onions, mix the corn flour to the thinly sliced onions, fry in oil until they turns golden brown.

Drain the excess of oil and keep aside.

Cooking rice:
Heat enough water and add the shah jeera,oil and salt.

Once the water starts boiling, drain the soaked water from the rice and add it to the hot water.

Cook until the rice gets half cooked.

Drain the rice and keep aside.

For Biryani:
Heat the oil for cooking the spices.

Add in the bay leave, star anise,cinnamon stick,green & black cardamoms,cloves and fry until a nice aroma comes from.

Now add the shah jeera and fry for few seconds.

Add in the ginger garlic paste, cook for few minutes.

Add in all the vegetables except the cubed green bellpeppers and cook for few minutes.

Now add the green bellpepper, chilly powder,briyani powder,salt, turmeric powder, fry for few minutes.

Pour half cup of yogurt and cook for few minutes.

Cook the veggies until the yogurt evaportes, add half of the chopped mint leaves, slit opened green chillies,mix well and cook again for few minutes.

Soak the saffron strands to the warm milk.

For the layers:
Take a large vessel or pressure cooker.

Put half of the vegetable mixture onto the vessel top it with fried onions, pour the remaining yogurt now,mix well and check for salt.

Put the flame in simmer, now layer half of the rice.

Layer again the remaining veggies, add in the fried onions, layer again with rice, top it with chopped mint and coriander leaves.

Heat a tawa, keep the biryani layered vessel over it and keep it in low flame.

Pour in the saffron milk, cover the vessel with damp kitchen towel,keep a heavy object on the lid and cook it in low flame until the rice gets well cooked.

Serve hot with raitas or chicken masala.

Notes:
Swasthi used nuts and raisins, i skipped it coz my kids dont like raisins in briyani, but still you can add it.

You can prepare this briyani through oven, instead of going for slow cooking in vessel.

For a detailed post, dont forget to check Swasthi's Hyderabadi Dum Biryani..