INSTANT VEGETABLE BIRIYANI

INTRODUCTION

INGREDIENTS

In today's atmosphere, everything is instant and due to work pressure and time restraints, housewives have little time to allot for cooking and yet the family demands good tasty food. There are some time tested recipes from my own kitchen. Try them and win hearts of people who love you.  

Biriyani is an all time favourite of South India .I have taken years to perfect this dish .I am thankful to the Musalamaan Khaansama of Rafeeque Ahmed & Co. Madras for teaching the original recipe of Deccan Madras special Biriyani. (Ofcourse I had to beg for more than two years to learn & Know the recipe). I have done my own homework in instant recipe and perfected it. I am sure this recipe would not disappoint you. Please understand one thing that Biriyani grains after cooking should not be very separate. Neither they should be sticky. The grains should be together but not sticky like pongal. Nor separate like puliodhirai.!! 

Rice 1cup
Sour Curds 3/4 cup (150 gms.)
Green Peas shelled 1/2 cup
Tomatoes diced 3 nos.
Carrots diced 2 nos.
Garlic 8 cloves finely cut
Onions 2 nos. cut in slices
Fresh Mint leaves 1/4 cup
Green chillies (shredded) 3 to 4 nos. (hot variety)
Ginger 2"' piece finely shredded
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Red chilli powder 1.5 spoons
Cinnamon and cloves powder 1 spoon
Oil ( cooking oil of any brand) 3    ladles.
Cloves 6 to 8 nos.
Cinnamon sticks 3nos  Cardamom 6 to 8 Nos.
Bay leaves 2 to 3 nos. cut in half
Lime juice 1/2 spoon
Salt to taste

Slice garlic, Slice onions and finely cut/shred green chillies. Keep aside.
Remove leaves of fresh mint and keep aside .I generally make a coarse paste of Mint leaves and add to the spices just before closing the lid of the cooker. Prepare the green vegetables like Carrots, Green peas and keep aside. If you are using Basmati Rice/Biriyani Rice, ensure that the rice is old otherwise, if the rice is new, toast the rice after soaking in water for ten minutes and draining all the water and toasting in a kadai in two spoons of ghee till the rice is very light creamy or pinkish looking. Toasting for about ten minutes would do. This would ensure your rice grains remains separate when cooking. 

Now take rice and put directly in cooker without any separator. Best to use is Hawkins pressure cooker. Now add all the above cut spices and vegetables in it and add salt. Now add all the dry spices and chilli powder, spices powder and Turmeric powder. Add enough water to cook the rice and the vegetables. Please ensure that you add just enough( 500 ML) 
for the above. But ensure that you use only old rice. Water quantity must be fixed by you as per the quality and quantity off rice you use. 

Now take oil in a small Kadai and add cinnamon, Cardamom, Bay leaves and cloves. When cloves and cardamom puff up add sliced onions and green chillies to the oil and let it fry for about a three to four minutes till the onion slices become light pink..Now add sliced garlic and finely cut or coarsely shredded Mint leaves, add along with  tempering with onion to the cooker. Stir well. Taste for salt and add if less. Add lime juice and curds now. If the curd that you are using is sour , reduce or avoid lime juice or reduce to quarter spoon. 
Close the lid and pressure cook for just two whistles. 
Let the cooker get cold enough. Keep the cooker open for some 15 minutes This will give time to rice to get properly set. 
After the whistles( 45 minutes )open the cooker. Fantastic Aroma of INSTANT VEGETABLE BIRIYANI would tickle your taste buds when you open the cooker. 
This Vegetable Biriyani would immediately become your favourite.
As usual, don't forget to post in your feedback please. 

Enjoy!!!