Biryanis & Pulav · Hyderabad

Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani

Carrots, beans, potato, cauliflower and peas marinated in spiced yogurt with birista and mint, then sealed under saffron rice in true Hyderabadi dum style.

Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani

Prep 35 min · Cook 45 min · Total 80 min + 30 min marinade · Serves 4

Ingredients

Vegetables

  • 1 Large potato, in 3 cm chunks
  • 1 Carrot, in batons
  • 100 g French beans, in 3 cm lengths
  • 150 g Cauliflower, small florets
  • ½ cup Green peas

Marinade

  • ¾ cup Thick yogurt
  • 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
  • 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric
  • 1 ½ tsp Biryani masala or garam masala
  • 4 Green chillies, slit
  • ½ cup Mint leaves
  • ½ cup Coriander leaves, chopped
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 ½ tsp Salt

Rice

  • 2 cups Aged basmati rice
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 4 Green cardamom pods
  • 4 Cloves
  • 1 inch Cinnamon stick
  • 1 Star anise
  • 1 tsp Shahi jeera
  • 2 tbsp Salt, for the water

Birista and layering

  • 3 Large onions, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup Oil, for frying
  • 3 tbsp Ghee
  • ¼ tsp Saffron strands
  • ¼ cup Warm milk
  • ½ tsp Kewra water

Method

  1. Fry the birista. Fry the sliced onions in the oil over medium heat until deep golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain on paper and keep the oil.
  2. Marinate the veg. Fry the potato in 2 tbsp of the onion oil until golden on the outside. Mix all the vegetables with the marinade ingredients and half the birista, crushed in your hand. Leave for 30 minutes.
  3. Start the base. Heat 3 tbsp of the onion oil in a heavy pot and add the marinated vegetables. Cook on medium, stirring, until the yogurt thickens and the vegetables are half cooked, about 8 minutes.
  4. Par-boil the rice. Boil 2 1/2 litres of water with the whole spices and salt. Add the drained rice and cook until 70% done. Drain at once.
  5. Layer. Spread the rice over the vegetables. Drizzle with the saffron milk, ghee and kewra, and scatter the remaining birista and a few mint leaves.
  6. Dum. Cover with foil and a tight lid. Cook on medium for 4 minutes, then on a hot tawa over the lowest flame for 20 minutes. Rest 10 minutes before opening. Serve with mirchi ka salan and raita.

Tips

Cut the vegetables to roughly the same size so they finish together. Frying the potato first stops it breaking up in the pot.