Vegetable Biryani
Saffron basmati, spiced vegetables and fried onion crown.
Maui's an app that plans a whole week of dinners like this one. See how it works ↓
The dum step - sealed lid, lowest heat, no peeking - is what gives biryani its perfume. If you lift the lid, you let out the steam that's flavoring the rice. Set a timer and walk away.
Ingredients
Everything below makes 6 servings.
- 2 cupsbasmati ricerinsed until water runs clear, soaked 20 min
- 2 largeyellow onion1 finely diced, 1 thinly sliced for frying
- 2 mediumcarrotsdiced 1/2 inch
- 1 mediumYukon gold potatodiced 1/2 inch
- 2 cupscauliflower florets1-inch florets
- ¾ cupfrozen green peas
- 6garlic clovesminced
- 1½ tbspfresh gingerminced
- 1green chili (serrano)finely chopped
- ½ cupplain whole-milk yogurt
- 1 pinchsaffron threads
- 3 tbspwhole milk (for saffron)warmed
- 4 tbspghee
- 2bay leaves
- 1cinnamon stick
- 4green cardamom podslightly crushed
- 4whole cloves
- 1 tspcumin seeds
- 1½ tspbiryani masala (or garam masala)
- ½ tspground turmeric
- 1 tspkashmiri chili powder
- ¼ cupfresh mint leaveschopped
- ¼ cupfresh cilantrochopped
- 2 tbspraw cashews
- 2 tbspraisins
- 2 tspkosher salt
In the app these rescale to however many people you're feeding.
Nutrition
Per serving, as written.
- 420calories
- 11gprotein
- 68gcarbs
- 12gfat
Swaps move these numbers. A different protein or base changes them.
Instructions
Knife work first, then the stove. Nothing below asks you to chop while something burns.
- Rinse basmati 3-4 times. Soak in cold water 20 min while you prep.
- Finely dice 1 large onion; thinly slice the rest for frying.
- Dice carrots and potato 1/2 inch. Break cauliflower into 1-inch florets.
- Mince garlic, ginger, green chili. Chop mint and cilantro. Lightly crush cardamom pods.
- Bloom saffron: warm 3 tbsp milk and saffron threads in a small bowl, set aside.
Fry onion and nuts
Heat ghee in skillet over medium. Fry sliced onion 10-12 min, stirring often, until deeply golden and crispy. Last 2 min, add cashews and raisins. Drain on paper towel.
12 min · hands onParboil rice
In a medium pot, bring 6 cups water and salt to a hard boil. Drain soaked basmati, add to boiling water with bay leaf, cardamom pod, cloves. Cook 4 min - rice should be 70% done, still firm at center. Drain immediately.
6 min · hands onVeg masala
In the dutch oven, heat remaining ghee over medium. Add cumin seeds and remaining cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf - bloom 30 sec. Add diced onion and salt, cook 6 min. Add garlic, ginger, green chili - 1 min. Add turmeric, kashmiri chili, biryani masala - toast 30 sec.
9 min · hands onCook veg
Add carrots, potato, cauliflower. Toss to coat. Stir in yogurt and 1/2 cup water and remaining salt. Cover, simmer 8 min until veg is just tender. Stir in peas, half the mint, half the cilantro.
8 min · hands offLayer and dum
Spread parboiled rice evenly over the vegetables. Drizzle saffron milk over the top. Scatter half the fried onions, half the cashews and raisins, remaining mint and cilantro. Cover with a tight lid (lay foil under it for a seal). Reduce heat to lowest setting, cook 18 min. Off heat, rest 10 min - do NOT lift the lid.
28 min · hands offServe
Lift the lid. Fluff GENTLY from the bottom up so rice and veg layers swirl together without smashing. Top with remaining fried onions.
2 min · hands onMake it yours
Every swap here is one Maui already knows how to make, including what it does to the timing.
Serve as-is. Saves about 5 minutes.
Sub coconut yogurt 1:1; coconut oil for ghee. Use water and 1 pinch saffron for the soak (skip milk).
What keeps
Keeps 4 days. The layered structure holds up to gentle reheat (covered, 300F oven, 15 min).
Don't microwave - kills the rice texture.
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