Vegetable Biryani

There are several Indian foods which are famous worldwide, biryani being one of them. There are many variations of Biryanis- chicken biryani, mutton biryani, pea's biryani, vegetable biryani. While most of the people in the world are vegetarians, the mix vegetable biryani is very famous amid the lot. Here is the easy preparation, cook and enjoy.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed well
2cm/1in piece of fresh root ginger, sliced into small pieces
1 teaspoon finely ground turmeric powder
1D2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
100g red lentils, picked and rinsed
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 brinjal, cut into small cubes
A good quantity of vegetable stock, as per preferences, cut and rinsed
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
350g basmati rice
100g French beans, halved
225g cauliflower florets
225g mushrooms, quartered
50g unsalted cashew nuts

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan (non sticky pan preferred), add the sliced onions and fry gently for around 2 minutes.
Put in the crushed garlic, ginger and other spices and fry gently, while stirring frequently, for about 1 minute. Take enough care so that it should not stick to the bottom.
Add the lentils, tomatoes, brinjal and 600 gm of the stock. Stir well, then cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Add the pepper and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the lentils are tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.
Meanwhile, rinse the rice under cold running water. Drain and place it in the pan with the remaining stock. Bring to the boil, add the French beans, cauliflower and mushrooms, then cover and cook gently for 15 minutes or until the rice and vegetables are tender.
Then remove from the heat and keep aside, covered, for about 10 minutes.
Add the lentil mixture and the cashews to the cooked rice, and mix lightly together.
Serve hot. Eat with passion.