Vegetable Biryani

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Quantity : serves 4

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 1 Cup
Oil – 1 tbsp
Onion – 1 big (thinly sliced)
Mixed veggies – 1 cup (diced carrots, beans, potato, capsicum, peas)
Turmeric powder  -1/4 tsp
Red Chilly powder – 1 tsp
Biryani masala powder – 1 tsp
Salt – To taste
Curd – 2 tbsp
Red food color – 1 pinch (optional)

To grind:

Tomato – 1 big
Garlic – 3-4 cloves
Mint Leaves – 10 strands
Green chillies – 2

To temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp
Fennel seeds / Soambu – ½ tsp
Bay leaf – 1
Star anise - 1

Preparation:

• Grind the items under the table “To grind” to a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a cooker and add the items for tempering.
• Add sliced onions and fry until they turn translucent.
• Add the veggies, turmeric powder, chilly powder, biryani masala powder, salt and give a stir
• Add the ground paste and mix well.
• Add curd and food color mixed with water
• Add the rice and stir well
• Add 2.5 cups of water and pressure cook until 3 whistles.
• Serve hot with onion raita

Paruppu Usili

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Quantity : serves 4

Ingredients:

Beans -1 cup (Chopped) 

Salt - to taste

Water - to cook dal

To grind:
Channa Dal - 1/4 cup
Dried Red Chillies - 3
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Asafetida / Hing - a small pinch
Toor Dal - 1/4 cup

To temper:Oil - 1 tbsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 strand

Preparation:

• Soak Toor Dal and Channa Dal overnight and grind it to a coarse paste along with red chilies and salt.
• Cut beans into small pieces and boil it with some water and little salt. Once, the beans become soft, drain the water and keep aside.
• Put the ground mixture in a idly pan and steam it for 5 minutes (No whistle required)
• Crumble the steamed dal with hands into fine pieces.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add the items for tempering.
• Add the crumbled dal and cooked beans and give a stir.
• Serve with Rice and Sambhar 

My notes:

• This recepie goes well with veggies like beans / cluster beans / vaazaipoo (plantain flower) / cabbage. But beans and cluster beans are the commonly used veggies for this.
• Adjust salt accordingly as both dal and the veggie is cooked with salt.