Description
This Golden Veggie Biryani is one of those recipes that fills your kitchen with warm spice aromas and makes you want to linger near the oven. The vegetables roast till golden, the rice soaks up all that saffron-spiced stock, and every spoonful tastes like comfort and celebration rolled into one.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 250 - 375 ml vegetable oil
- 1 small cauliflower (or broccoli), broken into small florets
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cubed
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 4 tsp salt (divided)
- 1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
- 10 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
- 4 tbsp hot curry paste (about 60 g - Madras or Shan Bombay Biryani Mix)
- Large pinch saffron threads (not powder!)
- 2 tsp mustard seeds (black or white)
- 750 g good-quality basmati rice (about 4 cups)
- 140 g green beans, trimmed and halved
- 1.5 L hot vegetable stock
- Juice of 2 lemons
- A handful of fresh coriander leaves
- 50 g salted roasted cashews (optional)
To serve:
Poppadoms, raita, and coriander chutney
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220 °C (fan-forced).
- Heat about 125 ml of the vegetable oil in a large frying pan.
- Toss in half the onions, the cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, sweet potato, and 1 tsp salt.
- Fry for about 5 minutes until the veggies start getting some color.
- Transfer everything to a large roasting dish and roast for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are golden and crisp on the edges.
- While that’s roasting, heat another 125 ml of oil in the same pan.
- Add 10 crushed garlic cloves, 1-inch grated ginger, 1 finely chopped red chili, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp of the curry paste.
- Cook for about a minute until fragrant and slightly thick. (If you are using meat, this is where you’d add it, but we’re keeping it vegetarian today!)
- In a jug or bowl, stir together the hot 1.5 L vegetable stock, the remaining curry paste, the rest of the salt, saffron threads, and mustard seeds. This is the magic liquid that turns everything golden.
- When the veggies are roasted, mix in the uncooked 750 g basmati rice and 140 g green beans.
- Pour over the spiced stock, give it all a gentle stir, and cover tightly with foil.
- Reduce the oven to 185 °C (fan).
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has soaked up all that golden stock.
- Once done, fluff up the rice with a fork, then stir in the juice of 2 lemons. Sprinkle over fresh coriander leaves and a handful of roasted cashews if you like a little crunch.
- Serve warm with poppadoms, raita, or coriander chutney on the side.
- Perfect cozy weekend food.
Notes
Created, Prepared, Tasted, and Tested by Veeran
