Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients:

• 3 cups rice, soaked overnight in normal tap water.
• 2 tins of parboiled lentils, water drained off and rinsed.
• 2 cups of mixed veg (peas, carrots, and sweetcorn).
• 1 cup double beans.
• 1 cup Gadra beans also called Borlotti beans
• 1 tsp jeera seeds.
• 2 aniseed.
• Salt.
• A couple of bay leaves.
• 2 elatchi pods.
• 2 tsp turmeric powder.
• 2 tsp chili powder.
• 1 tbsp. masala.
• 1 tsp garam masala.
• 1 onion, finely chopped.
• 2 onions, sliced and fried to be put on top of the Biryani as a finishing touch.
• 4 potatoes, peeled, cubed, sprinkled with a little turmeric powder, and fried till crispy.
• 1 tomato, finely diced.
• 2 cinnamon sticks.

this For later use

Method:

Heat some oil in a pot.

Add the jeera seeds, bay leaves, aniseed, and cinnamon sticks, and allow to fry for a couple of seconds.

Add the chopped onions, salt, and fry till lightly brown, not transparent, important that it must be light brown or starting to brown.

Add the mix veg, double, and Gadra beans, mix so that everything is nicely coated.

Add the lentils, chopped tomatoes, and all the spices, mix so that everything is well coated.

Drain the water off the rice and add the rice.

Mix so that everything is nicely mixed.

Add enough boiling water so that the rice is just covered.

Cover and allow to cook for about 45 minutes or until the rice is cooked and all the water absorbed.

If you need to during the cooking add more water than you can.

Line an oven-proof dish with foil, I used a baking tray as I did not have a big enough oven-proof dish.

Spoon the cooked rice mixture into your dish, add the potatoes and toss so that the potatoes are mixed in.

Add the fried onion, cover with a lid or more foil.

Pop into a preheated oven and leave in the oven at 180C for 45 – 60 minutes.

Serve with buttermilk

Prepared, tried, and tested by:  Bobby Swanson