Vegetable Biryani

First, prepare the rice. To a pot, add 2 cups water for 1 cup rice (water ratio should be adjusted for rice variety being used). Bring the water to boil, add a little salt.  Reduce flame and cover with lid and let it cook till almost done, but not fully cooked. Set it aside.

Chop the broccoli into small pieces. Finely dice the garlic. Heat a pan. Add 1-2 tsp oil and sauté the broccoli with garlic. Add salt to taste. While broccoli is cooking, chop the cauliflower into small pieces. When broccoli is done remove it and repeat the process with cauliflower and set aside. You can sauté broccoli and cauliflower together if you prefer. Next sauté the thinly sliced onions till brown in a tsp of oil. When done, add the carrot and green peas and cook. Add the ginger to the veggies 2 mins before they get done and remove everything from heat and set aside.

Combine ground spices: cimmaon, cloves, cardamom, turmeric, red chili powder/paprika, coriander and a little water, mixing until it forms a paste. Set aside.

In another large pan (with lid, I used Dutch oven) take 1 tbsp oil. Let it heat. Add all the whole dry spices one by one in the order listed (bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, Daggad phool) and reduce the flame.  When the cloves start to swell, add all the veggies you cooked above. Add the spice paste and the dry (or fresh mint) and mix and let it cook for a few minutes till spices blend into the veggies.

Accompany this dish with Yogurt Beet Sauce (Raita).  (Recipe #876)