Recipe for Vegetable Biryani or Tehari
What is unique about Tehari or Vegetable Biryani
The king of Indian vegetarian cuisine – Vegetable Biryani is loaded with veggies like carrots, beans and cornflour, warm exotic spices like cloves, cardamom, saffron, and herbs like mint and cilantro, making the recipe a perfect blend of exotic flavors and aromas that is sure to leave your taste buds enticed !!
Ingredients for Vegetable Biryani or Tehari
Whole spices for the gravy :
Cloves – 2
Cardamom – 2
Cinnamon – 1/2” stick
Bay leaf – 1
Shahi jeera – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric- 1 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste- 2 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Chilli powder- 2 tablespoons
Yogurt – 1 cup
Ingredients to cook the rice :
Basmati flavored Rice – 2 cups
Clove- 1
Cardamom-1
Bay leaf- 1 medium
Garam Masala Powder – 1 teaspoon
Oil – 1 teaspoon
Vegetable oil – to fry
Onions – 1 large, finely chopped
Potatoes – 1 large, diced into squares
Carrots – 2 medium, chopped into batons
Beans – 8-10, cut into 1” pieces
Broccoli / Cauliflower florets – 8-10
Ingredients needed for garnishing :
Clarified butter ( Ghee) – 2 tablespoons
Coriander – 1/2 a bunch, finely chopped
Mint leaves – 1/2 a bunch
Lemon – juice of 1 lemon
Cashews – 10-12, lightly sautéd
Saffron- 10-15 strands, dissolved in 4 tablespoons of lukewarm milk (for 30 Mins)
Method to cook Vegetable Biryani – Tehari
Wash the rice and leave it to soak in water for about 1/2 an hour or while the base for vegetable biryani gets prepared
In a large vessel or pot, heat enough oil to lightly sauté the chopped vegetables individually and take them out separately onto a plate or dish
Using the same oil sauté the onions
Once the onions turn a light golden, temper the oil by adding the spices: cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, and shahi jeera
Reducing the flame while adding the spices makes them release a sweet aroma
Next, add the turmeric, salt, ginger-garlic paste, and chili powder and mix them together on low flame
Then add the beaten yogurt and give the ingredients a good mix
As the contents of the pot start to bubble, mix in the vegetables that were sautéd earlier
Add the chopped coriander and mint and leave the gravy to cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes
Make sure that the water in the gravy has evaporated as excess water from the gravy can make the rice turn soggy
As the gravy cooks, we could get the rice prepared alongside
For cooking the rice, leave about 3/4th of water to boil in a vessel to which add the ingredients as mentioned above
As the water begins to bubble, add in the soaked rice and give it a gentle stir with a ladle
Keep an eye as the rice starts to cook as you do not want the rice to turn sticky or overdone
The ideal time to drain off excess water from the rice would be when it is 3/4th cooked
Drain off the excess water completely by tipping it off into the kitchen basin using either a large kitchen sieve or by covering the pot with a tight lid
Now take another large vessel and coat the inside with oil
Empty the drained off rice into the vessel and level them off with a ladle
Sprinkle the saffron milk and a few dollops of ghee and layer the rice evenly with the vegetable gravy
Sprinkle the cashews, chopped coriander, mint, and drizzle in the lime juice
Cover the vessel with a tight lid and leave the vegetable biryani for dum to cook slowly for 10-15 minutes and then switch off the flame
Enjoy this delightful recipe with raita or Mirchi Ka Saālan !!