Hyderabadi vegetable dum biryani (brown rice version)

Ingredients

• •1 cup brown rice, soaked 30 minutes
• •2 cups mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower), chopped
• •1 large onion, thinly sliced
• •1/2 cup low-fat yoghurt
• •1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• •2 green chillies, slit
• •1/4 cup chopped mint and coriander leaves
• •1 teaspoon biryani masala
• •1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• •1 bay leaf, 2 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 green cardamoms
• •1 tablespoon ghee or oil
• •A few strands saffron soaked in 2 tablespoons warm milk (optional)
• •Salt to taste

Method

1. 1

   Cook the soaked brown rice in plenty of water along with the whole spices till it is about 70 percent done, then drain and set it aside.

2. 2

   Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan and sizzle the sliced onion until it turns golden brown, removing a half for garnish.

3. 3

   Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies to the remaining sizzled onion and the mixed vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Stir in yoghurt, turmeric, biryani masala and salt into this mixture and cook until the vegetables are tender.

5. 5

   Layer the approximately cooked rice in this mixture and top it with the reserved fried onion, mint, coriander and saffron milk.

6. 6

   Cover and cook on low heat (dum) for 15 to 18 minutes, or bake it covered at 180°C for the same duration. Let it rest for 5 minutes and then fluff it up and serve it.

7. 7

   Summary:

8. 8

   Cooking it on dum with brown rice shows that a biryani can retain its deep aroma while working harder nutritionally.