Vegetable Biryani

I’ve been looking for a basic biryani recipe. I was satisfied with the result of this. It’s a great side dish for using up lots of vegetables. Almost any vegetable could go into the biryani. I had local carrots, potatoes, and rutabaga. In the freezer were some peas, okra and cauliflower that needed to be used. Those are the veggies that went into this version, but anything goes.

Tuesday Menu – Grilled Chicken, Vegetable Biryani, Broccoli
Farm Share Produce- Carrot, Rutabaga
Other Local Produce – Red Onion, Potato

Vegetable Biryani
Based on http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegetable-Biryani-2/Detail.aspx


This recipe makes a lot. We will use it as a side with 2 or 3 dinners this week.

7 peppercorns
6 cardamom pods
2 T olive oil
1 red onion, diced
½ t cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick, 2-3 inch
1 T garlic ginger paste
1 can diced tomatoes, 15 oz (or one fresh diced)
½ cup water
½ cup peas, frozen
½ cup cauliflower, frozen
½ cup okra, frozen
½ cup carrot, diced
½ cup potato, diced
½ cup rutabaga, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ t red curry paste
¼ t cayenne pepper, heaping
½ t garam masala
¼ t ground turmeric
4 cups water
2 cups basmati rice

Place peppercorns and cardamom pods in a mortar and pestle. Crush a few times, until pods are broken open. Set aside. You could also crush the cardamom pods with the side of a large knife and add the peppercorns whole.

Heat oil in a Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Stir in cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and cardamom pods. Cook until spices are fragrant and cumin seeds begin to pop, 3 minutes.

Stir in garlic ginger paste, tomatoes, and ½ cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook until water has evaporated, 5 minutes. Stir in vegetables – peas, cauliflower, okra, carrot, potato, and rutabaga. Season with salt and pepper, curry pasta, cayenne, garam masala, and turmeric. Stir well, cover and cook 3 minutes.

Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. When the mixture has reached a boil add the basmati rice. Reduce heat to medium and cover, and cook 10 minutes. Check the rice for doneness, cook until rice is done anywhere from 5 – 15 additional minutes.

NOTE: I did see ginger garlic paste in the grocery. I think I would buy that. You can make ginger garlic paste in a blender or with an immersion blender. Take equal amounts of garlic and ginger and puree together. You can keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks.