Guest Post by Swasthi Blank: Vegetable Biryani

It's the week of celebration at my blog, I think many of you have known many of my blogger sisters are doing guest post for the past few days. Adding to the list will be Swasthi the owner of Indian Healthy Recipes blog, I love her recipes especially the healthy versions and admire her pictures of food. If you have visited her blog before you would know how much love she puts in her cooking and photography, let me not waste any time and introduce our star today Swasthi Blank.

Hi Everyone! I am Swasthi , author of Indian Healthy Recipes. I am delighted to be here on Arthy’s space to share a simple Vegetable Biryani Recipe.  We all love biryani, but many never attempt to prepare this at home, feeling it to be a tedious process. But trust me! Making a good biryani is just a simple task and an art, which can be gained by practice. I have used a homemade biryani masala powder, but if you wish you can replace it with any store bought powders, though I cannot suggest you any brand as I have not been using them for years now. Now on to a non-mushy and spicy Vegetable Biryani recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup of aged basmathi rice (soaked for just 10 to 20 mins)

½  cup of chopped onions

1/3 cup of tomatoes chopped

6 to 8 baby potatoes or 1 large potatoes cubed and soaked in salt water till you prepare.

¼ cup of carrots chopped

¼ cup of green peas

Few thinly sliced capsicum pieces (optional, but adds aroma to the rice)

1 ½   tbsp ginger garlic paste

½ cup mint leaves

½ cup Coriander leaves

2 to 3 green chilies (adjust as per your taste)

A pinch of turmeric

1 ½ tbps melon seeds paste (smooth paste, optional, but adds a lot of taste)

1 ¼ tbsp. homemade biryani masala powder (can use store bought too, but adjust the quantity as needed) (adjust as per your taste)

1 ¾ cup Water (works right for me always)

4 to 5 tbsps. oil

Dry spices

1 bay leaf

5 green cardamoms

1 star anise

3 inch cinnamon stick

6 to 8 clove

Few pepper corn

Method

1.   Fry the capsicums in 1 tsp of oil and set aside.

2.   Heat oil in a pan, add spices and sauté

3.   Add ginger garlic paste, sauté

4.   Add tomatoes, little salt, turmeric and fry till the tomatoes turn mushy and then later become dry (all the juice must be evaporated)

5.   Add the onions, carrots, peas and potatoes fry on medium for 2 mins

6.   Add mint and coriander leaves, sauté for 2 to 3 mins

7.   Pour water, add salt, biryani masala powder

8.   Cover and cook till the potatoes are half cooked usually takes around 3 to 4 mins on medium flame.

9.   Add rice , melon seed paste and cook on a medium flame till all the water is evaporated. Mix well

10.Close the pan with a tight lid and simmer the flame to minimum, the flame should barely touch the pan. Cook this way for 7 to 8 mins, checking in between. If rice is undercooked can sprinkle some warm water and cook. Add the fried capsicums. Off the heat.

Serve after 15 mins

Thanks dear Arthy for giving me this opportunity.

The pictures makes me drooling, what you think? Awesome recipe isn't it, do try and visit her blog she has more surprising recipes there!