Vegetable Biryani

A favourite

A delicious recipe from Cooking Thumb

For the rice:

• 1 cup of Basmati rice
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 a teaspoon of olive oil
• 1 black cardamom & 2 green cardamoms
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves 

For the vegetables:

• 1/2 a cup of green beans (chopped in one inch pieces)
• 1/2 a cup carrots (sliced in pieces)
• 1/4 a cup of peas
• 1 tomato (chopped in slices)
• 1 cup of thinly sliced onions
• 1/2 a tablespoon of ginger paste
• 1/2 a tablespoon of garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves
• 4 green cardamoms
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 a teaspoon of tumeric powder
• 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 a cup of yogurt
• 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of coriander leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon of saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons of warm milk

1. Heat up some oil in a pan and add cumin, cinnamon, cloves green cardamoms and bay leaf and saute for 10 seconds before adding the ginger and garlic paste and cooking for another 20 seconds
2. Toss in all the vegetables (except tomatoes) and add salt, cover & cook for 2 minutes
3. Add the tumeric, cayenne, lemon juice and tomatoes then lower the heat
4. Add the yogurt and coriander
5. Add the cooked rice and put it over the vegetables and before mixing it, pour the safron and milk mixture over the dish. Cover the pan still without stirring it and leave it on a low heat to cook for 30 minutes
6. Turn off the heat and leave it covered for another 10 minutes before stirring it and serving. 
7. Garnish with coriander, tomato and lemon