Green Biriyani

My sister is the Biriyani queen of our family. She makes different types of rice dishes. This particular dish is a signature dish of her mother in law. She uses all the Indian country vegetables (naatu pachai kaigarigal), like Indian eggplant, cluster beans, broad beans, green peas, carrots etc. and lots of cilantro and mint. The biriyani looks green, hence the name.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup basmati rice or jeeraga samba rice, washed and soaked in water

2-3 Tablespoons peanut oil or ghee

1 bay leaf

1 inch cinammon

1 small carrot, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces

1 small potato, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces

10 cluster beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

10 broad beans, stringed and cut into 1 inch pieces

10 string beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

1-2 Indian purple eggplants, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 Tablespoons green peas

To be ground as paste (masala):

2 Tablespoons fennel seeds

1 inch cinnamon

2 cloves

1-2 cardamom

1 inch ginger

5 pods of garlic

4-5 green chili (adjust to taste)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small tomato

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

                                     

                                      

Method:

1. Take the ingredients for masala in a blender or mortar and blend to a coarse paste. Set aside.

                                                       

2. Heat oil or ghee in a large pot (uruli) on medium flame. Add bay leaf and cinnamon. Add the chopped vegetables. Sauté for a couple minutes.

                                                       

3. Stir in the ground masala. Add salt. Sauté for a couple minutes. Cover and cook for 6-7 minutes, until the vegetables are almost cooked. 

                                 

4. Add 1 cup coconut milk and 2 cups water to the pot. Bring to a boil.

                          

5. Drain the rice and gently stir into the pot. Lower the heat to low medium. Cover the pot and allow to cook for 10 minutes. 

                                   

6. Open the lid, fluff the biriyani and enjoy with onion raita.

Notes:

I always make biriyani in a pot. My sister makes in pressure cooker. Here's her method.

 Pressure cooker method:

Follow the steps 2 and 3 in a pressure cooker. Add coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Cover the pressure cooker. Place the weight. Lower the heat to low medium. Cook for 2 whistles. Turn the stove off. Allow pressure to release naturally. Enjoy!