Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Onion - 1 medium (chopped)
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 3-4
Mixed Vegetables - 1 cup (can use vegetables like potatoes, green beans, carrot,
cauliflower, green peas, baby corn etc)
Mint leaves - handful
Cilantro - handful
Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp
Fennel Powder - 1 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1 tsp (add only if you like the biryani extra spicy)
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tblsp
Bay Leaf - 1
Salt - as needed
Oil/ Ghee - 2-4 tblsp
Coconut milk diluted with water - 3 cups (You can also use only water)

Method
1. Heat the oil/ghee in a pan and add the bay leaf. Saute the onions till it turns golden
brown.
2. Add the ginger garlic paste and green chillies and fry till the raw smell vanishes.
3. Next fry the finely chopped mint and cilantro leaves.
4. Add the garam masala powder, turmeric powder, fennel powder and pepper powder.
Tip :- Sometimes when I do not have all the powders readily available, I make a
paste of fennel seeds, whole garam masala, peppercorns and green chillies along with
the ginger and garlic. After sauteing the onions, fry this paste till oil separates from the
masala.
5. Add all the vegetables and fry for a minute. Next add the rice and fry for a minute.
6. Transfer everything to a rice cooker. Add the coconut milk - water mixture, lemon juice
and required salt.
7. Cook till the rice is done. Garnish with some more cilantro and/or roasted cashews.
8. Vegetable Biryani is ready to server. Serve with some curry and raita.

Tips
- You can make the biryani with one vegetable alone like beans biryani, potato
biryani, baby corn biryani, carrot biryani, cauliflower biryani, chikpea biryani, peas
biryani, paneer biryani, okra biryani etc. These one veggie biryani can be made on
any day for lunch box depending on the vegetable you have on hand.
- To add okras to the biryani, fry the okras (ladies finger) separately and mix it with
the cooked biryani.