Experimental Vegetable Biryani and Raita

Warning: This is not the authentic vegetable biryani you will get in hotels. This preparation was experimented on me for my quick lunch at college. It worked wonders and remains a favourite dish among my friends and family:-)

Ingredients:
Basmati rice: 2 small bowls (300-350 gms)
Pure Ghee: 4 tablespoons
Onions (medium-sized): 2
Tomatoes (medium-sized): 2
Ginger-garlic paste: 2 teaspoons
Haldi(Turmeric): ½ teaspoon.
Cauliflower: 200 gms.
Green Peas: 200 gms
Potatoes(medium-sized): 2
Everest Biryani Masala Powder: 1 ½ tablespoon
Red Chilly Powder: 1 ½ tablespoon
Salt: As per taste
Boiled Water: 4 small bowls( Double the amount of rice)
Corriander Leaves
Fresh Wet Grated Cocunut: For Garnishing.

Preparation:
Ginger-garlic paste:
You get this readymade these days, or else take an entire garlic flower, heat it in microwave for a min, it’s easier to get off the covering. Then add ginger around half a piece along with garlic in the mixer, grind it and add water and grind it further till you get fine paste.

Biryani:

1. Soak rice in water for 1/2 hour. Then rinse the water from the rice.
2. Take 4 tablespoons of pure ghee and heat.
3. Add finely chopped onions in it. Add a pinch of salt to the onions, keep frying till onion turns brown. Add ghee if you think a little more will be needed.
4. Then add ½ teaspoon haldi and 2 teaspoons of ginger-garlic paste.
5. Stir the mixture for a minute.
6. Then add finely chopped tomatoes and stir again.
7. Then add green peas, the medium-sized chopped pieces of cauliflower and potato to it.
8. Add 1 ½ tablespoon Red Chilly Powder and mix properly.
9. Add 1 ½ tablespoon Everest Biryani Masala Powder and mix properly
10. Add rice to this mixture. Mix properly till the rice gets dry i.e. the wetness goes.
11. Add 4 small bowls of boiled water. Stir properly.
12. Add salt as per taste. Around 2-3 teaspoons should suffice.
13. Turn the gas on high and let the rice boil.
14. Once all water evaporates and rice settles, turn the gas mild, and put a lid on top and let it cook for 15-20 minutes. If vessel is not non-stick keep a plate below the vessel as well.
    
    

Garnish:
Once the rice is done garnish it with finely chopped corriander and grated fresh coconut. Serve along with the vegetable raita

Vegetable Raita
Ingredients:
Cucumber: 1
Onion: 1
Tomato: 1
Corriander Leaves
Curd: 4 tablespoons
Salt: As per taste (1 teaspoons should suffice)
Sugar: As per taste (2 teaspoons should suffice)

Preparation:

1. Finely chop cucumber, onion, and tomato.
2. Take a bowl and put the chopped pieces in it.
3. Add 4 tablespoons of curd to it
4. Add Salt: As per taste (1 teaspoons should suffice)
5. Sugar: As per taste (2 teaspoons should suffice)
6. Mix the entire mixture properly
7. Then add finely chopped coriander leaves to it.
8. Leave it in the refrigerator for few minutes before serving.

Have the biryani with the raita, it tastes pretty good. The best part is this rice preparation does not consume much time or effort on one's part:-)