*Warning* This is not an easy recipe. As a matter of fact, this vegetable biryani recipe is as time-consuming and intricately involved as any other authentic Hyderabadi meat biryani preparation. Having said that, it is absolutely delicious and when served with love at any dinner party or occasion, this recipe will be appreciated and devoured. An everlasting, cherishable memory for your guests that stands unparalleled. And every minute required to make this one of a kind recipe is exceedingly well spent The delicate flavors, spices, ingredients, final presentation and taste is unmatched and exuberant.

Rustic elegance is an accurate description for this biryani and several pointers are indicated in order to achieve this. Choose your vegetables wisely. Carefully picked carrots, green beans, potatoes and cauliflower is obviously important as is cutting them in large pieces, so the integrity and texture is maintained throughout the cooking process. Ensure that you do not overcook the vegetables in the initial stages as the peak of tenderness should be achieved during steam cooking or final “Dumh” of the biryani. The only ground spices used are but three, chili powder, turmeric and garam masala powder. Whole garam masala spices in both the gravy (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, caraway seeds, star anise) and those used during parboiling the Basmati rice (shah zeera + black cardamom pod) is in essence what truly gives this vegetable biryani its unique, distinct and highly exquisite flavor profile. Of course golden fried onions, creamy yogurt and clarified butter (‘ghee’) are essential ingredients that elevate biryani to its most honorable status. The addition of cashews, golden raisins and almonds confirms its royal stature in our Hyderabadi culinary books.

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Hyderabadi Dumh Vegetable Biryani

Rustic and traditional, yet still so very modish, a colorful presentation of pure bliss on a platter. Biryani in its purest form, chunky vegetables including green beans, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes and peas, subtly spiced with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise and bay leaves. True to the Dumh Biryani technique, fresh garlic + ginger, lots of fried onions, coriander + mint leaves, chili + a dash of turmeric, creamy yogurt + crushed sweet saffron threads make for a luscious gravy that infuse all the delicate vegetables and every grain of Basmati rice with some major aromatic flavor and fervor. Yes this recipe requires time, but time very well spent indeed!

Prep Time45

Cook Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Hyderabadi, Indian, Pakistani

Keyword: Biryani, Vegetable Biryani

Servings: 10

Author: Afreen Sayeed

Ingredients

5 cups long grain Basmati rice *good quality, soaked for one hour
2 tbsp fresh garlic paste
1 tbsp fresh ginger paste
3 tbsp cooking oil *I use grape seed oil
4 carrots *peeled and quartered
4 potatoes *peeled, cut into wedges
2 heads cauliflower *leaves removed and cut into large pieces
2 cups green beans *ends removed and cut in half
1½ cup large frozen peas *thawed
4 large tomatoes *chopped
1½ cups fried onions *I use good quality, store-bought, frozen fried onions
½ cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp ghee
2 lemons *freshly squeezed

Spices for Biryani gravy

2 bay leaves
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
3 cloves
3 cardamom pods
1½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1½ tsp garam masala powder *I use Rajah brand
1½ tsp Kosher salt
½ cup fresh coriander leaves *rinsed, stemmed and chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves *rinsed, stemmed and chopped

For Topping (Basmati rice layer)

3 tbsp ghee
½ tsp saffron threads *lightly crushed
½ cup whole milk *add crushed saffron threads to milk and heat in microwave for 30 seconds right before topping parboiled rice layer
½ cup fried onions *golden brown and crispy
2-3 tbsp water *depending on how parboiled rice is
1 tsp garam masala powder
½ cup fresh coriander leaves *chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves *chopped
1 cup roasted cashews *unsalted
½ cup almonds *blanched (store-bought) and roasted
½ cup golden raisins

For Basmati rice water

1 pod black cardamom
1 bay leaf
1 tsp shah zeera *black cumin seeds
3 tsp Kosher salt

Instructions

Rinse and soak good quality, long grain Basmati rice in cold water for one hour. Rinse, peel and chop all vegetables (carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, green beans and tomatoes) into large pieces and set aside. Thaw frozen peas.
Add cooking oil to a large pot with heat setting on medium. Add ginger/garlic paste and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring well until aromatic. Turn heat to medium low and add whole garam masala spices (bay leaves, caraway seeds, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves and cardamom pods and cloves), mix well and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Now add remaining spices (chili powder, turmeric and Kosher salt), mix to combine, add 2 tsp water to prevent burning of spices and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes. Now turn heat to medium, add potato wedges, gently mix to coat and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add carrot pieces, mix and cook for 3-4 minutes. Now add tomatoes, cauliflower and green beans, gently mix to combine and continue to cook on medium for 4-5 minutes. *I taste gravy and check for salt and spices at this time and adjust as needed. Turn heat to low, cover pot and simmer vegetable gravy for 10-12 minutes, stirring as needed in between. Uncover pot, turn heat to medium high, add fried onions and yogurt, gently mix to combine and cook for 4-5 minutes. Now add freshly squeezed lemon juice, ghee and freshly chopped coriander and mint leaves, mix again and cook on high heat for a final 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. *Vegetables should be about eight percent cooked, with a bite to it as this vegetable gravy will steam cook again with parboiled Basmati rice.

For Frying Nuts

Heat a small skillet on medium heat. Add 1 tsp ghee. Turn heat to medium low and shallow fry cashews for 1-2 minutes, stirring as needed. Add almonds, fry for 1 minute. Add golden raisins and fry for 30 seconds, until just coated with ghee. Remove from heat and set fried nuts aside.

For Parboiling Basmati Rice

Fill another large pot with water until pot is ¾ full. Bring water to a boil on high heat. Add Kosher salt, bay leaf, black cardamom pod and shah zeera (black cumin seeds) to boiling water. Carefully add soaked rice (water removed) into boiling water. Gently stir and parboil rice for 5-6 minutes. *I add 1-2 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice right before straining rice. Strain rice and set aside.

For Final Biryani Layer and Topping

Add parboiled rice on top of vegetable gravy. Top rice layer with garam masala powder, fried onions, ghee, heated whole milk combined with crushed saffron threads, fresh coriander + mint leaves and 2-3 tbsp water evenly sprinkled on top. Cover pot with aluminum foil and fully seal around edges. Securely cover pot with lid and cook on medium high heat for five minutes. Then turn heat to low and steam cook or "Dumh" biryani for 25-30 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let rest for 20 minutes.
Perfectly cooked, mouthwatering Hyderabadi Dumh Vegetable Biryani is now ready to serve. Some cucumber raita or Tamatey ki Chutney (or both!) on the side, and you most certainly will be in a state of pure bliss. Enjoy! Nosh Farma'aiye.