Vegetable Biryani

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Biryani is traditionally cooked “Dum Pukt”. Translated as “choking off the steam”, Dum Pukt is a cooking technique where food is cooked in its own juices and steam in a sealed container in a slow fire – this means a slow cooker is ideally suited to an adapted biryani recipe.

Vegetable Biryani

Serves:

• 4 to 6

Ingredients

Rice layer:

• 4 tablespoons oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 inch stick of cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 2 cardamom pods crushed
• ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• A good pinch of salt
• 1 cup of brown basmati rice
• 2 cups boiling water

Spicy vegetable layer:

• 4 to 6 tablespoons oil
• 1 onion diced
• 1 to 2 green chillies
• 2 inch piece of fresh ginger grated
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 large tomatoes chopped
• 2 medium potatoes cut into 1 inch chunks
• 4 carrots cut into 1 inch chunks
• 100 g green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
• ½ cauliflower cut into small florets
• ¼ cup of water
• ½ cup of frozen peas
• Lemon wedges
• 50 g cashew nuts
• Chopped coriander

• Grease or spray with cooking spray the inside of your slow cooker.
• Heat some oil in a saucepan to a low heat.
• Add the rice spices and stir.
• Cook spices through on a gentle heat for a couple of minutes.
• Add the rice and coat in the spiced oil.
• Pour on the boiling water and stir and bring the rice to the boil.
• Place and lid and turn the heat down low.
• Cook for 15 minutes and turn off the heat.
• Heat some oil in a large frying pan to a medium heat and add the diced onion.
• Cook until translucent and soft. Add chillies, ginger, garlic and tomato paste and cook through for a couple of minutes.
• Add the chilli powder, coriander, garam masala and cook for another couple of minutes.
• Add your vegetables and water and give it a good stir.
• Bring to a simmer and cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Transfer to your slow cooker.
• Cover with your partially cooked rice and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
• Add the frozen peas and gently mix them in just under the layer of rice if you can.
• Replace the lid and cook on high for 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle with cashew nuts and chopped coriander and serve with a couple of wedges of lemon and a cooling raita.

I’m sending this recipe to a few challenges this month:

• April’s Slow Cooker Challenge hosted by Janice over at Farmersgirl Kitchen where the theme is 7 a day.
• The Four Seasons Food Spring Challenge: Let’s celebrate vegetables run by Delicieux and Eat Your Veg.
• Extra Veg Challenge hosted by Fuss Free Flavours and Utterly Scrummy.