Easy Vegetable Biryani ( No Tomato )

Hi everyone, this is my first biryani post, a delicious vegetable biryani. My whole family and friends are a great fan of this biryani.

Whenever we go as a family outing I prepare this and it vanishes in no time,especially those fried breads and cashews. Even now I fried some cashews and reserved some for the toppings ,but when I made everything ready for the photo and checked for cashews there was only an empty plate, as usual my hubby ate all. Now on to the recipe, don't get scared on seeing the long list, it is damn easy to prepare and tastes heavenly. It goes well with raita and pappads.

Ingredients:
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Oil - 3 tsp
Carrot - 1
Beans - 10
Cabbage - small piece
Peas - 1/4 cup ( more or less)
Onion - 2 (small ,sliced lengthwise)
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Mint leaves - 10 to 15
Salt to taste
To Temper:
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - a small piece
Elachi - 1
Saunf - 1 tsp (coarsely powdered)
For Garnishing:
Cashews - 10 to 12
Bread- 2(fried)
Coriander leaves - few

Procedure:
Step 1: Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 15-20 minutes. Then drain it in a strainer. Keep aside. Chop all the veggies.


Step 2:  Heat a pressure cooker ,add oil and fry the cashews and set aside. Now in the same oil add the items under tempering.
Now add onions and fry until slight brown colour. next add in your ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell leaves.


Add your pudina(mint leaves) and fry for half a minute. Now add in your turmeric,chilli,coriander powder and give a nice toss.
Step 3: Then go on with adding your veggies and give a stir and then drained basmati rice and give a nice toss in that masala.


Now add 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of water to it. Add salt. Check for salt and spiciness. You can do either direct method or dum method now.

Direct method:
Close the cooker and give for 2 whistles and switch it off. Let it rest for 45 minutes and then open up the cooker and fluff it with a fork and serve.
Dum method:
After checking salt cook in flame without lid until the rice is half cooked or merges mostly with the water in it(see picture). Now close the lid with gasket and put on whistle and reduce the flame to utmost low. Cook for 8 minutes and switch it off. Let it rest for 45 minutes and then open up the cooker and fluff it with a fork.

Garnish with cashews and coriander leaves.
Serve hot.
Enjoy!!!!!!!!!

Notes:
Don't open the cooker immediately. Let the pressure release by itself and then wait for 45 minutes.
Adding veggies is your choice. But I prefer this combo of veggies. Peas gives an extra ordinary flavour. Powder saunf in mixie coarsely and store in a box.
While tempering you can add a spoon of butter also. Don't get scared of giving two whistles. It will be so perfect, I have done so many times but do keep in mind of opening of cooker little later.
Dum method gives a unique flavour when compared to direct method. Both are good , I have tried both of these versions.