Veg Dum Biryani

Ingredients
Rice Layer
• Brown basmati rice - 2 cups
• Water - 5 cups
• Salt to taste (only for rice)
• Star Anise - 5-6
• Black Cardamom - 4-5
• Mace - 4-5
• Nutmeg - 1 whole crushed
• Cinnamon - 1.5 - 2 sticks
• Cloves - 3/4 tbsp
• Black Pepper - 1 tbsp
• Fennel - 1 tbsp
• Shahi Jeera - 1/2 tbsp
• Nigella - 1/4 tbsp
• Ghee - 2 tbsps

Aroma Milk
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Green Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Saffron - 1 big pinch
• Rose essence - 1/2 tsp
• Kewra essence - 1/2 tsp

Vegetable Layer
• Potato - 1 large, diced
• Carrot - 1 large, diced
• Cauliflower - 1 cup
• Peas - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 large
• Cottage Cheese - 12 -15 1/2 inch pieces fried to a golden brown (optional)
• Ginger - 1-1.5 tbsp, minced
• Garlic - 1-1.5 tbsp, minced
• Green chili - 1 tbsp, minced
• Yoghurt - 1 cup
• Water - 1 cup
• Chili powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Kasuri Methi Powder - 2 tsps
• Salt to taste (only for veggies)
• Ghee - 2 tbsps

Garnish
• Onion - 1 large, sliced to 1inch pieces
• Cashew - 2 tbsps
• Raisins - 2 tbsps
• Almond Slivers - 2 tbsps
• Coriander - 3 tbsps, finely chopped
• Mint - 3 tbsps, finely chopped
• Ghee - 2 tbsps

Preparation
1. Wash and soak rice for 15-20 mins.
2. Chop all required veggies and keep them separately
3. Drain water completely from the rice and spread out to dry on some paper towels

Rice Layer
4. Heat the water in a pan, add all the spices (for rice layer), cover & simmer. Let it steep for 20-25 minutes, then switch off stove, add salt & keep covered.
5. Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed skillet.
6. Add rice and saute for a few minutes, till the rice changes colour. Take care not to fry the rice too much. We need soft, yet separate grains of rice for the biryani, if over fried, the rice gets too crisp, we don't want that.
7. Strain 4 cups of water into the rice (keep 1 cup water aside for later), cover & simmer.
8. Cook covered till almost all the water is absorbed. The rice should be a little crunchy now.

Vegetable Layer
9. Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed skillet, add the onions and saute till it becomes transparent
10. Keep heat medium to avoid burning the veggies / spices. This layer needs to cook slowly.
11. Add ginger, garlic, chilies, jeera, dhanya & turmeric powders, saute 2-3 taking care not to burn the spices
12. Toss in potatoes, saute till they turn brown.
13. Throw in carrots, keep sauteing
14. Add peas, cauliflower, & cottage cheese
15. Pour in yoghurt & water
16. Sprinkle on chili powder & salt
17. Cover and cook for 2-3 mins
18. Toss well and remove from heat.
19. Keep aside. The veggie layer should be moist, but have no gravy.

Garnish Layer
20. Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed skillet
21. Fry onions, cashews, raisins & slivered almonds separately.
22. Keep aside separately

Assembling
23. Now all the layers are ready and the biryani can be put together. The first and last layers are always rice.

24. Take an oven-safe dish.
25. Put a layer of rice at the bottom
26. Add a ladleful of spice water in a circle
27. Add a ladleful of aroma milk in a circle
28. Spoon in a layer of veggies
29. Sprinkle some chopped coriander and mint leaves over the veggies
30. Throw some fried onions over the leaves
31. Top off with a layer of cashews, raisins & slivered almonds
32. Finish with a layer of rice
33. Repeat steps as needed.
34. Add spice water & aroma milk only for the top & bottom layers of rice.
35. Keep aside some nuts, onions and coriander & mint leaves to garnish top of biryani