Vegetable Biriyani - a quick Sunday Brunch Menu

Sunday, a day when the entire family is at home. A day without any routine, no timelines, relaxed and lazy, but a day when everyone feels hungry at the wrong time:). A quick and easy recipe is what you need to make sure you have time to spend with the family and not be toiling away in the kitchen. I chose to make this quick vegetable biriyani, raita and fish fry for lunch. Happy faces and time for a relaxed shower guaranteed:)

Ingredients for Vegetable Biriyani
Basmati rice - 1 cup, washed and darined
Green peas - 1/4 cup
Potato - 1 (chopped into small bite sized pieces)
Cauliflower - 1/4 cup (cut into small florets)
Carrot - 1/4 cup (cut into small pieces)
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Cummin seeds(jeera) - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Kashmiri Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp
Mint leaves - 8 to 10
Coriander leaves - 2 to 3 tbsp (chopped)
Water - 1 cup
Onions - 1 (chopped finely)
Tomato - 1 medium sized (chopped into small pieces)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp



Method for cooking Vegetable Biriyani:
1- Take the pressure cooker and add in the oil. Add the cummin seeds, let it sizzle. Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute or two on medium flame till the raw smell disappears. Add the chopped onions and salt and  saute till the onions are soft and translucent. Add in the chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are well cooked and break into the gravy.
2- Add the turmeric powder, chilli, powder and saute for a minute or two. Add the coriander powder and the garam masala powder and saute. Add 1/4 cup water and mix to ensure that this dry masala does not get burnt. Saute and let cook till the oil starts to separate indicating that the masala is cooked.

3- Add in the vegetables(green peas, carrots, potato and cauliflower). Mix well. Let cook for a minute or two. Add in the chopped mint and coriander leaves. Mix.
4- Now add the washed anddrained rice. Mix well with the masala. Add 1 cup water and mix. Check the salt and seasoning. Cover. When the steam begins to appear from the nozzle of the pressure cooker, put the weight of the cooker.
5- Cook on medium flame for 10 minutes. Switch off flame. Open after 15 minutes. Fluff up the rice lightly with a fork , taking care not to break the rice or mash it. Wait for 5 minutes and serve onto your serving dish.
Serve it with a raita(yogurt based dish) and accompaniment of your choice.