The popular Indian dish veg dum biryani recipe has its roots in Mughlai cooking. Long-grain basmati rice is cooked with a variety of veggies and a mixture of aromatic spices to create this tasty and aromatic rice meal. Dum Biryani is typically prepared in layers, starting with the rice and veggies in the bottom of a sealed pot or container called a “handi” over low heat. This process is called “dum cooking.”A fragrant and delectable veg dum biryani is produced as a result of the rice’s ability to absorb the flavours and fragrances of the veggies and spices throughout the slow cooking process. Usually served with raita, a yogurt-based relish, and salad on the side, the meal is topped with fried onions, cashews, and raisins. People of all ages eat veg dum biryani in India and throughout the world during festivals, special occasions, and celebrations.

 

Veg Dum Biryani Recipe

 

What’s up guys you are  Welcome to my blog Today, I’m making Veg Dum Biryani recipe Now as soon as I say Veg Dum Biryani, that  there will be a huge debate in the comment section below. whether Veg Biryani even exists or not. I know that when I shared Chicken or Mutton Dum Biryani recipe, I got lots of requests in comment section of my vegetarian followers,

To tekk me the recipe of Veg Dum Biryani. So, I had to make this recipe for you & today I’m sharing it with you. & the process of making this Veg Dum Biryani recipe will be exactly the same as my Chicken or Mutton Biryani, & will taste really delicious. & I’m sure all my vegetarian followers are going to love this recipe.

For a good Biryani, the rice should be fluffy, there should be different coloured rice, some white,  some yellow & some masala laden. & the flavour in the Biryani should be amazing. I’m going to give you the tips for how to achieve all this & share the perfect recipe for it. I’m also going to tell you how to perfectly fry Birista in this recipe. Overall it is a mind-blowing recipe.

Prep time: 25-30 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour – 1 hour 15 mins Serves: 6-7 people

 

Ingredients of Biryani Masala

• CORIANDER SEEDS  2 TBSP
• CUMIN SEEDS  1 TSP
• CARAWAY SEEDS  2 TSP
• GREEN CARDAMOM 2 TBSP
• BLACK CARDAMOM  5-6 NOS.
• CINNAMON 3 INCH
• BLACK PEPPERCORNS  1 TBSP
• SPICY RED CHILLIES  7-8 NOS.
• BAY LEAF 7-8 NOS.
• CLOVES 2 TSP
• MACE  3 NOS.
• KASURI METHI  1 TBSP
• TURMERIC POWDER  1/2 TSP
• NUTMEG  1/2 NOS. (GRATED)
• SALT A LARGE PINCH

 Ingredients For Birista

• ONION  750 GRAMS

Ingredients For Marination & Cooking

• CURD 250 GRAMS
• GINGER GARLIC PASTE  3 TBSP
• GREEN CHILLI PASTE  OF 3-4
• CHILLIES POWDERED
• SPICES
• BIRYANI MASALA  2 TBSP
• TURMERIC POWDER  1/2 TSP
• KASHMIRI RED CHILLI POWDER  2 TBSP
• SPICY RED CHILLI POWDER  1 TSP
• CORIANDER POWDER  1 TBSP
• SALT  TO TASTE
• BIRISTA OIL  3-4 TBSP
• FRESH CORIANDER  A LARGE HANDFUL (CHOPPED)
• MINT  A LARGE HANDFUL (CHOPPED)
• VEGGIES
• CAULIFLOWER  1/2 NO.
• CARROT  1.5 NOS.
• FRENCH BEANS  1/3 CUP
• POTATO  2 NOS.
• GREEN PEAS  1/3 CUP
• BIRISTA  80% LIVE
• CHARCOAL
• GHEE
• BIRISTA OIL 2-3 TBSP
• SALT  IF REQUIRED
• HOT WATER
• 1-2 LADLES FRESH CORIANDER
• MINT
• BIRISTA

 

Ingredients For Rice

• BASMATI RICE  1/2 KG
• WHOLE SPICES BAY LEAF  2 NOS.
• CLOVES  3-4 NOS.
• GREEN CARDAMOM  3-4 NOS.
• STAR ANISE 1 NO.
• BLACK PEPPERCORNS  3-4 NOS.
• CARAWAY SEEDS  1 TSP
• CINNAMON  1/2 INCH
• GREEN CHILLI  2 NOS. (SLIT)
• LEMON JUICE 1/2 NO. (ADD THE SLICE)
• SALT  AS REQUIRED (SHOULD TASTE LIKE SEAWATER)
• Final layering & Dum
• FRESH CORIANDER
• MINT
• BIRISTA
• MILK & SAFFRON
• GHEE  2-3 TBSP (MELTED)

How to Make Veg Dum Biryani Recipe

1st of all, in a mixer-grinder, I’ll tell you how to make Homemade Biryani masala which is the soul of this recipe.

How to make Biryani Masala

Heat a pan on high flame nicely. Once the pan is hot, then lower the flame. Now, in a hot pan, add 2 tbsp whole coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp caraway seeds, 2 tbsp green cardamom, 5-6 black cardamom, 3 inch cinnamon, 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 7-8 spicy dried red chillies, 7-8 cloves, 2 tsp cloves, & add 3 mace flowers.

 

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Now, slowly & patiently toast these spices on a low flame, until your spices are nicely toasted  & they have become really fragrant. Just keep in mind, not to increase the flame or burn these spices. Now, I’ve toasted the spices & they are smelling aromatic.

At this stage, transfer these spices into a bowl. along with that add 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, & grate 1/2 nutmeg in it. Add the dried fenugreek leaves & nutmeg while the spices are hot, so that the fenugreek leaves become crispy with the residual heat.

 

 

Now, let these spices cool down before grinding them. Grinding hot spices, will release oils from them. So avoid doing that. Once your spices have cooled down completely,  then I’m transferring them to my mixer-grinder. & I’m adding 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, & add a large pinch of salt. Cover the lid of the mixer & now you have to grind these spices.

I’m not grinding these spices into a fine powder. I’m keeping them slightly coarse. Not too coarse either. It should be between fine to coarse. So I’ve ground the spices. And  they are ground perfectly. & Homemade Biryani Masala is ready.

 

 

The Biryani masala that we have made at home,  gives a mind-blowing flavour to the Biryani. Once try making fresh Biryani masala at home & make Biryani using that, the flavour of that Biryani will be so good,  that you will be in bliss eating it. You can store this Biryani masala for 1-2 months in an airtight container in refrigerator it stays absolutely great. & with this quantity you can make Biryani 3-4 times. So you learnt how to make Biryani Masala.

Soak the Rice

Now, for the next step in our Biryani is soaking the rice, then we will make Birista. Let’s learn how to soak the rice. Here, I’ve taken 1/2 kg good quality basmati rice. We have to wash them with water for 3-4 times thoroughly. Add water to rice & wash the rice gently. The problem arises when we vigorously rub the rice to clean,  & the rice grains break here itself. Gently but thoroughly you have to wash the rice. the powder & excess starch  from the rice will come out & make your water cloudy.

Discard the water & repeat 3-4 times or until your water stays clear while washing. We have to soak this rice for 45 minutes to 1 hour. I’ve soaked the rice. 45mins -1 hour is perfect for soaking Soak the rice to get fluffy rice later. I’m soaking the rice right now,

 

How To Make Brista For Veg Dum Biryani recipe

as I’m going to make Birista now, marinate the vegetables, While doing that process, the rice will be soaked.  So calculate accordingly to save time in your kitchen. While the rice is soaking, till then I will tell  you how to make perfect Birista.

Now Peel the onion before slicing it. then divide the onion in 2 halves like this. Now, place the onion like this & cut in this direction. This is important, I’ll tell you why. Start cutting thin slices of the onion.  The thickness of the slice should be coin sized. As in neither cut too thick nor too thin,  otherwise the Birista won’t fry perfectly.

So, after cutting the onions,  that the layers have separated. hat’s why slicing the onions like this was important to get easily separable layers. So cut this way. Similarly I’ve sliced 1/2 kg onions here. Once sliced, just gently massage them to separate  the layers of the onion & they are easy to fry. that the layers are separated.

 

How To Fry Brista

Now, to fry the Birista, I’ve taken a big wok, I’ve taken oil in it. Don’t take too much oil, just use enough oil so that it stays under the surface of the onions. As the onion will shrink quickly, then taking too much oil will waste the oil. our oil should be at 140 degree Celsius. As in don’t make it as hot as we use for deep frying. Take moderately hot oil.

Once your oil reaches 140-145 degree Celsius, then add the onions to the oil, Initially keep the flame on high. After adding the onions we saw that  the level of oil was below the level of onions. Now, slowly while stirring, cook the onions or fry them.

The main technique of making Birista is that there is a lot of moisture in the onions & frying will release the moisture. & our onions will start caramelising  & slowly they will become golden brown in colour. & then when you remove them from the oil, they will turn crispy. That’s how Birista is made.

 

 

Initially keep the flame high, you will see that there will be bubbles coming out as in the moisture will release from the onions. Slowly you will see that the bubbles will reduce, At whichever stage, you feel that the oil has become too hot, then adjust the flame & make it low.

If you feel that the bubbles are good & oil is not too hot,  then you can fry on medium to high flame. Once the onions start becoming light golden brown, then be careful & lower the flame. Keep it between medium to low.

Because the onion at this stage will quickly become dark golden brown. This is a very critical stage while making Birista. So be careful. As soon as the onions turn light golden brown in colour, remove them using a strainer, After removing the onions, apply some pressure from top to remove excess oil, that is a very important step too.

 

 

Take the onions on a tissue paper. After removing the onions, using a fork separate the onion shreds. If you leave them as is, it will stick to one another, forming a lump. Separate the onions shreds, Once you have separated the onions, then use the tissue paper & press on top, to remove excess oil.

the tissue paper has absorbed the oil. Now, let the onions rest for 3-4 minutes. The onions will further darken with the residual heat. This is called Carry-over cooking,  which will lead the onions to become crisp.

the Birista has got a beautiful colour  & it has turned out perfect. & it’s turned out to be crispy as well. Don’t throw away the oil used to fry the Birista. We’ll use the same oil to cook the Biryani. It’s very flavourful and you can even use it to make other vegetable curries.

So, I’ve tell you how to make perfect Birista at home. & I’ve told you how to convert onions into gold. This Birista gives a beautiful flavour to your Biryani. & when you make the Birista & then make the Biryani,  it’s flavour will be out of the world. So definitely make the Birista with this perfect technique.

 

 

Next, we have to take some vegetables,  & some spices & prepare a marination. & then our Biryani will be ready quickly.

How to marinate the vegetables for Veg Dum Biryani Recipe

Prep the Veggies

I’ve taken a few vegetables for the Biryani. The cauliflower, carrot & potatoes that I have cut, I haven’t cut the pieces too finely. I’ve kept the cauliflower florets bigger, the carrot slices are thicker too & the potatoes, have just been quartered into 4 pieces. It’s very important to keep the pieces of  vegetables larger in Veg Dum Biryani.

If your pieces are too small, then whenever we keep this Biryani to cook under pressure (Dum) for 20-25 minutes., then the veggies will become a mush with the masala  & you will not get a bite of the veggies when you serve it. So, the size of veggies is very important.

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Also the veggies that I’ve taken are  cauliflower, potato, carrots, beans & peas. These vegetables are compulsory for Veg Biryani. Other than these, you can add your favourite veggies like broccoli, mushroom, baby corn, some people add paneer as well. You can add whichever veggies that you like & add in this biryani.

Regarding the quantity of veggies, for 1/2 kg of rice, you have to take 1/2 kg of veggies. So add whichever veggies that you want. Once you have prepared the veggies like this, let’s quickly see how to make the marinate them.

Marinate of veggies

I’ve taken 250 grams of curd. You have to whisk the curd really well. Make sure there are no lumps, that’s important. Transfer the whisked curd in a big bowl. Now, to this add 3 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, paste of 3-4 green chillies, add 2 tbsp of the Biryani masala that we made. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tsp spicy red chilli powder,1 tbsp coriander powder, salt to taste,

Assemble and Layer Vegetable Biryani

Here, I’m adding 3-4 tbsp of the onion  flavoured Birista oil for excellent flavour. lots of freshly chopped coriander leaves, & add lots of freshly chopped mint leaves. & 1/2 tbsp lemon juice. Now mix & whisk everything together nicely. Once the marinade is ready,  I’m adding 1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets, 1-1.5 carrots 1/3rd cup French beans, 2 potatoes, & add 1/3rd cup green peas. Now, I’m adding Birista to it.

I’m adding about 80% of the Birista here. 20%, I’m keeping aside for layering  garnishing. So Add 80% of Birista, & mix everything well together & let the marinade coat everything nicely.

 

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So  I’ve mixed everything together. Now to give it a smoky flavour, I’m taking some live coal, Add a little ghee to it, and  cover it with a lid & let this marinade sit in smoke for 3-4 minutes. Smoking it will add another layer of flavour to it. This is completely an optional step, if you want do it else skip it.

After 3-4 minutes, take off the lid & remove the coal as well, & here our process of marination is complete. Now  the vegetables are marinated, you don’t need to let them marinate for too long, you can cook directly.

To cook the Biryani, I’ve taken a big Handi (cooking pot). Try to get a thick bottomed cooking pot & a pan with flatter bottom. Along with it, I’m keeping the water to boil for our rice. So that while we complete the process of vegetables, the water will be ready to cook the rice.

Make Biryani Vegetable Gravy

Heat the cooking pot really well. After that add 2-3 tbsp of the onion flavoured Birista oil. Now add the marinated vegetables to it. After adding the veggies, we have to cook them on high flame for 4-5 minutes. What we are trying to do is cook the curd  with the spices, not the vegetables.

If you try to cook the vegetables at this stage, then when we cook them with rice on Dum (pressure), then veggies will be mushy. This is a very important thing to note. Don’t cook the vegetables at this stage. Cook only until the oil starts separating from curd & spices. This will take maximum 4-5 minutes.

After 4-5 minutes, our masala is cooked & the oil has separated. At this stage you have to taste the masala for seasoning, I’ve added more salt here, as the masala for Biryani should be on the saltier & spicer side, to balance it properly with rice later on. At this stage, I’m turning the stove off.

And  the gravy for our vegetables  is slightly on the drier side. Now I’m adding 2-3 big spoons of  hot water. Stir it nicely. The gravy should be thick & luscious. So when you are making your Biryani, add water as per your need. Once you have added hot water, then distribute  the vegetables around the pan nicely.

Now, on it, add some freshly chopped coriander & mint leaves, & I’m adding some Birista. So our initial layering before adding the rice is done. Now, let’s cook the rice. the water is on a rolling boil.  It is important for the water to be on a rolling boil.

Add Spices to Boiling Water

Now we have to add our spices. 2 bay leaves, 3-4 cloves, 3-4 green cardamom, 1 star anise, 3-4 black peppercorns,1 tsp caraway seeds,  1/2 inch cinnamon stick, 2 slit green chillies. Here I’m adding juice of half a lemon along with the lemon peel too. This makes the rice white & fluffy. & I’m adding lots of water.  The water should taste like ocean when you taste it.

Once you have added the spices & the salt,  boil the water nicely for 2-3 minutes. So that the flavour of spices seep into the water. After 2-3 minutes, add rice to it. our rice is nicely soaked. Discard the soaking water before adding the rice. Remove the water & add the rice.  Now cook the rice initially on a high flame. Stir gently. Don’t stir too much here,  otherwise the rice grains can break.

Initially for 1 minute, cook the rice on roaring boil.  By doing so the rice grains become fluffy, After cooking rice in boiling water for 1 minutes,  now lower the flame to medium. If you continue to cook in boiling water  then the delicate rice grains will start breaking.

Cook the Rice

If you had soaked the rice for 45 minutes to 1 hour,  then your rice will be cooked perfectly within 4-5 minutes.

Don’t Fully Cook the Rice

You have to cook the rice until just 80% done, not upto 100%. Best way to check is take some rice grains out of water, they should be fluffy & when eaten, they should still have a bite.

This is an easy way to check the rice. The rice have slight bite to them, they are about 80% cooked. Here, discard the lemon peel that we added initially, Now, I’m taking half quantity of rice in the strainer & carefully adding them to the vegetable gravy.

Add Rice

Handle the rice very gently. Take a fork & spread the rice gently. Now, on it add some freshly chopped coriander, mint leaves & some Birista. Again add rest of the rice on this layer & with the help of a fork spread it around nicely.

Infuse Saffron in Milk

Here, I’ve made an emulsion of milk & saffron.  Just add 2-3 tbsp of this emulsion on the rice. It will give a nice colour & flavour to the rice. Those yellow grains of rice are because of this along with saffron aroma as well. Here, I had heated up some ghee, so add 2-3 tbsp of ghee to it as well. Lastly add some freshly chopped coriander, mint & Birista on top, & our layering for Biryani is complete.

To seal the cooking pot for cooking under Dum, you can use dough. I’m using wet muslin cloth here on the edges of pot. You can do this to cook under Dum too. Then place the lid on top, After closing the lid, you have to place a skillet under this cooking pot, so take a skillet, & place the cooking pot on it & place weight on top. & our setup for Dum is ready. Turn the flame on.

After turning the flame on, you have to cook this Biryani on Dum on high flame for 5 mins & then low flame for 15-20 mins. Once your Biryani is cooked on Dum, turn the flame off.

Another important thing is that  we usually immediately open the lid to serve. But that’s wrong. You have to let the Biryani  rest for at least 20-25 minutes. The reason for that is that there is a lot of steam within the Biryani & that mutes down the flavour of the Biryani. So, you have to let the steam settle & flavours permeate through the rice. Even after 20-25 minutes, once Biryani is settled, it’ll still be hot.That’s when after serving you will enjoy the true flavours of Biryani.

Now, I’ve cooked the Biryani on Dum, rested it for 20-25 minutes as well.

What do you eat with Veg Biryani

Let’s plate our Veg Dum Biryani recipe and serve it served with raita, a yogurt-based relish, and salad

 

So, you learn our Veg Dum Biryani recipe has turned out to be unbelievable. Rice is nice & fluffy & the scents throughout the kitchen made it a blissful experience to eat. & I’m sure you all will love this recipe. after opening the cooking pot’s lid, there is a technique of serving it too. You have to fluff the rice from sides first. Don’t put your ladle right in the centre. So that you can take some rice out on side, take some gravy from underneath, then take those different hued rice & enjoy it like that.

 

You will really enjoy eating this Biryani. & this veg Biryani has turned out perfectly. So definitely try it.

 

 

So quickly make this Veg Dum Biryani recipe at your home. & tell me in the comments, how did you like this recipe. And Share this veg dum biryani recipe with your friends & family. Have an amazing time with this beautiful  veg Biryani recipe at your home. Cheers!

FAQs

 

Q: What is Veg Dum Biryani?

Long-grain Basmati rice is layered with seasoned vegetables and cooked in a covered pot with aromatic spices to make the classic Indian rice dish known as “Veg Dum Biryani.”

 

Q: What are the ingredients needed to make Veg Dum Biryani?

Basmati rice, vegetables like carrots, peas, potatoes, and beans, onions, tomatoes, yoghurt, ginger, garlic, and green chilies, as well as whole spices like bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves and powdered spices like turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and garam masala are required to make Veg Dum Biryani. Additionally, you’ll need water, salt, and ghee or oil.

 

Q: How do you make Veg Dum Biryani?

To create Veg Dum Biryani, you must first cook the rice and veggies separately, each with their own blend of spices and aromatics, then layering them in a pot and continuing to cook them in the same manner. Basmati rice should first be soaked for 30 minutes before being half cooked in boiling water with entire spices. Cook the vegetables separately with the tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, and seasonings. To enable the flavours to mingle and the rice to finish cooking, stack the rice and veggies in a pot with the ghee, saffron, and fried onions. Cook the mixture on low heat with a tight-fitting lid.

 

Q: What vegetables can be used in Veg Dum Biryani?

Carrots, peas, potatoes, beans, cauliflower, and bell peppers are just a few of the veggies you may use in Veg Dum Biryani. For more nutrition and richness, you can also add paneer, an Indian cottage cheese.

 

Q: What is the difference between Veg Biryani and Veg Dum Biryani?

Veg Biryani is a spiced rice dish cooked with vegetables and spices, while Veg Dum Biryani is a layered version of Veg Biryani that is cooked in a sealed pot with aromatic spices to infuse the flavors and fragrance into the dish.

 

Q: Can Veg Dum Biryani be made in advance?

Yes, you can prepare the rice and vegetables for the biryani ahead of time and keep them separate in the refrigerator for up to two days. For the best results, layer the rice and vegetables and cook the biryani right before serving.

 

Q: What can be served with Veg Dum Biryani?

The side dishes raita, papad, and pickle can all be eaten with Veg Dum Biryani. Pickle is a hot condiment made from vegetables or fruits.