Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani

This is my entry for Latha of Masala Magic's Andhra Pradesh Event Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Pradesh and is reputed to be the Biryani capital of India (Lucknow may compete for this title).

Biryani, is traditionally made with lamb or chicken. For this entry I wanted to make a vegetarian biryani. This is Shaheen's recipe, and like all 'good' Indian cooks I tweaked it a bit. It is the best Veggie biriyani I have ever tasted, TRY IT, and see!

Ingredients
12 medium sized button mushroom; quartered
2 red peppers; cut in chunks
2 courgette - zuchini cut into quarter chunks
a handful of green beans, topped and tailed and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 leeks; green parts cut into 1 cm chunks
white part, sliced into fine rings
1/2 cup chopped methi (fenugrek leaves)
1/2 cup yougurt
3 cloves garlic; minced
2 inch ginger; grated
3-4 green chillies; minced
2 heaped tspn coriander and cumin powders
1/2 tspn tumeric
2 and 1/2 cups basamati rice; washed and soaked in water
6 large tomatoes; blanched, peeled and chopped
1 heaped tspn cumin seeds
3-4 cloves,
2 sticks cinamon
6-8 peppercorns
3 cardomom pods
1/2 tspn saffron
1 teaspn garam masala
1 tablespoon of vegetableoil

for tarka / tempering
1 tspn cumin
for topping
1/2 tspn saffron soaked in some warm water


Method
1Heat the oil in a large saucepan, fry the whole masala; cumin, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, and cardomom, fry until they pop and splutter, add the sliced white part of the leeks. (You can use onions instead)
2. Fry the white part of leeks until transluscent.
3. Add the mushrooms, fry for a few minutes, add the methi (fenugrek leaves) and fry for a few minutes
4. Add the peppers, courgettes beans and green part of the leaks, stir, cover and let it cook for about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli pastes. mix well
5. Add the tomatoes, yougurt and tumeric, coriander and cumin powders, cook for aobut 10 minutes. Add the garam masala.

5.Meanwhile parboil the rice in lots of water, strain and wash with cold water
6. Place half the vegetable mixture in an oven proof dish, place half the rice on top of it.
5. Fry the cumin in the oil
6. Pour half the cumin / oil mixture on the rice, pour half the saffron mixture on the rice.
7. Layer the other half of the vegetable mixture. Top with the other half of the rice
Pour the the other half of the cumin and saffron on the rice.
8. Place in a moderate oven for 15 minutes.
5. Serve with a green salad