Vegetable Biryani

This was our Sunday lunch,  the starter was Gujarati Muthiya

Ingredients

2 tablespn oil
2 sticks cinammon

4 pods cardomom

5 cloves

1/2 tspn cumin seeds

3-4 pepper corns

1 large onion; chopped fine

3 cloves of garlic; minced

1 1/2 inch ginger; grated

3-4 green chillies; minced

6-8 very small potatoes; peeled

2 carrots; peeled and sliced into 5mm (1/4 inch) slices

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup chopped fenugret

1 cauliflower; cut into bite-size florets

4 large tomatoes; peeled and liquidised

2 tspn coriander and cumin powders

1/2 tspn tumeric

1/4 tspn garam masala

2 cups rice; washed and soaked in water

pinch of saffron; soaked in 1 tablespoon of warm water

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, fry the whole masala; cumin, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, and cardomom, fry until they pop and splutter, add the onion and fry until translucent.
2. Add the potatoes, fry for a few minutes
3. Add the carrots, peas and fenugrek, mix and cook for a few minutes

4. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli, mix and fry for a few minutes.  Add the yogurt, mix and cook for a few minutes

5. Add the cauliflower and tomotoes mix and fry for a few minutes

6. Add the cumin, coriander and tumeric powders, mix and cook for 15 minutes

7. Add the garam masala mix.

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.
7. Fry the cumin in the oil
8. Pour half the cumin / oil mixture on the rice, pour half the saffron mixture on the rice.

9. 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.
10. Place in a moderate oven for 15 minutes.