kashmiri biryani recipe, how to make veg kashmiri biryani recipe

kashmiri biryani recipe – a no onion and no garlic recipe from the kashmiri pandit cuisine.

this biryani recipe is loosely adapted from the two pocket sized books i have on kashmiri pandit cuisine. i often make kashmiri food at home and had made this veg biryani when my parents had visited us.

they did feel the difference in taste due to the absence of onions but nevertheless liked the biryani. onions and garlic impart their own flavors in any dish. crisp fried onions or birista also add a touch of sweetness to biryani recipes.

in this kashmiri biryani recipe - ‘hing’ or asafoetida plays an important role in substituting the flavor of onions and garlic. also the fried dry fruits mainly raisins add sweetness to the final dish. fennel powder and dry ginger powder also add their flavors as well as aroma along with the other whole spices. i have used garam masala powder too. but if you have kashmiri ver masala, then you can use it.

this is a layered biryani recipe, so some prep work has to be done before like preparing the rice and the vegetable curry. after finishing the layers you can bake the biryani in an oven or dum cook on a stove top.

i prefer to bake in a pan that can be served directly and also the base of the biryani does not get burnt. if cooking on stove top, then keep the pan on a hot griddle or tava and dum cook the biryani. remember to cover the pan with a tight fitting lid.

to check cooking biryani on stove top, you can check the veg hyderabadi biryani recipe.

the kashmiri biryani can be served with a raita like boondi raita or even with a bowl of yogurt. i served the biryani with mint coriander raita.

if you are looking for similar recipes then do check kashmiri pulao, mushroom biryani, kashmiri dum aloo, jackfruit biryani and vegetable pulao.

kashmiri biryani recipe details below:

veg kashmiri biryani recipe

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PREP TIME

40 mins

COOK TIME

30 mins

TOTAL TIME

1 hour 10 mins

a no onion no garlic biryani from the kashmiri pandit cuisine.

AUTHOR: dassana

RECIPE TYPE: main

CUISINE: kashmiri, indian

SERVES: 5-6

INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

for rice:

2 cups basmati rice soaked for 30 mins
7 cups water to cook the rice
salt as required
a pinch of saffron/kesar

for the veg curry:

½ cup chopped carrot
½ cup chopped cauliflower/gobi
½ cup peas/matar
½ cup chopped potato
2 to 3 tbsp oil or ghee
1 tsp shah jeera/caraway seeds
2 inch cinnamon/dal chini
2 black cardamom/badi elaichi
3-4 green cardamom/hari elaichi or choti elaichi
3-4 cloves/laung
1 or 2 strands of mace/jayitri or javitri
1.5 tsp fennel powder/saunf
1 tsp ginger powder
½ or 1 tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder
1 tsp garam masala powder or kashmiri ver masala
¼ tsp asafoetida powder/hing
¼ tsp grated nutmeg/jaiphal
5-6 tbsp yogurt, dairy or cashew yogurt (i used cashew yogurt)
1 cup water
salt as required

for the layers:

½ cup chopped mint and coriander leaves
2 pinches of saffron soaked in ⅔ cup warm water or warm milk or warm yogurt

for garnish:

20-25 whole cashews or a mix of almonds, cashews and raisins roasted or fried in some oil
a few mint leaves (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

drain the soaked rice. boil the 7 cups of water first. then add the rice.
cook the rice till they are ¾ cooked. drain the rice in a colander. sprinkle the saffron on the rice.
keep covered so that the rice does not dry out.
heat oil or ghee in a pan or pressure cooker.
add all the whole spices and fry till they become fragrant.
now add the chopped vegetables. saute for a 1-2 minutes.
add all the dry spice powders and saute for 2 minutes. keep on stirring.
add the yogurt and stir. add water and salt.
if using a pan, cover with its lid and cook till the veggies are done.
if using pressure cooker, then pressure cook for 2-3 whistles till the veggies are cooked.
preheat the oven to 180 or 190 degrees C.
grease the pyrex bowl or pan with oil or ghee or butter.
layer the base with the rice.
sprinkle some of the chopped mint and coriander leaves.
also sprinkle some of the saffron dissolved milk or water or yogurt.
now layer with the vegetable curry.
sprinkle the mint, coriander and saffron dissolved milk again.
make 1 or 2 or 3 layers this way.
cover tightly with aluminium foil or the pan's oven safe lid. bake for 30-35 minutes.
when done give a rest time of 5-10 minutes.
serve the kashmiri biryani garnished with roasted or fried cashews, almonds and raisins along with some chopped mint leaves. also serve a raita by the side.