The Briyani / Vegetable Biryani in Pressure Cooker | Indian Rice Recipes

"Briyani" - The exotic dish native to the Asian Sub-continent. The very name makes its fans (including me) all drool with excitement. A rice dish with meat and/or vegetables gets its popularity due to the various spices used in it. There are number of ways to prepare this dish and also every region has its recipe and style to make this. A few famous being Hyderabadi Briyani, Awadhi briyani, Malabar Briyani, Dindigul Briyani.. This recipe here is a simple and easy Vegetable Biryani in a pressure cooker, prepared by MIL.

Ingredients:
Serves - 4; I used 160 ml cup
Basmati Rice - 2 1/2 cups
Oil - 3 tbsp
Whole Garam Masala (Cloves - 3; Cinnamon - 2 inch stick; Bay leaf - 3; Cardamom - 2)
Onions - thinly sliced - 2 cups
Ripe Tomato - 1 - finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Carrots - 2 - thick julienne
Cauliflower - 1/2 of a small head - cut into florets
Beans - 10 - cut into 1" pieces
Peas - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp (add according to the spice level of the chilli powder)
Coriander powder - 1 heaped tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Curd/Greek Yogurt - 1 tbsp
Water - 5 cups
Cashew nuts - 5 (fried in little oil/Ghee)
Ghee - 1/2 tbsp (optional)
Salt - to taste

Method:
Wash and soak the rice in water for a maximum of 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the whole garam masala. When the flavors start to infuse add the onions and saute until light brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mins. Add tomatoes with a pinch of salt and fry until it turns mushy. Mix the spice powders and the yogurt and stir well. Add the cut vegetables, salt to taste, fried cashews and mix well. Add rice and water and allow it to boil. When it starts boiling turn the heat to medium high and cover with the pressure cooker lid. Cook for one whistle and remove from heat. After the pressure is released, open and add the ghee, fluff it with fork. Serve hot with any type of raitha. Enjoy!!
Note: Alternatively you could close with the lid immediately after adding rice and water. Cover and cook for 2 whistles in this case.

Sending this delicious plate to 
Show me your HITS - Rice event by Sangee;
South Indian Cooking - SIC #1;