Vegetable Biryani

Julie and I are recent converts to this dish. In the past a biryani wouldn't have entered our dishlist when ordering a take-away but now after being inspired by our local curry house it's a regular favourite of ours.

Ingredients
for the biryani
3 tbsp sunflower oil
250g small chestnut mushrooms, quartered
2 medium onions, halved and finely chopped
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp black mustard seeds
3 green chillies (large), finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
20g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp salt
500g potatoes, (approx. 3 medium sized), peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes
275g carrots (approx. 4 small sized), peeled and sliced diagonally about 1cm thick
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
400ml cold water
300g cauliflower, cut into the florets
125g green beans, trimmed and cut into 3cm lengths
4 large eggs (optional garnish)
50g butter
handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

for the rice 
400g basmati rice
200g frozen peas
10 cardamom pods, crushed
20 fresh curry leaves
1 cinnamom stick, broken in half
1 vegetable stock cube
500ml cold water

for the saffron yogurt layer
5 tbsp milk
5 tbsp plain natural yogurt
good pinch of saffron 

for the accompanying curry sauce
6 tbsp sunflower oil
8 medium onions, halved and sliced
12 garlic cloves, finely chopped
80g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 green chillies (large), finely chopped (deseeded if you prefer it less hot)
4 tsp cumin seeds
4 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
2 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
500ml cold water
2 tsp sea salt

Method

for the curry sauce (this could be made in advance and reheated)
Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan and add the onions, garlic, ginger and chillies. Cover with the lid and cook over a low heat for 25 minutes until the onion are very soft. Stir occasionally. Then remove the lid, increase the heat and cook for a futher 10-15 minutes more, stirring frequently until the onions are golden brown. 

Sprinkle the cumin seeds, coriander, turmeric and garam masala over the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, water and salt and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. 

Remove the pan from the heat. Pour into a large bowl and blitz with a hand blender for a smooth sauce.  (This curry sauce freezes well)

for the biryani
Heat the sunflower oil in a large non-stick pan (with a lid) and fry the mushrooms over a high heat for 3 minutes, stirring often until they brown. Add the onions and gook for a further 5 minutes until they are also golden brown.

Turn the heat down and stir in the garam masala, mustard seeds, chillies, garlic, ginger and salt. Cook for a minute, constantly stirring. Add a little more oil if it  begins to stick.  Add the potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and water. Bring to a simmer and cook for  15 mintes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is beginning to thicken.

Stir in the cauliflower and green beans. Cover with a lid and cook for 10  minutes, stirring occasionally, adding some water if it appears too dry. When all the vegetables are just tender remove from the heat. 

Pre-heat the oven to 190C.

for the saffron yogurt layer
In a small bowl splash the saffron with a little warm water then add the milk. Mix together and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.  Stir in the yogurt.

for the rice
Pour the water into a medium saucepan and add the stock cube. Bring to a boil. Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water, then tip into the pan. Add the cardamom, curry leaves and cinnamon stick and bring the water back to the boil.  Cook for a futher 3 minutes until the rice is just starting to cook.   

Remove from the heat and drain thoroughly in a sieve. Tip it back into the pan. Add the peas and stir well.

In a shallow ovenproof dish (approx. 3 litre capacity) spoon half the cooked vegetable curry, then scatter half the rice over it. Drizzle with half the saffron yogurt. Then repeat the layers. Spoon next the remaining vegetable curry, then the rice and finish with the yogurt.

Dot the top with small knobs of butter. Cover the dish tightly with lightly buttered foil. Cover with the lid if the dish has one. 

Cook the biryani in the oven for 45 minutes until the rice is nice and soft.

Use a fork to lightly fluff up the rice and serve with a garnish of quartered hard boiled eggs (boiled for 9 minutes) and a few sprinkled roughly chopped coriander leaves. Serve also with a side portion of curry sauce.