VEGETABLE BIRYANI USING HARVESTIME FROZEN VEG

 

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This Indian Recipe Serves 4

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If you’re like me – A biryani lover, then you know that vegetable biryani hits the spot like no other! It definitely takes me down memory lane when my late grandmother used to whip this up for us. Of course, she used fresh veggies but hey frozen veggies are convenient right? This Vegetable Biryani Using Harvestime Frozen Veg is a must try & there’s even a twist with the potatoes!

Fresh vegetables need to be purchased close to the time of cooking or else they just go bad & that’s a waste of money. If you are in the mood for some vegetable biryani, you should be able to satisfy that craving, so I say – buy them frozen, there’s no difference in the flavour of this biryani.

Biryani otherwise called biriyani or biriani, is a blended rice dish with its origins among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. It is mainstream all through the subcontinent & among the diaspora from the area. It is made with flavors, rice, meat &/or vegetables.

It can be prepared using long grain basmati rice or parboiled rice.

South Africans usually prepare biryanis’ with parboiled rice.

“Biryani” is a Urdu word got from the Persian dialect, which was utilized as an official dialect as a part of various parts of medieval India, by different Islamic administrations.

Pronunciation: Bee-r-ya-nee

 

Vegetable Biryani Ingredients:

• 350 grams Harvestime Mixed Vegetables
• Handful of Harvestime Potato Chips (according to how much you prefer)
• 410 grams (1 can) butter beans (optional)
• 1 onion
• ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
• ½ teaspoon fennel (soomph) seeds
• 2 star aniseeds
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 green chilies
• 3 red birds eye chilies (optional)
• 1 tomato
• 1 sprig thyme
• ½ teaspoon ginger & garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 ½ teaspoons turmeric powder
• vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cardamom (elachi) powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander (dhania) powder
• 3 tablespoons chili powder/masala
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ⅓ cup biryani dhall (masoor/lentils)
• 1 ½ cups rice
• 1 sprig mint
• handful of coriander (dhania)
• yellow food coloring

Method:

1. Add the rice to a bowl.
2. 
3. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear.
4. 
5. Empty the rice into a pot & cover with water.
6. 
7. Bring it to a boil on high heat until the starch starts to surface.
8. 
9. To achieve fluffy, non sticky rice, I personally prefer to allow the starch to build up whilst the rice is boiling (the white foam that forms in the pot), as soon as that forms, toss out that water, give it a quick rinse & fill the pot with fresh water once again. I do this about 5 times but you may cook the rice as you would prefer.
10. 
11. Continue this process until the rice is almost cooked.
12. 
13. When the rice is almost cooked, add in 1 star aniseed, 1 cinnamon stick & 1 bay leaf.
14. 
15. Add salt to taste & 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.
16. 
17. Give it a stir & allow to boil until fully cooked.
18. 
19. When the rice is cooked, strain in a colander & set aside. The whole spices may be removed.
20. 
21. Add the biryani dhall (masoor/lentils) to a bowl.
22. 
23. Give it a good rinse.
24. 
25. Place into a pot & cover with water.
26. 
27. Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, give it a stir & bring to a boil on high heat.
28. 
29. 
30. Boil until soft but not mushy.
31. 
32. Once cooked, give it a quick rinse & strain to remove excess liquid.
33. 
34. Thereafter, add it to a bowl & set aside.
35. 
36. Next, peel & chop the onion.
37. 
38. Rinse & slit the green & red chilies, these quantities can be adjusted according to taste.
39. 
40. Blend the tomato.
41. 
42. Next, add the Harvestime Frozen Mixed Vegetables to a bowl.
43. 
44. 
45. Next, empty a can of butter beans into a bowl. This is optional & can be omitted.
46. 
47. Give the beans a good rinse & drain out the excess liquid.
48. 
49. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a pot on medium heat. Thereafter, add in the onions, chilies & thyme.
50. 
51. Add in 1 star aniseed, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, cumin (jeera) seeds & fennel (soomph) seeds.
52. 
53. Mix well & allow to sauté until the onions are translucent.
54. 
55. Thereafter, add in ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, red chili flakes, chili powder/masala, cardamom (elachi) powder, garam masala, cumin (jeera) powder, coriander (dhania) powder & the ginger & garlic paste.
56. 
57. Mix well & allow the spices to simmer for 30 seconds.
58. 
59. Thereafter, add in the blended tomato & curry leaves.
60. 
61. Mix well. cover & allow to cook for 5 minutes.
62. 
63. Once the tomatoes have cooked, give it a stir.
64. 
65. Add in the Harvestime Frozen Mixed Vegetables.
66. 
67. Thereafter, add in the butter beans if preferred.
68. 
69. Add in a handful of chopped coriander (dhania), mint, salt to taste & pour in a little water.
70. 
71. Give it a good mix.
72. 
73. Cover & allow to cook for 5 minutes. The veggies should be soft.
74. 
75. Go back to the strained rice & add 1 teaspoon yellow food colouring.
76. 
77. Mix well.
78. 
79. Add the biryani dhall (masoor/lentils) to the rice.
80. 
81. Mix until combined.
82. 
83. Next, grab a bag of Harvestime potato chips & add however much you prefer to a bowl. Fresh potatoes can be used but like I said, this biryani is all about the convenience & the use of frozen veggies.
84. 
85. 
86. Next, add about ½ teaspoon of yellow food to the chips. This step is completely optional, I prefer my potatoes to be slightly tinted in my biryanis hence why I have opted to doing this.
87. 
88. Coat the chips in the food colouring.
89. 
90. In a separate pot or pan, add oil for deep frying. Keep it on medium heat.
91. 
92. Once the oil is hot, carefully add in the Harvestime Frozen Potato Chips.
93. 
94. Allow it to fry until cooked through & crispy.
95. 
96. Once the potato chips are fried, remove from the oil & drain off excess oil on paper towels.
97. 
98. 
99. Whilst the chips are still hot, season it with some salt & give it a toss.
100. 
101. Back to the pot of mixed veggies…
102. Add the rice & biryani dhall (masoor/lentils) mix to the pot of veggies.
103. 
104. Mix until combined.
105. 
106. Add in the fried chips.
107. 
108. Gently mix the chips into the rice.
109. 
110. Plate & serve this Vegetable Biryani Using Harvestime Frozen Veg whilst hot.
111. 
112. Garnish with fresh dhania (coriander) & serve with dhall, salads, pickles or raita.
113. 
114. Grab yourself some bags of convenience from Harvestime & get your meals done in no time!
115.