Vegetable Biryani / Vegetable Pulav / Brinji Sadham

Yield: For 5 persons

Brinji sadham is a common Tamil name for vegetable pulav.
'Brinji' refers to Brinji Elai which means Bay leaf & 'Sadham' means Rice.



Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 500 gms (2 ½ cup)
Onion (Thinly sliced) – 3
Tomato (Finely chopped) – 6
Potato (small) – 1
Vegetables (chopped) – 1 ½ to 2 cup
(Carrot, Beans, Cauliflower, Green Peas)
Soya nuggets / chunks – ½ cup
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Mint leaves – ½ cup
Coriander leaves – ½ cup
Water – 4 cup
Clarified butter / Ghee – 1 tbsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder – 2 ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Biryani masala powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 3 tsp or to taste

Dry Masala:

Bay leaf – 2
Cinnamon (small stick) – 2
Cardamom – 3
Clove – 4

Preparation:

Soak the rice for half an hour.
Heat some water in a vessel. When the water boils, switch off the flame.
Put the soya chunks and close the lid. After 10 minutes, rinse the chunks in cold water and squeeze out the water.
Keep the soya chunks aside.
Heat ghee and oil in a pressure cooker and fry all the dry masalas.
Add ginger garlic paste and fry till it is slightly brown in colour.
Now add the onions and sauté.
Stir fry the vegetables and the soya chunks.
Later add the tomatoes with mint and coriander leaves.
Fry for 2 minutes.
Then add chilly powder, turmeric powder, biryani masala powder and salt.
Add the rinsed rice and fry till the rice is coated with the masala.
Pour water and mix well.
Pressure cook for 2 whistles.
Garnish with paneer crumbs or coriander leaves & cashew nuts.
Serve with Onion Raita.



Note:

Potato and soya chunks are optional.
Use water as per the quality and quantity of the rice.