Easy Vegetable Dum Biryani

A good biryani needs a long list of whole and ground spices. Kanta Greens Biryani Premix puts them all in one pack, made without onion or garlic, so a weekend biryani becomes something you can make on a weeknight.

At a glance

• Serves 3–4
• Time: about 50 minutes (including soaking the rice)
• Premix: 1 pack Biryani Premix
• No onion, no garlic

You will need

• 1 pack Kanta Greens Biryani Premix
• 1½ cups basmati rice
• 3 cups mixed vegetables: carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower, potato
• 100 g paneer, cubed (optional)
• ½ cup curd
• 2 tbsp ghee
• A few mint and coriander leaves
• A pinch of saffron in 2 tbsp warm milk (optional)

Method

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and soak it for 30 minutes.

2. Boil the rice in plenty of salted water until it is about 70% cooked (it should still have a bite). Drain.

3. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a heavy pot. Add the vegetables and cook the masala with the premix and curd as directed on the pack, until the vegetables are nearly done. Add the paneer if using.

4. Spread the rice evenly over the vegetables. Scatter mint and coriander, drizzle the saffron milk and the remaining ghee on top.

5. Cover tightly with a lid (seal the edge with a strip of dough or foil for proper dum) and cook on the lowest flame for 15–20 minutes.

6. Rest for 5 minutes, then gently mix from the side so the layers stay intact, and serve.

Tips

• Undercooking the rice slightly before layering is the key to separate, fluffy grains.
• Place a flat tawa under the pot during dum so the bottom doesn't burn.
• Swap the vegetables for chicken if you like: cook it fully in the masala before layering.

Serve with

• Cucumber raita
• A simple salad of onion, cucumber and lemon