KAIKARI BIRYANI

Ingredients:


 
2 cups rice (chawal) (chawal) 2 onions ( pyaj) 1 tomatoes (tamatar) 1 carrot (gajar) 10 french beans (flas beans) 1/4 cup green peas (matar) (shelled)

2 potatoes

1 (medium sized) cauliflower (phool gobi)

1 capsicum (shimla mirch)

1 lemon

1/4 cup coriander leaves (dhania patta)

1/4 cup mint (pudina) leaves (pudina leaves)

4 green chillies

10-12 curry leaves (kari patta)

10 tblsp groundnut (moong fali) oil (tel)

salt (namak) to taste

for masala paste

1/4 cup coconut (narial) (scraped)

10-12 cloves garlic (lasan)

1 inch ginger (adrak)

4 red chillies whole

2 tblsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tblsp poppy seeds (khuskhus)

2 tblsp fennel (saunf) seeds (saunf)

garam masala powder

1/2 inch cinnamon (tuj/dalchini)

2 cloves (lavang)

2 green cardamoms

2 blades mace (javitri)

1 tsp peppercorns

1/4 tsp nutmeg (jaiphal) powder


How to make kaikari biryani:
Clean, wash and soak rice for about 30-45 minutes. Peel and chop the onions. Wash and chop the tomatoes.
Wash and dice all the vegetables into equal sized pieces. Squeeze lemon, strain and keep juice aside.
Heat 4 tablespoons oil and fry the masala ingredients till light brown. Cool and grind to a smooth paste with little water.
Dry roast the ingredients for the garam masala powder for 2-3 minutes and pound it into a coarse powder. Wash and chop the coriander leaves and mint leaves. Wash and slit the green chillies and keep aside.
Heat the remaining oil and fry the onions till golden brown. Wash and add the curry leaves, green chillies and masala paste. Fry till oil separates. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook on high heat till the moisture evaporates.
Add the vegetables and stir. Cook for a couple of minutes on high heat, drain the rice well and add the vegetable mixture. Add salt to taste.
Add double the quantity or enough hot water as per the quality of the rice.
Bring to boil and reduce to medium heat. Cover and cook, stirring once in a while till almost done.
Sprinkle the chopped mint and coriander leaves, garam masala powder, sprinkle the lemon juice, stir well, cover with a tight lid.
Keep on hot charcoal for about 10 minutes.
Open when ready to serve.