Hyderabadi vegetable Dum Biriyani

Frying the onions: Heat oil for frying the onions, mix the corn flour to the thinly sliced onions, fry in oil until they turn golden brown. Drain the excess of oil and keep aside.

Cooking rice: Heat enough water and add the shah jeera, oil and salt. Once the water starts boiling, drain the soaked water from the rice and add it to the hot water. Cook until the rice gets half cooked. (Al dente)

For Biryani: Heat the oil for cooking the spices. Add in the bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon stick, green and black cardamoms, cloves and fry until a nice aroma comes arises. Now add the shah jeera and fry for a few seconds.

Add in the ginger garlic paste, cook for a few minutes. Add in all the vegetables except the cubed green bell peppers and cook for a few minutes.

Add the green bell peppers, chilli powder, briyani powder, salt, turmeric powder and fry for a few minutes. Pour 1/2 cup of yogurt and cook for a few minutes.

Cook the veggies, add half of the chopped mint leaves, slit opened green chillies, mix well and cook again for a few minutes. Soak the saffron strands in the warm milk.

For the layers: Take a large vessel or a pressure cooker. Put half of the vegetables mixture onto the vessel, top it with fried onions, pour the remaining yogurt now, mix well and check for salt.

Put the flame in simmer, now layer half of the rice. Layer again the remaining veggies, add in the fried onions, layer again with rice, top it with chopped mint and coriander leaves.

Heat a tawa, keep the biryani layered vessel over it and keep it on a low flame. Pour in the saffron milk, cover the vessel with a damp kitchen towel.

Keep a heavy object on the lid and cook it on a low flame until the rice gets well cooked.

Serve hot with raita.