Handi Biryani

Recipe Type:	Veg.
Difficulty:	Difficult

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup Basmati Rice
• ½ cup Cauliflower
• ½ cup Green Peas
• ½ cup Beans (chopped into small pieces)
• 2 Capsicum (chopped)
• 2 Potatoes (boiled)
• 2 Onions (quartered)
• 2 Onions (chopped)
• 1 cup Curd
• 1 Cinnamon (dalchini) Stick
• 2 Cloves (laung)
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 Cardamoms.
• 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
• ¼ tsp Haldi (turmeric) Powder
• 4 whole Black Peppers
• 1 tsp Garlic (grated)
• 1 tsp Ginger (grated)
• ¼ tsp Hing
• 1 tbsp Coriander (chopped)
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 10 Almonds
• 10 Cashewnuts
• 4 tbsp Ghee
• Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions:

• Boil the cauliflower, peas and beans together with salt and keep it aside.
• Soak rice in water for 30 minutes.
• Strain the water and mix salt with the rice. Spread it on a plate.
• Take a pan and heat ghee in it. Add onions and fry till they turn brown.
• Take out the fried onions and keep it aside.
• Separately fry cashews till light brown and the capsicums till they become soft and keep aside.
• Take a big vessel and heat 6 cups of water in it.
• Add the pepper, cloves, cardamoms, bay leaves and salt.
• Bring it to boil and then add rice. Cook for 8 to 9 minutes.
• Take out the rice and spread it in a large plate.
• Blend the quartered onion, garlic and ginger into a fine paste.
• Heat ghee in a pan and put the paste in it.
• Saute for 3 minutes.
• Now add chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, haldi powder, garam masala, hing, onion and boiled vegetables.
• Saute till the oil separates.
• Now add the beaten curd and cook for about 3 minutes.
• Add the potatoes.
• Mix well and keep side.
• Take a handi (earthen pot) and grease the inside of the pot with ghee.
• Spread a layer of rice at the bottom of the pot.
• Now spread evenly the cooked vegetables on the rice.
• Take a bowl and mix in it capsicum, fried onions, cashew, coriander and sliced almonds.
• Spread this mixture layer over the vegetable layer in the pot.
• Sprinkle half of the lemon juice over the layered rice.
• Again put a layer of rice followed by a layer of vegetables and lemon juice sprinkling.
• Repeat the process till the handi is filled.
• Cover the pot with a lid and seal the edges with chappati dough.
• Put the pot in a preheated oven at 130 degrees.
• Keep the pot in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
• You must make a small slit in the cover of handi for the excess steam to escape.
• Enjoy hot Handi Biryani.