Vegetable Dum Biryani in Oven With Onion Salan

Treat your taste buds with this yummy and restaurant style Dum Biryani prepared easily even without dum (slow cooking ).
I have cooked this recipe many times in oven and found out we can get the same taste and texture even without slow cooking and a lot of effort, especially when don't have a heavy bottomed pan , rice may burnt at the bottom .
So, for this valentine's day try this recipe and mesmerize everyone .
To make this more scrumptious serve with salan made with onions or mixed vegetables or tofu or paneer or chili (mirchi ) or meat

Onion Salan:
Spicy gravy filled with caramelized onions which melts like butter and complements with biryani .
You can add fried tofu or paneer or fried mixed vegetables or meat to the gravy according to your preference.

Refer to Mirchi Ka Salan for recipe

Ingredients:
Sliced Onion pieces 1 cup
Ground nuts 1/4 cup
Cashew nuts few / Sesame seeds 1/4 cup
Dry coconut flakes 1/4 cup
Fried Onions 3 to 4 table spoons
Ginger garlic chilli paste 1 table spoon
Cumin Seed 1/4 teaspoon
Fennel Seed 1/4 teaspoon
Shajeera 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin & Coriander Powder 1 table spoon
Red Chili Powder 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder 2 pinches
Sugar/ Jaggery (optional) 1 table spoon
Tamarind juice 1/4 cup
Salt as required
Oil as required
Procedure:
Step 1: Dry roast all the seeds taken . let it cool , add fried onions to it and make it into a fine powder , then add enough amount of water and make it into a paste of thin consistency .

Step 2: Add about 2 table spoons of canola oil in a wok and caramelize sliced onions , plate them into a cup. In the same wok add the tempering , when sputters add ginger garlic paste , fry until it oozes out oil, then add coriander- cumin seed powder, chili powder and mix well.
Step 3: Now add in the prepared paste , add water to make it a thin consistency liquid and boil for 5 to 7 minutes . Add in the tamarind juice, salt, sugar, turmeric powder and boil it with a cover .

Step 4: When done dish it out , add in the caramelized onions and serve hot .

Dum Biryani in Oven:
Pulao is similar dish to Biryani , but the taste varies a lot , the difference is in the layered cooking of rice ,veggies or meat in low flame until done.
In biryani all the veggies or meat including rice are first cooked separately until 80% done and then layered, this layering gives a unique flavor to rice.
The recipe seems very easy and basic including the ingredients ,but the trick lies in dum (slow cooking )
The extra flavor and fragrance to biryani comes from basmati rice . Buy atleast a year aged rice to get the best taste.

                                                It should look like this in layers when done

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice (uncooked ) 1 cup
Cauliflower florets 1/4 cup
Potatoes Sliced length wise 1/2 cup
Carrots sliced length wise 1/4 cup
Onions Slice Length wise 1/2 cup
Green Peas 1/4 cup
Green Beans 1/4 cup
Tomato sliced 1
Ginger garlic chili paste 2 table spoons
Yogurt 3 table spoons
Garam masala 1 table spoon
Red Chili Powder 1 teaspoon
Salt as required
Canola Oil 3 table spoons
Ghee / Clarified Butter 1 table spoon
Whole Garam masala:
Cumin Seeds 1/4 teaspoon
Shajeera 1/4 teaspoon
Cardamom pods 7 to 8
Cloves 4 to 5
Cinnamon pieces 6 to 8
Peppers 5 to 8
Bay leaf 1/4
Anistar 1

Procedure:
Step 1: Heat oil in a pan along with ghee , when ready add the whole garam masala , when sputters add in onions, when they turn light brown add ginger garlic paste .

Step 2: Fry until the paste looses raw smell , now add in the vegetables and fry for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Toss in salt, and cover it with a lid .
Step 4: Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes, then bring 2 cup of water to boil and add the rice, along with some cardamom pods, cloves and a bay leaf , cook until 80% done.

Step 5: Now add curd/ yogurt , red chili powder, garam masala powder to the veggies , mix well and leave in medium flame for about 5 minutes.All the veggies should be cooked only 80%

Step 6: Now preheat oven to 325° F , arrange aluminium foil/ sheet on a cookie sheet and arrange the layers of rice and curry alternatively . Then cover it again with a aluminium sheet .

Step 7: Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until done .
Step 8: Serve hot with salan and raita .

Notes:

• For salan don't end up adding a lot of oil, as nuts contain oils 
• Don't over cook the veggies or rice , as it should cook in oven for atleast 30 minutes , if you overcook it may end up more dry . 
• Don't add any water to the curry while preparing except to yogurt , as yogurt itself gives the enough amount of moisture to cook. 
• Check in before the given time as it may take less time depending upon the oven or the quantity . 
• Don't mix the layers after taking it from oven 
• Covering with aluminium sheets helps to retain moisture without the rice getting dry 

Linking to Lets cook Valentine Special Dishes