Preparing rice:
Wash Basmati rice well till the water runs clear and drain; soak in plenty of fresh water for about 30 minutes.
In a large deep saucepan, bring lots of water to a boil, add one black cardamom, one star anise and salt. Stir in drained Basmati rice and stir again. Once it comes to a boil again, reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is parboiled or about 75 percent cooked.
Drain and keep aside. At this stage, you can remove the whole spices from the rice.
Preparing fried onions:
In a deep saucepan, heat oil for deep fry (about ¼ cup to ½ cup).
Once the oil is hot, fry about 1 ½ cups of sliced onions in batches (do not overcrowd) until crisp and brown. Drain well on paper towel lined plates and keep aside.
Preparing the vegetable gravy for dum biryani:
Keep ready the ingredients for preparing the biryani.
Heat oil in a heavy flat bottomed pan (if there is any oil left over after frying the onions, use that; you will need about 3 tablespoons).
Once the oil is hot, add cloves, cinnamom, green cardamoms and bay leaf; saute for a few seconds till it starts to crackle.
Stir in half of sliced onions and fry again for a few minutes till they turn soft, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add green chillies, ginger and garlic and fry again for a few minutes until the raw smell of ginger and garlic reduces.
Add all the spice powders; coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder or what I added, MDH Shahi Paneer Masala powder (if you can find this masala powder; gives an amazing flavor!). Saute again for a few seconds (do not let it burn) and then stir in all the vegetables (green peas, carrots and cauliflower) and stir for a few minutes on high; about 2 minutes.
Once the vegetables are slightly roasted, reduce the heat to medium low and add well beaten smooth yogurt along with salt to taste; mix well and cook the vegetables (cover with a lid) until almost cooked; about 5 to 6 minutes. After they are almost cooked, remove half of the prepared vegetables and keep aside in a bowl.
Layering and final cooking of the dum biryani:
Over the remaining vegetables in the pan, layer half of the cooked rice evenly.
Sprinkle half of the fried onions, coriander leaves and mint leaves.
Spoon about 1 to 2 tablespoons of ghee on top.
Now spread the rest of the vegetable gravy over this and layer remaining rice, onions, coriander and mint leaves.
Using a spoon, sprinkle saffron milk and one more tablespoon of ghee over the top.
Cover the bowl with a tight lid or better yet, you can cover with aluminum foil and then place the lid over it to seal the pan.
Now, cook the dum biryani on low heat for about 10 to 12 minutes or until done. Make sure the rice does not overcook; you need each grain of rice to be separate.
After it is done, remove the foil and lid and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Serve aromat, exotic vegetable dum biryani with a garnish of ghee roasted cashew nuts and raisins for a royal experience in your own home, along with any raitha, curry, or just plain yogurt and a fresh salad on the side.
Notes
Adjust the amount of green chillis and red chilli powder according to your taste.
You can use any combination of vegetables like green beans, potatoes, corn etc. People who love chicken, can make chicken dum biryani using chicken; except marinate the chicken in yogurt along with some spice powders like coriander powder, garam masala powder, ginger garlic paste and salt for at least 1 hour and then proceed with the same method.
