Soy Nugget And Vegetables Biryani

The minute I saw this at Valli's space, I knew I would be making it.. Soon.. So I did and did again. First thing that I loved about her Biyani was the color. It looked so vibrant. I used Kashmiri Chili powder to give my Biryani a similar color. How do you like it? How do you like it? The second thing was the big fat "Vat" that was used to make the biryani in such a large scale! Totally loved that gigantic "crater-sized" casserole! Man, the whole place must have smelled heavenly with all that fried spices. **Drool**. Last but not the least was the team effort that went into making this wonderful biryani. It must have been a memorable and fun excercise!

Anyways, scaling down the ingredients for a smaller crowd was a bit tedious especially when I am used to Imperial system and her recipe was per the Metric system! First time I tried, it was a bit nerve-wracking. If everything doesn't come together, Biryani will end up in a big disaster! Tricky business, that!! Second time I tried, I wrote it down. These 2 times there wasn't even a passing thought in my brain to use a bloody metric converter. My brain is a weird thing! Adoozy, if you ask me! Anywayz, I just went with the detailed pictures from her post as a guide and my so-called "cooking" experience. And both the times, it turned out Phenomenal! Sometimes, I just amaze myself!  He He.

Ingredients(For 6-8 Servings):

• 3 Cups Aged Basmati Rice, cleaned and soaked in cold water 30 minutes prior to cooking
• 1 to 1-1/2 Cups Nutrela Mini Soy Nuggets/Chunks, cooked as per packet directions
• 1 Pack Pearl Onions (~24#s), peeled and finely chopped
• 10-12#s String Beans, ends snipped and cut roughly cut
• 2 Medium Carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced with skin on
• 1 Bunch Cilantro, cleaned and finely chopped
• 1 Bunch Mint Leaves, leaves separated and stem discarded
• 6 Large Garlic Cloves, peeled
• 1" Ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• Whole Spices - 3 Bay Leaf, 1 Star Anise, 1" Cinnamon Stick, 5 Cloves, 2-3 Kapok Bud/Marati Moggu
• 1/2 Cup Fresh or Frozen Green Peas
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
• 3/4 Tbsp Chili Powder or less/more
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 Tsp Garam Masala
• 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
• 3 Tbsp + 1 Tsp Ghee/Clarified Butter
• Salt as needed
• 6 Cups Water (Usually 1 Rice: 2 Water Ratio works for me)

Procedure:

• Cook the Soy Nuggets in plenty of hot water as per the package directions.

• Drain it completely and squeeze out the excess moisture. While it is still warm marinate it in 1 Tsp of ginger-Garlic paste and little salt.

• Peel the pearl onions and chop it finely.Cut the Beans, Carrot, Potato. Set aside.

• Clean the Cilantro and finely chop it. Chop 3/4th of the Mint Leaves.

• Grind the ginger, garlic and remaining (1/4) mint leaves to a coarse paste. Set aside.

• In a thick, deep bottomed pan, add the Oil and Ghee. Fry the spices and add the chopped pearl onions. Saute until it is well and truly browned.

• Add the coarsely ground ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Throw in the chopped herbs saving some for garnish.

• Add the chopped tomatoes and let it shrink and lose shape.

• Add the marinated soy chunks, cut vegetables and give it a stir.

• Add all the powders and salt soon after adding the vegetables. Add 1/2 Cup water and lid the pan. Let it cook for 5 minutes on low flame. 

• Completely drain the rice and add it along with green peas.

• Pour the water and stir gently without breaking the rice. Add more salt or spice at this stage.

• Lid the pan and cook on medium flame for 15-18 minutes.

• Switch off the stove and let the biryani "rest" atop the stove for 15 minutes. Garnish with chopped herbs and a tsp of ghee. Stir gently and serve with Raita.

A few other Rice delicacies:

• The Art of Making "Dum" Biryani, With detailed pictures: Chicken "Dum" Biryani-

• Herbed Vegan Vegtable Fried Rice:

Enjoy! 
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#18