Veg Dum Biryani ( 4 people)

Ingredients:                                                    
- few beans, cut into 2 inch
- 2 potatoes, cut into big cubes
- 3 carrots, cut into 2 inches
- 2 half tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 3 big onions slit length wise
- 250 g tomato puree
- 300 g yoghurt
- 2 lemon
- whole garam masala (4 cardamom, 4-6 cloves, cinamon stick, 2-3 bay leaves1/2 tbsp sajeera)
- 200 g fried onions
- 4 cups Basmati rice ( pre soaked for 30 mins)
- 2 half tbsp gram masala
- a handful of cashewcashew
- 1/2 tbp chili powder
- 1/2 turmeric powder
- few drops of color (optional)

To grind biryani masala:
3 red chillies
2 table spoons coriander seeds( grind chilli and coriander seeds first)
1/2 spoons ginger garlic paste
1 onion
3 green chilies
Coriander
Mint
Dil
Salt Coriander

Method:

Cooking and marinating vegetable layer:
1. add 3 tbps oil in a pressure cooker.
2. Add whole garam masal to the oil in the cooker
3. Add all the vegetables and cook for 1 mins.
4. Add 1/4 tbps gg paste and toss for another 1 min.
5. Add ground biryani masala papast 1/4 tbp of turmeric powder, salt to taste and cook for around 3 mins.
6. Now add 150 g yoghurt, juice from 1 whole lemon and presure cook for 2 whistles.
7. Once the pressure is released stir until most of the water evaporates and let it to cool down.

Rice preparation:
1. In an another pressure cooker add 3 tbps oil, 1/2 tbsp sajeera and add the soaked rice along with some salt to taste, 1/2 tbsp garam masala powder and 5-6 cups of water and pressure cook for 1 whistle.

Second layer:

1. In a pan add 2-3 tbps of oil, nuts, onions,1/2 tbsp gg paste and salt toss for 2-3 mins
2. Add tomato paste, turmeric, red chilli pwd, 1/4 tbsp garam masala pwd and cook for 6-8 mins.
3. Add 150 g yoghurt, juice from one big lemon and stir until most of the water evaporates and let it cool down.

Assembling the layers:
1. In a baking tray, spread the marinated vegetables into a layer (1st layer from botttom
2. Spread half of the rice ( 2nd layer )
3. Spread the tomato-onion paste and sprinkle some fried onions (3rd layer)
4. spread rest of the rice, sprinkle fried onions and a few drops of color
5. Cover the tray with alu-foil, make some holes in the foil and bake for 20-30 mins.

Enjoy it with some raitha.

Note: adjust the salt at every stage