Vegetarian Dum Biryani is a very tasty and fragrant rice dish comprising fresh vegetables, aromatic basmati rice, and a blend of rich, flavoured spices. Originating from the Indian subcontinent, this is the vegetarian version of the traditional biryani; it surely pleases any crowd, whether as a part of a family gathering festive occasion or simply a great meal. It is truly magical as Dum ensures each flavour is mingled through slow cooking. For the vegetable dum biryani recipe, the blended vegetables like carrots, peas, potatoes, and beans are marinated with curd and spices containing red chilli powder, garam masala, and turmeric. These marinated vegetables are layered with partially cooked basmati rice, sealed in a pot, and then cooked low on the heat; the steam cooks everything to perfection. The cooking of dum ensures that the rice gets fluffy, but the veggies remain tender and spice-infused. Vegetable dum biryani is a feast for both eyes and taste buds. Garnished with fried onions, coriander, and mint leaves, this biryani is always irresistible with its aroma and spicy savoury flavours. Accompanied by the cooling of raita, a side salad, or tangy pickle, vegetable dum biryani makes a satisfactory and wholesome meal. This easy-to-follow vegetable dum biryani recipe will surely be one of the must-try options for those who love bold, aromatic, comforting, and compulsive vegetarian delicacies.

• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp biryani masala
• 1/3 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 1 cup curd
• 4 tbsp oil
• Saffron strands
• 3 tbsp milk
• Raisin
• Cashews
• 1 onion
• 8 florets cauliflower
• 1 potato
• 2 cup carrot
• 1 handful green peas
• 4-5 beans
• 11/2 tbsp mint leaves
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves
• 2 green chillies
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamoms
• 1 black cardamom
• 1 anise
• 6 cloves
• 1 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp jeera
• Salt
• 2 mace

• Let's begin the recipe of vegetable dum biryani. Begin by preparing the saffron milk.
• Soak a few strands of the saffron in 3 Tbsps of hot milk or water for 10-15 minutes to release the colour and aroma.
• Then, heat 4 Tbsps of ghee or oil in a big pan. To that, add mixed whole spices- two-inch cinnamon stick, four green cardamoms, one black cardamom, two strands of mace, one-star anise, six cloves, one bay leaf, and half a Tsp of shahi jeera.
• Saut all these spices for about a minute till they froth out their fragrance.
• Add one Tbsp of ginger-garlic paste and let it cook till the raw smell is gone.
• Add in 1 Tsp of biryani masala powder or garam masala, depending on how much spice you can tolerate, along with 1/3 tsp of red chilli powder and 1/8 tsp of turmeric.
• Add chilli according to your spice tolerance, mix everything well, and let it cook for a minute.
• Begin with a marinade of yoghurt preparation: mix in 1 cup of curd, ensuring it is neither too thick nor too thin; 250 ml of yoghurt is perfect.
• Stir this yoghurt into your spice mix. The yoghurt will give the vegetables a creamy base as it marinates.
• Add salt to taste and then add the vegetables, 8 florets of cauliflower, one large boiled, cubed potato (¾ cooked), one big chopped carrot, a handful of green peas, and 4 to 5 chopped beans.
• Gently toss all the vegetables to uniformly coat them with the spiced yoghurt mixture.
• Let that cook for 5-7 minutes to let the flavours infuse well.
• In another pan, boil water, add 1 1/2 cups old basmati rice along with a pinch of salt, ¼ Tsp shahi jeera, and a bay leaf.
• Once it is 70 to 80 percent cooked, drain the water and keep the rice as is.
• Once the fried vegetable spice mixture is ready, layer the biryani.
• Spread the first layer of cooked rice in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
• Sprinkle over these fried onions that add crunchy and delightful flavoured.
• Add raisins and cashews for sweetness and nutty contrast. Add spiced vegetables over rice.
• The last layer will be, once again, all the rice.
• Sprinkle the saffron-infused milk over the rice to give it a nice colour and fragrance.
• Add some finely chopped coriander, mint leaves, and slit green chillies for a zesty flavoured.
• Lastly, seal the pot with a lid or seal it and let the biryani simmer on low heat; that is, cook on dum for 20-25 minutes.
• This slow-cooking process allows the flavours to blend all together.
• Once your Vegetable Dum Biryani is ready, fluff the rice gently with a fork without breaking the grains.