Last week I took some time off and went up to Natal to visit my mum.  The day I arrived I had the good fortune of being invited to a traditional Hindu wedding with over 800 guests!  I was really excited about the food.  You may or may not know that the largest Indian community outside of India reside in South Africa and a large percentage of South African Indians live in Natal.  As a vegetarian I was really excited about the food.  Hindu weddings are usually vegetarian and the food is often cooked over an open flame which really adds to the flavour.  After the ceremony which was filled with so much inspiring wisdom we were served Vegetable Biryani – a simple and humble dish which when cooked right is full of yummy flavour.  Portia has served an excellent Vegetable Biryani in the restaurant in past years.  Try out this recipe for yourselves:

Ingredients:

2 cups Basmati Rice

1 cup Mixed Vegetables (cauliflower, potato, carrot, french beans)

150 gms Green Peas

3 Finely Sliced Onions

2 Finely Sliced Green Chillies

Salt to taste

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

2 tsp Cinnamon(dalchini) and Caraway Seeds(zeera)

4 Cloves (laung)

1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder

4 Tomatoes

1/2 cup Yogurt (curd)

4 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

3 tbsp Dry Fruits (cashew nuts, raisin)

Method :

Wash the basmati rice well before cooking.  Take rice with 3-3/4 cup water and a little salt added to it and 2 tbsp of dry fruits.  Cook it in a pot on the stove.

Cut all the vegetables into small thin pieces and fry in oil. Fry the green peas also.

Take 1 tblsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, green chilli, cinnamon and caraway seeds powder, cloves, black pepper powder and stir for about half minute. Then add onions and saute them for a minute ot till they get pink in color.

Add salt and red chilli powder and stir.

Add fine chopped tomatoes and fry till they are properly cooked.

Take the yogurt and make it fine by putting in a blender for just 2 rotations. Add this fine yogurt and stir well.Heat it for about 10 seconds.

Add all the fried vegetables.

Add the cooked rice and mix well with very light hands so that the rice grain doesn’t break. Cook for about 3 minutes.

Take this vegetable biryani out in a rice serving dish.

Garnish with dry fruits and green coriander leaves.

Serve the vegetable (veg ) biryani hot with raita and pickle.