Tilda Grand Vegetarian Biryani
Tilda Grand Vegetarian Biryani

Ingredients

For the masala paste:
3 x green chillies
3 x cloves garlic
3cm ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
Pinch of salt

For the vegetable mixture:
100g cubed butternut squash
100g cauliflower florets
50g frozen peas
4 fresh tomatoes chopped
2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp fennel seed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp salt

For the biryani rice:
200g Tilda Grand, Extra Long Grain Rice
100ml vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 pinch of saffron strands soaked in 5-6 tsp of warm water
75g melted butter
½ tsp garam masala

Method

  1. Start of by making the masala paste by crushing together the chillies, garlic and ginger with a pinch of salt. Then set aside.
  2. To make the vegetable mixture base, in a deep pan bring to boil 650ml of water, then add the butternut squash and cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the peas to the pan and boil for a further 2 minutes. Drain the vegetables in a colander and set aside 650ml of the vegetable cooking water.
  4. Now heat the oil in a pan and add the ginger and garlic paste, the coriander powder, chilli powder, fennel seed and turmeric and stir fry for one minute.
  5. Stir in the tomatoes and salt and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft.
  6. Add the remaining cooked vegetables to the pan and mix until all the vegetables are coated in the spices.
  7. For the biryani rice, rinse the rice three times in cold water and drain well. Heat 100ml of oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the rice, salt and masala paste from earlier and stir. Pour in the 650ml of vegetable cooking water.
  8. Boil the rice on medium heat for 8-10 minutes then cover with a lid, until the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked.
  9. Cool the rice for 10 minutes then mix in the butter and gently combine. Now add the garam masala, salt, saffron and mix well. You now have the 2 parts of the biryani (the biryani rice and the vegetable mixture).
  10. To finish of the dish layer the rice and vegetables. In a heavy lidded pan add a layer of rice (about 2-3cm deep) then add a layer of the vegetables on top of the rice. Repeat this process until you end up with a top layer of rice. Cover with the lid and place on low heat for 30 minutes. Serve piping hot!