Dum Biryani (Vcvds)
Indian Veg Dum Biryani is an authentic Indian vegetarian dish packed full of your favorite rice, veggies, and spices. Made with patience and lots of love, this delicious Hyderabadi Veg Dum Biryani requires both care and attention to detail. The savory flavors in your first bite are well worth the time and effort spent in the kitchen.
About Biryani
Biryani also spelled as Biriyani is a popular dish not only in India but in South Asia as well. In simple words Biryani is a rice and curry casserole. The curry can be meat based or vegetable based and also made with mushrooms, soy chunks or paneer. Chole Chawal Recipe | Spiced Chickpeas with Steamed Rice
Similar to some layered and baked pasta dishes, the curry is layered with semi-cooked rice – later to be baked or dum cooked until the rice is completely done and the curry or gravy has been absorbed by the rice.
Usually the meat is marinated and cooked later for the curry, but for vegetables marination is not done or is needed.
Though mostly biryani is layered and cooked there are several one-pot biryani dishes, specifically in the Southern parts of India where the biryani is cooked much like the way a pulao is made by adding all the ingredients in a pot and dum cooking them.
Biryani, though usually made with meat is also made with seafood, eggs, paneer (Indian cottage cheese), mushrooms, unripe jackfruit and vegetables. In some versions of biryani, the curry or gravy is made with both eggs and vegetables or meat and vegetables.
The spices, aromatics, flavoring ingredients also differ widely from state to state in India. Example in South India you will see the addition of curry leaves, black pepper, coconut milk, cilantro etc. So no two biryani dishes will taste the same.
Sometimes biryani is made using a special type of ground spice blend known as the Indian Veg Dum Biryani. This spice blend is made by grinding whole spices that are usually added to a biryani. In this recipe you don’t need to add biryani masala. Just the whole spices are enough. Punjabi Lunch Recipes for Beginners | Step-by-Step Guide
Cooking Method
A traditional and conventionally made Biryani is always cooked on dum. Wondering what is dum cooking?
- Dum cooking is also known as dum pukht or cooking on dum. The dum pukht method of cooking comes from Persia.
- It is a technique or method of slow cooking food in tightly sealed earthen pots. The various layers of food or the ingredients are kept in a clay pan or pot which is then sealed tightly using wheat flour dough.
- As the pot is tightly sealed, steam cannot escape from it. The result is that the food ingredients or layers are slow cooked in the steam emanating in the pot and in their own juices which makes the food very flavorful.
- Traditionally clay pots are used while making dum biryani. Nutrients are not lost in this process and thus dum cooked food is nutritious.
This Veg Biryani Recipe
This Hyderabadi veg biryani is one of the best vegetarian biryani recipe I make – loved by friends, family, and readers alike for more than 10 years.
Indian Veg Dum Biryani are hundreds of different variations for making a veg biryani recipe, each having their own unique tastes, ingredients, and flavors – but my tried and true recipe is loosely inspired from my mom’s version and a Jigg Kalra’s book that I had purchased decades back.
Over the years, I have experimented with this veg biryani recipe with different ratios of ingredients. And finally I came to the perfect recipe that is insanely delicious and keeps you asking for more.
I have forgotten the number of times I have made this veg dum biryani recipe for family, friends and get-togethers. It has always been a much loved dish on the dining table.
In my opinion, recipes always turn out even better when tied to love and care!
Indian Veg Dum Biryani is a bit spicy and super delicious. The subtle flavors of the garam masala, caramelized onions and yogurt are perfectly infused in the vegetable chunks.
Each bite has the taste, flavor and aroma of the masala, as well as the unique taste of the vegetables. It truly is a perfectly balanced dish. Vcvds