Root Vegetables Biryani with Spicy Dal

Here we go, once again I was alone for dinner, so first thing , I soak up rice for biryani, because hubby dear don't like white rice and I just love biryanis. Back home before all this multi cuisine came, three decades ago, every  Christian marriages we had , we had mutton or chicken biryani with spicy dal and Mohanthal, that's perfect wedding lunch or dinner. So I never like biryani with raita, cause never had it or like it . While making this biryani wanted to have that same dal so soaked tuver dal too. I used to drink four or five bowls of that dal in marriages, that much I used to love it. So this was perfect time for me to little over indulge on my favorite dish. But instead of same vegetables, I use root vegetables in it , It was something different but delicious. You can take your favorite and available vegetables.

Ingredients :

2 cups of Root vegetables  - cubes ( I take carrot, turnip, suran, regular potatoes, sweet potatoes, few florets of cauliflower - just had to use it so)
4 cups of cooked and cool basmati rice
1 onion chopped
each of whole garam masala ( bay leaf, star anise, big and small elaichi, few black peppercorns, few cloves)
salt to taste
2 tbsp each grated ginger, garlic
2 chopped green chilies
few strings of mint leaves
3 tsp Ghee /oil or mix
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp red chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin-coriander powder
1 tsp. garam masala powder
OR you can use just packet biryani masala too.

Method:

Soak two cups rice in water for 1/2 hour. then cooked with plenty of water with salt in it and when its done, strain it and let it cool.
In a big pan, add oil or Ghee. Add whole spices, when you get nice aroma of the masala, add onion, and cook till its brown.
Add ginger, garlic, chilies , turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin -coriander powder, garam masala and mix it.
Add all the root vegetables and salt for the vegetables only and water to cook the vegetables.
You have to cook all the vegetables and there has to be no water in it. Vegetable mixture should be dry.
When its done, add the rice in it and mix it very gently.
Add few chopped leaves of mint in it and cover it and let it cook on very low flame for 5-10 minutes. Just to mix the flavor.
When its 10 minutes, shut off the gas, don't take the lid off. Just leave it as it is till you are ready for diner.

Spicy Dal

Ingredients :

1 cup tuver dal - yellow split pigeon lentils
1 onion chopped
2 tbsp. tomato puree
1 tbsp. 3G paste (ginger, garlic, chili)
1 tbsp. cumin coriander powder
2 tbsp. red chili powder - I said spicy dal so
1 tsp. turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 tsp. Cumin seeds
2 tbsp oil
coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Take a pressure cooker, add oil in it.
Add cumin seeds, when its brown, add onion in it.
Cook till its brown.
Add puree, paste, all powder masala and mix it and cook it for a minute.
Add washed and soaked dal , salt and enough water to cook dal.
Put the pressure on and cook it till 3-4 whistles.
You need your dal to cook completely.
Once its done and pressure is out, take the lid off, mashed it and make it nice consistency.
Sprinkle coriander leaves.
Take your biryani, make a well in it and put the dal in it and serve it with lachha onion to enjoy your diner.

As I told you, I had it with my biryani , dal and lachha onions.

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