How to prepare Vegetable Biryani with soya chunks

This is the most famous, delicious, mouth watering recipe of South India, Karnataka. A mixture of rice with  basic veggies like carrots, beans, soya bean, peas and magic Indian masalas will churn out  Vegetable Biryani.  There are many variations to this recipe, no two tastes similar, it solely depends on what suits your taste mild/spicy, oily/non-oily...Here i present you the recipe Vegetables Biryani with Soya Beans to give that additional proteins ;). The list of ingredients seems long, but the taste of Biryani is worth the time and effort. Its the best one pot meal and one of the favorites of most f people in India. Mind you that i have seen die hard fans of Biryani, so get set goooo;0  

 Ingredients:

Washed and chopped mix of veggies - 1/4 kg (Carrots, beans, potatoes, peas)

Soya chunks (2 hands full)

Peeled garlic - hand full

Onions chopped lengthwise - 4 

Finely chopped tomatoes -4

Fresh Mint leaves - handful

Green Chillies - 4-5 (or as per your taste)

Biryani Masala - 4-5 tsp (I prefer Shakti Biryani masala)

Thick curds - 1 cup

Rock salt - 3 tsp

Turmeric - 1 pinch

Cooking oil -7-8 tsp

Ghee - 2-3 tsp

Lemon Juice - 1/2 tsp

Dry Masalas:

Cinnamon - 2 sticks

Star Anise - 4

Bay leaf - 2

Fennel / Soonf - 1/2 tsp

 

Method:

Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker, once it is hot, put all items given under dry masalas and fry for a second. Meanwhile soak soya chunks in warm water for about 10 mins with salt. Squeeze the water and keep it ready.

Add in garlic, onions, green chillies and fry till onions become transparent.

Throw in the tomatoes and saute until it leaves out all its juices

To the mixture, now add all the veggies along with soya chunks.

Now add fresh mint leaves, turmeric and biryani masala and give it a good mix

 

After a minute add curds, water (1:2) rice and water ratio.

 

Once the water starts boiling put washed rice, add salt as per your taste and squeeze some lime juice

 

Shut the pressure cooker and switch it off at one whistle to give our biryani a grainy texture.

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Bisibele bath

Bisibele bath is a famous one pot meal in Karnataka. This is a wholesome meal with goodness of lentils andveggies together loved by most of the people young and old. Bisibelebath is quick to prepare if you have a pressure cooker since you just need to add all the ingredients into into it and once cool add the seasoning and flavourings.  

This afternoon I had a sudden guest for lunch, I found some carrots, beans and peas in the fridge so quickly thought of making this wholesome one pot meal which tastes best with potato chips, cucumber raita or khara boondi. Since all ingredients goes into cooker you will have enough time to spend with your guest which I did :). The literal translation of Bisibelebath to English is "hot lentil rice" where bisi means hot, bele means lentil and bath means a dish made out of rice. Over to the recipe of Bisibelebath, which is also called as sambhar rice in Tamilnadu.   

Ingredients: 

2 cups toor dal / sambhar dal 

2 cups of rice

1/4 kg of Washed and chopped veggies (carrots, beans, peas and potatoes) 

2 roughly chopped tomatoes 

1 lemon sized tamarind extract 

5-6 tsp MTR bisibele bath masala powder 

Salt powder as required

 

For seasoning: 

4-5 tsp ghee    

1 tsp mustard seeds 

2 tsp turmeric powder   

Handful of cashews ( optional)

Handful of curry and coriander leaves 

5-6 dry red chillies 

2 onions chopped lengthwise 

2 tomatoes finely chopped  

 

 

Method:   

Put dal, rice,veggies and tomatoes in a pressure cooker

Add 2 cups each water for each cup of rice, dal and veggies. That is about 8 cups of water since I have used 2 cups of rice and dal and 2 cups of veggies.  

 

Cook for 2-3 whistles.Bisibele bath needs more water than usual since we need a runny consistency.

 

Allow the steam to escape and let it cool. 

Once opening all Ingredients well 

 

Put the cooker back on very low flame and firstly add tamarind extract followed by salt as per your taste and 5-6 tsp of bisibele bath powder and keep stirring else it will get burnt.

 

 

 

Allow it to cook until the raw smell of masala powders leaves. It should take about 10-15 mins to get cooked, then off the flame.

Start the seasoning by heating 5/6 tsp of ghee and temper with mustard seeds, followed by curry leaves, red chillies, cashews,onions and tomatoes. Sauté it nicely for about 2-3 mins

Pour the seasoning onto the bisibele bath and serve.

 

Serve hot bisibele bath with cucumber raita or potato chips for a wholesome one pot meal.

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