Special Vegetable biriyani

Nostalgic! This dish is dedicated to my dear brother who lives in Australia now. This vegetable biriyani is his favorite. We do this specially on sundays. Getting up late, reading paper with coffee, watching TV, having nice oil bath.. we will all be hungry for scrumptious biriyani that my mom used to prepare. When she prepares this biriyani, my bro would not like to eat anything after that as he wants that taste to linger in for sometime. I learnt this recipe from my mom. He has already tasted when I prepared and gave me 5* comments for this. Now, It has been 2 years
since I met him, thought would pass it on to him through this wonderful event "Just for you". So here the recipe goes..
Basmathi rice - 2 cups
Diced vegetables - (carrot, beans, cauliflower, turnip, peas, potato) - 2 cups
onion - 1
To grind
mint leaves - 15 leaves
garlic pod - 4
ginger - 1 inch piece
green chillies - 4
cardomon - 3
cloves - 4
fennel seeds - 2 tbsp
cinnamon - 2 inch piece
cashew nuts - 3
poppy seeds - 1 tbsp
coconut - 1 tbsp
Seasoning
bread slices - 2
salt

• Wash and soak basmathi rice in water for 20 mins.
• Wash the mint leaves and saute it in the pan, until the raw smell goes and keep it aside.
• In the same pan, add 3tbsp of oil and when it is hot, saute the onions.
• Then add all the vegetables and saute it well.
• Now add all the ingredients to grind and make it a smooth paste.
• Add the grounded paste to the cooked vegetables and cook it in open for 4 mins until the water evaporates.
• Now add the soaked rice to the cooked vegetables and spices and add 4 cups of water to it.
• Add required amount of salt.
• Squeeze in a tbsp of lemon juice so that the rice does not stick together and cook it for about 20 mins until the rice is cooked.
• Meanwhile, cut the bread into cubes and shallow fry it in ghee. Or you can even toast the entire slice in a pan adding little ghee until crisp and then cut it into cubes and add it to the cooked rice. It really tastes good.
• Serve it with onion tomato raitha.

This is an entry to "Justforyou" event.