Serves: 4
Total Calories: 905

1 tablespoon Hyderabadi Ginger-Garlic Paste
4 cups (1 recipe) Steamed Basmati Rice (Absorption Method)
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 cup milk (any kind)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped mixed raw nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, cashews, and walnuts
2 tablespoons melted ghee, or 1 tablespoon each ghee and peanut oil
2 sticks cinnamon (1-inch each)
6 whole cloves
5 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin
2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 to 3 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds
3 to 4 cups washed and chopped mixed fresh vegetables such as green beans, carrots, potatoes, eggplant, and peas
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1 to 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds

1. Prepare the ginger-garlic paste and the rice. Meanwhile, soak the saffron in milk 30 minutes or longer. Place the nuts in a small skillet and dry-roast them over medium heat, stirring and shaking the pan, until golden, about 3 minutes. Reserve.

2. Heat the ghee (or ghee and oil) in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until browned, about 7 minutes. Mix in the ginger-garlic paste and green chili peppers and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring, 5 to 7 minutes. Then add the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling, and cook until most of it is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. To assemble the biryani, baste the bottom of a clear oven-safe dish with some of the juices from the vegetables and spread half the rice in the pan. Layer all the vegetables over the rice and top with the lime juice, cilantro, and mint. Then spread the remaining half of the rice over the vegetables.

5. Drizzle the saffron milk over the rice and cover well with aluminum foil. Bake the rice until the grains are soft and the flavors are well-blended, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, fluff the rice lightly with a fork, garnish with the roasted nuts and cardamom seeds, and serve.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 905
Calories from Fat: 142

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