About:
A healthy rice option is brown rice, which has more fibre than white rice. This flavorful biryani recipe is with capsicum, peas and fresh ground spices mixed with rice.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

For rice:

• Brown basmati rice – 1 1/2cup (soaked and drained)
• Clove -1
• Cardamom -1
• Bay leaf -1
• Salt – to taste
• Oil -2tsp

For biryani gravy:

• Chopped onion -1num
• Chopped capsicum -2num
• Tomato puree -2 tomatoes pureed in a blender
• Frozen/fresh peas -1cup
• Yogurt -1/2cup
• Chilli pwder -1tsp
• Turmeric -1/4tsp
• Ginger garlic paste -2tsp
• Green chilli -2num
• Salt -as per taste
• Chopped mint -2tbsp
• Chopped coriander -2tbsp
• Oil -1tbsp

For biryani powder:

• Red chilli -6 to 7num
• Coriander seeds -1tbsp
• Clove -3num
• Cinnamon -1inch
• Aniseed flower – 1

For garnishing:

• Roasted cashew/roasted almonds – 3tbsp
• Edible saffron soaked in 1-2tbsp of milk/water

Procedure:

• In a deep non-stick pan combine 4-5cups of water, cardamom, clove, salt, oil and bring it to boil.
• Add soaked and drained rice and cook on a medium flame for 18-20min or till the rice is almost cooked with the lid on.
• Strain the rice using strainer and keep aside.

For Masala:

• Dry roast the masala ingredients in the pan for 4-5 minutes and let it cool down.
• Throw the roasted masala ingredients into the mixer and ground it to the fine powder and set aside.

For biryani gravy:

• Heat oil in the non-stick pan add bay leaf, add onions and saute on a medium flame for 2-3mins /till the onions are translucent.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, slit green chillies, tomato puree and saute for few seconds, then add capsicum; peas mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5-8 minutes.
• Moving the pan away from the heat Add yogurt and mix well –this prevents the yogurt from curdling.
• Return the pan to the stove, turn heat to low ,Add chilli powder, turmeric, ground masala powder, salt and saute and cook for 8-10 minutes or till the capsicum and peas are almost cooked.
• If the gravy is thick add 1/2 cup of water and simmer another 3-5 minutes.
• Now the biryani layer can be done.
• Layering the biryani and can cook on the stove top or in the oven:
• Lightly grease a large non-stick pan/baking dish and layer the with half of the cooked rice ,half cilantro, mint , all biryani gravy, then remaining half rice, saffron dissolved in milk, remaining cilantro ,mint and roasted nuts and after layering
• To cook on the stove top place the sauce pan/non- stick pan and cook on a slow flame for 15-18mins

For baking:
• Place the layered baking dish in the oven and bake in the pre-heated for 15-20 minutes at 200deg c (Fan assisted).

Serve hot with any raita/ side dish.

Pistachio and Mint Raita:

Roasted Peanut and Cucumber Raita:

Capsicum Raita:

Note:
• The biryani gravy will be spicy by itself but when you mix it with rice it balances