Mughlai Biryani

Stolen from Kaush N. Bhatia's "Vegetarian Indian Cookbook" p. 41

1 cup long-grained rice - then cooked

1/4 cup French beans - cut & boiled
1/2 cup shelled peas
1/4 cup carrots (diced)
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 onions - sliced
2 tsps coriander powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric

a little saffron for colouring the rice
3 tbsps raisins for garnish

Chutney
1 sprig coriander
1/2" ginger
2 green chillies
1/2 cup sour curd / plain soya yoghurt

Gather the cooked rice and cook the French beans and maybe the carrots.
Grind the coriander, ginger and chillies for the chutney, add the curd and blend well. Set aside.
Heat some oil, add garam masala and then the onions, fry them for a bit and then add the vegetables and their seasoning and fry for 5 mins. Set aside.

Divide the rice into three portions and the vegetables into two.
Mix one of the rice portions with the chutney turning it green.
Tint one of the others with saffron.
Large serving dish:
first : white rice
then : vegetables
then : green rice
then : vegetables
top : yellow saffron rice.

Garnish with raisins and hey why not a few pistachios and gold coins.


I didn't have any saffron lying about so I used just white & green and heard no complaints. That was probably the gold coins mind.