Vegetable Biryani in the microwave

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Recent merger

I recently merged all my 3 blogs and transferred the admin privileges to my new ID. It made more sense to me this way – because it wasn’t getting easy to manage 3 blogs. So now, even my articles on cooking will be posted on this blog itself rather than on my other blog, What’s cooking? I’ll see if I can add the tags to all the food related articles so it should make navigation more blogger-friendly.

An amazing evening 

This evening, I made one of the best turned out recipes of my tenure in Dubai – Vegetable Biryani. I painstakingly procured all the ingredients from City Super market, Mohideen and Auchan ensuring that I had the best vegetables and rice for it. Took me really long – I started at around 6:30 and was done by 8pm. But I think, if you have a more powerful microwave and a skilled hand at chopping vegetables, you’d be better off.

Ikshu had joined me for dinner. And despite being a compulsive non-vegetarian, he thoroughly enjoyed the biryani. Well, that’s what he made me believe! Pooja and Santosh also tasted it and they too said that it had turned out well. But don't just fall for the image insert because I lifted  this one from the internet (I know its bad manners). Next time on, I'll remember to click a pic to post it with the article. You can try to make this preparation (I’ve given the recipe below) and do let me know how it turns out! I hope you enjoy it as much as we all did.

I'll continue posting these 'bachelor' cooking recipes for anyone who loves to try his/ hand at the wonderful art of cooking.

À la prochaine!

Recipe

Ingredients

•    Oil, about 3 tbsp.

•    Jeera (cumin seeds), about 1 tsp.

•    Potatoes, 2 large ones, diced 

•    Onions, 1 large one, julienne cut

•    Tomatoes, 1 medium sized one, chopped

•    Capsicum, half, diced

•    Mixed frozen vegetables, about 100g

•    Yoghurt, about 200g

•    Chillies, about 2 long ones, chopped

•    Turmeric, about a quarter of a tsp.

•    Garam masala, about 1 tsp.

•    Chilli powder, about 1 tbsp.

•    Biryani masala, about 1 heaped tbsp.

•    Ginger garlic paste, half tsp.

•    Coriander leaves, to garnish

•    Salt, as per taste

Method

1.    In the meanwhile, heat the oil in another bowl

2.    When it’s hot enough, add the jeera and let it splutter (yes, it does splutter in the microwave too)

3.    Add in half of the spices - the turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala, biryani masala and the ginger garlic paste

4.    Add the potatoes and allow it to cook till it’s about 70% done

5.    Add in all the vegetables and microwave-sauté it till it’s about nearly done

6.    Add the remainder of the spices

7.    Mix the yoghurt with the vegetables till they are well coated with the spices and yoghurt

8.    Cook the rice separately

9.    Add the rice with the vegetables along with an appropriate amount of salt

10.    Add in the green chillies and mix well

11.    Microwave for about 5 minutes

12.    Garnish with Coriander leaves and serve!