Ingredients

• 1.5 cups - long grain rice
• 2 - potatoes, quartered boiled
• 2 - capsicums, cut into strips
• 2 - onions, chopped into strips
• 2 - onions, quartered
• 2 - tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup - slices mixed vegetables, French beans, carrots, cauliflower.
• 1 tsp - ginger, grated
• 1 tsp - garlic, grated
• 1 cup - curd
• 2 - bay leaves
• 2 - cloves
• 1 inch - cinnamon stick
• 2 - cardamoms
• 5 - whole black peppers
• 1 tsp - red chilli powder
• 1 tsp - garam masala
• 1/4 tsp - turmeric powder
• 3 pinches - asafoetida
• 1 tbsp - lemon juice
• 1 tbsp - coriander chopped
• 15 - cashews
• 10 to 12 - almonds sliced to flakes
• 5 tbsp - ghee
• salt to taste.

How to Make Shahi Biryani

• Wash and soak rice in salted water for 30 mins.
• Heat ghee in a heavy saucepan. Fry onion strips till crisp, brown, drain, keep aside.
• Fry cashews till light brown, drain, keep aside.
• Fry capsicums till tender, drain, keep aside.
• Meanwhile, heat 6 cups water in a large vessel.
• Add bay leaves, peppers, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, salt.
• When it comes to boil, drain and add rice.
• Bring to boil, cook for 8-9 mins, till rice is just but not fully done.
• Drain in a large colander, spread in a big plate, cool.
• Grind quartered onions, ginger, garlic to a paste.
• In hot ghee, add paste stir fry for 2-3 mins.
• Add all powdered masalas, tomatoes, mixed vegetables, stir, cook till fat separates.
• Beat curd, add, stir till the boil resumes, cook 2-3 mins.
• Add potatoes, stir, keep aside.
• To fill handi:
• Grease an oven-proof handi well on the inside.
• Place in half of rice, spread at the bottom.
• Top with half vegetables layer, spread over rice.
• Mix together fried onions, capsicums, cashews, sliced almonds, coriander.
• Sprinkle half over vegetable layer.
• Sprinkle half lemon juice all over.
• Repeat rice to lemon juice layer by layer.
• Either cover with fitting lid, seal edges with chapati dough or seal top with a tightly packed foil sheet.
• Make a small slit for excess steam to escape.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 130 C for 15-20 mins.
• Break seal at the table and serve.