Description
A vibrant and aromatic spiced vegetable biryani featuring roasted cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and green beans cooked with fragrant basmati rice in a saffron-infused curry stock. This wholesome vegetarian dish is topped with fresh coriander and crunchy cashew nuts, served alongside cooling raita and poppadoms for a complete, flavorful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Rice
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small cauliflower, broken into small florets
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 140g trimmed green beans, halved
- 500g basmati rice
Stock and Spices
- 1 liter hot vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp hot curry paste (Madras recommended)
- 1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
- Large pinch of saffron strands
- 2 tsp mustard seeds (black or white)
Finishing & Garnish
- 2 lemons, juice only
- A handful of fresh coriander leaves
- 50g salted roasted cashew nuts
To Serve
- Poppadoms
- Raita (see notes for homemade recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat and Heat Oil: Preheat your oven to 220°C (fan 200°C/gas mark 7). Pour the vegetable oil into a large roasting tin or ovenproof dish and place it in the oven for a couple of minutes until the oil is hot.
- Roast Vegetables: Add the cauliflower florets, sweet potatoes, and sliced onion into the hot oil in the tin. Stir well to coat them evenly with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Return the tin to the oven and roast the vegetables for 15 minutes or until they start to brown and soften.
- Prepare Stock Mixture: While the vegetables roast, combine the hot vegetable stock with the curry paste, finely chopped red chilli, saffron strands, and mustard seeds in a bowl. Stir to mix the flavors evenly.
- Add Rice and Green Beans: Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven. Add the basmati rice and halved green beans to the tin with the vegetables, mixing everything together evenly.
- Pour Stock and Cover: Pour the prepared stock mixture over the rice and vegetables, ensuring everything is submerged. Reduce the oven temperature to 190°C (fan 190°C/gas mark 5). Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil to trap steam during cooking.
- Bake Biryani: Place the covered dish back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid.
- Finish and Garnish: Remove the foil and stir in the fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavors. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Scatter chopped fresh coriander leaves and the salted roasted cashew nuts over the top.
- Serve: Serve the spiced vegetable biryani hot, accompanied by a pile of crispy poppadoms and a cooling bowl of raita.
Notes
- You can use store-bought raita or make your own by mixing half a finely chopped cucumber and half a finely chopped small red onion with 200g natural yogurt, adding 1 tbsp chopped mint, a pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- To make this dish vegan, ensure your curry paste contains no animal products and use plant-based yogurt for the raita.
- Saffron adds both flavor and color; soak the strands in a little warm stock if you want a more even distribution before adding.
- For extra texture, you can toast additional cashew nuts and sprinkle on top just before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: spiced biryani, vegetable biryani, Indian rice dish, vegetarian biryani, saffron biryani, roasted vegetables, hot curry paste, basmati rice
