Gobi Biryani Recipe – Spiced Cauliflower Rice

Gobi Biryani is a delectable and simple recipe of the traditional Biryani. The Biryani is perhaps the most widely consumed rice preparation in the world with maybe a few subtle variations across borders. It is a dish made with rice and a kurma (mixture of meat, seafood, or vegetables cooked with spices and yoghurt in a thick sauce) arranged in layers, mixed together, or sometimes even cooked together. Course : Lunch Ingridients : Ingredients for ghee rice 1 cup Basmati rice 1-1/2 cups Water 1 tablespoon Ghee 1 Onion , finely sliced 1/4 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera) 1/4 teaspoon Fennel seeds (Saunf) 2 Cardamom (Elaichi) Pods/Seeds , coarsely crushed 1 inch Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini) Salt , A pinch Ingredients for marination 1 teaspoon Red Chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi) Salt , A pinch Ingredients for cauliflower masala 1 Cauliflower (gobi) , separated into florets 3 Onions , finely sliced 2 Tomatoes , finely sliced 1/2 teaspoons Ginger , chopped 1/2 teaspoon Garlic , chopped 4 Green Chillies , coarsely crushed 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala powder 1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera) 1/2 cup Mint Leaves (Pudina) , finely chopped 1/2 cup Coriander (Dhania) Leaves , finely chopped Salt , to taste Ingredients for garnish 10 Cashew nuts 10 Sultana Raisins 1 Onion , finely sliced Instructions To begin making the Gobi Biryani, first prep all the ingredients and keep them ready.Heat ghee/oil in a wok/kadhai and roast the cashew nuts and raisins until the cashews are lightly browned and keep aside. Saute the sliced onions until the onions are lightly caramelized. Keep this aside.Soak rice in water for half an hour. Drain it and keep aside. Saute cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon for a few seconds.Add finely sliced onions and saute till it turns soft and transparent.Now add the rice and saute till glossy. Add 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt into it and cover with lid. Bring it to a boil. When it begins to boil, turn the heat to low and simmer the rice, until all the water is absorbed. At this stage turn the heat off. heat.Keep the lid closed for half an hour. Separate the rice with a fork without pressing it much.The next step is to prepare Gobi Biriyani with Cauliflower Masala. Marinate the cauliflower with the ingredients listed under "For Marination" and keep aside for 10 minutes. Shallow fry the marinated cauliflower slices in till crisp.Heat oil/ghee in a wok/kadhai and add finely sliced onion to it and saute till it becomes golden brown. Add crushed green chillies and chopped ginger and garlic and saute for a few minutes till raw smell goes away.Add the garam masala and cumin (jeera) powder and saute for a few seconds. Now add the sliced tomatoes along with desired salt and saute until tomato turn soft.Once oil separates, add the crispy fried cauliflower slices and mix well. Add coriander and mint leaves and toss well.Finally, add the cooked basmati rice on top and cover the pan and simmer for around 4 minutes on a low flame. Garnish the Gobi Biryani with fried onions, cashew and raisins. Serve Gobi Biryani along with Tomato Onion Cucumber Raita for a simple and delicious lunch or dinner.