Vegetable Korma Biriyani with Bread koftas

It was a fine sunday with a very fine mood to cook. I wanted to make something special for my sweetheart. When I asked him what he would like to eat he said "Pulao of your Choice". So I searched, searched, searched!! Finally concluded with this particular dish, which he liked it a lot. It requires a bit of patience, but totally worth it. My hubby was eating the koftas, piping hot, as soon as I finished frying it. LOL!!! 

Here is the recipe;

Method

For the bread koftas

• Bread - 6 - 7
• Salt - 1.5 tsp
• Green chillies - 2, finely chopped
• Coriander leaves - a few, finely chopped
• Garlic - 4 cloves, finely chopped
• Onion - 1, finely chopped
• Curd - 1 tsp, beaten
• Cornflour - 2 tblspn
• Water - 2 tblspn
• Oil - to shallow fry

For biriyani

• Ghee - 1 tblspn
• Cashews - 8 - 9
• Raisins - 1 tblspn
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Cloves - 2 nos
• Cardamaom - 2 nos
• Onion - 1/2 no, thinly sliced
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Green chilly - 1, slit
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander leaves - few, finely chopped
• Mint leaves - few, finely chopped
• Yoghurt - 1 tblspn, beaten
• Long grained basmati rice - 2 cups
• Coconut milk / Water -2 cups

For the Vegetable Korma

• Oil - 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Onion - 1, sliced
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tblspnw
• Mint leaves - few
• Coriander leaves - few
• Green chillies - 2 nos, chopped
• Tomato puree - from 2 big tomatoes
• Vegetables - 1 cup (Carrot, beans, green peas, Capsicum, corn, broccoli, cauliflower etc)
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Chilli powder- 1 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Fennel powder - 1 tsp
• Kitchen king masala/ garam masala - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp

To garnish 

• Caramelized Onions
• Coriander leaves 

Method

For the koftas

• Cut the sides of the bread and crush it in a mixer to get fine bread crumbs
• Transfer this in to a bowl and combine all ingredients in the "For Koftas" list in the ingredients section.
  Add 1 tblspn water in to it and knead them like a dough
• Divide in to 6 or 7 equal portion and roll them between your fists to make an oval or round shaped bread koftas. Keep aside
• In another bowl combine cornflour and water. Mix well
• Heat some oil in a pan (preferably non-stick or Ceramic pan) and keep the heat medium. Dip each koftas in corn slurry and place them on the pan.
• Keep changing the sides using your spatula, for every 10 or 15 seconds in order to get the even cooking on all the sides.
• Once you see the koftas are golden brown from all the sides, drain them using kitchen towel and keep it aside

For the Biriyani

• Wash and soak basmati rice for about 20 minutes.
• Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Saute until it releases its nice aroma. Now add the cashews. Fry till it starts getting brown. Now add the raisins.
• Add onions, green chillies and ginger garlic paste. Fry until onions become translucent. Add salt
• Now add the chopped coriander and mint leaves and curd
• Drain the water completely from the soaked rice and add to the pressure cooker. Mix well.
• Add 2 cups of water/ Coconut milk. Let it come to 1 boil. Now, close the pressure cooker lid and allow it to cook until it gives 1 whistle.
• Turn off the heat and let the pressure release by itself. Open the pressure cooker lid. Fluff the rice with fork. Do not mix it with spatula until the rice its a bit cooled down.
• Keep it aside.

For the Vegetable Korma

• Heat oil in a pan and crackle cumin seeds.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and onions. Cook until onion becomes translucent and raw smell goes away from ginger and garlic.
• Add all the vegetables. Add water until it covers the vegetables in the pan. Add turrmeric. Close the lid and allow it to cook until vegetables are tender. 
• Now add the tomato puree. Mix well. Close the lid and cook for another 3 minutes, until the raw smell from tomato vanishes.
• Add salt, sugar and all the spice powders; coriander powder, chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala and fennel seeds powder.
• Add coriander leaves and mint leaves. Close the lid again and let it cook in a medium heat for about 5 minutes. 

How to proceed?

• Transfer the rice in to a pan containing vegetable korma. Bring it to heat. Keep stirring. Add the koftas and mix well. Once it is hot, turn off the heat. Let it sit like that for 5 - 10 mnutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and caramelized onions and serve hot.
• Enjoy with raithas of your choice.