This is vegetarian preparation of biryani using beetroot as the only vegetable. It has all the flavours of a biryani but made with beetroot as the main ingredient. So deliicous!

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup canola oil
2” stick dark cassia cinnamon bark
6 Green Cardamoms
6 cloves
a pinch of shahi zeera
3 large onions sliced
1 heaped tbs ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
4 medium sized tomatoes
1/2 cup yogurt
6-8 green chillies
Salt as per taste
3 cups grated beetroot
1 cup chopped cilantro
A few fresh mint leaves
A pinch of saffron (Irani or Spanish saffron)
A pinch of orange food colouring

Instructions:

1. Peel, wash and grate the beetroot. Peel and slice the onions, remove the stem from the green chillies.

2. Fry the onions in oil till golden brown on medium heat after adding the whole garam masala spices(cloves, green cardamom and cinnamon, shahi zeera and bay leaf. (Shahi zeera and bay leaf are optional).

3. When the onions turn golden brown, add the ginger garlic paste followed by turmeric and kashmiri chilli powder (I prefer kashmiri chilli for its deep red colour and good flavour) Stir for a few seconds, then immediately add the diced tomatoes. Once they soften a bit toss in the yogurt, green chillies and salt

4. Now throw in the grated beetroot. Turn over and mix well in the masala. Add mint leaves and chopped cilantro. Let it cook for sometime on simmer.

5. Meanwhile boil the basmati rice in another pot filled with water. Add 1 1/2 heaped tablespoons of salt to the boiling rice. When you taste the water after adding salt it should taste like sea water, so adjust the salt accordingly. Cook the rice till it is half done. The outer layer of the grains should have softened a little and when you press it in between your index finger and thumb it should leave at least 2 or 3 round uncooked grains. It is now time to drain the rice using a strainer or a perforated colander.

6. Pour the steaming hot rice over the beetroot masala. Take a a tablespoon of the boiled rice, add some food colouring to it, mix well and sprinkle the coloured rice on top. Also throw in a few mint leaves and chopped coriander. Then let it steam in a preheated oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit. Remove from oven after 15 mins. Turn over the biryani rice gently from the bottom to the top with a round spatula to mix well. Serve hot with onion raita.

7. Enjoy the Beetroot Biryani with roasted chicken, meat, shrimp or any of your favourite side dishes.

Recipe