Chettinad Vegetable Biryani

Wash and soak the rice for 30 mins. Wash and dice the vegetables like potato, carrot into medium cubes, cauliflower into medium florets, slice green beans into 1" lengthwise and some green peas.

Peel and chop the shallots. Chop the tomatoes. Fry the cashew nuts in ghee until golden brown. Clean and chop both pudina and coriander leaves. Break the green chilies into half.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add the whole spices tempering to the hot oil and saute for 1 minute.

Next add the shallots, green chillies to the pan, saute until onion turns pale. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute until raw smell leaves. Add the mixed vegetables to the pan and fry for 3 minutes. Add chopped pudina and coriander leaves (reserve some to garnish) to the pan and saute for 1 minute.

At this stage add chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder to the vegetables and mix well until tomatoes are tender. Add water to the pan, slightly cover with lid and bring vegetable mixture to boil.

When the water reaches rolling boil stage, add drained rice along with required salt to the pan. Stir well to combine everything and cover with lid, Pressure cook for 3 whistles,

Once the pressure falls, remove the lid, garnish with fired cashews, coriander leaves. Serve with onion Raitha.