Cauliflower dum biryani

For all those veggies out there who thought they could never enjoy biryani…here is an amazing recipe for you all.
I’ve have come up with this recipe after 3 trials.
Hope you all try it and enjoy it!!
That’s the pic before baking it. Will soon start uploading pics for each step. Can’t do it now cause I’m busy with exams.

Ingredients:

Marination:
1. 1 cup of cauliflower florets blanched
2. 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste freshly prepared( in case you are used to the flavour of shop bought one please go ahead with it)
3. 2 ground green chillies
4. 1 tsp chilli powder
5. 1 tbsp curd
6. Salt to taste

Method
1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hrs.
2. Now dust it with maida or dip it in a batter of maida and deep fry the florets

For the masala
1. 3 onions- thinly diced
2. 2 tomatoes- pureed
3. 1 handful of mint and another handful of coriander ground together
4. 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
5. Salt- to taste
6. Home made garam masala or store bought- 1/2 tsp
7. Elaichi powder- one pinch
8. Chilli powder- to taste
9. Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
10.Cumin powder- one tsp
11. Oil- 3 tbsp
12. Curd- 1/2 cup
Method:
1. add the oil in a kadai and stir fry the onions till golden brown.
2. Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute till smell vanishes.
3. Add the pureed tomatoes, chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder. Fry till smell of the tomatoes vanishes and oil starts separating.
4. Now beat the curds with a fork and add it followed by the mint and coriander paste.
5. Stir for exactly two minutes and add garam masala and elaichi and 1/2 cup water.
6. Stir till water evaporates then switch off the gas and add the fried florets. Keep aside.

For the rice:
1. Kohinoor basmati rice gold XL( or any basmati would do but I prefer this one)- 1 & a 1/2 cups, soaked in water for 30 min.
2. 1 bay leaf
3. 1 inch cinnamon stick
4. 4 cloves
5. 1 mace( can be omitted)
6. 2 green cardamom
7. Salt- to taste
8. 4 1/2 cups of water
9. 1 star annasi

Method:
1. Add the water and all the masala and salt to a vessel and bring to boil.
2. Now add the rice and continuously keep stirring.
3. When it is in a partially boiled state, immediately strain it and rinse it in cool water

Other:
1. 1 lime thinly sliced
2. 1 onion thinly diced and deep fried
3. 5 saffron strands soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk.
4. Coriander for garnish

For the dum:
1. Preheat the oven to 220 degree Celsius for 10 min.
2. Layer the rice followed by the masala followed by another layer of rice.
3. Now add the other topping and pour the saffron milk through the sides.
4. Tightly seal with rolled out chappati dough. Ensure there are no gaps.
5. Now bake for 20 min at 200 degree Celsius.
6. Make sure the rice is well cooked. Timings may change with respect to the oven. There other ways also to do the dum like keeping a vessel covered with a muslin cloth and a lid on a tava on simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or so.