Seepla Vegetable Biriani - A Spicy Vegetable Rice

SEEPLA VEGETABLE BIRIANI  

 As I enjoy the delicious Hyderabadi Vegetable Biriani meticulously prepared by Dibs here at the 

moment , it strikes me that I have not posted the recipe of 'Seepla Vegetable Biriani' in Chitra Amma's Kitchen till now !

'Seepla Vegetable Biriani' was our entry for the Blogger Aid Cook Book released six years ago !  Here is what Dibs wrote in our blog post dated March 4, 2009 about this special version of Biriani:

"Biryani or Biriani, is one of the most popular rice based dishes, popularized by Muslim merchants and travelers across the Middle East and South Asia. There are as many delicious adaptations as there are regions. For example, there are distinct differences between a Sindhi Biryani, a Bengali Biriyani, the Awadhi Biryani of Lucknow, or the famous Hyderabadi Biryani.

Of all the special Birianis, the one made by Rukmini from our native village Seeplaputhur, is the one we cherish most! Her dish is reminiscent of the delicious flavours and aromas of kitchens in deep interior Tamil Nadu. It is made of ingredients that are quite unusual for Biryanis! Suffice to say you would not find this kind of Biriani, anywhere in the world! We are naming this unique recipe ‘Seepla Vegetable Biriani’ after our village Seeplaputhur, and sending it for the

 BloggerAid Cook Book.

 

Rukmini’s biriany has a unique flavour . My family loves the South Indian tinge in the dish which is not available even in the best of biriani joints. The secret? She includes coconut, pepper, curry leaves, sambar powder and cumin seeds along with the other regular ingredients commonly used in its preparation. Give it a try and you may also get addicted to it. 

Both Chitra Amma, and I tried this recipe at Bangalore and Sydney respectively, with local ingredients to test out proportions and so on. Both birianis turned out delicious – the vegetables and rice were cooked just right, and every grain had absorbed the yummy masalas!

You can see Chitra Amma’s Bangalore trial here :








 This is my trial at Sydney !" 

Now here goes the recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

Rice – 2 tea cups

Carrots – 2

Potatoes – 2

Beans – a fistful

Curd – ½ a cup

Salt – 2 tsps

INGREDIENTS FOR GRINDING:

Onion – 1 big

Fresh ginger – 2” piece

Garlic - 6 pods

Green chillies – 2

Turmeric powder – 1 pinch

Sambar powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Coconut gratings – 2 tbsps

Fresh mint leaves – ¼ cup

FOR SEASONING:

Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp

Black pepper – ½ tsp

Cinnamon – 2” piece

Cloves – 8

Cardamom – 4

Curry leaves – a few

FOR GARNISHING :
Fried bread pieces – a few

Onion slivers roasted into a golden colour – ¼ cup

Cooking oil – 6 tbsps

METHOD:

1. Grind all the ingredients given into a smooth paste and keep aside.

2. Wash rice and soak for 20 minutes.

3. Cut all the vegetables into thick and long pieces.

4. Heat 2 tsps of oil in a pan and add half of the cumin seeds.

5. When it is fried add half of the cinnamon sticks, cloves and the cardamom.

6. Add half of the slightly crushed pepper and fry.

7. Pour the seasoning into the rice and pressure cook with three and a half cups of water. Let it cool.

8. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and add the remaining cumin seeds, pepper, cinnamon, cloves , cardamom and the curry leaves.

9. Add the cut vegetables and sauté with a pinch of salt.

10. When the vegetables are crisply done add the ground masala and fry until the oil comes out.

11. Add the curd and cook until the white colour of the curd changes into a reddish colour and blends into the masala.

12. Add salt and cook for two more minutes, and remove from flame.

13. Add the cooked rice and blend with the gravy without mashing up the dish.

14. Add the fried onion slivers and blend again.

15. Put back the pan on low flame and cover with a lid.

16. Let the flavour seep into each and every grain of rice.

17. When done decorate with fried bread pieces . 

18. Blanched almonds, fried cashew nuts or fried paneer pieces are other options for garnishing. 

 

Keep the biriani tightly covered with a lid so that it does not lose its flavour. Let it settle down with the flavour of the seasoning for a while before you start relishing it. Warm it up in a microwave or steam it in a pressure cooker just before serving.