Layered Soya Veg Biryani

I had seen a similar recipe in a cookery show, in which I made some modifications. Also, I was not sure before preparing this one, as I had never used soya chunks with rice. But the final outcome was just amazing and soya chunks tasted delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soya chunks
• 1 cup rice
• 2 cups mixed boiled vegetables (carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower, capsicum, corn, etc)
• 1 onion – finely chopped
• 2 green chillies – finely chopped
• 1-2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tomato – finely chopped
• ½ cup curd (beaten well)
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 tbsp ghee
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
• ¼ tsp clove powder
• ½ cup fried onions
• 2 tbsp saffron milk
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves

For dry masala:

• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 3 tsp coriander-cumin powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp biryani masala (any brand)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi

Method:

1. Cook soya chunks for 5-7 minutes in boiling water. Wash with cold water and drain the water from them.
2. Soak the rice for 30 minutes and cook with salt, 2 tsp ghee, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and clove powder with double water. Mix all the vegetables in the rice once it is cooked.
3. Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds and onion. Fry till golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and green chillies and sauté till one minute. Add chopped tomatoes and cook well. Then add soya chunks and mix it well. Add curd and all dry masala in it. Stir well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Finally add coriander leaves.
4. In a microwave safe bowl, make a layer of rice. Then make a layer of spiced soya chunks. Sprinkle some fried onions on it. Repeat these three layers again in the same order. Finally make top layer with rice. Pour some saffron milk over it and sprinkle remaining fried onions.
5. Cover the vessel with silver foil and put it on a convection mode on 220°C for 5-7 minutes. (Remember: Not on microwave mode at all because of foil).
6. Serve hot with raita.

(Note: If you do not have a microwave, you can treat step 5 as optional. The biryani would taste delicious even otherwise.)