Vegetable Briyani

Ingredients:
Basmati or ponni raw rice            : 1 cup
Onion                                          : 2 nos.( medium size )thinly sliced                                              

Tomato                                       : 1 no. diced
Garlic                                           : 6 to 7 cloves nicely chopped
Ginger( optional)                          : a small piece chopped
{or ginger-garlic paste                  : 1Tsp}
Beans                                           : 1/2 cup cut pieces
Carrot                                           : 1/2 or 1 cup
Green peas                                    : 1/4 cup

Capsicum                                      : 1/2 cup diced
Coriander leaves                            : 1/2 cup chopped
Green chilly                                   : 1 or 2 
Red chilly powder                          : 1/2 to 3/4 tsp
Jeera( cumin )                                : 1/2 Tsp
Sombu( fennel )                             :1/2 Tsp
Cinnamon( pattai )                        : 2 sticks
Jeera powder                                : 1/2 Tsp
Garam masala                                :1/2 Tsp
Cardamom                                     : 3 nos.
Cloves                                            : 4 nos.
Brinji leaves                                   : 2 nos.

mushroom optional

cooking oil                                     : 4-5 Tsp
water                                            : 1 1/2 cup for basmati rice
                                                    : 2 cups for raw rice

Note: Instead of 2 cups of water can use 1 cup milk( or coconut milk ) & 1 cup water

Method :
Keep a thick bottomed kadai or cooker on a slow flame.
Add cooing oil.
When the oil is hot splutter jeera, sombu, cardamom,cloves & pattai.
Immediately add green chillies & then red chilly powder.
Do not allow the red chilly powder to turn black.
Add onions & saute till it completely loses its water content.
keep stirring onions & in the mean time wash rice once & soak.
Once the onions are done, add coriander ( save a small quantity for garnishing ) & then add tomatoes.
When the tomato completely blended with onions add vegetables one by one & all the other powders mentioned.
Now drain water completely from rice and add to the kadai keeping flame on HIGH till the water in the rice goes off.
Now bring back the flame to SIM.
Keep stirring till the rice turn slightly bright white.

Now transfer it to cooker & add water.
Add salt & stir to completely dissolve salt.
Close the cooker & put on the weight.
Keep on HIGH flame till one whistle & then let it be on SIM for 5 minutes.
Switch OFF & open when the steam has gone off.

Mix the briyani very lightly & garnish with coriander leaves.

Note: If you are doubling the amount of rice, double the water and other ingredients.
But take salt 1 1/2 times.
If the salt seems to be less we can add while eating.