Brown Rice Biryani
Serves: 2 persons
Ingredients:
To cook the Rice:
- 1 cup brown rice
 - 6 cups water
 - ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
 - 2 green cardamom
 - 1 bay leaf
 - 2 black pepper
 - Salt to taste
 
Vegetables:
- ¼ cup sliced green bell pepper
 - ¾ cup pre-cut mixed vegetables (I used green peas, carrots, green beans)
 - 1 cup thinly sliced onion
 - 1 medium tomato chopped finely
 - 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
 - 2 tablespoon chopped mint
 

Vegetables and Spices
Spices and Seasoning:
- 2 cardamom
 - ¼ inch cinnamon
 - 1 bay leaf
 - 2 cloves
 - 1 tablespoon ginger paste
 - ½ tablespoon garlic paste
 - 3 tablespoon oil
 - ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
 - ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
 - 1 teaspoon garam masala
 - 2 tablespoon yogurt
 - Salt to taste
 
Method:
To cook the rice:
- Wash and rinse brown rice multiple times. Soak the rice in a cup of water for 20-30 minutes.
 - Get a big vessel and add 5 cups of water. Add cumin seeds, cardamom, bay leaf, black pepper, and salt into the water. Bring the water to boil.
 - Add soaked rice with the water to the boiling water in a pan. Stir it and let the rice cook. Do not put the lid on. Check the rice in between.
 - Brown rice takes a long time to cook than regular white rice. The rice should not be overcooked.
 - As soon as the rice is cooked, get a colander and pour the rice in. Let the water drain completely. Fluff with a fork and keep it aside to cool down.
 
To make the vegetable gravy:
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and add ¼ cup sliced onion. Fry the onion for 5 minutes. Take out the fried onion slices and keep it aside for the later use.
 - Add another tablespoon of oil in a same pan. Add remaining sliced onion. Add ginger and garlic paste. Stir it until the raw smell goes away.
 - Add chopped bell pepper and mixed vegetables. Mix it and let them cook. Add chopped tomatoes. Mix well. Let the tomatoes and vegetables cook properly.
 - Get 2 tablespoons of yogurt in a bowl and stir it to remove lumps. Add this beaten yogurt to the vegetables. Stir once again.
 - Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt , 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, and a tablespoon chopped mint to the vegetables. Give a quick stir.
 - Once the vegetables are cooked, turn off the flame.
 
_ Brown Rice_
To layer the biryani:
- Get a pan and lightly coat it with a cooking spray. Add little rice at the botton. Add half of the vegetable gravy all over the rice layer.
 - Add half of the fried sliced onion over the vegetable layer.
 - Add rice layer again, following the vegetable layer. The top layer should be rice layer. Add chopped cilantro, mint, and fried onion on top.
 - Turn on the flame on low-medium heat. Put the tava on it. Place the biryani pan on it. Put the lid on and let it cook for 30-40 minutes.
 - Serve hot.