One another interesting and delicious vegetarian briyani to my Biryani collections – Cauliflower Dum Briyani, which was inspired by a blogger friend – Lina.

I never expected this Cauliflower Dum Briyani would turn this much exotic and it was a hit in kitchen. My daughter thought as though it was chicken briyani and only when she found the cauliflower, she was shocked and told me never imagined it was cauliflower briyani. She packed it for lunch and told that all her friends loved it and want it to be packed more for other day.

Health benefits of Cauliflower: Cauliflower is a good source of fiber that aids in digestion and also prevents from abdominal disorders like stomach ulcers and colon cancer. It contains Vitamin-C which protects the joints and bones. Inclusion of cauliflower during pregnancy is essential due to the neural development of the baby.

I am taking this to Fiesta Friday #81 hosted by Angie@thenovicegarderner

Let us move on to the recipe…

Cauliflower Dum Briyani

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower – 1 no
• Basmathi rice – 2 cups
• Onions – 1 ½ no
• Yogurt/Curd – ¾ cup
• Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Tomato – 1 no
• Coriander leaves – a handful
• Mint leaves – a handful
• Chili powder – 1 ½ tsp
• Coriander powder – 2 tsp
• Cinnamon – 2 nos (1 inch stick)
• Cloves – 4 nos
• Bay leaf – 1 nos
• Shahi Jeera/Caraway Seeds – ½ tsp
• Cardamom – 3 nos
• Clarified Butter/Ghee – 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil – 1 cup

Onions, tomato, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom, ginger-garlic paste geeting cooked in ghee/clarified butter and oil

Marinated Cauliflower getting deep fried

With turmeric, chili and coriander powder

Marinated Cauliflower getting fried

With Curd/Yogurt

Oil floating on the top of the gravy

With cauliflower

Cauliflower getting cooked in a cup of water

Steamed rice layered over the cauliflower gravy

In Dum

It’s done

Cauliflower Dum Briyani

Preparation:

• Separate the cauliflower into medium sized florets.
• Blanch the cauliflower (soak them in boiling water with little salt for 10 mins), drain the water and keep it aside.
• Take the cauliflower florets in a large bowl, add in ginger-garlic paste, 2 tbsp of yogurt/curd and little salt, mix them gently and marinate for 30 mins.
• Wash and clean the rice, drain the water and keep it aside.
• Peel and finely chop the onions and tomatoes.
• Boil water in a kadhai, add in 2 nos of cloves, a cinnamon stick, and 2 nos of cardamom, shahi jeera/caraway seeds and rice along with the required quantity of salt for rice.
• Cover and cook, until the rice is 80% cooked, drain the water and keep it aside.
• Clean the coriander and mint leaves and grind them to fine paste by sprinkling little water.
• Meanwhile, heat a cup of oil in a kadai and deep fry the cauliflower florets, drain the oil and keep it aside.
• Heat oil and clarified butter in a kadai, add in the leftover cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf, cook for 3 mins.
• Add in the chopped onions and cook until they turn golden brown.
• Add in the chopped tomatoes and cook until they turn mushy.
• Pour in the ground coriander mint paste and cook until they dark green in color.
• Add in the turmeric powder, chili powder and coriander powder along with little salt and cook until the raw smell goes off.
• Pour in a cup of yogurt/curd and cook for few mins.
• Add in the deep fried cauliflower and pour in ½ cup of water, continue cooking for few mins.
• Once the cauliflower gets blended well with the masala, remove from fire and spread the rice on the top of the gravy and prepare for dum.
• Keep a griddle on the stove at medium flame and then keep the kadai over the griddle, cover it with the lid and place a weight over the plate. Keep in high flame for 5 to 10 mins (depends on the gravy with rice, be careful the rice or gravy should not be burned).
• Remove the lid and give a stir.

Serve hot with Raita and any veg gravy. I have accompanied it with raita.