Vegetable Biryani and Dal Makhani
Fragrant basmati layered with warming whole spices, mint and crispy onions, alongside a rich, smoky dal makhani slow-cooked until velvety.2 hours prep
16 hours cook
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 250 gwhole black urad dal
- 125 gred kidney beans (rajma)
- 125 gchana dal
- 1.5 Lwater, plus hot water as needed
- 1 tbspfresh ginger garlic paste
- 2 green chillis
- 4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsptomato puree
- 1/2 tspred chilli powder
- 1 tspdeggi mirch
- 3 tbspEast End Desi ghee
- 100 gbutter
- 2 cloves
- 4 green cardamon pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 whole nutmeg
- q blade of mace
- 1 Small square of muslin, tied into a pound
- a splash single cream
- 1 tspdried fenugreek leaf (methi)
- 1/2 tspgaram masala
- 1/2 tspground coriander
- a handful fresh coriander, chopped
- 400 gLaila basmati rice
- 1.1 litreswater
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 + 1 East End Desi ghee
- 2 tbspcooking oil
- 1/2 tspturmeric
- 1 tspcumin
- 3 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 black cardamom
- 3 green cardamon
- a grating of nutmeg
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 400 gmixed vegetables
- 1 tbspbiryani masala
- a handful fresh mint leaves
- a handful fresh coriander
- a few drops rose water
- to taste crispy fried onions (birista)
- to serve yoghurt, or raita
For the dal:
For the biryani:
Together, they’re Raj and Gurjit’s favourite Diwali centrepieces, shared from Raunka Punjab restaurant for your family celebrations. Both feed a crowd, and the dal is the dish everyone goes back for seconds of. Pick up every ingredient in one shop at Sainsbury’s and look out for Nectar Prices to help your money go further, so you’re ready for the big celebrations with more time to spend with the people you love.
Method
FOR THE DAL: Soak the pulses. Rinse the urad dal, kidney beans and chana dal together until the water runs clear. Cover with plenty of fresh water and soak for 8 hours, then drain.
Build the pot. Add the soaked pulses to a large, heavy-bottomed pot with the 1.5 litres of water. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, tomatoes, tomato purée, chilli powder, deggi mirch, ghee and butter. Tie the whole spices into the muslin and drop the pouch in.
Boil hard. Bring to a rolling boil and keep it there for at least 10 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
Slow cook. Cover and cook over a very gentle, steady heat for up to 16 hours. Check in regularly and top up with hot water so the dal never dries out or catches on the bottom.
Mash. Once the pulses are completely soft, lift out the spice bag. Mash some of the dal against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon until it’s thick, smooth and creamy.
Finish and serve. Stir in the cream, fenugreek, garam masala and ground coriander, then scatter over fresh coriander. Serve hot with naan, roti or rice.
FOR THE BIRYANI: Soak the rice. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then soak for 30 minutes and drain.
Par-cook the rice. Bring the water to the boil with the bay leaves and ghee. Add the rice and cook until it’s about 80% done, so it still has a slight bite. Drain and set aside.
Temper the spices. Heat the oil and ghee in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over a low heat. Add the turmeric, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, both cardamoms and nutmeg, and stir until fragrant.
Cook the vegetables. Add the onions, tomatoes and mixed vegetables, then stir in the biryani masala. Cook until the vegetables are partly tender but still hold their shape and colour.
Layer and steam. Spread the rice in an even layer over the vegetables. Cover tightly so no steam escapes (a sheet of foil under the lid helps) and cook on a low heat for 10–15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to rest, covered, for 5–10 minutes.
Finish and serve. Scatter over the mint and coriander, sprinkle with a few drops of rose water and top with crispy onions. Serve with yoghurt or raita.
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