To make Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani, first wash the rice twice and soak the rice in sufficient water for half an hour.

For cooking the rice boil water, atleast four times the quantity of the rice. Add the above mentioned whole spices and salt to it.

When the water comes to a boil, drain the soaked rice and add to the boiling water and give it a good stir.

Add the lemon juice and stir.

When the rice is almost cooked, i.e. just one grain is remaining to be cooked, switch off the flame.

Drain all the rice in a sieve and set aside.

In the meantime, wash and chop the vegetables as mentioned above. Keep aside till use.

Heat the milk and add the saffron to it. Keep aside till use.

At the same time, heat the oil for the birista in a kadhai and start frying the sliced onions. Add a pinch of salt to each batch to hasten the browning and to get crisp fried onions.

When done, in the same oil fry the potato wedges too and set aside.

Heat some water for boiling the vegetables.

Boil the carrots, french beans and the cauliflower florets separately, in the boiling water and drain. Set aside till use.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil for tempering.

First saute the chopped bell peppers in the hot oil and set aside.

Now add the whole spices mentioned for tempering to the hot oil.

As soon as they splutter, add the chopped onions and a little salt. Saute till onions turn a little brown

Grind the ginger and garlic to a fine paste and add it to the browned onions. Saute for a while.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook covered till they turn mushy. Add salt to taste.

Add the whisked curds to this mixture and saute continuously on high flame till the mixture becomes a little thick.

Add all the vegetables and give it a good stir. Cover and give it one steam. The biryani masala is now ready.

Place a thick griddle on the gas stove and start heating it.

To layer the biryani, spread some homemade ghee at the bottom of a heavy bottomed pan.

Spread some prepared vegetable masala over it. Spread half the cooked rice over the masala.

Roughly tear the mint leaves and spread them over the rice. Spread half of the birista too.

Spread the remaining biryani masala over it and again cover with a layer of the remaining rice. Spread the birista over this layer. Drizzle some homemade ghee over it.

Make four vertical holes in the biryani in the four mid corners with the handle of a spoon.

Pour the saffron milk equally in these holes. Seal with the cooked rice and drizzle the kewra water over it.

Cover the pan with a foil and place a lid tightly over it.

Place the pan on the hot griddle on high flame for the first 5 minutes and then on low flame for 8-10 minutes.

Switch off the heat and set aside for about 15 minutes.

Uncover and transfer the biryani to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve this delicious Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani with some salad and a cooling boondi raita!