Veg. Dum Biriyani

Ingredients:
Basumati Rice - 2 cups
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon stick - 1
Star Anise - 1
Cloves - 3-4
Everest Veg. Biriyani Powder - 3 tsp
Onions - 2 large
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Tomatoes - 2
Curd/yogurt - 1 cup
Boiled vegetables - 1 cup (carrots, green beans, potato, cauliflower, peas)
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves finely choped
Oil - 4 tbs
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Saffron strands soaked in milk - 6-7 in 1 cup milk
Butter - 2 tbs (optional)
Dry fruits - almonds, cashews, raisins
Wheat flour - 250 gm
Salt to taste


Preparation:
- Wash and boil the rice with little salt and Bay leaf till 3/4th cooked and keep aside.
- Thinly slice onions, take a pan , pour in little oil, fry a portion of the onions till golden brown and crispy, drain keep aside.
- Similarly, fry all the dry fruits (cashews, raisins and almonds), drain and keep aside.
- In the same pan, add some more oil, add cinnamon, star anise, cloves and onion, fry them. Once the onion is cooked or is slightly brown add the ginger garlic paste and stir fry, then add veg biriyani powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, boiled vegetables and 2 pureed tomatoes.
- Cook till oil separates out, add 1/2 cup of yogurt and salt... mix well.
- When it becomes slightly thick, add finely chopped coriander leaves to it.
- Now grease a cooker or any deep vessel, spread a layer of rice, top it with the above veg. mix, sprinkle some saffron+milk liquid over, top with dry fruits+fried onions+some coriander and little butter. Repeat this layering till all the rice and veg. curry mix fills the vessel in layers.
- Now knead the wheat flour to make a nice dough. Take a right fitting lid for the vessel, cover and seal the lid to the vessel with the wheat dough OR cover the lid with aluminum foil, cover it with a lid and keep a heavy weight on top of it so that the layers inside cook in its own steam and no steam escapes out. 
- Take a heavy bottomed tava, heat it and put the gas on simmer. Now keep the vessel on the tava and cook for approximately 10-15 minutes. 
- Remove and garnish with fried onions, almonds, kaju raisins and finely chopped fresh coriander.