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lid.
    Reduce the heat to minimum. In other words, if cooking on
gas, turn the knob to SIM (mer).
    Let the rice cook for 20-25 minutes. Please check that the
rice has cooked well.
    Switch off the heat source and let the rice remain in the
vessel for another 5 minutes.
    Take out the rice. Your Vegetable biryani is ready.
    If using a rice cooker
    In a pan/vessel, add the clarified butter and place on fire.
    When the butter warms up, add the cumin seeds. As soon as it
starts giving a nice aroma, in less than a minute, add the onion slices and fry
till translucent. Do please make sure that the spices brown and not burn,
otherwise your dish will be totally spoiled. 
    Add the ginger and garlic. Stir for a minute.
    Add all the vegetables except the Paneer (cottage
cheese) and stir well.
    Now add the turmeric, chilli powder, coriander and garam
masala and again stir well.
    Pour the tomato puree over this mixture and stir till the
tomatoes give off a nice aroma. That’s the indication that they are getting
cooked.
    Add now the paneer (or tofu) and the blanched
almonds.
    Add the salt and sugar. Now add the rice.
    Stir well.
    Switch off the heat source and put all the ingredients into
the rice cooker.
    Add the water.
    Switch on the rice cooker and the let the rice cook. The
rice cooker will switch off on its own when the rice is cooked.
    Prep time: 20 minutes
    Cooking time: 12 minutes with a pressure cooker; 20-25
minutes with a deep thick bottomed pan; and as indicated in the rice cooker
manual
    Total time: 32 minutes with a pressure cooker; 40-45 minutes
with a deep thick bottomed pan
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Navratna Pulao (Nine Jewels Rice dish)

    This is the ultimate vegetarian pilaf dish. Savour this on
those really special occasions.
    Ingredients
    Long grain rice (Basmati)-2 cups
    Cottage Cheese ( Paneer ) or Tofu-200 grams (7oz) (1
cup)
    Peas-1/4 cup
    Carrots cut into small pieces-1/4 cup
    Cauliflower florets-1/4 cup
    Raisins-2 tablespoon
    Roasted Cashew nuts-3 tablespoon (The method to roast the
cashew nuts: in a small pan, add about a tablespoon of cooking oil. Put the pan
on your heat source. When the oil heats up, add the cashew nuts and stir till
they turn golden. Immediately remove the cashew nuts to a plate. Remember if
you leave the cashew nuts in the pan, the hot oil will keep roasting the cashew
nuts and burn them.)
    Sliced Onion-1 (Medium)
    Chopped Ginger-1 inch piece
    Black Cumin seeds ( Shahi Jeera )-1/2 teaspoon
    Green Cardamom ( Chhoti elaichi )-2
    Brown Cardamom ( Badi elaichi )-1
    Cinnamon (Dalchini)-1/2 inch
    Cloves ( Laung )-4
    Star aniseed-1
    Mace ( Javitri) -One small piece
    Bay leaf ( Tejpatta )-1
    Clarified butter ( Ghee )-4 tablespoon
    Salt to taste
    Sugar-1/2 teaspoon
    Few strands of saffron dissolved in ¼ cup milk
    Water-4 cups
    Method
    Wash the rice well ( in a vessel 3-4 times, but don’t rub
it lest the grains break ) and let it naturally “dry”, on an inclined plate,
for 15-20 minutes. This helps enhance the aroma.
    Roast the cottage cheese ( paneer ) or tofu on a dry
pan and then cut into bite size pieces.
    In a pan, add 2 tablespoon of clarified butter and gently
roast peas, carrots and cauliflower one by one and keep aside.
    If using a pressure cooker:
    In a pressure cooker, add the clarified butter and place it
on your heat source.
    When the butter warms up, add the black cumin seeds along
with the green cardamom, brown cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star aniseed, mace
and bay leaf.
    As soon as these all start giving a nice aroma, in less than
a minute, add the onion slices and fry till translucent. Do please make sure
that the spices brown and not burn, otherwise your dish will be totally
spoiled. 
    Add the ginger and stir for a minute.
    Now add the rice along with the salt and sugar.
    Stir well.
    Add the roasted vegetables along with the paneer (cottage
cheese) or tofu and again stir well.
    Add the water, raisins and the saffron dissolved in milk.
    Close the lid of the pressure cooker