Exotic veg and soy biryani

(serves 4)

Prep time: overnight Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients 1 litre vegetable stock 5cm cinnamon stick 4 green cardamoms, bruised 1/2 tsp mace powder 2 tsp oil 2 tbsp lemon juice 500g basmati rice, soaked in water for 30 minutes 4 tsp ghee (clarified butter) 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 30g ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp chopped garlic 50g yogurt, whisked 2 tsp biryani masala 1/2 tsp cumin powder 1 tbsp coriander powder 400g soy nuggets, soaked overnight 4 tsp coriander, finely chopped

2 1/2 tbsp mint, finely chopped pinch saffron, soaked in 1 tbsp warm water 1 tsp vetiver essence

100g onions, thinly sliced and fried until golden brown

dough, prepared using flour and water, for sealing lid on pan

garlic yogurt and mirchi salan (green chilli curry), to serve

salt Method: 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 2. Bring vegetable stock to a boil in a large saucepan. 3. Add cinnamon stick, green cardamom, mace powder, oil, salt and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until liquid’s colour begins to change. Scoop out cinnamon stick and cardamoms with a slotted spoon. 4. Drain rice and add to simmering stock. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until rice is almost cooked and has absorbed all the moisture. 5. In a separate pan, heat ghee and add cumin seeds. When they start to crackle, add ginger-garlic paste, garlic, yogurt, biryani masala, cumin powder, coriander powder and a little salt. Stir well over low heat for a few minutes. 6. Squeeze out soy nuggets and add to yogurt mixture. Mix and cover. Cook until nuggets are soft. 7. Garnish with half the coriander and mint, then spoon rice over soy nugget mixture and sprinkle remaining coriander and mint over. Drizzle soaked saffron and vetiver essence on top and garnish with fried onions. 8. Cover pan with tight lid and seal sides with dough. Cook in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Rest for 5-10 minutes, then remove lid. 9. Serve with garlic yogurt and mirch salan.