Cauliflower Biryani

Ingredients

• 250 g Basmati whole grain rice
• 30 g Raisins (2 tbsp)
• Salt
• 1 sachet saffron strands (0.1 g)
• 300 g green beans
• 500 g cauliflower (½ head)
• 4 shallots
• 30 g Ginger root
• 200 g oyster mushrooms (or shiitake mushrooms)
• 3 tbsp Rapeseed oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 Cloves
• 3 cardamom pods
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 0.5 tsp chili powder
• 45 g sliced almonds (3 tbsp)
• 0.5 bunch coriander (10 g)
• 0.5 tsp pink peppercorns

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash rice and raisins, cook in 2.5 times the amount of salted water for about 15 minutes until half‑cooked, then drain. Meanwhile dissolve saffron in 2 tbsp hot water. Trim, wash beans and boil in salted water for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water.

2. 2.

   Clean cauliflower, wash, cut into small florets, trim stem into small pieces. Peel and finely chop shallots and ginger. Clean mushrooms and cut into larger pieces.

3. 3.

   Heat oil in a pot. Add shallots and sauté for 2 minutes over medium heat. Then add cinnamon, cloves, crushed cardamom and bay leaves; cook stirring for 2–3 minutes until spices release aroma.

4. 4.

   Add cauliflower, beans and mushrooms; stir and cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat. Stir in ginger and 300 ml water, season with salt, and simmer on low heat for 5–10 minutes.

5. 5.

   Mix rice with raisins, turmeric and chili, transfer to an oven‑proof pan. Fold in the vegetables and pour saffron broth over everything. Cover the pan and bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan; gas: level 3) for about 40 minutes.

6. 6.

   Meanwhile toast almonds in a hot dry pan without oil for 3 minutes on medium heat. Wash coriander, pat dry and finely chop leaves. Roughly crush pink peppercorns.

7. 7.

   After baking, fold coriander leaves into the biryani. Sprinkle with pink peppercorns and almonds before serving.