Samai Vegetable Biryani | Millet Biryani | Millet Recipe

Samai Vegetable Biryani, the delicious vegetable biryani made from Little millet. After seen lot of kanji,kali recipe with millets for the past 5 days, today let's make delicious biryani with millets that satisfy your taste buds also !!! Though i have been cooking millets for a while, still i'm not confident in cooking them in pressure cooker. First time, when i had tried this biryani in pressure cooker, it turned out so mushy(just like kali, i'm not exaggerating here), after we had a very little, the whole things went into trash. So the next time, i had reduced the amount of water and it turned out somewhat ok, with little bit of burned at the bottom. This was happening for next two or three times, either mushy or burned at the bottom, so i finally gave up pressure cooking the millets expect for pongal, curd rice or kanji for which i don't mind if it's too mushy!!

Here in the recipe, i have cooked the biryani in open pot method and it turned out super delicious with separate grains !!! I have prepared millet biryani this way for countless time and it turned out so good every SINGLE time. But i guess the pictures are not doing justice for what i had explained here. Sorry for the poor lighting in the pictures, let me explain the reason, in recent times, whenever i took the camera for the shoot, the sun started to play hide & seek, even though i checked the weather a day before and make sure that it will be sunny, nothing works :-( Actually it remind me of those days when amma used to make vathal, the rain would started to pour out even on Agni nakshartam days. Ok, enough with the stories, let's check out the recipe, but if you want to know what i have prepared for past 4 days under Whole Grains, here they are
Day 1 - Kambu Koozh
Day 2 - Millet/Samai Puliyodharai
Day 3 - Millet/Kuthiraivali Upma
Day 4 - Millet Paal Kanji 
Day 5 - Ragi Mudde

 Samai Biryani

Preparation Time : 30 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Millet | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
Samai/ Little Millet - 1/2 cup
Mix veg - 1/2 cup(i have used carrot,potato,beetroot,capsicum & peas)
Onion -1(small)
Tomato - 1 
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Coriander & mint leaves - a handful
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Water - 1 & 1/4 cup
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 2 
Bay leaf - 1
Cashew - 4

Procedure

Soak the millet in the water for 30 mins.
Cut the veggies & tomato into small cubes, cut the onions into thin slices. Heat a kadai with ghee, add cinnamon,cloves, bay leaf, cardamom & cashews. Roast it in the ghee for 30 secs.Add the onions, saute till the onions becomes translucent, then add the veggies and saute in the ghee for 2 mins.Add ginger garlic paste saute till the raw smell leaves, then add the tomatoes and spices(turmeric,red chili & garam masala powder) & salt. Mix the spices with the veggies well.Add the water(1 & 1/4 cup) and coriander& mint leaves, bring into boil, cover cook the veggies for 5 mins in the low flame.Now drain the water from the soaked millet and add into the boiling water, squeeze the lemon into it. Give a good mix.Cover the kadai with lid and cook it in the medium flame till all the water absorbs, it may takes 7-9 mins. Switch off the flame and let it covered for 15 mins. Tada, Samai Biryani is ready.

Notes:

• If you want more flavor & richness to the biryani, just before serving, add a tsp of ghee in the biryani and give a good mix.
• Soaking millet helps to cook it quickly.
• I have soaked the peas for overnight, if you have fresh peas you can use that.
• Cauliflower and beans can also be added.
• You can make this biryani with any millet(like kodo) in the same way.
  

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