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
Procedure
Notes:
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 87
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
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
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
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.
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.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 87
Omg, this rice free vegetable biriyani tempts me a lot and that plate is seriously very inviting. I dont mind finishing that whole plate rite now. Yumm..
ReplyDeleteThanks Priya!!!
DeleteSuch a nutritious and delicious biryani with samai. Love the idea of substituting rice with millet in biryani. The whole plate looks very inviting.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pavani
DeleteLooks so tempting and colorful. Would love to dig into that plate :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Harini.
DeleteEven after years of cooking I have never mastered the art of cooking biryani in cooker. I always end up with mushy biryani, either with rice or millets. I always opt for open pot as it can be easily controlled. Your biryani has turned out amazing. So colourful and so yum..
ReplyDeleteRecently my friend shared this and it works like a charm. So when cooking biryani in pressure cooker, let the steam come for five minutes in full force and then turn off the heat and put on the weight. It acts as DUM too. No whistles and it works fine for me.
DeleteThat's a great info Srividhya, will give it a try on next time.Thanks for sharing !!
DeleteI think we all play that hide and seek game with sun. I faced similar issues and weather in bay is so unpredictable. :-)This is awesome. I am yet to try biryani with millets. Need to see how it turns out in pressure cooker.
ReplyDeleteThanks Vidhya, will follow your tip on pressure cooking.
DeleteI have tried biriyani with kodo millet and this little millet version sounds delicious..yummy share!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharmila
DeleteAda da what an amazing biryani with millets , I am a biryani lover and this is just what I want now. this looks fantastic , perfectly cooked and making me drool sandhiya.. Talk to me about poor lighting it can't get bad than mine, your captures looks perfect dear !!
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks Manjula for your kind words.
DeleteA millet Biryani sounds fantastic ! It looks so good , I should make this for my hubby who is a millet fan . Love the addition of veggies , makes a perfect wholesome meal .
ReplyDeleteThanks Vaishali
DeleteMullets biryani is awesome. What a healthy option. I have only cooked millets as just plain never as anything else. You surely giving us so many options.
ReplyDeleteThanks Valli
DeleteI am yet to start experimenting with Millets. Lots of us have chosen that theme this bm !
ReplyDeleteYep, so many interesting millet recipe in this BM, especially from PJ. Thanks Kalyani
DeleteYou've given me ideas how to make samai other than what I prepare for fasting. Such a tempting and healthy biryani.
ReplyDeleteI always cook Biryani in open pot method sandhiya,it gets mushy for me in the pressure cooker ! That Samai Biryani looks lip smacking good! The pictures look lovely dear! A perfect lunch any day!
ReplyDeleteThe briyani looks fantastic! With millets its even more good! Yes, I can totally relate to rains pouring down when we need to dry vathals!! Happened so many times!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great looking biriyani and I see nothing wrong with your pictures. I can never make biriyani in a pressure cooker and I am going to try what Srividhya mentioned. Meanwhile stove top method works great for me too.
ReplyDeleteI love samai millet even in simple khichdi, this biryani sounds and looks even more tasty and healthy too.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to introduce millets in everyday cooking even if one is not used to them, right? Perfectly made biryani.
ReplyDeleteLove this vegetable sama biryani.. looks so inviting.. perfect done.
ReplyDelete