Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani

Ulava Charu Biryani is cooked with water flavored with Horsegram. This Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani, a popular Andhra dish made with Ulaval and vegetables.

I came to know about this some months ago when Peddu was asking why I haven't made Ulaval Charu Chicken Biryani. I wasn't sure where he heard it but said he would love to eat it if I was to make it for him.

When I asked Amma she said it is one of the most popular trending biryanis in TV shows. So I thought I will naturally make a vegetarian version of it and made a note against the letter. One fine day when I was checking out something, this recipe came up and I read through it, and then suddenly Srividya's recipe came to mind that she had shared it for the last marathon.

Since I never seem to be able to follow a recipe to T, I have again modified this further and yes, we all loved it so much. Nobody was able to even find out that it was made with horsegram water as well. Peddu had his share and said next time I must make a chicken biryani.

If you are looking for some healthy Idlis, try these Horse Gram Idli.

Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani is my choice for U in the AtoZ Biryani/Pulao/Khichdi Festival that's happening for the April Mega Marathon, where I have opted to make 26 Rice dishes. If you are interested to know what I am doing for U in C4AS, go ahead check it out!

A to Z Biryani/Pulao/Khichadi Festival!

A for Amritsari Wadi ki Biryani
B for Badshahi Pulao
C for Chak Angouba
D for Doddapatre Soppina Chitranna
E for Eerulli Chitranna
F for Fada ni khichdi
G for Goli Bhaat
H for Holud Mishti Pulao
I for Iyengar Style Vendhaya Keerai Sadam
J for Jackfruit Biryani
K for Kathal Biryani
L for Lima Beans Biryani
M for Moti Pulao
N for Navratan Pulao
O for Orange Pulao
P for Parda Biryani
Q for Qubooli Biryani
R for Ram Pulao
S for Shahi Khichdi
T for Tiranga Pulao

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Step By Step Pictures for making Ulavacharu Biryani

Step By Step Pictures for Laying Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani

Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani

For the Ulava Charu

Wash and rinse the horsegram couple of times. Make sure the lentil is clean as you will be using the same water for boiling it.
Soak in 2 cups water overnight or at least 8 to 9 hours.
Pressure cook with a little salt for 3 times or until cooked.

Preparing the Rice

Wash and soak the basmati rice for about 20 minutes and drain the water.
Heat the ghee in a saucepan, add the mint leaves, bay leaf, salt add drained rice.
Saute for a couple of minutes.
Next add 1 cup of the Ulava Charu, 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
Simmer till the rice is cooked well.
Keep the rice over a tawa for 5 mins for the rice to settle well.

Preparing the Masala

Prep the vegetables and keep them ready.
Heat a nonstick pan with ghee and oil, saute the green chilies, curry leaves, and bay leaf.
Next, add the onions and whole spices, and ginger garlic paste. Saute well.
Now add the peas, sliced carrot, add the water from the boiled horsegram and simmer to cook till the vegetables are cooked.
Add all the spice powders and combine everything well. Simmer till the water evaporates.
Next, add the boiled horsegram and continue to cook till you get an almost dry masala.

Layering the Biryani for Dum Cooking

Spread some ghee in the pan or pot in which you are going to set the dum. I used the same nonstick pan that I cooked the vegetable masala. I simply removed to a bowl, greased the bottom with ghee.
On the ghee, spread rice evenly. Sprinkle few drops of ghee.
Then sprinkle some chopped mint and coriander leaves.
Next spread the biryani masala evenly
Then layer another layer of rice.
Cover this biryani tightly and cook this over a low flame on a tawa for 10 minutes.

For Serving

Once the Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani is ready, fluff it up well so that the masala is well mixed with the rice.
Normally with layered biryanis, the masala and rice layers are separate. However, with this, it will taste best if you fluff it up well.

Notes

I completely forgot to add tamarind. It is recommended to use, however after tasting the biryani, we didn’t miss it and in fact, felt it was simply awesome.
Moreover, I used up the entire water or charu I got from boiling the lentil, even then the biryani didn’t taste like a typical Ulaval Charu.

Recipe

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Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani

Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani is a new innovative biryani made with Horsegram and meat. This seems to have cropped up to cater to the ever demanding biryani needs.

Course Dinner, Main Dish - Rice

Cuisine Andhra Pradesh

Keyword Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani

By Cook Method Stovetop

Occasion Holiday Special, Weekend Special

By Diet Healthy Recipes, Protein Rich

Author Srivalli

Ingredients

For the Ulava Charu

• 1/2 cup Horsegram
• 2 cups Water
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• A Pinch Turmeric Powder

For the Biryani Rice

• 1.5 cups Basmati Rice
• Few Mint Leaves
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup Ulava Charu
• 2 cups Water
• 1 tsp Ghee

For the Biryani Masala

• 2 tsp Cooking Oil
• 3 - 4 Green Chillies
• 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 cup Onions
• 2 Cardamom
• 3 Cloves
• 1 Star Anise
• 1 Mace
• 1/4 tsp Shah Jeera
• 1 Black Stone Flower
• 1 Cinnamon
• 1 sprig Curry Leaves
• 1/2 Horsegram cooked
• 1/4 Carrot sliced
• 1/2 Peas
• 1 cup Uluva Charu
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
• Salt to taste
• A Pinch Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 cup Coriander Leaves
• Handful Mint Leaves

Instructions

How to make Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani

For the Ulava Charu

• Wash and rinse the horsegram couple of times. Make sure the lentil is clean as you will be using the same water for boiling it.
• Soak in 2 cups water overnight or at least 8 to 9 hours.
• Pressure cook with a little salt and turmeric powder for 3 whistles or until cooked.

Preparing the Rice

• Wash and soak the basmati rice for about 20 minutes and drain the water.
• Heat the ghee in a saucepan, add the mint leaves, bay leaf, salt and add the drained rice.
• Saute for a couple of minutes.
• Next, add 1 cup of the Ulava Charu, 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
• Simmer till the rice is cooked well.
• Keep the rice over a tawa for 5 mins for the rice to settle well.

Preparing the Masala

• Prepare the vegetables and keep it ready.
• Heat a nonstick pan with ghee and cooking oil, saute the green chilies, curry leaves and bay leaf.
• Next, add the onions and whole spices and ginger garlic paste. Saute well.
• Now, add the peas, sliced carrot, add the water from the boiled horsegram and simmer to cook till the vegetables are cooked.
• Add all the spice powders and combine everything well. Simmer till the water evaporates.
• Next, add the boiled horsegram and continue to cook till you get an almost dry masala.

Layering the Biryani for Dum Cooking

• Spread some ghee in the pan or pot in which you are going to set the dum. I used the same nonstick pan that I cooked the vegetable masala. I simply removed to a bowl, greased the bottom with ghee.
• On the ghee, spread rice evenly. Sprinkle few drops of ghee.
• Then, sprinkle some chopped mint and coriander leaves.
• Next, spread the biryani masala evenly.
• Then, layer another layer of rice.
• Cover this biryani tightly and cook this over a low flame on a tawa for 10 minutes.

For Serving

• Once the biryani is ready, fluff it up well so that the masala is well mixed with the rice.
• Normally with layered biryanis, the masala and rice layers are separate. However, with this, it will taste best if you fluff it up well.
• I served this with Gutti Vankaya Kura.

Notes

I completely forgot to add tamarind. It is recommended to use, however after tasting the biryani, we didn’t miss it and in fact, felt it was simply awesome.

Moreover, I used up the entire water or charu I got from boiling the lentil, even then the biryani didn’t taste like a typical Ulaval Charu.

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