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    Home » Rice, Noodles and Pasta » Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani

    Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani

    Published: Apr 24, 2019 · Modified: Mar 27, 2022 by Srivalli · 9 Comments

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    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

    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

    PIN This Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani for Later!

    How to make Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani

    Vegetable Ulava Charu Biryani

    Step By Step Pictures for making Ulavacharu Biryani

    Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani 1

    Step By Step Pictures for Laying Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani

    Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani 2
    Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani 3
    Ulava 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.

    Horsegram Biryani
    Ulava Charu Vegetable Biryani
    Print Pin

    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.
      Tried this recipe?Mention @spicingyourlife_ or tag #spicingyourlife_!
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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Suma Gandlur says

        April 24, 2019 at 1:42 am

        Ulavala biryani looks awesome, Valli. Until last week I was contemplating whether to go with this dish as well and I even bought a packet of horse gram only to let go. Those step-wise pictures help to understand the biryani making process easily.

        Reply
      2. gayathriraani says

        April 25, 2019 at 10:20 am

        It is such a wonderful feeling when kids ask for particular recipes and enjoy them too. I remember Vidyas post. The biryani looks so good. The addition of kollu is quite interesting..

        Reply
      3. vaishalisabnani says

        April 25, 2019 at 11:00 am

        The Biryani is new to me , but we do make Kale Chane ke chawal , which are a little different than this Biryani . This has veggies too which is going to make it wholesome . Bookmarking to try soon . Looks fantastic and if your kids liked it then I have to be 100% that this is a treasure ! Lol

        Reply
      4. Sharmila Kingsly says

        April 28, 2019 at 7:39 am

        Heard a lot about the hose gram biryani..this is really a yummy way to indulge horse gram... lovely share..

        Reply
      5. harini says

        April 29, 2019 at 7:02 am

        Looks like a wonderful recipe, Valli. It is a winner if the kids like it, right?

        Reply
      6. Sushma Pinjala says

        April 30, 2019 at 8:32 pm

        I love Ulava Charu, never tried biryani with it. The dish looks super inviting and delicious. Good one

        Reply
      7. Srividhya Gopalakrishnan says

        May 05, 2019 at 9:35 pm

        Thanks a lot for the mention Valli. Glad kids liked it. I know it's hard to follow a recipe to T. Love this version of yours. 🙂

        Reply
      8. FoodTrails says

        May 07, 2019 at 11:38 pm

        I had this in mind for letter U but then skipped it for the marathon as it would have been my first time making it.. will surely make it some other time.. your looks so good.. shall try soon!!

        Reply
      9. Renu Agrawal Dongre says

        May 24, 2019 at 1:56 pm

        A protein packed Biryani must say with ulava charu. I love the meledy of colours in this biryani, looks so earthly...

        Reply

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