Take a trip to a land far away with this aromatic vegetable biryani recipe. This Indian rice entree smells incredible while cooking and the flavors will only get better with time (so eat it as leftovers, for sure!).

I decided to use brown rice tonight instead of basmati. Brown rice is the whole grain of rice, so it contains more minerals and vitamins than white rice. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and surprisingly makes a great ingredient in a natural facial mask recipe.

I am not sure why ground cardamom has been missing from my life all these years. I’ve never met a more interesting and delightful spice. Well, I said the same thing about fenugreek, so maybe I have, or maybe I just like awesome food. Cardamom is just amazing! It’s sweet but strong, and slightly reminds me of licorice. I put it on fresh orange slices with a drizzle of agave nectar. It was so magical, I’m pretty sure a unicorn appeared in my kitchen and danced the Macarena.

Recipe:

Rice Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice, rinsed in a sieve or wire colander until water runs clear
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
2 cups water

Vegetables:
It’s really your choice which vegetables to use, but I suggest the following…
1 1/2 cups cut fresh green beans
1 medium red pepper, sliced thin
1 medium green pepper, sliced thin
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin medallions
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 medium sweet onion, chopped finely
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp fresh minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp ground red chili pepper (optional)

Make Rice:
If you have a rice cooker, add all ingredients to cooker, and set on the quick cook setting. This will take 25-30 minutes depending on your rice cooker. On the stove top, in a medium saucepan, add all ingredients, stir to mix ingredients and cook as per rice package directions.

Multi-tasking!

Make Vegetables:
As the rice is cooking, make the vegetables separately. In a large skillet, add oil, garlic and spices when the pan is cold. Mix spices and garlic in with oil to infuse flavors. Turn on the burner and heat oil. When oil is heated to medium high heatt, add chopped onion and cook until opaque, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and peppers and cook for about another 10 minutes, then add cauliflower florets. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until cauliflower softens. Once softened, add tomato slices and cook about another 5 minutes to warm.

The rice should be done now. Transfer rice into a very large mixing bowl and fluff with a silicone spatula or fork. Add vegetables and mix thoroughly. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Makes 5-6 servings.