Veg semiya biryani recipe with step by step pics. This is a lesser-known but delicious biryani variety. Here instead of rice, semiya (seviyan or vermicelli) is used. It makes for a satisfying and comforting meal served with a side of raita or shorba or yogurt.
Semiya is whole wheat vermicelli. It is also known as seviyan in North India and vermicelli in English language. It is used in making many recipes like Seviyan Kheer, Semiya Payasam and Meethi Seviyan.
Generally the biryani is made with meat or chicken. I am sharing a vegetarian version which tastes very good. The method used to make semiya biryani is not like the way semiya pulao or Semiya Upma is made. Its a slightly elaborate method. Of course, when you make biryani, some time and effort will be required.
For making this delicious vermicelli biryani, yakhni is made. Yakhni means stock. So in this recipe first vegetable stock is made. Then the seviyan along with fried onions is layered and then dum cooked.
This dum cooking gives this biryani a unique flavor and taste. I make this recipe similar to my recipe of Veg yakhni pulao, which I had shared some years back.
To make the yakhni, I have used a stovetop pressure cooker to save time, but yakhni can also be made in a pan. This is not a spicy biryani. To have some spicy flavor, you can add 1 to 2 green chilies.
For the semiya, its best to use thin whole wheat semiya, but slightly thicker semiya also can be added. You can add your choice of veggies also.
Vermicelli biryani can be served as the main course along with some raita or a Shorba. I served with tomato shorba. For raita, you can make onion-tomato raita or Boondi Raita or cucumber raita.
How to make Semiya Biryani
A) making bouquet garni or spices potli:
1. In a muslin or cotton kitchen napkin, take 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin and ½ teaspoon fennel seeds.
2. Add 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf), 5 to 6 whole black peppers, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 black cardamom (lightly crushed), 2 green cardamoms, (lightly crushed) and 2 cloves (lightly crushed). Crush the cardamoms and cloves lightly in a mortar-pestle.
3. Then add 1 inch ginger and 4 to 5 medium garlic cloves which have been crushed in a mortar-pestle.
4. Take the ends of the muslin and secure or tie it like a potli (small bundle).
5. Rinse, peel and chop the veggies. Then add them to the stovetop pressure cooker. I have used ½ cup heaped chopped carrots, ½ cup heaped chopped potatoes, ¼ cup chopped french beans and ⅓ cup green peas.
6. Add 1 teaspoon salt or add as required.
7. Add 2 cups water. Depending on the type of vermicelli used, you can add 2 to 2.25 cups of water. If using a pan to make yakhni, then add 2.5 cups water.
8. Place the prepared spice bag (potli).
9. Pressure cook for 1 to 2 whistles or 9 to 10 minutes on medium heat.
10. When the pressure settles down on its own, then only open the lid and check if the veggies are done. This is the yakhni stock and let it become warm.
11. Squeeze the spice bag to extract more of the spice flavors. Remove it from the yakhni stock.
Check the taste of stock and add more salt if required. The yakhni should have a slightly salty taste. Then cover and keep the mix vegetable yakhni aside.
Roasting vermicelli for biryani
12. Meanwhile in another pan heat ½ tablespoon ghee.
13. Keep the heat to low or medium-low. Add 1 cup broken vermicelli (75 grams of seviyan or semiya).
14. Mix the vermicelli strands with the ghee and begin to roast them.
15. Roast stirring continuously so that vermicelli strands get evenly cooked and roasted.
16. Roast the vermicelli till they become light golden or golden.
17. Remove the roasted vermicelli on a plate. Keep aside.
Making vermicelli biryani
18. In the same pan, now heat 1.5 tablespoons of ghee.
19. Add 1 cup of thinly sliced onions.
20. Begin to sauté onions on a medium-low heat stirring often.
21. First the onions will become light golden.
22. Continue to sauté them stirring often till they turn golden and caramelized. Remove the pan from the stovetop and keep it aside.
23. First add the roasted vermicelli in the stock.
24. With a spoon distribute the vermicelli evenly all over.
25. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the fried onions and sprinkle remaining fried onions all over. At this step, you can also add 1 teaspoon of rose water or kewra water. If using rose essence or kewra essence, then just add about 2 to 3 drops.
26. Cover the cooker with a moist cotton napkin or cotton kitchen towel.
27. Place a lid. On top of a lid place a heavy weight like a mortar-pestle.
28. Heat a tawa (or griddle) on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Then lower the heat. Keep the entire cooker set up on the tawa. Dum cook on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes.
29. After switching off the heat, allow a standing time for 4 to 5 minutes. Then remove the lid. Check the biryani at the bottom of the cooker and there should be no water. All the water should be absorbed. If there is water, then continue to dum cook for some more minutes.
30. Mix gently and Serve semiya biryani hot with raita or tomato shorba or biryani shorba or plain yogurt (curd).
For best taste and texture have it hot.
More Biryani varieties
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Vermicelli Biryani
Ingredients
for bouquet garni or spices potli
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 inch ginger, crushed
- 4 to 5 garlic, crushed
- 1 tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- 5 to 6 whole black peppercorns
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 black cardamom – lightly crushed
- 2 green cardamom – lightly crushed
- 2 cloves – lightly crushed
ingredients for yakhni or stock
- ½ cup heaped chopped carrots
- ½ cup heaped chopped potatoes
- ¼ cup chopped french beans
- ⅓ cup green peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 teaspoon salt or add as required
- 2 cups water or add as required
for roasting vermicelli
- ½ tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 cup vermicelli – 75 grams (semiya or seviyan)
for frying onions
- 1.5 tablespoons Ghee
- 1 large onion – thinly sliced or 1 cup thinly sliced onions
other ingredient
- 1 teaspoon kewra water or rose water – optional
Instructions
making bouquet garni or spices potli
- In a muslin or cotton kitchen napkin, take all the spices and herbs mentioned above in the list ‘for bouqet garni or spices potli’.
- Take the ends of the muslin and secure or tie it like a potli (small bundle). Keep aside.
making yakhni or stock
- Rinse, peel and chop the veggies. Then add them in the pressure cooker.
- Then add 1 teaspoon salt or add as required.
- Add 2 cups water. Depending on the type of seviyan used, you can add 2 to 2.25 cups water. If using a pan to make yakhni, then add 2.5 cups water.
- Place the prepared spice bag (potli).
- Pressure cook for 1 to 2 whistles or 9 to 10 minutes on medium flame.
- When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid and check if the veggies are done. Let the yakhni stock become warm.
- Squeeze the spice bag to extract more of the spice flavors. Remove it from the yakhni stock. Check taste of stock and add more salt if required. The yakhni should have a slightly salty taste. Then cover and keep the mix vegetable yakhni aside.
roasting semiya
- Meanwhile in another pan heat ½ tablespoon ghee.
- Keep the flame to low or medium-low. Add broken vermicelli.
- Mix the vermicelli strands with the ghee and begin to roast them.
- Roast stirring continuously so that semiya strands get evenly cooked and roasted till light golden or golden. Remove in a pan and keep aside.
- In the same pan, now heat 1.5 tablespoons ghee. add 1 cup thinly sliced onions.
- Begin to sauté onions on a medium-low flame.
- Continue to sauté them stirring often till they turn golden and caramelized. Remove the pan from the stove top and keep aside.
assembling and layering semiya biryani
- First add the roasted seviyan in the stock.
- With a spoon distribute the seviyan evenly all over.
- Reserve 1 to 2 tablespoons of the fried onions and sprinkle remaining fried onions all over. At this step you can also add 1 teaspoon of rose water or kewra water. If using rose essence or kewra essence, then just add about 2 to 3 drops.
- Cover the cooker with a moist cotton napkin or cotton kitchen towel.
- Place a lid. On top of a lid place a heavy weight like a mortar-pestle.
- Heat a tawa (or griddle) on a medium flame for 5 minutes. Then lower the flame. Keep the entire cooker set up on the tawa. Dum cook seviyan biryani on low flame for 20 to 25 minutes.
- After switching off flame, allow a standing time for 4 to 5 minutes. Then remove the lid.
- Check the biryani at the bottom of the cooker and there should be no water. All the water should be absorbed. If there is water, then continue to dum cook for some more minutes.
- Mix gently and serve hot with raita or tomato shorba.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Semiya Biryani post from the archives (January 2018) has been republished and updated on 22 September 2021.
