Vegetable Biryani

Wash your hands with soap and water. Rinse the fresh vegetables and herbs under running water, removing damaged areas, and dry them. Peel and dice the carrots, trim and cut the beans, slice the onion, grate the ginger, mince the garlic, and chop the herbs.

Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear. Transfer it to a bowl, add 3 cups water, and soak for 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Whisk the yogurt until smooth and keep it ready beside the stove.

Heat the vegetable oil in the heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and golden brown. Transfer one-third of the cooked onion to a small plate, leaving the oil and remaining onion in the pot.

Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne and stir for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Add the carrots, green beans, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Remove the pot from the heat and gradually stir in the yogurt. Return it to low heat, add 1/4 cup water, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the frozen peas and cook uncovered for 2–3 minutes. The vegetables should be nearly tender and coated with a thick but moist sauce. Turn off the heat.

While the vegetables cook, bring 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt to a rolling boil in the large saucepan. Add the drained rice and boil uncovered for 4–6 minutes, checking early. The grains should have lengthened and softened on the outside but still have a noticeably firm center. Drain immediately and handle gently to avoid breaking the grains.

Transfer half the vegetable mixture to the heatproof bowl. Spread the vegetables remaining in the pot into an even layer. Spoon half the rice over them without packing it down. Scatter with 1/4 cup cilantro and 2 tablespoons mint.

Spoon the reserved vegetable mixture over the rice, then add the remaining rice. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro, 2 tablespoons mint, and all the reserved golden onions evenly over the whole pot. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup water around the edges.

Cover tightly and heat over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, until gentle steaming begins. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 20–25 minutes without lifting the lid. Keep the heat gentle to prevent the vegetable layer from scorching.

Turn off the heat and let the biryani rest, still covered, for 10 minutes. Check that the rice is tender and the vegetables are hot throughout. Use a wide spoon to lift portions from the bottom upward, preserving some of the layers rather than vigorously stirring. Divide among four servings.