Ulavacharu vegetable biryani / Ulava charu veg biryani is a very delicious, spicy, slightly tangy and flavor packed biryani prepared by cooking vegetables in horse gram sauce then layered with Basmati rice and cooked to perfection in dum method. This Ulavacharu is a winter delicacy. Usually prepared with Horse gram/ Ulavalu/ kollu, tamarind extracts, onions and other spices; and served with hot rice. But for this recipe I prepared it in a different style making it easy for beginners.

Ulavacharu veg biryani is one such popular originating from Andhra. Its speciality is the horse gram sauce/ lentil rasam. Ulava charu veg biryani is prepared with Horse gram/ Ulavalu. This ulavacharu biryani is little tangy as the recipe also has tamarind extract in its making! Don’t misjudge its taste as the biryani tastes outstanding; is packed with unique flavors which is easily derived from scratch at home. This biryani uses no store bought masala or any ground masala.

The flavors of this biryani is unique not only due to the addition of Horse gram sauce/ Ulavacharu but with Curry leaves too. Yes traditionally biryani consists of mint and coriander leaves. But this Ulavacharu veg biryani uses only curry leaves and coriander leaves; as we want only the flavors of Horse gram/ Ulavalu/ kollu in the biryani.

I made this ulavacharu veg biryani recipe during Pandemic when we had no access to restaurants. Recently when I had Ulavacharu biryani from restaurant was reminded of this recipe; that I made so rushed to post it the same day!

Other recipes that might interest you:

Ulava charu biryani, Ulavacharu veg biryani

Recipe by Sandhya Riyaz

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: LunchCuisine: Indian, Andhra

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Soaking time

hours

Ulavacharu Simmering time

minutes

Ulavacharu vegetable biryani is a very delicious, spicy, slightly tangy and flavor packed biryani prepared by cooking vegetables in horse gram sauce then layered with Basmati rice and cooked to perfection in dum method.

Ingredients to make Ulava charu vegetable biryani

2 cups, Basmati rice
1 nos., Onion (medium sized)
3 tablespoon, Coriander leaves
Curry leaves – a sprig
2 nos., Green chilli
1 nos., Carrot
10 nos., Green Beans
1 nos., Potato (large sized)
1/4 cup, Green peas
1 teaspoon, Ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon, Red chilli powder
1 teaspoon, Coriander powder
Salt – to taste
1/4 teaspoon, Turmeric powder
4 tablespoon, Oil
Tamarind – gooseberry size
INGREDIENTS FOR ULAVA CHARU
1/2 cup, Horse gram/ Kollu/ Ulavalu
4 cups, Water
Salt – to taste
WHOLE SPICES FOR ULAVA CHARU BIRYANI
2 nos., Bay leaf
4 nos., Cloves
2 nos., Cardamom
1/2 teaspoon, Cumin seeds
1 nos., Mace

Directions to make ULAVA CHARU vegetable BIRYANI

Soak Horse gram/ Ulavalu/ kollu in water overnight. Next day pressure horse gram in 4 cups water and salt. When pressure is released mash horse gram/ ulavalu to extract maximum content from the lentil horse gram. Now strain the cooked horse gram through a strainer keep the water and it be used for sundal/ stir fry. Now cook water in a vessel until thick/ reduced to half of its quantity. This should take about 15 minutes. Keep it aside.
Soak tamarind in ½ cup warm water. After 30 minutes to 1 extract the juice and keep it aside.
Chop veggies, soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Keep tamarind extract and Horse gram rasam/sauce ready.
Heat water in a pot. When the water starts to boil add salt, whole spices and oil. Mix well and allow it to boil. When the water is rolling boil add the soaked rice. Mix well and allow it to cook till it is 80% done. Drain the water and keep the rice aside.
Now heat oil in a pan add whole spices when aromatic add curry leaves, sliced onions and Saute well. Now add ginger garlic paste to it and saute until the raw smell goes. Now add chopped coriander leaves, all the chopped vegetables to it add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder including salt and saute well.
When the veggies are coated well in masala add tamarind extract and prepared horse gram sauce/ ulavalu rasam (water) and let it cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
When the vegetables look cooked add the 80% cooked rice over the vegetable mixture. Now place the biryani pan on top of a tawa and cook for 5 minutes in hight flame and next 10 minutes in low flame. When done put off the flame and fluff the rice gently and serve it hot with onion cucumber raita.

how to make ULAVA CHARU vegetable BIRYANI with step by step images

Soak Horse gram/ Ulavalu in water overnight. Next day pressure horse gram in 4 cups water and salt.
Next day pressure horse gram in 4 cups water and salt. When pressure is released mash horse gram/ ulavalu to extract maximum content from the lentil horse gram. Now strain the cooked horse gram through a strainer keep the water and it be used for sundal/ stir fry. Now cook water in a vessel until thick/ reduced to half of its quantity. This should take about 15 minutes. Keep it aside.
Soak tamarind in ½ cup warm water. After 30 minutes to 1 hour extract the juice and keep it aside.
Chop veggies, soak basmati rice in water for 30minutes. Keep tamarind extract and Horse gram sauce/Ulavalu rasam ready.
Heat water in a pot. When the water starts to boil add salt, whole spices and oil. Mix well and allow it to boil. When the water is rolling boil add the soaked rice. Mix well and allow it to cook till it is 80% done. Drain the water and keep the rice aside.
Now heat oil in a pan add whole spices when aromatic add curry leaves, sliced onions and Saute well. Now add ginger garlic paste to it and saute until the raw smell goes. then add chopped coriander to it and saute till they shrink. Now add all the vegetables to it along with all the dry powders including salt and saute well.
Now add chopped coriander leaves, all the vegetables to it along with all the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder including salt and saute well. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes.
When the veggies are coated well in masala add tamarind extract and prepared horse gram rasam/ water and let it cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
When the vegetables look cooked add the cooked rice over the vegetable mixture. Now place the biryani pan on top of a tawa and cook for 5 minutes in high flame and next 10 minutes in low flame. When done put off the flame and fluff the rice gently and serve it hot with raita!
When done put off the flame and fluff the rice gently and serve it hot with raita.