Vegetable Biryani/Layered Veg Biryani/Veg Dum Biryani

Ingredients:
For making rice:
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - one inch piece
Cloves - 2-3
Star Anise - 1
Cardamom - 2
Marati moggu - 1
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - as per taste

For making gravy:
Mixed vegetables - 2 cups (I used cauliflower, carrots, potato, green beans, mushrooms)
Paneer cubes - 1/4 cup (optional)

Green peas -  hand full

Onion (large) - 2

Green chilli paste - 1 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Shahijeera - 1/4 tbsp

Whole garam masala paste - 1 tbsp (I prepared this by blending cloves,anise,big cardamom and marati moggu)

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1/4tbsp

Turmeric - pinch
Yogurt - 1/2 cup

Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

For layering:
Coriander leaves, finely chopped - 3 tbsp
Mint leaves, finely chopped - 3 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cashews - 12
Fried onions - 1/4 cup
Saffron milk - 3 tbsp (Take few strands of saffron and mix in warm milk)

Procedure:

1. Take wide cooking vessel, cook basmati rice by adding plenty of water along with cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, marati moggu, star anise, salt and oil. Do not over cook. Once the rice is 80% cooked, drain all the excess water and set aside until used.
2. Take a kadai, heat oil/ghee, add cashews and fry them until they turn to golden brown. Transfer them in to a bowl and add paneer cubes in the same pan. Fry them under medium flame until their edges are colored. Transfer them in to another bowl and keep aside.
3. In the same pan, add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, shahijeera and fry them. Add finely chopped onion, ginger garlic paste, green chilly paste and saute them until the raw smell is disappeared.
4. Meanwhile half boil all the mixed vegetables (like cauliflower, potato, carrot, green beans) except mushrooms and keep aside.
5. Now add whole garam masala paste (prepared by blending cloves,anise,big cardamom and marati moggu) and stir well.
6. Take a small mixing bowl, add yogurt, red chilly powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala and stir well to get a smooth lump free mixture.
7. Transfer this yogurt mixture to the sauted onions, add half boiled vegetables, chopped mushrooms, green peas and continue cooking under medium flame by closing the lid (add little water if required).
8. Once the vegetables are almost cooked (not fully cooked), adjust salt and switch off the flame.
9. Here comes the fun part i.e; layering. Preheat the oven at 300 F. Take a wide oven proof vessel, add a layer of rice followed by vegetable gravy, paneer cubes, cashews, fried onions, chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. 
10. Continue the same process until all the rice and gravy are completely used. Be sure that the final layer or the top layer should be rice.
11. Finally add 1 tbsp of ghee and sprinkle saffron milk all over the rice. Now wrap the bowl with aluminum foil tightly and transfer it in to the oven. Leave the wrapped bowl in oven for at least 20-25 minutes.
12. After some time, remove the bowl from oven and gently transfer biryani in to a serving plate from one side of the bowl. Serve hot with your favorite gravy or onion raita.

TIP: Alternately the layering can be done on stove top also. Continue the same process in a cooking vessel, cover it with aluminum foil. Cook at medium flame for 5 minutes followed by low flame for 10-15 minutes. If the cooking vessel is not thick, you may have chances of burning at the bottom. You can prevent this by placing a flat pan below your cooking vessel.