Cauliflower & Fava Bean Biryani with Basmati Rice

Cauliflower & Fava Bean Biryani

with Basmati Rice

Wellness at Blue Apron
Find recipes that suit your lifestyle with our new nutritionist-approved dietary tags.
Vegetarian
Our vegetarian recipes contain no red meat, poultry, fish, or seafood, and may include eggs, animal-based dairy products, and honey.
500 Calories Or Less
All of these delicious recipes come in at 500 calories or less per serving, ideal for those who choose to monitor their caloric intake, without sacrificing flavor.
WW™ Approved
Our recipes that have earned the WW Mark of Wellness make vegetables the star of your meal, utilize lean proteins, keep calorie counts in mind and limit saturated fat, sodium and added sugar, and use simple, wholesome ingredients to make dinnertime a nourishing and joyful experience. To learn more about WW visit WW.com.
Fri Delivery Only
Recipe only available for Friday delivery.
600 Calories Or Less
All of these delicious recipes come in at 600 calories or less per serving, ideal for those who choose to monitor their caloric intake, without sacrificing flavor.
Mediterranean Diet
Our Mediterranean recipes are inspired by the Mediterranean Diet, a healthy eating plan recommended by the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans to promote health and wellness, which highlights the flavors and cooking styles from countries along the Mediterranean Sea, including those in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. These recipes showcase a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, as well as lean proteins and moderate portions of dairy.
Carb Conscious
Our Carb Conscious recipes provide a balanced approach to carbohydrate consumption by replacing refined carbohydrates from sources like white flour, rice, and cane sugar with high-fiber foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. *Our Carb Conscious recipes have 48g or less of net carbohydrates (total carbohydrates minus dietary fiber) per serving.
Plant-Forward
Our Plant-Forward recipes are designed by our chefs to help support a flexible diet that emphasizes plant-based foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and other legumes like lentils and soy foods, and includes occasional, moderate portions of meat, poultry, fish, and seafood.
Diabetes Friendly
Our diabetes friendly offering allows you to enjoy wholesome options while adhering to the guidelines set forth by the nutrition experts at the American Diabetes Association. To find out more visit www.diabetes.org.
  • icon-servings Created with Sketch.
    2 Servings
  • icon-nutrition Created with Sketch. Est. 560 Cals/serving

Biryani is the name of a special Persian rice dish that became a favorite among Mughal emperors in the 16th Century. In its most elaborate forms, this meal was often garnished with pure gold or silver leaf. Two essential ingredients in a biryani are long-grain basmati rice for texture and ghee (a kind of clarified butter) for a rich, savory finish. And though we can’t include the gold leaf, we think this traditional recipe is exquisite all the same.

Get Cooking
fresh
ingredients
Cauliflower & Fava Bean Biryani with Basmati Rice
Title
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 4 Green Cardamom Pods
  • 1 bunch Cilantro
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 Yellow Onion
  • ½ head Cauliflower
  • ½ lb Fresh Fava Beans
  • 1 cup Basmati Rice
  • ½ cup Sliced Almonds
  • ⅓ cup Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 2 Tbsps Ghee
  • 1 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
  • 3 Tbsps Vegetable Demi-Glace
  • 2 tsps Biryani Spice Blend (Cumin, Chili Powder, Turmeric & Cinnamon)
step-by-step
instructions
Cook Along Triangle Created with Sketch.
Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Peel and thinly slice the garlic and onion. Crack open each cardamom pod by laying the broad side of your knife on top of it and hitting it with the heel of your hand. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Using a peeler, remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest. Quarter the lemon and remove the seeds. Cut out and discard the core of the cauliflower; roughly chop the cauliflower. Shell the fava beans.
Cook the rice:
2 Cook the rice:
In a small pot, combine the rice, a big pinch of salt and 1½ cups of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 18 to 22 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff the finished rice with a fork. Set aside in a warm place while you continue cooking.
Cook & peel the fava beans:
3 Cook & peel the fava beans:
Once the medium pot of water is boiling, add the shelled fava beans and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until bright green. Drain thoroughly and place the beans in a bowl of ice water for 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Once cool enough to handle, break off the tip of each fava bean and squeeze the bean out of the outer skin; discard the skins. Set the prepared beans aside. Wipe out the pot.
Toast the almonds & make the lemon yogurt:
4 Toast the almonds & make the lemon yogurt:
Heat the pot used to cook the fava beans on medium-high until hot. Add the almonds and toast, stirring frequently, 2 to 4 minutes, or until slightly browned and fragrant. Transfer the almonds to a small bowl and wipe out the pot. In a separate, small bowl, combine the yogurt and the juice of 2 lemon wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set the toasted almonds and yogurt aside as you continue cooking.
Cook the spices & aromatics:
5 Cook the spices & aromatics:
In the same pot, heat the ghee on medium until melted. Add the biryani spice blend, flour and cardamom pods and cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant and toasted. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and soft.
Cook the vegetables:
6 Cook the vegetables:
To the same pot, add the cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Stir in the lemon zest, vegetable demi-glace and 1½ cups of water; season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the fava beans. To plate your dish, divide the rice between 2 bowls and top with the vegetable mixture. Garnish with the lemon yogurt, toasted almonds, cilantro and remaining lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Tips from Home Chefs

About Blue Apron

Ba hero

Blue Apron delivers original, step-by-step recipes and fresh ingredients to customers nationwide. Our menus change every week, so with each delivery you learn to cook inventive new dishes with seasonal ingredients. By letting us source these hard-to-find ingredients for you, you'll get food that is fresher and cheaper than you can get at your local supermarket, and there's no waste because we only send you what you need for each recipe.

We named our company “Blue Apron” because chefs around the world wear blue aprons when they're learning to cook, and it has become a symbol of lifelong learning in cooking. We believe you're never done learning in the kitchen, so we design our menus to ensure you're always learning new cooking techniques, trying new cuisines, and using unique ingredients.

Blue Apron is a weekly subscription service with no commitment - you can skip a week or cancel at any time with a week's notice. We can't wait to cook with you!

Get This Recipe Delivered

Cauliflower & Fava Bean Biryani

Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Peel and thinly slice the garlic and onion. Crack open each cardamom pod by laying the broad side of your knife on top of it and hitting it with the heel of your hand. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Using a peeler, remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest. Quarter the lemon and remove the seeds. Cut out and discard the core of the cauliflower; roughly chop the cauliflower. Shell the fava beans.
2 Cook the rice:
In a small pot, combine the rice, a big pinch of salt and 1½ cups of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 18 to 22 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff the finished rice with a fork. Set aside in a warm place while you continue cooking.
Cook the rice:
Cook & peel the fava beans:
3 Cook & peel the fava beans:
Once the medium pot of water is boiling, add the shelled fava beans and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until bright green. Drain thoroughly and place the beans in a bowl of ice water for 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Once cool enough to handle, break off the tip of each fava bean and squeeze the bean out of the outer skin; discard the skins. Set the prepared beans aside. Wipe out the pot.
4 Toast the almonds & make the lemon yogurt:
Heat the pot used to cook the fava beans on medium-high until hot. Add the almonds and toast, stirring frequently, 2 to 4 minutes, or until slightly browned and fragrant. Transfer the almonds to a small bowl and wipe out the pot. In a separate, small bowl, combine the yogurt and the juice of 2 lemon wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set the toasted almonds and yogurt aside as you continue cooking.
Toast the almonds & make the lemon yogurt:
Cook the spices & aromatics:
5 Cook the spices & aromatics:
In the same pot, heat the ghee on medium until melted. Add the biryani spice blend, flour and cardamom pods and cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant and toasted. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and soft.
6 Cook the vegetables:
To the same pot, add the cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Stir in the lemon zest, vegetable demi-glace and 1½ cups of water; season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the fava beans. To plate your dish, divide the rice between 2 bowls and top with the vegetable mixture. Garnish with the lemon yogurt, toasted almonds, cilantro and remaining lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Cook the vegetables: