Biryani

From my Indian Adventure....AKA Indian Cooking Class at John Micheal Kohler Arts Center!
*Read entire recipe first, since you need cooked garbanzo beans and cooked rice...you may have some prep work before starting the recipe.

Melt: 
4 T butter or coconut oil (I usually use coconut oil)

Add and cook on low for 5 minutes or till translucent:
1 onion, sliced

Veggie Mixture Cooking (Eggplant, Zucchini, Pumpkin, Tomatoes, Chickpeas and Spice Blend)

Add and cook on low for 1-2 minutes:
1 1/2 t mustard seeds
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t cayenne powder
1 t salt
1/4 t turmeric
1/4 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground corriander
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 T Sambhar curry powder  (or whatever curry powder you have)

Add and cook on medium for 10 minutes or till veggies begin to soften:
*you can use any vegetable (cauliflower, sweet potato, summer squash, winter squash...ect) or add meat (lamb or chicken, ect.)
1 eggplant, diced (peeled or not peeled)
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cubed
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1 cup green beans, chopped or whole
1 cup diced tomatoes with juices (fresh or canned)

Layer into deep casserole dish:
(For cooking rice, 1 cup rice and 2 cups of water should equal about 3 cups cooked rice)
3 c. cooked basmati rice, seasoned with Sambhar curry
Vegetable mixture
3 c. cooked basmati rice, seasoned with 2 T lemon juice and 1/4 t saffron threads

Top layer options:
1/3 cup cashews
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup raisins or currants

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-60 minutes

Serve with various toppings: cashews, raisins, shredded coconut, mango chutney or mango relish *you can find it at Union Market in Sheboygan!, or whatever else you want to use as a topping!