Vegetable Biryani (South Africa) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 large onions, sliced
4 tablespoons butter or 4 tablespoons clarified butter
6 chili peppers, crushed into a paste (I will use a lesser amount of chili paste or crushed red pepper flakes) or 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (I will use a lesser amount of chili paste or crushed red pepper flakes)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced (2-inch piece)
10 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry lentils, pre-soaked
1/2 lb green peas
1/2 lb carrot, chopped
1/2 lb green beans, chopped
3 large tomatoes, chopped
6 whole cloves
4 inches cinnamon sticks
6 cardamom pods, crushed
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 sprigs of fresh mint or 1/2 teaspoon dried mint, pounded
2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked (basamati is good)
6 large potatoes, chopped into large chunks
1 -2 teaspoon salt
5 -6 cups hot water
yogurt, to serve

Preparation

In a large, heavy skillet or stew pot, fry the onions in butter until they are golden brown. With a slotted spoon, remove about 1/3 of the slices and set aside.
Add to the pot the ginger, garlic and chili paste, and fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the lentils, green peas, carrots and green beans. Reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes, adding more butter or a bit of oil if needed.
Add the tomatoes, spices and mint, and stir for 5 minutes.
Then pour a cup of hot water, cover, and simmer until vegetables are about half cooked.
Add rice, potatoes, salt and another 4-5 cups of hot water (use the lesser amount if your vegetables have created quite a bit of liquid). Cover again, and cook for another 20-30 minutes until rice is done and water is absorbed.
To serve, garnish with the reserved onion slices, and pass around a bowl of yogurt as a sauce.