• Soak the saffron in nondairy milk. Set aside.

Make biryani rice

• Place basmati rice in a colander and wash it under running water until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a bowl covered with an inch of water. Let the rice stand 30 minutes, then drain,
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and caraway seeds. Once the water is at a rolling boil, add the strained rice. Cook 6-7 minutes until the rice is about 80 percent done--tender but with a good bite to it still. Strain the rice in a colander and rinse in cool water. Set aside.

Make biryani curry sauce

• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the caraway seeds, cloves and cardamom.
• Add to the pot the carrots, potatoes and squash. Add the ginger garlic paste, salt and mix. Cover and cook the veggies for 5 minutes or until they are almost cooked. Stir frequently to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
• Add the bell peppers and mushrooms and mix. Cover and continue cooking another five minutes.  Add the herbs--cilantro, dried mint and dried dill. Mix well.
• Add the vegan yogurt followed by ground coriander and cayenne or paprika. Mix them in. Stir in half the fried onions, raw cashews and biryani masala spice mix.
• Stir in the optional tofu. Add a cup of water to the pot and stir it in to make the masala curry sauce. Once the masala comes to a boil, check for salt and add more if needed. Turn off the heat.

Assemble biryani

• Scatter the cooked rice over the masala in an even layer. Sprinkle the saffron milk over the rice followed by some fresh or dried mint, a few pinches of biryani masala and the remaining fried onions.
• Cover with a tight lid and cook over high heat for five minutes, then lower the heat and continue cooking 10 more minutes. Let the biryani stand 10 minutes, uncovered, before serving.