One-pot Vegetable Biryani made in the instant pot, is so easy to cook with the same authentic flavors! Fragrant basmati rice cooked with lots of vegetables, and aromatic whole spices and herbs. This delicious flavorful Veg Biryani ready in less than 30 minutes, and is perfect for a weeknight dinner with a side of raita or for special occasions.
Servings: 4
Calories: 458kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Basmati Rice long grain, soaked for 20 minutes in 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoon Milk (use water for vegan)
- 1 pinch Saffron (Kesar) few strands
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Ghee (use oil for vegan)
- 10 Cashews
- 10 Raisins
- 1/2 Onion large size, finely sliced, about 1.25 cup
- 1 teaspoon Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger grated
- 1/4 cup Plain Yogurt whisked (skip for vegan or use vegan yogurt)
- 2 tablespoon Mint leaves finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Fried Onions divided (skip for gluten-free or use gluten-free fried onions)
- 1 1/4 cup Water
- 2 tablespoon Cilantro leaves finely chopped
Whole Spices
- 3 Green Cardamom
- 4 Cloves
- 8 Black Peppercorns
- 1 stick Cinnamon 1 inch long
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
Vegetables
- 1 Potato medium sized, cut in ¾ inch chunks, about 1 cup.
- 1/2 cup Green Peas fresh or frozen
- 1 cup Cauliflower cut in large florets about 1.5-2 inch
- 1/2 cup Red bell pepper sliced about 1 inch lengthwise
- 1/2 cup Carrots sliced in thin strips
- 1/2 cup Green Beans cut in 1 inch pieces
Ground Spices
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder adjust to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
Instructions
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Rinse the rice and soaking for 20 minutes. Then drain and keep aside.
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Warm the milk slightly and soak the saffron in it.
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Start the pressure cooker in sauté mode and heat ghee in it. Add cashews and raisins and saute them till lightly roasted. Take out and reserve for later.
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Add all the whole spices and saute for 30 seconds.
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Add sliced onions and sauté for about 6 minutes until they have the golden brown color. You can save some to garnish if you like.
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Add ginger, garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Press cancel and turn off the saute mode.
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Add all the vegetables, yogurt and spices. Mix well and scrape anything stuck to the bottom of the pot.
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Now spread the veggies at the bottom of the pot. Top with mint leaves, and half of the fried onions. Do not mix.
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Now spread the rice evenly over the veggies. Sprinkle saffron milk on top of the rice. Do not mix.
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Add the water for cooking on top such that the rice is just immersed under water. Do not stir the ingredients. Close lid with vent in sealing position.
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Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at low pressure for 6 mins. After the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually.
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Open the pot and fluff the rice gently with a fork. Top the biryani with the remaining fried onions and cilantro leaves. Top with reserved cashews and raisins. Cover with the lid and let it rest for 5 more minutes.
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Serve hot with yogurt or raita and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Notes
Vegetables: Cut cauliflower and potatoes in large chunk so they don’t overcook. ou can always vary the vegetables based on what you have on hand. Some other options are – mushrooms, corn, radishes, edamame, sweet potatoes. Make sure to keep in mind that all the veggies are cooking together with rice, so the cooking time must match to include them in the biryani. If some veggies cook quickly such as cauliflower, cut it into large florets, so it does not overcook. You can also add tofu or paneer to vegetarian biryani.
Fried Onions: If you dont have fried onions, add 1 cup extra onions initially when sautéing. Caramelize them and take half out. Then spread them in place of fried onions at the end when serving.
Gluten-free Variation: Skip fried onions or use gluten-free store-bought fried onions. You can also just caramelize onions in a pan or instant pot.
Vegan Variation: Replacing ghee with plant based oil. Replace milk to soak saffron with water. Skip yogurt or use vegan plant based yogurt.
Nutrition
Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 763mg | Potassium: 695mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3894IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 5mg
