This flavorful instant pot keema biryani, a spiced ground meat and rice dish, is going to be your new favorite one-pot meal.
What is Keema Biryani?
Keema biryani or keema pulao is a one-pot dish made up of spiced ground meat, long-grain basmati rice, and aromatic spices. It’s a weeknight favorite at our house as well as a dish we serve when we have last-minute company. It’s easy to make and impressive too!
This dish is very flavorful so I suppose it really is more like biryani since pulao is typically more subtle in flavor. You can call this keema biryani or keema pulao or keema rice or ground meat pualo. Or just call it “that super scrumptious rice dish from myheartbeets” which to be fair, could refer to any one of my super tasty rice recipes… okay, it’s not like we really need another name for this dish, lol. Whatever you call it, know that it’s absolutely delicious.
If you’ve tried my chicken biryani or my shrimp biryani or my lamb/beef biryani then you know I know good biryani. Biryani has been one of my favorite things to eat for as long as I can remember so I know what good biryani should taste like. This keema biryani is so dang good. You are going to love it!
Beef Biryani Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this keema biryani:
- Ground Meat: you can use any ground meat you’d like. I typically use ground lamb or ground beef when making this, but chicken or turkey will work too.
- Basmati Rice: I love this brand of basmati rice – the grains are long and fragrant and cook perfectly every time.
- Whole Spices: cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, cumin
- Onion
- Garlic: you can use minced garlic or garlic paste.
- Ginger: you can use micned ginger or ginger paste.
- Green Chilli: you can use a minced serrano or green chilli paste.
- Ground Spices: coriander, paprika, salt, black pepper, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne
- Tomatoes
- Cilanto and Mint leaves: for garnish
If I’m making this keema biryani on a weeknight, I’ll sometimes leave out the herbs (I usually have cilantro in the house, but I don’t always have mint). If you’re serving this on a special occasion though then be sure to add the herbs. They add a bright fresh flavor to the dish. My goal for the spring/summer is to grow my own cilantro, mint, and parsley so hopefully, I’ll always have fresh herbs nearby. I have a brown thumb (both literally and figuratively) so I’m hoping I don’t kill my new plants right away.
How much should I cook the rice?
The best part about making biryani in an instant pot is that you don’t need to worry about this question because you cook the rice and meat together, in one pot, in the same amount of time.
Traditionally when making biryani, you cook the meat and rice separately but since we’re cooking it all together, we can cook the meat and rice together in 6 minutes (with a 10-minute natural release).
How long does does keema biryani last?
I would suggest eating this biryani within 2-3 days. You can also store it in the freezer for up to a couple of months.
What meat is best for biryani?
You can use any meat to make biriyani. I have many different types of biryani recipes on the blog. For this particular recipe, any type of ground meat will work. I typically use ground lamb or ground beef when making this, but chicken or turkey will work too.
Try another biryani recipe next!:
Looking for more ground meat recipes?
- Keema (reader favorite!)
- Kerala Ground Meat Stew
- Kerala Cutlets
- Ground Meat Vindaloo
Keema Biryani (Keema Pulao)
Keema Biryani (Keema Pulao)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups basmati rice soaked for 15 minutes
- 2 tablespoons oil of choice
Whole Spices
- 5 cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 pound ground meat of choice
- 1 onion diced
- 5 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- ½ – 1 Serrano pepper or green chili minced, adjust to taste
Ground Spices
- 3 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 (medium) tomatoes diced (approx 8-10 ounces total)
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves chopped
- ¼ cup mint leaves chopped
Instructions
- Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- Press the sauté button, then add the oil to the pot. Allow the oil a minute to heat up, then add the whole spices to the pot and give them a stir. Once the spices begin to sizzle, add the ground meat, onions, garlic, ginger, Serrano pepper and cook until the meat is mostly browned.
- Add the ground spices, mix well, then add the tomatoes and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until they have softened.
- Dump the rice on top of the meat (do not mix) then pour water on top. Sprinkle half the cilantro and mint on top of the rice.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
- Remove whole spices and sprinkle with remaining cilantro and mint.
Ella says
I just made this. It’s awesome! I was extremely distracted by my toddler so I forgot to put garam masala in it 😭 I can’t imagine how tasty it would have been if I could use cayenne pepper and garam masala! But it’s still amazing even my toddler said it’s yummy. I’ll be making this again, properly next time 😅
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Ella, totally get being distracted by a toddler – also my life currently, haha. You can always add it in at the end and mix well!
Tony says
you can add garam masala right at the end. just sprinkle it on.
Beth says
Yummy, I made this tonight, 3/13/24, for dinner. Very tasty, good heat (serrano) and a quick fix dinner. My husband rarely eats any leftovers, but while we were eating, he told me that he wouldn’t mind having it again tomorrow night (snow storm coming). Super delicious!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Beth, I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed this! Thanks for letting me know how much you both liked it 🙂
Greg says
Simple, easy delicious! I didn’t have any ground beef so I used beef stew meat. I pressure cooked it for 15 minutes in the spices and tomatoes after sauté. I then quick released it, added the rice, water, and cilantro. It was fantastic, this is a keeper. Thank you very much for the recipe.
Elena says
This is delicious, I use Impossible Meat for this (plant-based vegetarian meat) and it works perfectly. Have made this a few times, I love how easy it is based on the amount of effort
Marilyn says
My first time commenting even though I have made many of your recipes. This recipe came out terrifically! I made 4 cups of rice and lots of ground beef from Costco. Added many whole spices and even used ghee. I set the IP cooker for 7 minutes. Thank you for the incredible recipes and especially the quick ones that are fantastically delicious without compromising flavor. I will try to share a photo if possible.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Marilyn, thank you 🙂 I’m so glad you liked this dish. I’m happy to hear you’ve made many other recipes too!
Ayman says
I ate lots of biryanis. This one beats them all.
Tases so good. Thank you for sharing.
Sarah says
Great relatively quick recipe. I increased the spice level and added some lime juice – was delicious. TY
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Sarah, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this 🙂
Nimzack says
This is delicious!
How do you double this recipe in the instant pot?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, I’m so glad to hear that! I would double the ingredients but leave the cook time the same.
Rafa says
I can’t wait to make this, thank you! If I want to add parboiled masoor daal to it, should I add more water and cooking time?
Thank you
Kay says
How many people does this feed?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’d say about 4, but depends on how much everyone eats!
Anisa says
This is seriously the best recipe ever. I follow the method and the ingredients to the tee, it yields the best rice dish. This is a keeper and thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this recipe 🙂
Ian Sproule says
Can we have the recipes and methods for non pressure cooker users please.
Thank you
Nisha says
Awesome recipe Ashley, thank you for sharing it. It’s on my monthly rotation and my kids actually ask for it.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Nisha, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you and your kids like this!
Rajee says
Superb! Thank you for this recipe. I read it and instantly felt in my bones that it would be good – glad my bones were right 🙂
I used 30% more beef mince than the recipe called for, as I wanted it to carry a higher protein to carb ratio than classic rice-heavy pulao/biriyanis do.
Also I sautéed the tomatoes & spice powders after the onions had softened, to bring out their flavours before adding the beef mince and then lightly browning.
Recommended InstantPot cooking time was just right and resulted in the perfect grain quality for my basmati.
Overall super happy with this thank you – have saved it in my recipe app as a keeper!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Rajee, I’m so glad you made and liked this recipe! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Edmund says
Tried multiple times-every time pressure valve fails to pop out and IP gives “Food Burn” alarm. Tried less rice, more water, mix water with meat before adding rice, nothing works. Same thing with other biryani recipes. Not sure what the problem is.
When finished on a stove top, it tastes great though.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Edmund, I’m surprised that’s happening – are you making any other changes to the recipe? Are you making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot?
Louise Rackley says
Just did this without a pressure cooker on the hob using a heavy based pan with a lid. Followed the recipe exact until right at the end, added the water, brought it to boil then put the lid on and put it on simmer for around 10-12 mins. I also added a handful of frozen veg in when adding the tomatoes (peas sweetcorn, carrots) and it was sooooooo good 😍 thank you!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Louise, that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting us know how it turned out for you on the stovetop! I’m sure this will be helpful for other readers 🙂
Nisha says
This is absolutely delicious and a quick go-to for any week night.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Nisha, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked it 🙂
Raffat says
how many tomatoes do we need? Sorry don’t think I see in the recipe
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Raffat, you’ll want to use 2 tomatoes. You can see it in the recipe card at the bottom of the post 🙂
Veda says
Love all of Ashley’s recipes, this one is no exception! My 2 y/o toddler loves it too!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Veda! That’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you and your toddler liked this recipe 🙂
Mimi says
This turned out beautifully and cannot get over how simple and quick the whole process was. I put in 2 green chillies instead of the the half as recommended in the recipe and it came out pretty spicy but made some raita to have on the side.
Will be adding to my regular dishes I reckon!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Mimi, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked this dish 🙂
Ginger Bingham says
Made this tonight. It was delicious. The spice combination is amazing. I used ground turkey and brown rice(an organic sprouted brown basmati) I prefer using brown rice to white. I soaked it for close to 2 hrs and did the pressure for 8 minutes. It was done, but the dish was perhaps a little wetter than your photo looked. Any suggestions on a better way to substitute brown for white? And thanks for yet another fabulous recipe!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Ginger, thanks for letting us know how it turned out for you with brown rice. I normally soak brown rice for 15-20 minutes and cook for 22 minutes, maybe try that next time?
Debbie Finkelstein says
I love all your recipes and even bought an Instant Pot to make them. Working my way through the main dish recipes at the moment. Needless to say, I’m very pleased, and so is hubby.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Debbie, that’s awesome – very happy to hear that 🙂 Please continue to let me know what you think of the recipes you try!
Maryam says
If I wanted to add diced potatoes (large chunks), how should I modify the recipe? More water?
Lisa Ito says
Ashley,
I love your recipes! Very delicious and easy to follow. Can I use the onion masala in this recipe and skip adding the 2 diced tomatoes, garlic and ginger?
Thank you,
Lisa
Richel says
I want to multiply this recipe by 3. Would you also increase cooking time to x 3?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Richel, I haven’t tried tripling this but I would keep the cook time the same, the pot will adjust itself and take longer to reach pressure.
Sibi says
Hi Ashley. I love all of your biriyani’s and was wondering if you have tried any of them with riced cauliflower just to cut down on the carbs. I would greatly appreciate any tips you could provide. I am just not sure if the cook times would be the same in the instant pot for the riced cauliflower as regular rice. Thanks in advance for any insights.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Sibi, I have a cauli biryani in my ebook (South Asian Persuasion) but I have it on my to-do list to make and share an IP cauli biryani here on the blog – hopefully one day soon!
Srabana says
Hi Ashley, this is a great recipe, it’s become a weekly staple for us now (among many other recipes of yours)! Wondering if you’ve ever tried scaling it up – maybe doubling? I assume that I would just double the water and keep the timing the same? Any suggestions would be great.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Srabana, I’m so happy to hear that! I haven’t tried doubling this one myself but I’m sure it’ll be fine to do – just double all of the ingredients (including water) and keep the timing the same. Let me know how it goes!
Deb says
Hi, I would love to try this but I don’t have a pressure cooker. How would the recipe be adjusted for a slow cooker, or a regular pot on stove please?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Deb, I haven’t tried this using a different method but will update the post if I do. In the meantime, hopefully, another reader can help if they’ve tried!
Georgy Das says
Love this! Make it a few times a month and my family and friends are always amazed by the flavor. I do have a quick question. After you saute the whole spices, are you then removing (now or at some point before putting the rice in) them and putting it on top of the rice before pressure cooking? Your last instruction is to remove the whole spices which is a little tricky when they are somewhere in the biryani. Just wondering, thanks again for these awesome recipes!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Georgy, that’s so great to hear! We eat around the whole spices – I actually wrote a blog post about removing whole spices which goes into more detail if you want to check that out 🙂
Beth Romig says
This was super easy and bursting with vibrant, strong flavors. Highly recommend making this one!!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thank you, Beth! I appreciate the review 🙂
Nancy says
Made with brown rice, added a few minutes cook time and about 3/4 cup more water. I used two large spoonfuls of canned diced tomato. Threw in cashews at end. This was delicious!!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Nancy, that’s so great to hear! Glad the keema turned out well for you 🙂
Virginia says
This was a easy one and tasted yum too!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Virginia! Happy to hear that you liked this recipe so much 🙂
Margie says
A great biryani. So simple. So good to eat. Thanks Ashley
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Margie, glad to hear that 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how the biryani turned out for you!
Badeeia says
Hello. Can you please tell me how much ground mince to use in the recipe. I can’t see it for some reason. Thank you
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Badeeia, you’ll want to use 1 pound – it’s listed in the ingredients as 1 pound ground meat of choice 🙂
Kazi Islam says
Did I miss something or does the recipe not mention the type/quality or how much ground meat I should be using?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Kazi, this recipe calls for 1 pound of ground meat – it’s listed in the ingredients but I can see how it looks hidden. I recently changed recipe cards and am working on figuring out formatting issues so thank you for bringing this to my attention!
JayCeeGee says
Like your IP recipes – but the the website is fraught with an overload of ads and is very distracting.
Anyway decided to buy the book on Amazon to stay focused.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi JayCee, thank you for supporting me by getting my book, I really appreciate it! I’m sorry for the ads – just so you know though, the ads are how many of us bloggers are paid.
Lucy Cook says
Can you share instructions for making without instapot?
Hazim says
Your website is so full of ads, banners, and videos loading. I couldn’t even stay focused on something. Too distracting.
I am saying this so you could improve your site and provide a nice experience. Sorry if it came out as rude or harsh.
🌷Have a great day! 🙂
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Hazim, I know the ads are frustrating but the ads are what allow me to work and share my recipes on the internet.
Brit says
My family asks for this at least once a week! It smells delicious cooking. The steps are easy to follow. I soak the rice closer to 30 min.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
That’s awesome! Happy to hear your family likes this recipe so much 🙂
Priya says
HI Ashley,
I absolutely love your recipes and look forward to trying this one over the weekend for a dinner party.
If I need to increase the rice quantity to make 2 or 2.5 cups of rice, what would the water ratio be and would the cook time change?
Thank you!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Priya, I’m sorry for the late reply! It might be easiest to double the recipe – to do that, I would double all of the ingredients and keep the cook time the same. Hope that helps!
Donna Piasetzki says
Hi Ashley, I am such a big fan! Yes, you can make this Vegan or Vegetarian – just use your favourite vegetarian substitute for ground beef (Beyond Beef Crumbles, Ives Ground Round, etc.) or use plain Textured Vegetable Protein. I added a little bit more oil to make up for the lack of fat in the veggie options. Delicious!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Donna, that’s so nice to hear! And great to know about making this a vegetarian/vegan dish – thanks for sharing. 🙂
Yasmin says
Made this for the first time today and it turned out really well! I didn’t have cloves so I used 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon as a substitute. It turned out to be a lot of rice for 1 person so I may reduce the amount of rice next time.
Ashley, what would you recommend the spice proportions and amount of water to be if you wanted to make this with the half amount of rice but the same amount of keema? I was thinking of adding 1/2 cup chana dal too next time Thanks!.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Yasmin, that’s good to hear! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out. 🙂 To answer your questions, I’ve only tested the recipe as written so I’m not sure about changing the ratio of rice to meat – I’m also not sure chana dal will cook in the amount of time listed here – but let me know if you experiment!
Amara says
Ashley this recipe was AMAZING!!! I had 1.4lbs of ground beef and the flavor was still perfect with all other quantities kept the same. Can you recommend a way to add vegetables to it?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Amara, that’s so great to hear! I’m sure it’ll still be great if you added some peas or some mixed fresh/frozen veggies (peas, carrots, corn).
Oscar says
Hi Ashley. In the last two weeks, I have made your chicken pot pour biryani, chicken pulao, Kerala mincemeat stew, butter chicken and I’ve never cooked before! My sister in law led me here. I’m doing this Keema Pulao today. Thanks for explaining everything so clearly for us cooking dummies! You’re getting me to enjoy cooking because the effort is minimal and the results outstanding 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Hi Oscar, that is awesome to hear! Glad you’ve made so many recipes – and glad your SIL told you about my site! Thanks for letting me know how much you’re enjoying the recipes 🙂
Roxi says
I’ve never left a review for a recipe before, but this was just so delicious and packed with flavour! And so simple too. Yum.
My Heart Beets says
Roxi, I’m so happy to hear that 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review and letting me know how much you liked it!
Sean L says
Honestly, I was so pleasantly surprised how delicious this recipe was. I’m from Durban in South Africa and know how to make a tasty and authentic curry (mutton, beef, chicken and brinjal & prawn curries) but I have never succeeded at making a really good biryani until now. Your recipe was really easy to follow and I substituted the basmati for white long grained rice and added 5 minutes to the cook time on an open stove. Even without the dahnia (coriander) it was amazing. Thank you very much!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Sean, I’m so glad you liked this recipe so much 🙂 Also, I’d love to try a South African recipe – brinjal or prawn sound delicious! If you have a favorite, please share!
Danny Mascarenhas says
If you do not have a pressure cooker what can you use please ?
Sadiya Ahmed says
Hi Ashley, I plan on making this for my picky toddler. So happy to see a super easy IP recipe for Indian food. I plan to use ground breast chicken for this recipe. Would I need to adjust the cooking time and spice amounts?
Thanks in advance!
Sadiya
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Sadiya! I would keep everything the same – ingredients and cook time, even if you’re using a different type of ground meat. Let me know how it goes and what your toddler thinks!
Afreen says
Honestly I was skeptical about how it would turn out – I haven’t been a fan of IP biryanis (not your recipes!) but this was so good! Great flavour and not mushy. I’m going to try mixing in red lentils with the rice to make kichdi (the drier, Hyderabad-kheema version). Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
My Heart Beets says
Afreen, that is so awesome to hear! I’m so happy that I won over an IP biryani skeptic, lol! Let me know how the dish turns out with the red lentils – very curious 🙂
Afreen says
Totally worked!! I just added some extra water to the overall measurement to account for the lentils (rice to lentil ratio was 1.5 to 0.25 cups; I added half a cup more water). I also added turmeric to the rice/lentils while they soaked soaked and then a little more to the water I poured into the IP after adding the rice. Thanks again!
My Heart Beets says
Afreen, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Saritha says
It is awesome .
My Heart Beets says
Hi Saritha, I’m so glad you liked the keema!
RMathur says
My first meal in my Instant Pot. This was absolutely delicious. I cannot believe you can develop such complex flavor without frying spices the “old” way. Yum!
My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad you liked this! Let me know what you think of other IP recipes you try from my site 🙂
Lubs says
Loved this! Followed the recipe exactly. Everything was straight forward and the biryani was quick and easy to make. Even my 10 month old son loved it. Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
That’s so great to hear! I’m so glad your little one liked this! Thanks for letting me know how the biryani turned out for you 🙂
Kathy Fritsch says
Hi Ashley! My family loves your recipes! I have a question about the cardamon – do you mean green cardamon or the black cardamon? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Kathy! That’s so great to hear 🙂 I mean green cardamom – I will always list out black cardamom if I use it in a recipe as it’s a less commonly used spice. This is a good question and is making me realize that I need to start specifying – so thank you for asking!
Supriya says
Delicious! I subbed vegan ground beef. Can’t believe how easy it is to make authentic biryani like this. Thanks for a great recipe!
My Heart Beets says
Supriya, I’m so glad you liked this! Great to know it worked well with vegan ground beef – thank you for sharing 🙂
Merle says
I have now made your brown basmati biryani and this Keema biryani. Your recipes always turn out great for me. Thank you so much! We loved our dinner❤️
My Heart Beets says
Merle, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how you liked this 🙂
Deepa says
Hi Ashley!
I followed the recipe but it burnt at the bottom and I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong. Firstly, I doubled the recipe. Second while browning the minced chicken in the instant pot there was a lot of liquid that I had to boil off, which took a half hour and even then I couldn’t get it to brown in the left over liquid. How do you address this issue with the IP?
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!
Shantesh Row says
Hi Ashley, stumbled upon your site as I was searching for a kheema biryani recipe on the web. As a 44 year old dad stuck at home during this lockdown – I’ve taken over the cooking duties since my wife has to still work. So been cooking a lot. And must say this was a simple yet delicious way to make biryani. Loved the use of the spices and the easy preparation. Just as an addition, I ladled a spoonful of Pure desi ghee into the water before putting the pressure cooker on. Thanks for this amazing recipe and look forward to trying more from your superb recipes. Best wishes, Shantesh, Dubai
My Heart Beets says
Shantesh, I’m glad you found my site and liked this biryani 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think about any other recipes you try!
Harv Phandal says
I love your recipes. I follow them to the exact measurements. Reminds me of my my moms cooking. You’re a culinary super star and genius. Thank you
My Heart Beets says
Harv, wow that’s so nice of you to say! Thank you for the kind words 🙂
Sara says
Heyy, love this recipe at how easy it is but I don’t have an instant pot but would like to make it in a normal pot. How would it be different?
Many thanks x
Shakuntala says
Hi I was going to try your recipe but I just want to get these 2 steps clear from your recipe
* Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure.
* Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
So are you cooking in a pressure cooker and do we wait for the whistle or just follow whats in the instruction but without whisling..thanx for your answer in advance.
Liz says
Hi what is the serving size for this recipe ?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Liz, I’d say this recipe feeds 4 but you can serve it with another dish to stretch it out if needed. Hope that helps!
Sausan Lawal says
Hey! I made your Keema Biryani and although I don’t think that anything could ever replicate authentic biryani and it’s 1736392 ingredients and 194773820 steps, I will say that the flavors were fantastic and that I will most definitely be making this recipe again. Thanks for the share!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Sausan! Totally agree and yes, this is much easier lol. I’m so glad you liked it!
Lauren says
How would you adjust this recipe to cook with either short grain white rice or short grain brown rice? All out of basmati
Divya says
This recipe was awesome.My whole family including a 6yr old and 10 yr old loved it…. no drama dinner for us.Thank you
My Heart Beets says
Divya, so happy to hear that your whole family loved the keema biryani – especially your kiddos! 🙂
Nina says
Do you need the tomato? Can I skip using them?
My Heart Beets says
You can skip it – it’ll turn out fine 🙂
Gargi Singh says
I just made this using Onion Masala. I sauteed ground spices and then added beef along with garlic, ginger, and serrano. I added one cup of onion masala. For spices, from the above list I subtracted the onion masala recipe spices for one cup (basically everything divided by 6). Does that make sense?
Added one cup on onion masala and gave it a swirl. Dumped rice on top and then water and mint/cilantro. Worked out pretty great!
My Heart Beets says
Gargi, that’s awesome – thanks so much for sharing how it turned out with the onion masala! 🙂
The Bespoke Doctor says
I haven’t tried this yet… but I spent an hour checking out your website after a friend recommended you! What can I say… you inspired me to buy my first instant pot! I love my Indian food but it’s so time consuming to make! You’ve made my culinary dreams come true! I’m also a North Indian (Punjabi British) married to a southie so cant wait to try the idli/ sambar too!! Thanks a million.. ashvy xxx
My Heart Beets says
Hi! Happy to have you here! Please tell your friend I said thanks for recommending my blog 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipes you make!
venita says
I have made this dish at least 20X and each time my family especially my husband falls in love with it over again.
My Heart Beets says
Venita, wow, that’s so awesome to hear! Thank you for letting me know how much you and your family like this dish 🙂
Leone says
Absolutely delicious! My husband and I LOVED this! This Biryani will be be a regular in my meal plan rotation. I used our ground moose meat and riced cauliflower and it was so yummy! ❤️
My Heart Beets says
Leone, I’m so happy to hear that you like this recipe so much 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you and your hubby!
Mark says
Hi, I could not find this on your page, but how many servings does this make (for how many adults)?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Mark, I’d say this makes 4 servings. Hope that helps!
Mehak says
Hi, I have a mix of ginger and garlic paste (not separate of each) how should I adjust the recipe? Also will coriander seeds instead of powder work?
Rob says
Hi Ashley
I bought a crockpot express a few weeks ago and am loving your site and recipes so far. Thanks to you i have been able to make a decent biryani for the first time after trying for years. It was always under-cooked or overcooked and never in the middle
I am making this recipe today. Can you tell me if it is OK to leave it on the keep warm setting with the lid closed when it finishes cooking or do you have to stop the cooking process completely, switch it off and take the lid off to avoid burning or drying out the rice? Basically is the keep warm function usable with your biryani recipes
Many thanks
My Heart Beets says
Hi Rob, I’m sorry for the late reply! Once the biryani is done, I would remove the lid, give it a mix and then keep it on the warm setting. If you don’t plan to eat it until much later, I would put it away and then reheat it when you’re ready to eat. I’ve never left the rice on the warm setting for long and so if you do that, I would suggest checking on it and giving it a stir every now and then.
Phyllis says
Ashley!!! I made this the other night (just had leftovers for lunch, crisped up in a frying pan yummmm)…it was SO DELICIOUS! Made it with ground lamb. We love, love, love Indian food and I enjoy cooking it at home. This recipe was incredibly easy and amazingly tasty! I just can’t compliment you enough!
Thanks for another terrific recipe! I appreciate all the work it takes to perfect and share these recipes with us.
My Heart Beets says
Phyllis, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you like my keema biryani recipe 🙂 I really appreciate the kind words, thank you!
Jamie says
So good! Best Indian dish I’ve made. I too had a bit of excess water however, I think I’d let the tomatoes cook down a bit more next time and I did use brown basmati (1 cup to 1 cup water) at 22 minutes again. I’m wondering if this is freezer friendly per chance? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks Jamie! Yes, you can freeze this 🙂
Vikram Modak says
I’ve made this three times in the last couple of months, and each time it has been super. Received many compliments. Thank you, Ashley.
Vikram
California
My Heart Beets says
Vikram, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how much you like this keema biryani 🙂
Falon says
I have some Shan biryani mix (regular biryani, chicken, and Karachi beef).
What amount (they come in 2.1oz) of packet(s) would you recommend to substitute for the ground spices?
Falon says
Bump @My Heart Beets
Devika says
Hi Ashley
Made this for lunch over the weekend. Turned out absolutely delicious.. I love how easy it was to make.
Thank you.
Regards Devika
My Heart Beets says
Hi Devika, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how the keema biryani turned out for you 🙂
Sharon says
This is amazing! My kids love eating it, which is such a huge plus! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
My Heart Beets says
Sharon, I’m so glad your kids love this!! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this recipe!
Nick says
Do I have to chance from saute to pressure cook. I changed to pressure cook on high and keep getting burn display on instapot display
My Heart Beets says
You can’t pressure cook using the saute function – not sure that answers your question?
Zainab says
Hey!
I want to make this for lunch tomorrow however I don’t have a instant pot but I have a pressure cooker so how do I go about cooking?
How many people does this recipe serve?
TIA
My Heart Beets says
Hi Zainab, I’ve heard from readers that they’ve been able to make this in an old school pressure cooker! I’m sure you can also easily make it on a regular pot on the stove too. Let me know how it goes!
Nidah says
Absolutely loved this dish! As a newlywed and marrying into a family with delish cooks I was finally able to impress! I even added potatoes this last time-I think I might need to add a little more water next time bc I did get burn signal but it was remedied with a little water and some more pressure!! I also sub 15 oz diced tomorrow’s! It’s become a weekly meal at our home!! Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Nidah, that’s awesome!! I’m so glad you liked this keema biryani so much 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
RAHEEL AQUIL says
Excellent recipe really delicious…
My Heart Beets says
Thank you!
Riti says
Hi !,
I made this yesterday and my family LOVED it. I felt the rice little uncooked. But my family said it was just perfect and I have no picture to show you as not even one rice was left. Thank you for your recipes. I try a new recipe every second day from your website. Everything is so so so awesome.
Laura Robbins says
Hi,
This recipe is guest worthy, but how do you pick out the whole spices after the dish is cooked?
Thanks,
Laura
My Heart Beets says
Hi Laura! I get this question a lot – here’s a post I wrote about removing whole spices: https://myheartbeets.com/do-i-remove-whole-spices-before-serving-indian-food/
SANA ahmed says
I’ve recently started cooking and I’m always so nervous before trying something new. The keema biryani turned out so good! Husband loved it too. Thank you so much!! Trying your masala dal recipe tonight:)
My Heart Beets says
Sana, I’m so happy to hear that you tried this! Thanks for letting me know how the keema turned out for you and your hubby 🙂 hope you loved the masala dal too!
Dimarie G says
This was very tasty, the only thing that bummed me out was that it came out a bit mushy. I’m not sure if I was supposed to take the top off after the natural 10 minutes and releasing the extra steam or if the tomatoes released too much juice I’m not sure what happened , I’ll have to play around with the recipe to get the rice right but it was so quick and easy I loved it! Thank you so much!
Monisha says
My instant pot keeps showing burn no matter what I do, what am I doing wrong? 🙁
Sidika Dhalla says
same happened to me, will have to tweak the amount of water.
Samantha Valentine says
Just made this today for my and my husband’s dinner – we LOVED it! I did a couple of things slightly different. I only had a small amount of beef in my freezer so I used ground turkey instead. It worked perfectly! Also my husband hates bay leaves so I used a few dried curry leaves instead. He also hates mint so I left that out. I did use the cilantro though and everything else as per your recipe. One of the best rice dishes I’ve ever made! Thanks so much for sharing this perfect recipe 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Samantha, I’m so happy to hear that you liked it so much! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Raffat T ahmad says
Hi I wanted to know what buttons on the instant pot you are pressing please. I pressed pressure cook and then 6 mins and nothing happened. So i ended up pressing rice and will let it steam in 6 mins, hope it still turns out fine. Also what do you mean by releasing the pressure naturally? I only know the steam valve thing. thanks.
Sara H says
Hi
I want to try this recipe today, but i don’t have a instant pot…i have a tefal cook4me…which is basically an electric pressure cooker. Will the same measurements in this recipe work?
Rose says
I made this last night – I was super skeptical but it was amazing. I used one 398 ml can of tomatoes and half a scotch bonnet.
Even my Indian parents liked it and were shocked I made it.
Thanks and now to see what I should make next from your website!
My Heart Beets says
Rose, I’m so happy to hear that you and your parents liked this recipe so much! I can’t wait to hear what you think of any other recipes that you try from my site 🙂
Shriya says
Tried this for Sunday lunch and came out sooo goood.
My Heart Beets says
Shriya, I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂
Angelie says
Omg the best meal I have ever made. Great recipe!!!!
My Heart Beets says
Angelie, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know how the keema biryani turned out for you 🙂
Deepti Anand says
Made it with minced chicken today. Turned out really good! Thank you!!
My Heart Beets says
Deepti, that’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
Brett A says
Hi! Can I use my frozen Onion Masala for this recipe too? I have so much of it from making it and freezing it from your recipe, and i’d like to try a few new things. If so, I assume hold the onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes, but where would i add the frozen pucks?
Sreeparna says
Ashley, I can’t thank you enough for such wonderful and easy recipes. Will try this keema biriyani today.
Have 1 quick question…
How many tomatoes and what size please?
It’s not listed under ingredients.
Thanks so much 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Hi Sreeparna! The tomatoes are listed in the recipe card underneath the cayenne – as for size, I’d try to go with medium if you can – it shouldn’t make too much of a difference. I hope that helps and that you enjoy it! 🙂
Sarita says
I tried to make this and followed the recipe but my rice came out totally uncooked! So I have added another 2 cups water and put it back on. Hope it works! Any ideas what could have gone wrong?
My Heart Beets says
that doesn’t sound right – was the pot sealed properly? are you using basmati rice?
Jennifer says
I made this today not using the IP or rice. I substituted riced cauliflower and 1 cup of cooked quinoa. Super good, or as good as something can be without using real rice! Thank you for your always wonderful spice combintaations.
My Heart Beets says
Jennifer, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how the keema biryani turned out for you using quinoa! That’s great to hear 🙂
aliya yousufi says
I added a few extra spices but followed all the other instructions exactly and it turned out so well! Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Happy to hear that you liked it!
Judy Patel says
I don’t see any information about how many the recipes serve unless I am missing it. I am planning a menu for 14 and need to know. Thank you.
Jasjot says
Wow Ashley, what a recipe!!!! I made this for my family as part of my experiment with my new Instant Pot, and we were all blown away. This is going to be a regular meal at our house, as my kids have already asked me to make it next week again. Can’t wait to try out your other recipes!
My Heart Beets says
Jasjot, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how the keema biryani turned out for you and your family! I’m so glad your kiddos liked it 🙂
Rakesh Tekkam says
As you know chicken keema cooks real quick. And by following the recipe above, the chicken keema will surely be overcooked.
Any recommendations on how best I can make this dish without making the chicken keema dry?
TIA
Pari says
Just made this for dinner and it was so YUM!! my kids loved it 🙂 Thanks a lot Ashley.
My Heart Beets says
Pari, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you and your kiddos! 🙂
Caro says
Hi, i dont have a pressure cooker, do you have any idea how long i should put it in the oven for and what tempurate? Thank you
Aishwarya Rangnekar says
My husband loved the biryani. Thank you so much for the recipe. 😊
My Heart Beets says
Aishwarya, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Nikita says
Hi Ashley,
I made the kheema biryani with Soya chunks instead. And it turned out so awesome. Best biryani I have ever made. Thanks a ton!
My Heart Beets says
Nikita, that’s awesome! So great to hear 🙂
Dena says
Do you have a cauliflower rice biryani or Pulao?
My Heart Beets says
I do in my first ebook, South Asian Persuasion, a paleo-friendly ecookbook. I will work on an instant pot recipe though 🙂
Suma says
Hi Ashley, for chicken biryani recipe how many cups of rice can be used in 6 qt instant pot. I want to make it for a party. I want to make biryani for 10-12 people.
Simran says
Hi, love your recipes so much! I was wondering if you think ground turkey would taste good in this recipe? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Simran, thank you!! Yes, you can use ground turkey – it’ll taste great 🙂
swagata says
Hi!
I’m sorry if I am posting again (computer snafu) or if I missed this answer elsewhere. When you measure the rice, are you using a measuring cup, or the instant pot/rice cooker measuring cup (since the “cups” aren’t equivalent).
Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi, no worries! I use measuring cups 🙂
Swagata says
Sorry if I missed this answer elsewhere, but do you measure the rice by the measuring cup, or by the instant pot/rice cooker cup?
Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
I use a measuring cup 🙂
Swagata says
Thank you! I made this tonight—so yummy!
My Heart Beets says
So happy to hear that!! Thank you for reporting back 🙂
Mary says
I made this for the first time this week, subbing in 15 oz diced tomatoes and cutting the onion down to just a few tablespoons, and it was fantastic.
One request: My husband has asked me to try a chicken biryani next, but that page is broken. It loads, but you can’t scroll down and read it. I’ve tried in different browsers, with no luck.
My Heart Beets says
Mary, I’m so happy to hear that you liked the keema biryani! And thank you so much for letting me know – apparently there’s a glitch with my video! I just updated the post and it should work for you now 🙂
Sohail Faizi says
Just made it yesterday and it was delicious.
My substitution was two cups rice instead of one and half. On second thoughts, I waould put two and half cups as there was too much ground beef for the amount of rice
Also wasn’t sure about the amount of water so I put in two cups. Pressured for seven minutes in lieu of six. Next time 9 minutes.
The rice was slightly undercooked and soggy (still edible and delicious though).
I would recommend less red pepper as mine was way too spicy.
Thanks for a great recipe.
My Heart Beets says
Sohail, thank you for sharing 🙂
Ree says
Hi! I love the look of this recipe and want to try. But I don’t have an instant pot. Is there any way I can make this in just a regular pot on the stove? Please do guide me. I would really appreciate it. 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Hi Ree, yes you can definitely make this on the stovetop, you will just have to keep an eye on the dish to see when the rice is done. I typically cook biryani on the stovetop this way if you want to get an idea: https://myheartbeets.com/leftover-goat-curry-biryani/
Anuradha says
DELISH!!
My Heart Beets says
Anuradha, I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Ash says
Hi Ashley, my family and friends are a big big fan of my kheer. Thank you sooo much for such an easy recipe. My 4YO demands its every week. And I don’t feel exhausted thinking of the procedure.
I’m planning to make kheema biryani for a camping pot luck of 10 adults and 5 kids.
I’m not sure how many would the recipe serve. My another concern is ground lamb. I get lamb and goat at my city, but no ground. Also, what part of the lamb/goat would be great to cook.
Thank you for your wonderful recipes.
Asha says
Excellent share ,really enjoyed the biryani.Your recipes are amazing.My husband really enjoyed it.
Thanks
My Heart Beets says
Asha, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you and your hubby like the biryani 🙂
Nida says
Hey Ashley, made this once and loved it! I need to double or triple this recipe for guests coming over do you recommend any changes to proportion (or just double/triple everything?) or time? Thank you for all your hard work in creating the perfect recipes 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Hi Nida, so sorry for the late reply! You can double the ingredients but leave the cook time the same – it’ll just take longer to reach pressure 🙂 I haven’t tried tripling the recipe but I think it’d be the same – to leave the cook time the same. I hope your guests loved it!
Jennyth says
Amazing! Loved this recipe and am looking forward to trying more of your offerings. I live in a tiny town, and ground cardamom and ground cloves were what I had to settle for. Wondering about the whole cloves…after cooking, would they need to be avoided like the cinnamon stick and bay leaves or would they be softened?
My Heart Beets says
Thank you!! I can’t wait to hear what you think of more recipes that you try 🙂 As for whole cloves, yes definitely avoid eating them. Also, if you are replacing ground spices for whole spices – use very little, just a small pinch 🙂
Aisha says
This looks so good! I just recently purchased an instant pot and was searching for desi recipes, so glad to run across your blog and see so many instant pot recipes!!! As a newlywed and new chef, it makes cooking for the in-laws less daunting 😄 Wondering if I can substitute the minced ginger and garlic w ginger and garlic paste, and if so, how much of each? Also, are fried onions ok to use in these recipes or should it be fresh? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
My Heart Beets says
Aisha, so glad you found my blog! I can’t wait to hear what you think of my recipes! You can use minced/paste interchangeably – it’s fine 🙂 A tiny bit of extra ginger or garlic won’t make too much of a difference. And do you mean the fried onions you get at the Indian grocery store? You can use those as a topping for this biryani 🙂
Attiya says
Make this now!!
I make a lot of Pakistani/Indian food but am admittedly lazy about it. 90% of my recipes use boxed spice mixes, yesterday I was searching for a new recipe to try out and came across this. My initial reaction was nope, I’m not even sure I have actual individual spices but as I read on I figured I’d give the recipe a try. Not only was it easy (thanks to my mom’s recent visit I found all but one of the spices in my cabinet) it tastes AMAZING. Both my kids, my hubby and I all loved it! Now I’m even contemplating cooking over the weekend (unheard of!) just so I can try out another recipe. Thanks so much!
My Heart Beets says
Haha thank you!! I’m so glad you made it and tried it 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of any other recipes you try from my blog!
SM says
My picky kids said, and I quote, “wow mom, this is better than a restaurant!” I am so happy to be able to put this into rotation!
My Heart Beets says
Awww yay!! I’m so happy to hear that!! No better compliment than hearing that kids (especially picky kids!) enjoyed a recipe!
Carey Letts says
Very enjoyable! I made the biryani with brown basmati, canned tomatoes and only cilantro, though I’d like to try it with the mint also next new. After i released the remaining pressure, i stirred in a couple cups of frozen green peas and let it hang out for a few mire minutes – lovely 🙂 thanks Ashley!
My Heart Beets says
That’s great to hear, Carey! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂 Love that you added frozen peas too!
Sophie says
This was delicious. My 85 year old grandmother who has never really eaten Indian food AND my fuss-pot toddler both loved it too. And so easy!
My Heart Beets says
Sophie, that makes me so happy to hear!! Thank you for letting me know how you, your grandma and your toddler liked it 🙂
Charles says
REALLY good. Kind of tastes like a kofta kebab. Was nice with a bit of greek yogurt.
One issue is that the my instant pot duo 6 qt couldn’t quite get up to pressure due to the low amount of water. Since it’s just steaming the rice I let it sit at whatever pressure it got to for 15 minutes before releasing the steam and it turned out fine. But you may want to adjust the recipe.
My Heart Beets says
Charles, glad you liked this biryani! As for the pot not reaching pressure – just to confirm, you used the same cup to measure both the rice and the water, correct?
Dana says
I made this on Friday night, SO GOOD! My first Indian dish, and my whole family loved it. Will be a regular recipe in our house. ♥️ Thanks Ashley!
My Heart Beets says
Dana, I’m so happy to hear that you made this – and that it was your first Indian dish!! Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out for you and your family 🙂
Sats says
Hi. Can you use brown rice and how long do I cook it for?
Thanks
My Heart Beets says
If you use brown basmati rice then set the time to 22 mins 🙂
Zee says
Made this today with ground lab instead of ground beef and used a only few of the ground spices and no tomatoes. It came out wonderfully! Served with Raita. Thank you.
My Heart Beets says
Zee, I’m so happy to hear that you liked this! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Kishen says
Hi, is that 22min pressure cook for brown rice or 12min pressure cook and 10min natural release? Thanks
My Heart Beets says
Hi Kishen, for brown basmati, you’ll need a 22 minute cook time with a 10 min NR (https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-brown-basmati-rice/) Hope that helps!
Zahraa Parekh says
Do you think it’ll taste just as good the next day? I wanted to prepare the night before for guest coming over for dinner the next day.
My Heart Beets says
Zahraa, yes it’ll be just as good if not better! Indian food always tastes better the next day in my opinion because the flavors have more time to mix together 🙂
Carrie says
Hi Ashley!
I love all your recipes, but have been limiting myself from the ones that call for whole spices. I know I am missing out by not trying some of these! 🙂
Where would you recommend I get whole spices? I can double check my local grocery store, but I have a hunch they won’t have all of what I’d need. We do have local Asian markets that are a little bit of a drive from me..would that be a good place to look?
Also, for the 2 tomatoes – would canned diced tomatoes work as well for this recipe?
Thanks so much!! I am on a “Staycation” for a couple of weeks here and I really want to do some more cooking, your website is the first place I go for new things to try!
Carrie
My Heart Beets says
Hi Carrie! So happy to hear that you like my recipes 🙂 You can find whole spices at any local Indian grocery store if you have one or on Amazon. I am not sure about an Asian market – I would call ahead to see if they carry whole spices. You can also try the Pure Indian Foods website – their spices are great! And Yes, you can use canned diced tomatoes – my guess would be to use half a (14 ounce) can or perhaps a little less than half. Let me know how it goes! Enjoy your staycation 🙂
Janet says
Carrie, we found all of the whole and ground spices at our local Safeway! Good Luck 🙂
Michelle says
Hi Ashley. Could you specify what type of tomatoes you are using (or a weight?) I’m afraid I will mess up the liquid content if I use the wrong kind…
Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Don’t worry, it’ll turn out well! Any type of tomato will work – I usually just use whatever is available at the grocery store 🙂 You can look for medium sized tomatoes. Hope that helps!
Liz says
What is the serving size for this recipe
My Heart Beets says
I’d say it serves 4 🙂
My Heart Beets says
I’d say it serves 4 🙂
Liz S says
I need to make double. Are there any changes in the ingredients?
My Heart Beets says
To double this, you can double the ingredients but keep the cook time the same. Enjoy!
Bindi Patel says
ummm just wow! I made this last night for me and my fiancé (who absolutely LOVES biryani) and we were both pretty much speechless. It was DELICIOUS! It tastes like it took hours to make the way the flavors all come together.
I also made your Instant Pot Saag (half the recipe quantity) and added paneer to it at the end.
What a meal! We have so many leftovers and we can’t wait to eat it again tonight.
Ashley! I’ve tried a few of your recipes and I just love them all! Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Bindi, I’m so happy to hear that you and your fiancé liked the keema biryani!! And the saag! Thank you so much for letting me know how the recipes turned out for you guys!! 🙂
Sonia S Uddin says
Hi Ashley,
How much water would you say goes in after putting the meat in and then dumping the rice on top? I ask because I am afraid of mushy rice.
Please let me know 🙂