This vegetable-packed biryani is a one-pot dish that’s aromatic, flavorful, and really delicious!
You will love this recipe for vegetarian biryani! It’s flavorful, aromatic, and loaded with veggies like carrots, bell pepper, potatoes, corn, and peas. You can make this a vegan recipe too, if you omit the ghee-coated cashews and raisins.
So… I think it’s official. I have a biryani problem.
I already have several different types of biryani on my blog, and you can expect more varieties to come soon. I have so many biryani recipe ideas floating around in my head. And by floating, I mean dancing. These biryani ideas are basically doing bhangra in my mind. Biryani Bhangra.💃🏽 hoi! bruahhh!
Anyway, the point is we have been eating biryani at least once a week lately (Biryani Fridays! Can we make this a thing?!) and I can’t wait to share all of my biryani recipes with you.
“I have made this recipe plenty of times. This is one of my favorite recipe. Even at my workplace every time I have a potluck everybody asks me to make this dish. I substituted raisins with Cranberries and it still tastes delicious. Thank you, Ashley.”
Ushma
I normally reserve this veggie dish for special occasions, but it’s now simple enough to make on a busy weeknight, thanks to the instant pot. It’s easy and also impressive, so this dish works for dinner parties too. In fact, if you’re looking for a fancy vegetarian recipe to serve your guests, then look no further. Okay, actually, consider making my vegetable korma too. You can serve both at a dinner party, and your vegetarian/vegan friends will love you forever!
Watch how easy it is to make Vegetable Biryani!
(for the full recipe, see the recipe card below 😋)
One last thing… when you’re making biryani, use good biryani rice. I highly recommend using this brand of basmati rice in this dish and all of my rice dishes. I love the extra-long grains, and in my opinion, no other basmati rice compares. I’m always open to learning about new varieties/brands, though, so leave a comment if there’s another one you prefer!
Enjoy this dish! And if you like it, be sure to check out one of my other biryani recipes 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice love this brand, soaked 15 minutes
- 2 tablespoons oil
Whole Spices:
- 5 cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaf
- ½ cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic or garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger or ginger paste
Ground Spices:
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
Vegetables:
- 1 bell pepper cut into strips
- 1 cup baby carrots approx 9-10 baby carrots, cut in half
- 2 cups frozen veggies (I use 1 cup corn and 1 cup peas)
- 4 small gold potatoes approx. ½ pound, cut in half
- 1 cup water
- Cilantro leaves chopped
- Mint leaves chopped
- Ghee coated cashews and raisins optional
Instructions
- Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- Press the sauté button and add the oil to the pot. Allow it a minute to heat up, then add the whole spices and stir. Once the cumin begins to brown, add the onions. Stir-fry for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions begin to brown.
- Add the garlic, ginger, ground spices and stir.
- Add rice, vegetables and water to the pot and stir (the veggies don’t have to be submerged, they will cook in the steam).
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure for 5 minutes, then open the valve to release remaining pressure.
- Add the cilantro and mint and ghee coated cashews and raisins if using. Mix well and serve.
To Make Ghee-Coated Cashews/Raisins:
- Melt ghee in a pan over low-medium heat on the stovetop. Add the cashews and raisins and stir-fry until the cashews begin to turn golden.
- Sprinkle the ghee-coated cashews and raisins along with the cilantro and mint on top of the biryani.
Video
Notes
- Important: All of the recipes on my blog are tested using a 6 quart instant pot – I have not tested this recipe in a different sized pot. I don’t know if this recipe will work in a 3 quart or 8 quart – you may need to adjust the amount of oil and/or water. I suggest only using a 6 quart for this recipe.
- You should be able to substitute vegetables but keep the cook time in mind (e.g. if using cauliflower keep the pieces fairly large). I have been able to use frozen broccoli (in place of the bell pepper) with success. Let us know what veggies you try in the comments.
Gabe says
I love your recipes but I find the veggies just turn into mush at 6 minutes with this recipe.