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.
Barb says
I have made many of these recipes and love them all. This vegetable biryani is my very favorite so far. I can’t wait to even more of your recipes. so good!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad to hear that, let me know what you think of any others you try!
kj says
I love making Biryani. And your many recipes are so perfect. I have also made Biryani with small pieces of pasta added, like linguini or angel hair. Have you seen or made it this way? Also, where can I get a spice container like yours? Th one that is round with several round containers of spices. I have seen wooden containers which I love too.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad to hear that you like my recipes 🙂 I haven’t tried it that way but if you want to use pasta, maybe try adding vermicelli noodles (can also find this at your local Indian store and bonus I have a great dessert called vermicelli kheer that also calls for it) – they are super thin noodles and I bet it’d be good! You can get masala dabbas (the spice containers) at any Indian grocery store and they’ll be much cheaper than ones you find online. Or if you’re looking to invest in a really nice one as well as amazing spices then check out Diaspora Spices.
Ruchika says
Hi Ashley,
I love all your recipes and have learned so many instant pot dishes by following your recipes.
Thank you so much!!!
I hope you are doing well. You have been very quiet on social media.
Best wishes!
Joan says
Hi, I’d love to use your Onion Masala in this recipe, a go-to that I keep stocked in the freezer. Have you done it? How much would I use?
It would replace the onion, ginger and garlic, correct? Hmm, possibly reduce the duplicate ground spices by half?
Thank you!
Helen says
I have attempted this twice now and had the burn message both times… 1 cup of water just doesn’t seem enough or something. It’s a shame because the flavours are great!
Fay says
How many servings does this recipe make? One cup of rice sounds like only 2-4…. Looking forward to trying this recipe, but need it to serve at least 8.
Nancy says
Mine came out really well. Cut vegetables in large pieces and the cold of the frozen vegetables keep them from becoming mushy. My husband and I really enjoyed it. Nutritional values would be nice.
Gabe says
I love your recipes but I find the veggies just turn into mush at 6 minutes with this recipe.
Robyn says
I doubled the recipe since 1 cup of rice is hardly enough to bring to a potluck. Very nutritious. Everyone there loved it!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Glad to hear that 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how much everyone enjoyed it!
Robyn says
I am about to make this recipe for the first time. Want to know what changes I need to make to double the serving size?
gvsrinivasan says
Shall I prepare in rice cooker. I have to wait till how many whistles at low / medium / high flame. Kly explain
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi, I only have Instant Pot directions on how to make this, hopefully another reader can chime in!
Catherine Dabee says
Can this recipe be simply doubled?
Zoe says
Smelled so good, but burned before it came to pressure. Disappointing! Please provide stove top rescue instructions… I’m sure I’m not the only one who needs them! Thanks.
Mary Roog says
Vegetable Biryani recipe – Thank you so much for indicating that a cup of baby carrots is 9-10 and 4 small potatoes is approximately 1/2 pound! It makes it so much easier to make and I’m sure it won’t be dried out because I have too much. Now, if you could just say how many/much ghee, cashews and raisins are needed, I will feel confident in trying this. I need exact measurements in order to cook!!!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Mary, you can melt 3 tablespoons of ghee and then add ⅓ cup halved cashews and 2 tablespoons golden raisins – sauté until the cashews are light golden. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Darice says
Is it possible to use other types of potatoes in the recipe? Gold are not available at my usual grocery store.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Darice, yes any potato will work 🙂
Rajni says
How many people does this recipe feed? I’m making it for a potluck say to feed 6 to 8 pax Tomorrow!!
Can you please guide me with measurements and amounts? Would really appreciate a quick response.
Thank you so much!!
Rajni
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Rajini, if it’s a potluck, you can get away with making one batch but I would probably double the recipe to make sure you have enough.
Chelsea Dulaney says
I have made this recipe a few times but I ALWAYS get the burn message on my instant pot and then my rice isn’t cooked fully, but the flavor is great so sometimes I just chew on the rice 😬. Do you have any tips? Thank you in advance!
Katy says
This happens to me every time too! What is going on?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’m sorry, I have no idea why that’s happening. I want to confirm, are you using the same cup to measure the rice and the water?
Rajeev says
Hello Ashley:
My understanding of Biryani is it is layered with white rice and the masala. This is typical of Hyderabadi Biryani. I feel that this is actually Pulav as all the vegetables are mixed.
Gloria says
Excellent recipe with a well considered blend of spices. I made a couple of changes by halving the recipe and substituting extra freshly ground black pepper for the cayenne which made it even more delightfully aromatic.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Glad you liked it, Gloria!
Archana says
Thank you Ashley, it was very yummy. But the quantity was not sufficient for our family. Can I double up the ingredients and make it with same cooking time?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Archana, typically when I double a recipe I double all of the ingredients but keep the cook time the same. I haven’t tried doubling this recipe but believe it’ll work. Please let me know if you try!
Thulasi Mahadevan says
Hi Ashley,
I made this once at home for my family and we LOVE it. I want to make this now for a bigger group. For 8 adults at least. What is the adjustment I need to make? Aside from increasing the ingredients, what about the cooking time or liquid ratio? I have a 6 quart. Thanks!
Missa says
My family loved this recipe! Biriyani is a staple dish at our house and my kids said this was the best biriyani I have ever made. Thanks for the recipe!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Missa, that’s great to hear! I’m so glad your family enjoyed it 🙂
Katherine Herber says
Have you changed this recipe? I printed a copy of this when I made it a couple of years ago and it is somewhat different from what is now here online. Just curious. I really like the one that I printed.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Katherine, typically if I drastically change a recipe (like the fruit cake I first shared in 2013 and updated in 2022) I’ll leave both versions of the recipe up but if I change something minor I’ll make adjustments to the existing recipe, so it could be that I made minor adjustments here – I don’t remember though, sorry! Glad you like the biryani!
Yamini says
Hello. I need to make this with 4 cups of rice for an upcoming family gathering. What modifications would I need to make if I am using an 8 qt IP. Thank you!
Drew Peacock says
one suggestion at least for older 8-qt pots put the rice on top of the vegetables, spices and water and DO NOT STIR! just close the lid and start it up, if I stir it it burns 100% of the time, if I don’t it does not!
Anita says
Hi, very keen to try this recipe, big fan of all your other biryani recipes – do you think I can sub canned corn for frozen? Thank you!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Anita, I think it should be fine – I always get frozen corn though so I’m not sure if there’s more liquid in canned corn?
Anita says
Hi, I’m looking forward to trying this. Would it work with canned corn instead of frozen? Thanks!!
Anita says
Hi, I’m keen to try this recipe- do you think I can use canned corn instead of frozen in the same way? Thanks!
Rajeev S K says
Ashley:
I have been trying your instant pot recipes for chole, veg biryani, mint pulav and others. I noticed one wonderful thing about your recipes if you take the quantity and follow the steps you wrote then everything is fantastic.
My family loves it when I cook on the weekends. Thanks for the hard work and sharing it with all of us.
Regards
Rajeev (he/him)
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Rajeev, I’m so glad to hear that – thank you for the kind words and for letting me know how much you and your family are enjoying the recipes!
Claire from the UK says
I tried this last week and it was fantastic! A definate hit in our household, and unbelievably easy.
I’m planning to do it again this weekend – would it work with brown rice, and if so should I make any cooking adjustments?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Claire, I’m so glad to hear that! The issue with brown rice is that it calls for a longer cook time and the veggies will become too soft if you cook them together.
Reema Bhavnani says
Hi Ashley,
How many people does this serve? And if I double the recipe does the cooking time double too?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Reema, I’d say this will serve 4-5. To double the recipe, you can double the ingredients but keep the cook time the same.
Swati says
Can I make it in a normal pressure cooker ?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Swati, I’ve only tried this in an Instant Pot so I’m not sure – hopefully another reader can chime in.
Preet says
Hey Ashley,
I doubled the recipe but it burnt at the bottom. What did I do wrong? Still tastes great for the top bit.
Thanks
Preet
Ushma Joshi says
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.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Ushma, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how much you and your co-workers like this recipe 🙂
Shelly Cain says
I made a delicious meal that included the following of your recipes: aloo pakora and green sauce as an appetizer. Vegetable biryani and butter chicken making up part of the main course and besan burfi for dessert. All great!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Shelly, that makes me so happy to hear! Love that you made so many recipes and enjoyed them all! 🙂
Nicole says
Hi! I’m wondering if I can use ground cardamom instead — haven’t been able to find cardamom pods— and if so how much and when to add? Thank you!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
You can use a pinch, it’ll taste good 🙂
Diba says
Yay my first biryani ever and it turned out like a pro!! The Burn signal tried to ruin my experience but I ignored it and didn’t have to do NPR, just waited until the pin dropped. Next time, I might pour the water before I put rice or ginger/garlic paste. Used cauliflower instead of potatoes, added some dried cranberries to the cashew/raisin when frying. Super delicious and I can’t wait to go for my 3rd helping!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Diba, I’m so glad it turned out well! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Preeti says
How many servings?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Preeti, I’d say this will serve 4.
Happy says
This is nice. Nicely balanced flavor. This isn’t a fiery biryani, but still a nice flavor. My 3-year old approved. Maybe, just maybe I’d add some more ground spices next time.
Because of some other reviewers reporting “burn” issues, I was really careful to avoid getting anything stuck to the bottom. I had the garlic and spices in the pot for only a brief moment before adding water. Then I scraped at the bottom to make it as clean as possible, and finally added rice and veg after that. I was relieved that I had no “burn” problems whatsoever.
I thought the water/rice ratio was appropriate; the result seemed right.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
That’s great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how the veg biryani turned out 🙂
Kim says
Make sure to add the rice on top to avoid the “Burn” error.
Kim Howton says
Hi Ashley
I am oil free. Can I omit it? This is my favorite and I crave it!!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Kim, I haven’t tried this without oil – my only thought is that you won’t be able to perfume the oil with the whole spices but you can still toast the spices – I think it’ll still be good. If you try, please let us know how it goes!
Bruce says
Hi Ashley. I made the biryani for the first time on Sunday when my daughters were over for dinner. It was so good, I made it again the next night. Thanks for posting your recipes. I am looking forward to trying more of them
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Bruce, that is awesome! So nice to hear – thank you for sharing that with me 🙂 Hope you’ll let me know what you think of other recipes you try.
Amrita says
My 5 year old craves this briyani.. thank you and thank you..
I Make it in a 6qt and comes perfect every week ..
Thanks a bunch
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Amrita, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you and your kiddo like this biryani 🙂
Ari Garimella says
This is an incredibly easy and delicious recipe. For those thinking about how to double the servings, you should double all the ingredients but not change the pressure cook time. I increased it by one minute and I wish I didn’t even do that. This biryani reminded me of the simple yet delicious biryani my mom used to make when I was little. I know I will be making this recipe often!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Ari, happy to hear that you like this biryani so much! And thank you for sharing your experience with doubling this recipe!
Ruhi says
Hi Ashley.. I tried this today and it came out perfectly it was so delicious.. because of your recipes only I feel confident using IP ☺️.. if possible can you share the dum biryani recipe like with yogurt and using biryani masala..
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Ruhi, thank you for letting me know how this turned out for you! And thank you for the kind words 🙂 I’ve been experimenting with a shortcut veg biryani recipe but no luck yet, if I figure something out soon I will be sure to share!
loveIndianFood! says
This was soooo delicious! Quick and easy weeknight palao, chockerblock with veggies. Mostly healthy as there are only 2 tbsp of oil/ butter. Made this several times and have added to rotation. THANK you!!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how much you like this recipe 🙂
Ramya venu says
This recipe is so good. I made using birds eye frozen veggies that had broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and zucchini. Added green bell pepper in addition and skipped the potato. The rice was bit mushy and sticky, may be I added little bit more water. Will reduce it next time. Overall a great and quick recipe to quench the Briyani craving. Thank you for sharing.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Ramya! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂 As for the rice, I really recommend using the brand I link to in the post – that brand of rice is great in biryani!
George says
Can’t get this to work at all. Have tried it twice now with two different kinds of rice (latest time it was Tilda Basmati) and my instant pot (6qt Duo Evo Plus) says “Food Burn” and will not continue to cook, I try opening it up and adding more water and starting it up again (I have added as much as 2 cups more water) and the same happens again. Rice does not come out as Biryani rice does, instead it is sticky.
Think I’ll try another recipe instead.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi George, you can try sharing photos and asking for advice in my facebook group if you’d like (Instant Pot for Indian Food). I’m sorry but I’m not sure why this is happening for you… hopefully, another reader will be able to help.
rahul kapoor says
I got the same burn message despite adding more water. Not sure if it’s the quantity of veggies I added but also I doubled the amount of everything in the recipe to get twice the biryani. Maybe in my case, that was the reason.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Rahul, I’m sorry to hear that… I’ve only tried this recipe as written so I’m not sure if that’s what happens if you double this one, though I’d be surprised as I’ve been able to double my chicken biryani just fine. You can also try sharing a post in my FB group – hopefully someone there can help.
krystal levine says
Same issue, with the “Burn” message. Also using the 6qt Duo Evo Plus. Have tried 3 times. Ending up with mush. I’ve never had an issue with any of your other recipes, have pretty much cooked through your entire cookbook. Darn, I want this veg biryani to work.. 🙁
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Krystal, I’m sorry to hear that – I will test this out in my duo evo to see if I can troubleshoot, though it may take me some time to do that. Have you made any of my other biryani recipes in that model? Is it just the veg that gives you trouble?
SHWETA GUPTA says
love this recipe. So easy and soo soo good!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Shweta, that’s great to hear 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how much you like the veg biryani
Sonia says
Hello! Made this yesterday and it came out great! Question- If I would like to double the finished quantity, would I double each and every ingredient? And, pressure cook time? Natural release pressure time?
TIA!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Sonia, I haven’t tried doubling this recipe but typically I double all of the ingredients and keep the cook time the same. Let me know how that goes if you try 🙂
Ari Garimella says
Hi Sonia, I have the same question. Did you try doubling all ingredients and keeping cook time the same? Did it work for you?
Kevin says
*** 8qt ***
I have made this recipe at least 20 times now with an 8qt IP.
It definitely took a little bit of learning but I was also new to the IP.
I am generous with oil (ghee).
I use anywhere between 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups of water.
Deglaze Well
Note: Initial perceived failures (few – maybe 3) turned out to be amazingly delicious, with a surprisingly pleasant crunch infused with concentrated spice flavors with some of the rice. Nom nom!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Kevin, thanks for sharing your experience with the 8 quart! I’m sure readers will appreciate it 🙂
NithyaK says
Hi Ashley,
I tried the recipe, for me the top layer of the rice remains uncooked , can u please help me to figure out where i am missing (Instant pot 6qt) (followed the same recipe along with water measurements).
My Heart Beets says
Hi, hmm that’s odd that it didn’t cook fully – let’s see if we can troubleshoot. Was the seal on properly? Did any steam escape or did you close the valve before starting? Any other details you can provide?
Nithya K says
Thanks Ashley for the response.
Yes, the seal is done properly.
I added the veggies, fried for 2 to 3 minutes, scraped the bottom , added rice, then poured water , until the rice is completely immersed, closed the lid, cancelled the sauté mode, sealing position ON, then turned on the pressure cook mode (Setting – High , High)
(I use Instant pot duo 6 qt- It has 2 settings in Pressure cook mode
1. Normal High
2. High High)
I have tried to cook under both the settings (pressure cooked for 6 min, waited for normal pressure to release), the top layer remains uncooked, also the rice that is at the bottom is undercooked(the middle of the rice grain is hard – not cooked properly).
If I tried to add water ratio to the rice (2:1) , rice is mushy after cooking.
I felt like since rice is cooked along with oil, veggies , it is not cooked properly,
I am also facing the same issues with tomato rice, veg pulao, chicken biryani and similar rice varieties.
I am good with cooking white rice in instant pot.
(I am sorry for the lengthier message)
Can you please help me to figure out, what can be done/where I going wrong.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Nithya, when you say you make white rice – is the brand of rice you use the same as what you’re using to make the biryani and pulao? I wonder if it’s an issue with the rice itself? I’m not sure why that’s happening – I would suggest posting your question in my FB group (Instant Pot for Indian Food), maybe someone there can help. I hope we can figure it out!
Nithya K says
I tried with both the rice, sona masoori and biryani as well.
I will post it in the fb group, That’s a good idea.
Thanks Ashley 🙂
Meanwhile I am also trying with different quantities of water ratio to the rice.
Samia says
This vegetable biryani turned out great! I served it with yogurt chutney and my family loved it. I look forward to trying more of your biryani recipes.
My Heart Beets says
Samia, that’s great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Jenita says
Made this for the second time today. The last time I made it, I got the burn the signal and was dissuaded from trying again. This time around, I tried what another reviewer, Kat, suggested. After sautéing the onions and spices I poured the water first and then put the rice and veggies and mixed it and followed the rest of the steps. Was fantastic. I had doubled the rice but upped the spices only by 1.5 times since my kids may find it too spicy. Since the recipe called for 1:1 rice:water ratio, I added 2 cups of water for 2 cups of rice. Poured the first cup of water after the onions and spices were done, put the rice and veggies on top, then the second cup of water and mixed. Perfect!!!
My Heart Beets says
Jenita, I’m glad you made it again and that it worked out! Good to know about adding the water first – thank you for sharing!
Eva says
Wow, this recipe was really good. It may not be acceptable, but I squeezed some lime on top, and that, mixed with mint, cilantro, raisins and cashews rounded out the flavors like dynamite in my mouth! Thanks soooo much for posting this great dish!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Eva! Adding lime sounds like a brilliant addition! I’ll have to do that next time 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how the biryani turned out for you!
Janine says
In 2019 I spent two months in India for work. When I came home, I missed it so much. Especially the people but also the food. Before I went to India I only went out to restaurants for Indian food, or bought samosa’s and naan at the counter a local Indian grocer, but once I returned, the food just wasn’t the same.
Then I was told by a friend to buy an instant pot and make my Indian food at home. So I did, and she had a cookbook but I did a google search and found you. Not only does this recipe come close to what I had in Bangalore but it quickly became a favorite with my family. I’ve made several of your recipes this past year. The onion masala is always frozen and ready to go and I just wanted to say thank you for your site! You enabled me to bring a little of India home with me. I still miss it, though.
My Heart Beets says
Janine, I’m so glad you found me! Thank you so much for sharing this with me – I’m so glad you’re making and enjoying my recipes! Let me know if there’s a particular dish you’re missing – I’d be happy to try to make it 🙂
Phyllis says
Finally made this biryani with your kofta curry (family fave) tonight! Big hit, of course. I used what I had in the fridge, so in addition to the onions and other aromatics, I used diced carrots and zucchini, and some leftover parboiled haricots verts. Yummm…
My Heart Beets says
Phyllis, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how this turned out for you! 🙂
David Miller says
I made this last night. Liked it a lot, however my rice turned out too sticky and mushy, and the vegetables were a bit too soft for my liking (I like my veggies more crisp). As for the rice could it be because I used cheap store brand basmati rice? (It was all they had). Or could it be because I forgot and soaked it about 5 minutes too long?
Ash says
Hi,
I recently bought the instant pot and first dish I tired was biryani and it was not a good experience.
I tried this recipe but in a different way by marinating the veggies in yoghurt and sauteing it for 10 mins and pressure cooking veggies and rice for 5 mins. First thing I had put less water which resulted in food burning in the bottom thanks to instant pot for notifying. I then released the pressure manually and checked rice was cooked but not veggies especially beans and carrot.
Could please suggest the cook time required?
Thanks
Ash
Neil says
Very good recipe, turned out delicious. Please provide the exact time in the instapot as since it is confusing what to do after six minutes? Turn it off and let it cook for 5 min? Anyway, thanks though.
Tisha says
Hi there! I love this recipe. Making it for friends tonight (5 people) and wondered if scaling up the amount of water and rice if it needs longer in the pot? I am thinking to double the recipe as that should be more than enough for 5 people? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Tisha, glad to hear that! If you double the recipe, you’ll want to double the ingredients but keep the cook time the same. While the cook time remains the same, because there is more content in the pot, the pot will take longer to build pressure. Hope that helps and hope your friends love it!
Nicole Patel says
Amazing recipe. I was disheartened when I received the burn message. I opened the instant pot and it was just a little charred but fully cooked. I think the reason people maybe getting the burn message is with a larger IP. I have an 8 qt and after three min high pressure it was cooked and said burn. I suggest if you have an 8 qt use the 3 min instead.
My Heart Beets says
Nicole, thank you for sharing your experience with the 8 quart! All of my recipes are tested using a 6 quart so this will be helpful for other readers to know.
Shekhar says
I don’t normally adhere to many recipes because I always like to experiment but you’ve nailed this one. While I can never create my mom’s pulao/biryani, your recipe gives me no reason to even try. I keep making this every few days and my wife couldn’t be happier.
So, thank you for sharing this and I hope to try more of your creations.
My Heart Beets says
Shekhar, such kind words! thank you! I’m so glad you and your wife like this recipe 🙂
Hem says
Hi, I have made this recipe twice & love the flavor. This first time I made it, I didn’t get the burn msg but the 2nd time I got the burn msg. Both times the rice was mushier than I expected but it was very tasty.
Here is what I would recommend to avoid the burn message – when you sauté with the ground spices, they might stick to the pot bottom, depending on the length of time you sauté. When you add the water, please make sure you scrape off every sticky bit from the bottom before closing the lid & pressure cooking.
Also, I cooked the biryani for 8 minutes at low pressure and at the end, released the steam instantly. Voila – no more mushy rice!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Hem! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Ritu says
This is great recipe, my husband loved it. My only issue was, the rice became a little dry. I was thinking of adding a little more water the next time. Have you had an issue with rice being dry?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Ritu, glad to hear that! Did you pre-soak the rice? The only time I’ve had rice come out dry is if I didn’t soak the rice or if I accidentally left the valve open and too much steam escaped (meaning there wasn’t enough water left to cook it). Hopefully that helps!
Srabana says
Excellent recipe! I added some paneer as well to get some protein in it, but otherwise followed the recipe to the tee. And didn’t bother to fry the cashews as I was feeling lazy….
My Heart Beets says
Srabana, I’m so glad you liked the veggie biryani! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Carmean says
I don’t know if my instant pot is different but I tried to make this recipe and I kept getting the “food burn” signal. It scorched the bottom of my pot and I had to finish it on the stove. It looked like slop… not very appetizing. I am not sure what went wrong
My Heart Beets says
Carmean, aw man I’m sorry to hear that! I’m not sure why that would’ve happened. Did you make sure nothing was stuck to the bottom before putting on the lid?
Sadaf says
This recipe is delicious! I made this dish without the carrots, corn and mint because I didn’t have these items at home. I added a couple more potatoes and more peas to substitute. The bell pepper was a new addition to biryani that I hadn’t tried before and I loved it! Will definitely be making this dish again.
My Heart Beets says
Sadaf, I’m so glad you liked this! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Nivi says
Recipe is good if you manage not to get burn message. I have tried it 3 times and was able to make it work only once. Other 2 times it was not successful. If you have newer instant pot this recipe might not work for you.
My Heart Beets says
Nivi, are you using an 8 quart by any chance? All of my recipes are tested using a 6 quart. If you have more surface area, you will likely need to use more oil. Let me know if that’s the issue? I recently bought two new instant pots and haven’t had issues burning – so I’m not sure what the problem might be…
Becky says
I love the flavors of this recipe which I have made 2-3 times. My spices do burn on the bottom but I scrape that up into the rice and vegetables at the end–I haven’t gotten the burn notice. This last time, though, I followed the recipe, subbing some cauliflower for the pepper. I deglazed the pot with the veggies since the frozen ones let off enough water to do that. My main issue–which I am not seeing in any of the comments above–is that my rice was quite mushy (as were the potatoes). Suggestions? I am thinking of using all these measurements but using 1.5 cups of rice. This is a great way for me to be more veggie (I love your chicken one too), but I want the rice to have more crunch. Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Becky, I’m so glad you like the flavor! I think that different brands of rice can require slightly different cook times – I link to the brand I use and it always turns out perfect. I would try reducing the cook time by a minute to see if that helps with the brand of rice you are using. Let me know!
ganesh says
Has anyone figured out how to prevent the BURN message? This is the third time i am making this in my 8qt(doubled the recipe) and got the burn message. Additional water, additional oil doesn’t do anything. The only good thing is, once it gets to pressure, i wait 10 minutes and release the pressure and the rice is cooked. So i just take all the good parts and leave the burnt part.
My Heart Beets says
Aw man, I test my recipes in a 6 quart but I’m not sure why it would burn in an 8 quart. My suggestion would have been to use more oil but since you’ve already tried that I’m not sure… hopefully another reader can help answer this.
Sheetu says
Tried Veg biryani today and it came perfect. Just like all your other recipes. I just didn’t use the whole spices as my husband and daughter doesn’t like. Instead I used lil bit of biryani masala alongwith all the other ingredients you listed. Loved it. Thank you.
My Heart Beets says
Sheetu, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how the veggie biryani turned out for you and you family 🙂
Rupa Lakshminarayan says
Hi
Gonna try this recipe soon. Cant wait
Have a question though
Have seen tons of Biryani recipes with or without IP. All of them call for mint leaves and yogurt
Your recipe is more like Veg Pulao isnt it ?
If we add yogurt to the recipe can u pls suggest how mich should the water be ?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Rupa! I consider it veg biryani – it’s more flavorful than a pulao. My recipe does have mint but not yogurt – I haven’t tried adding yogurt to this but feel free to adapt to your taste! Let me know how it goes!
Sherina says
Such a nice recipe . I tried this biryani today . Came out very well . I have tried many types of veg biryani . But this is the one I loved it . Thank you for the wonderful recipe. Keep rocking 👍
My Heart Beets says
Sherina, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks for letting me know how the veggie biryani turned out for you 🙂
jessica says
Do you think I could layer veggies then rice on top and do a saffron water on top rice? Or rice may not cook that way? Thanks!!
My Heart Beets says
Saffron would be such a great addition to this! And that should be fine – let me know how it goes!
Pooja says
Just made this today. Came out good, even though I did not have garlic/ginger, cilantro/mint. There was some burnt/stuck rice and spice mix at the bottom. After the sauteeing, what button should I press for pressure cooking? I did manual and could not figure out how the timer works… anyways this was my second time with the instant pot. Will be making it again with other vegetables. Thank you for this wonderful website.
Pavan says
Hi Ashley,
I tried this recipe to the T yesterday, and it turned out perfect. We loved it. Today, I changed the rice quantity to 1 1/2 cup, and water to 1 1/2 cup, and everything else I kept just the same. I know I was going to get a milder flavor, but I was ok with that. My instant pot wouldn’t pressure up, and the whole bottom of the pot was scorched real bad. Transferred to my spare pot, added 1 1/2 cup of water again and it came up to pressure. What did I do wrong when I changed rice and water quantities? Please help!
Thanks,
Pavan
My Heart Beets says
Pavan, I’m glad you made and liked my veggie biryani recipe 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you! It sounds like you probably had a sealing issue if the pot wasn’t reaching pressure – was the valve closed? Lmk if you try this again and how it goes – changing the rice/water quantity shouldn’t make a difference especially since you kept the ratio the same.
Anjali says
Oh my God.. so yummy… I finally made it.. added soya nuggets for protein and lil extra water for it. I never had good biryani recipie.. can’t believe how good it came out without store bought biryani masala. Perfect Veg Biryani
My Heart Beets says
Anjali, I’m so glad you made this and liked it! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Divya says
Hi Ashley,
This recipe was amazing!! I have been searching for a good vegetable biryani and your recipe was spot on!! I made it in the traditional pressure cooker as I don’t have an instant pot. I added a bit of tomato puree as my Punjabi husband likes the darker colour. It turned out amazing..Will be making it regularly. Thanks for sharing.
My Heart Beets says
Divya, I’m so happy to hear that you made and liked the veg biryani!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you and your hubby! 🙂
Drew D. says
Hi there!
I found your recipe because I have a jar of Bombay Biryani spice mix that is already ground up. The brand is Raju. Rather than going out and getting all the whole and other ground spices do you think I could try making it with the spice mix I already have? Not sure how much I should use. Maybe one to two tablespoons for my first attempt? The mix smells wonderful and this dish seems really easy to make in the instantpot. Let me know what you think!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Drew! So I haven’t tried that spice mix before but totally up to you if you want to experiment! You can use the spice mix along with my timings – if the spice mix smells good then hopefully it’ll taste just as good! let us know how it goes 🙂
Aaron says
Love your site and recipes, but this just doesn’t work. Today was my 3rd time trying it. I used less than the amount of ground spices and still I just get a burn message. I’m using the 6 quart instant pot. Is 1 cup of water right? Really can’t figure it out.
Lisa Anness says
how much ghee to use?
Jasmine S says
I love this recipe and the chicken one as well. They’re both amazing but I’ve been have a lot of issues with the pressure cooking it, my instant pot has gotten the burn message several times. I’ve added more water and removed the burnt bits with no change. What are some things I can do to make sure this doesn’t happen?
I feel like my issue comes from the sauce/food being too thick 🙁 Any tips?
Paul says
This recipe was absolutely delicious, although I had to use two cups of water as my instant pot displayed the ‘burn’ message twice whilst under pressure.
Nila says
Hi Ashley,
Yes, my instant pot is a six quart one.
Maybe the veggies (I used the ones in your recipe) do not release enough moisture? My husband did love what I was able to salvage.
I feel that the heat, while in the sauté mode, might be too much for the spices.
Lower heat and more oil might help?
Nila says
Hi Ashley,
I made the vegetable Biryani following your recipe to the tee and yet it burnt.
I was very pleased with your vegetable korma and Baingan bharta. They come out great.
I had everything ready for the Biryani before I started sautéing. My gut feeling was to add more water and maybe sauté on low setting? I was able to salvage most of it and plan to make it again.
Will be trying your other recipes soon.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Nila, are you using a 6 quart instant pot? All of my recipes are tested with a 6 quart so wanted to check that first. And the valve was closed correct because otherwise water/steam can escape… let me know if there are any other details you can share and I will try to help troubleshoot!
Jenna says
Made the recipe to a T. My instant pot came to pressure and after about 2 minutes said “burn”
Didnt turn out 🙁
My Heart Beets says
Did the spices burn at the bottom? I always add them in at the same time. I’m not sure what could have caused the error but if it reached pressure it should still be okay even if it says burn – the veggies release water as they cook. Let me know if you try it again!
Gitali Sharda says
I followed the recipe exactly same and came out perfect. I wanted to make 3 cups of rice so I put everything 3 times. It is so delicious and easy. Only thing is that my IP said burn while cooking, then I just turned if off and let it stay for natural steam release for 5-7 minutes. Everything was cooked to perfection. Thank you! Looking forward to try more of your recipes.
My Heart Beets says
Gitali, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
HB says
This recipe is a winner. All my guests loved it! I had a similar issue as others with a little bit of burning at the bottom but no burn warning thankfully. I just served the non-burnt bits. It was delicious, thank you for sharing this recipe. I will definitely be making this again.
My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad everyone loved it 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Alex says
The recipe itself is quite tasty but, as many others have found, it is VERY difficult to avoid the burn error. I made this recipe exactly as listed, made sure to thoroughly deglaze my pot, and actually doubled the amount of water listed before pressurizing because I was somewhat suspicious that the recommend quantity was insufficient. Despite all this, I immediately got the dreaded “burn” message. I ended up finishing this on the stove. I may try this one again but will seriously up the water quantity – maybe three cups or so. I made this in a new 6 quart Duo model.
Overall, very delicious but I am rather fearful that this recipe is ill-suited to IP cooking. The level of spices and starchy foods is maybe just too much to easily cook this way.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Alex, I’ve heard that the burn sign appears more easily on newer models and that it goes away after a few minutes and the food ends up being fine… when you opened the pot, was there anything burnt at the bottom? I know you saw the message but if it wasn’t burnt when you opened it, it’ll likely be fine if you wait until it’s done. I know seeing the burn sign is stressful though.
HB says
Would I be able to make this a few hours in advance and then put in a dish in the oven to keep it warm until my guests arrive? Or do you think that will dry out the biryani? Planning to make it this weekend for a birthday lunch.
My Heart Beets says
I think that would be just fine 🙂
nidhi de says
great recipe. I would add 1/2 cup more rice and 1/2 cup more water for the amt of vegetables. otherwise excellent and so yum. first time making it in instapot and it was easy peasy!
My Heart Beets says
Great to hear that you liked it, Nidhi!
Jenita says
I tried this recipe 2 days. I was making a double batch and doubled everything but kept the time the same and added a little more than 2 cups of water. Just as the IP reached full pressure, within a minute, I got the “burn” message. i quickly released pressure, added another cup of water and turned it back on, again same “burn” mesage as soon as pressure was reached. So this time, I just switched it off and let the pressure release naturally. The biriyani itself was delicious, only a thin layer had stuck to the bottom. I have a 6 Qt, any idea why i got the burn message?
Jenita says
I just now made this recipe for dinner. Was fantastic! Thank you for another gem, Ashley. I doubled the recipe – spices , water, except the time . Only issue I faced was just when the IP reached pressure point, a minute later it displayed “burn”, not sure why. I released the pressure, poured some more water and then put it back on for another 4 mins. Same thing again. So then, I just waited till the pressure released naturally. Except for the bottom portion, the rest of it was delicious. Any ideas on why I got “burn”?
Shweta Mishra says
It turned out superlicious. Perfect measurement. I just added biryani masala. Rest followed everythg with half cup rise. Wow n wow
My Heart Beets says
Shweta, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Gayathri says
Great Recipe for Vegetable Biriyani, would you mind to add how many people your measurements will serve? I am planning to make this for a group of 10 people
My Heart Beets says
I plan on adding this feature very soon but for now I’d suggest doubling or tripling the recipe to be safe!
SB says
So easy! And delicious! I made it vegan and paired it with dal fry. Any recommendations to add soya chunks in this recipe?
Smitha says
This vegetable biryani has won over my “biryani-snob” of a husband and that’s saying a lot! I make it all the time and is a huge hit! Thanks so much for the precise directions!
My Heart Beets says
Smitha, that’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how much you and your hubby like the biryani 🙂
Evelyn says
Delicious! I kept getting the dreaded “burn” warning on my IP, so by the time I attempted to resolve that issue, the rice was mushy. Still tasted great. Any tips on how to remedy the burn issue? I removed the contents (twice!), then scrubbed the pot and added more water each time. I finally resorted to cooking it on the “auto” rice setting.
Vandana says
Hi,
I discovered your blog today only and already in love with it. Very impressive recipes.
My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that!!
Sharon says
Hi Ashley!
If I double this recipe, will it still cook properly in a 6qt IP? Should the time to cook be the same? And I’m assuming I’m doubling the amount of water, right?
Thanks! I love all of your recipes, especially the Kerala-style beef fry! Tastes exactly like my mom’s, with less hassle!
My Heart Beets says
I have doubled biryani and it turns out just fine 🙂 Just double all the ingredients including water and leave the cook time the same. Let me know how it goes!!
Sharmila says
I can’t wait to try this! When should I add paneer if I wanted to add it to this vegetable biryani?
My Heart Beets says
I would pan-fry the paneer and add it in at the end – it’ll turn out really tasty! You can also add it in with the rice and pressure cook it as long as it’s firm if you prefer 🙂
Marion says
This was delicious! I don’t have an instant pot, so I simmered it on the stove at medium-low heat for 20 minutes, and then turned off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. The texture was perfect.
I also subbed potatoes for sweet potatoes which was delicious.
My Heart Beets says
I’m happy to hear that!! Thanks for sharing how you adapted the recipe for stovetop! 🙂
Shashi Jain says
I made this recipe but added 0.5 cup rice and 0.5 cup water. I served it with slightly sour yogurt (the type ready for khadi). It was absolutely perfect! Thanks for sharing such amazing recipes!
My Heart Beets says
Shashi, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Jill says
Followed the recipe to a T, and was absolutely delicious
My Heart Beets says
Jill, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Wendy B says
Would this work in a 3 Qt Instapot?
My Heart Beets says
I haven’t tried it in a 3 quart but I would think so… please let us know how it goes if you try! You can also try asking in my FB group as I’m sure someone has before – it’s called Instant Pot for Indian Food.
Jim Heiman says
The vegetable biryani and chana masala both came out excellent. Thanks so much Ashley. I’m looking forward to trying more of the recipes in your book.
Cheers,
Jim
My Heart Beets says
Jim, I’m so happy to hear that you liked both recipes! Thanks for letting me know how they turned out for you 🙂
Neeraj says
Disappointed, please help!!!
Dear Ashley,
After a few years of not cooking, I got very enthusiastic about the Instant Pot and thought I would impress my wife and daughter. So I just got my Instant Pot Ultra yesterday and after reading all your wonderful creations I excitedly decided to inaugurate my IP with your veg biryani recipe. I followed all the instructions to a T, after the saute process, covered the pot, set it to pressure for 6 minutes. It just kept on preheating and then I got the BURN sign. Per instructions I found online, I turned the pot off, let the steam out and found that indeed some of the rice and veges had stuck to the bottom. I removed the rice and veges, cleaned the bottom of the pot, removed all the burnt food, put the food back back in the pot and added half a cup more water and turned it back on with 4 minutes of pressure. Again got BURN!! This time when I opened the IP, the food had actually cooked. My wife intervened, and dried some of the water from the biryani in an open pan and it tasted good but the purpose of using the IP was wasted. Where did I go wrong? Should I have doubled the oil? Should I have ensured that after I put all the dried spices, there was some oil or water in the pot so that nothing was sticking to the pot? I sauteed on med temp not high, was that correct? I am determined to succeed at this so please advice.
Thanks,
Neeraj
Joe says
Hi, thanks so much for sharing. I’m having the same issue as others on the thread, keep getting the burn message though I deglaze and add more water. The spices just keep finding the bottom of the pot and burn up. I’m using 8 qt. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks again for sharing.
Joe says
I had the same problem 🙁
Thanks for the recipe! When I figure out this burn thing it’ll be great 🙂
Livy says
Same thing happened to me, but I just let it sit for ten minutes before turning the pressure valve and it turned out great. I wish I knew what I was doing wrong that caused it to overheat in the first place.
Tracy says
This was delicious but, like others, I got the burn message several times with the spices and rice burning on the bottom. I tried adding water and eventually had to take it out, clean out the pot and then put it in another pot on the trivet inside the instant pot. I am giving it a high rating because it was a huge hit although a tiny mushy because of the additional water. I could imagine making it again and again if someone can advise me what to do about this burn issue.
Tracy says
yes I also have this problem. I eventually took it all out and cooked it in another pot sitting on top of the trivet in the instant pot. It was very delicious but I would love to be able to do it without the burn indicator. Will look forward to hearing your response.
T says
Just a few suggestions. Make sure you rinse the rice off till the water runs clear prior to cooking, and then make sure all the rice is fully submerged under water to ensure it fully cooks. (If rice is above the water, it will remain raw.) Also, I recommend following the water and rice ratio and time suggestions of your pressure cooker. I am using a Breville Fast Slo Pro, and 1 cup water to 1 cup rice caused the machine to produce an error and not reach pressure due to too little water. But the spices are great (I reduced the cayenne and oil) – it’s worth figuring out this recipe and I’m still working on it.
Jim Heiman says
I made the vegetable biryani and chana masala last night. Both were excellent. My wife and I both had seconds. The flavors were perfect and there are still leftovers for tonight. I’m looking forward to working my way through your cook book. Thanks so much Ashley.
My Heart Beets says
Jim, I’m so happy to hear that you and your wife liked the biryani and chana masala so much! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the rest of the recipes you try!
Diana Preshad says
This was the first recipe I made with my first ever Instant Pot (this week!) and it came out FANTASTIC! My mom even tasted it and said she won’t buy restaurant biryani anymore if I keep making this 🙂 Trust me, I’m no cook otherwise. You’re a cooking magician, Ashley!
My Heart Beets says
Diana, that’s awesome!! I’m so happy to hear that you and your mom liked the biryani so much! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Lesley says
Delicious!!! Thanks for the great recipes, Ashley! I substituted cauliflower for the bell pepper and doubled the recipe so that I’d have leftovers for the following night (reheated in the InstantPot on the warm setting). The entire family loved it.
My Heart Beets says
Lesley, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks for letting me know how much you and your family liked it! 🙂
Jim Heiman says
When sauteing the whole spices do you take the seeds out of the cardamom pods or just saute the pods. This is going to be my first try at Indian cooking. Thanks for your great book and for sharing your wealth of knowledge.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Jim, great question! I sauté the whole pods 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the biryani!
Nicole Altorelli says
This recipe is delicious! We loved it so much we’ve eaten it twice this week, tonight we’re adding pan fried home made paneer at the end and raita. And we’re serving it for Thanksgiving! Thank you! We use your recipes often!
My Heart Beets says
Nicole, thank you!! I’m so happy to hear that!! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Nita-Rose Augsbach says
This receipe was absolutely heavenly! I just finished eating it and my husband and I were going oooo and ahhh all through the meal. I forgot the carrots …. but will add them next time. We wanted to add more water as we were pretty sure it was not going to be enough … but we always follow a receipe exactly the first time – I am soo glad we did. One cup of water was perfect. No need to worry – the potatoes, veggies, rice all of it was cooked to perfection. So yummy. I never leave feedback because I am too lazy .. but honestly it would be a crime not to leave feedback for such a delicious dish! Thank you Ashley!
My Heart Beets says
Nita-Rose, I’m so happy to hear that!! And thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how this turned out for you!
Laura Bernstein says
Wonderful recipe. I will be making this often, experimenting with different veggie combinations. The spice blend was perfect and the cashews and golden raisins were a perfect addition. I served it with garlic nan from the supermarket and a spiced yogurt raita of my own creation. A huge hit.
My Heart Beets says
So happy to hear that! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Shreena says
Doubled the recipe, but it never came to pressure. Help? The veg is cooked, but the rice isn’t, should I have added 3 cups of water instead of 2?
Not really sure how to fix it…
My Heart Beets says
Shreena, 2 cups of water should have definitely brought it to pressure – was the seal/lid on properly?
Erika says
Great recipe! I’ve made it twice in the last three weeks 😂 I’ll add I made mine with brown basmati rice, and just cooked the rice alone in my IP, then added veggies, chickpeas (instead of potatoes), herbs and nut-raisin mix once it was done. Delicious both times! It’s a keeper for this IP noob. I have a 3-quart sized IP, so there is no way I could fit all of the veggies and other items without an explosion or “BURN” warning.
My Heart Beets says
Erika, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 And for sharing your mods when using brown basmati rice!
Elizabeth says
I love Indian food, but every attempt I have made to cook it results in a dish that isn’t edible. Your recipe is my first success! It’s great! Thank you so much!
My Heart Beets says
Elizabeth, I’m so happy to hear that!!
Malathi Rao says
Hi Ashley,
I followed your veg biriyani recipe last night and the results were amazing! I really appreciate your taking the time to perfect the recipe and describe the steps in detail. I was just so impressed and wanted to say Thank you for your amazing contribution.
Malathi
My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that you made it and liked it so much!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Chaitali Desai says
I tried this recipe last night and we all loved it. I made it in a regular pressure pan using my judgment with cooking time. I was amazed at the quantity of vegetables it incorporates!!! Will defiantly make it again.
My Heart Beets says
Chaitali, that’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
Chaitali Desai says
I tried the recipe, made it in a regular pressure pan. Used my judgment to cook rice. It turned out fabulous. I was amazed at the amount of vegetables put in.
Meenakshi says
Made veg Biryani following your recipe here. It was so yummy and perfect. I usually don’t get the right texture of the Biryani, when I make with pressure cooker. Today it was just perfect with IP. Now I got the confidence to do Biryani for my guests. Thank you Ashley.
I’m new to IP and trying out lot of vegetarian recipes from your site like khichdi /Pongal, lemon rice, baingan, mint pulao etc. Everything is coming out really good when followed as per the steps and cooking time.
My Heart Beets says
Meenakshi, that’s so great to hear! I’m so glad you liked this recipe and everything else you’ve tried!
Pritty says
Hi, am planning to make this recipe next week.
I must have missed, where it states the number of portions this is for
Please advise
Thanks
My Heart Beets says
Hi, I’d say it serves 4-5. Hope that helps!
Payal says
Looking forward to making this ASAP. I have borrowed my in-laws’ IP and now am overcooking (freezer’s getting full).
I like Lal Quila basmati (probably the most expensive out there too, unfortunately!).
My Heart Beets says
Payal, awesome! Nice of your in-laws to let you borrow their IP lol – I’m not sure I could part with mine! Thanks for sharing that brand, I will keep an eye out for it the next time I’m at the Indian grocery store!
Indu Gupta says
made this today and it turned out awesome 👌🏼
thanks so much
My Heart Beets says
Indu, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Latisha says
Hi, what does naturally release pressure for 5 minutes mean? Just leave it to sat for 5 minutes after the high pressure turns off?
My Heart Beets says
Yup leave it for 5 mins, then turn the valve to release any remaining pressure 🙂
Bhaskar Joshi says
Hi Ashley,
i am a senior citizen 68y (male!) from Mumbai, India and am in the USA now. This is the first time i tried something in Instantpot all by myself and ventured to prepare Biriyani as per your recipe. It was made for just two of us so halved all quantities given. Let me confess if one sticks to the recipe faithfully, the finished product Biriyani turns out excellent. We were very happy and found it to be even better than a restaurant-style Biriyani. Thanks a billion and the very first recipe of yours has made me your fan. Keep it up and keep tickling our taste buds. God bless you.
Houston, July 28th 2018.
My Heart Beets says
That is so wonderful to hear! I’m so glad you tried the recipe and liked the biryani so much! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Ramya says
Hi Ashley. Cook 6min at high pressure means which mode can i select.i am new user
My Heart Beets says
You can choose the “manual” button or the “pressure cook” button – depending on your model 🙂 Either one works – just adjust the time to 6 minutes. Hope that helps! Let me know what you think!
Ian says
Do you defrost/soak in warm water the frozen veggies before throwing them in? Or do you throw them in straight out of the bag from the freezer? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
I toss them in frozen – straight from the bag 🙂
Soma says
Ashley, thank you for the recipe. I just got an instantPot and tried the vegetable biryani. It was the best I ever made. Thank you for being so accurate with your measurements. I tried this after trying the carrot halwa, which was a huge hit, and again the measurements/timings in the recipe were so perfect. I see that you take this very seriously. My entire family loved it. This is the first time I am ever posting a message to any website. I was just so impressed and wanted to say Thank you for your amazing contribution!
My Heart Beets says
Soma, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you so much for letting me know how your and your family liked the veggie biryani and the carrot halwa 🙂 I hope you will let me know what you think of any other recipes you try from the site!
Jessica says
Hi Ashley, thank you for this amazing recipe! I am a new Instant Pot owner and also LOVE Indian food, so your recipes are wonderful! I just made the vegetable biryani and it was so flavorful! My husband and I made your chana masala recipe last night and LOVED it!
My Heart Beets says
Jessica, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks for letting me know how the veggie biryani and the chana masala turned out 🙂
Chhavi Kashyap says
Thanks Ashley ! Came out great ! Just made one variation and added 2 cups water instead of 1 and it was perfect !
My Heart Beets says
So glad to hear that! 🙂
Irene says
Hi, Ashley, I made your Vegetable Biriyani today and it came out wonderful! I served it with baked salmon and chutney. I am becoming crazy about your biriyanis! 🙂 This is the third kind – you are unstoppable! 🙂 A question: do you think I can use some curry leaves in this one – in addition to bay leaves or instead of them ? Curry leaves were so good in your Shrimp Biriyani….
My Heart Beets says
Irene, I’m so happy to hear that you’re loving my biryani recipes! Thank you! And yes, you can definitely use curry leaves – it’ll add a great south Indian touch to the dish!
Swathy says
Thanks Ashley for this lovely step by step recipe. I made this dish today with my new instant pot and tasted delicious.
My Heart Beets says
Swathy, that’s so great to hear! I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Neha says
How much water should I add? 2 cups for 1 cup of rice or more because there are veggies?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Neha! The recipe calls for 1 cup of water 🙂 It’s listed underneath the potatoes. Hope you love the dish!
Bindu says
Are you sure mint is used for garnish only
My Heart Beets says
Bindu, I say to garnish it and mix it well – I’ll remove the word garnish to help clarify as I do think you should use it. Hope that helps!
Sowmya says
Hey Ashley!! I finally opened my ip in March this year that I bought in June 17. I’ve used in twice to thrice a week but mostly for regular dishes. I’m gonna try making vegetable+egg biryani in my ip following your recipe. So this’ll be my first time using it the way it should be used. Wish me luck.
Nimoucha says
Hi Ashley, this recipe is for how many people? I intend to serve it as main dish, with just an appetizer before.
My Heart Beets says
I would say this serves 4 as a main dish – I hope that helps! Let me know what you think 🙂
Shraddha says
Can this be made with brown rice? How would the recipe change?
My Heart Beets says
The veggies will turn to mush with regular brown rice as that takes 22 mins to cook. You can use quick cooking brown basmati rice (available at trader joe’s) – it cooks in the same amount of time as white basmati rice. Hope that helps!
Sonia says
This was my question too! So if we only have brown basmati, can I make it with all the spices and get the biryani taste – just leave out the veggies (we are serving with other veggies anyway) and by chance have you tried tossing some soy kheema in the mix??
Niketa says
Hi Ashley. I would like to make this for upcoming get together. What measurements should i change if i need this to serve 7 people? If i double the measurements for all ingredients, should the cook time still be 6 min? Or 12 min?
Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Niketa! You can keep the cook time the same (6 mins). The pot will take a bit longer to reach pressure due to there being more contents and that’ll compensate for the extra ingredients. Let me know how it goes!
Jessica Crayford says
Do you think I could this make this in a normal pot and just cook until the rice is done? It looks so delicious!
My Heart Beets says
Jessica, yes I’m sure 🙂
nikki says
THANK YOU !:)
nikki says
hi posting my question again.
When you use cups of rice for birayni, do you use the IP measuring cup?
Also, for frozen veggies?
Or is it the regular measuring cup used for baking?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Nikki, I use a standard measuring cup – here is an example: https://amzn.to/2IRUb3k
Andreid says
So, I take it that you use US cups (236.6 mL) vs International cups (250 mL). That’s a 5% difference. 😉
My Heart Beets says
Andreid, yes I use US measurements but if you’re using the same cup to measure the rice and the water then it should turn out fine! maybe 5% more flavorful if anything 😉
Malini says
Hello, is brown rice okay? Do I need to adjust cooking times or water?
My Heart Beets says
The only thing with brown rice is that it takes 22 minutes to cook and the veggies will turn to mush in that amount of time. If you want to use brown basmati, try “quick cooking brown basmati rice” which cooks in the same amount of time as white basmati. Hope that helps!
Mara says
Wow, I love all of your recipes but was looking for a way to incorporate more brown rice. This tip is an absolute GEM!
My Heart Beets says
Mara, thank you! 🙂
Nikki says
I have a dumb q -when you measure cups of rice v/s cups of vegetables in your recipes, are you using the IP measuring cup for both or only for rice?
if only for rice, what measuring cup are you using for the veggies
My Heart Beets says
I use a standard measuring cup – here is an example: https://amzn.to/2IRUb3k 🙂 Let me know how it turns out for you!
Heenal says
I actually made this recipe but substituted rice with Quinoa. It came out delicious! 🙂
My Heart Beets says
That’s so great to know, thanks for sharing Heenal!!
Malini says
Hello,
Mine came out watery. I used the liquid measuring cup. Was I supposed to use the measuring cup for non liquids?
My Heart Beets says
If you used the same cup to measure the rice and water, it should’ve turned out fine. Did you use extra frozen veggies by any chance? Or more vegetables than the recipe called for? Veggies release water – so wondering if that could be the cause?
Maneesha says
Hi Ashley! I made this for a dinner party this weekend , and my guests really enjoyed it! Especially the addition of cashews and raisins! Thank you for another hit biryani recipe!
My Heart Beets says
Maneesha, so happy to hear that your guests liked the dish!! 🙂
Michelle says
Hi Ashley. I have a lot of regular sized yellow potatoes that I would like to use up. Do you have any idea how big I should cut them for this? Thanks.
My Heart Beets says
Hmm I’d probably quarter them.
Francoise says
Hi, I am a big fan of Indian food and love very much all the spices that you use in it. Today I made this recipe for lunch. I added some green beans and shrimps. I double the rice and spices because I wanted to keep some leftover for the lunch boxes of my sons. It was really good!
I have already tried other recipes from your blog in my Instant Pot and each time I have the same issue the spices and rice tend to stick in the bottom of my Instant Pot and to burn a little bit (I do not see the “burn” message). I am a little novice with the Instant Pot Duo Plus 60. Is this happen to you sometimes? What can I do to not have this is it a problem? Thank you for your help!
My Heart Beets says
Francoise, I’m so glad you liked the recipe 🙂 As for the spices and burn issue – perhaps try to add a little more oil? Also, make sure to have all the ingredients ready to go – spices burn quickly so you have to move pretty fast. I hope that helps! Please let me know 🙂
Salma Shah says
Looks delicious Ashley! Quick question, do I need to make any adjustments for the 8quart Instant Pot? I wanted to double the recipe as I’m serving it to a group. Just don’t want to get the dreaded “burn” message.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Salma! All of my recipes are tested using a 6 quart but I don’t see why it would be a problem with the 8 quart. You can also ask in my Instant Pot for Indian Food facebook group – hopefully someone there will have tried it!
Jitha says
Thanks for this recipe… tried it today. Very tasty.
My Heart Beets says
Jitha, so happy to hear that!
Lynn Painter says
When using the whole spices, would it work if they were encased together in cheese cloth to be easily removed, or do they need to be separate.
My Heart Beets says
I would heat them directly in the oil for the most flavor then remove them at the end. Or if you want to, you can heat them in the oil then use a slotted spoon to remove them and put them in cheesecloth then? The cumin and fennel seeds can be eaten. Hope that helps!
Gk says
Love the color, looks mouth watering. Can you please share the serving size on the above? If it’s for two people can you please share how the quantities for the ingredients would change for 4.people? Thanks.
My Heart Beets says
Thank you! I’d say this serves 4 people 🙂
Marie Louise Stehli says
Tried this today, although I couldn’t find all of the whole spices. As soon as it came up to pressure the burn alarm sounded. Stopped the cooker, cleaned it out, added more oil and almost 2 cups of water and put everything back in. When it came up to pressure it went to burn again. Everything got cooked and tasted good. Just learning instantpot. What could I be doing wrong?
Kris Zickert says
I had the same issue so would love to hear a solution. Mine alarmed “burned” with the recommended one cup of water so I released pressure, scrapped the bottom and added another cup of water since the rice was under cooked. Unfortunately it alarmed again and the bottom of the pot was caked again, but now the rice and veggies was over cooked.
Ed Boudreau says
Having the same problem right now.
Tanya says
To avoid the burn notice: Deglaze the pan with a little cooking sherry or white wine before stirring in the vegetables and rice.
BA says
I did that and still got the burn message right after it came to pressure. I just read that the newer Instant Pots seem to be getting this message more often. I added 1.5 cups of water recooked it for 3 more minutes after transferring to a different instant pot (yes, I have 2 pots), and while it is cooked, the spices are diluted. Totally bummed. I hope this recipe gets updated.
My Heart Beets says
I’ve heard this too about newer pots – I recently got two new ones and will have to test this again to see if I can figure out what’s going on with the burn issue. Sorry this happened to you guys!
Sana says
I deglazed and still got a burn notice, and twice at that. I’ve cooked many Pakistani and Indian rice dishes in my IP and have never gotten the burn message until today.
S. Sekhar says
I have noticed that if I use less vegetables ( than specified in the recipe) I don’t get the burn alarm.
We love the taste of this biryani!
Kat says
I found a solution! I was getting really frustrated with this recipe. I could tell the flavors were good, but it kept burning every single time. Last night I was desperate for veg biryani, so here’s what I did: after the onions were soft, I added canceled the saute and added the water first. I swirled it around a bit in spices and then added the rice and then added the vegetables in the order of the highest water content first. So the frozen peas were first, then peppers, then carrots, then potatoes. Then pressure-cooked for 6 and NO BURN NOTICE!
Jitha says
Thank you so much for this recipe… planning to make it today…
Arun says
I love your IP recipes. One piece of information that has always been helpful for us when making your other biryanis is you noting whether to stir or not to stir after adding veggies/rice/water. I know you in your chicken biryani you specify NOT to stir. Should I stir here? Thanks
My Heart Beets says
Arun, happy to hear you like my IP recipes! Thank you for the feedback 🙂 I have updated the post to make it clear – hope that helps!