Vegetable Biryani (Instant Pot)

By: Manjula Jain

June 4, 2020

Serving : 3 people
Total Time :40 minutes

Rate this recipe:

5 from 3 votes

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Vegetable Biryani (Instant Pot)

This next recipe is due to many of you requesting I do a tasty and delicious recipe using the Instant Pot. I decided to try a recipe for "Vegetable Biryani". I have been a little hesitant to do recipes using the Instant Pot. Maybe it's because I have been cooking for so long and I'm set in my habits, or maybe it's my age! I will say I have loved using my Instant Pot more as a pressure cooker and love using it for that purpose! I make lentils and legumes using the Instant Pot and think it's great. Once I use the Instant Pot more and get used to the timings, I think it will allow me to give more precise times for my recipes.
Vegetable Biryani is a complete, satisfying, one-dish meal. My mother would often say this dish is a fancy name for vegetable pulao. However, I think it is more than that. The secret behind this flavorful Vegetable Biryani is a spice mixture that creates the perfect balance of flavors. Basmati rice with a mix of fresh vegetables combined with this spice mixture turns into a dish of perfection! If you follow my steps, you'll see I try to make this recipe as simple as possible. Vegetable Biryani also makes a great lunch box meal. Make sure to check out the footnotes to see how you can make this dish vegan.
Hope you enjoy!
This recipe will serve 3

A bowl of Vegetable Biryani garnished with fresh mint leaves

Ingredients

  • 1 cup long grain rice I preferred Basmati Rice
  • 3 Tbsp Milk
  • 1 pinch Saffron Kesar few strands
  • 2 Tbsp oil or ghee
  • ¼ cup cashews
  • 15 Raisins
  • 1 Tbsp ginger thinly sliced
  • 2 cup mixed vegetables cubed potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, green beans cut into 1-inch pieces, cauliflower florets
  • ¼ cup Plain Yogurt whisked
  • ¼ cup Mint leaves Pudhina finely chopped
  • 1 ¼ cup Water

Spices

  • 3 whole Green Cardamom Elaichi
  • 6 Cloves Laung
  • 8 Black Peppercorns
  • 1 inch long cinnamon stick Dalchini
  • 2 Bay leaf Tej Patta
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds Jeera
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp fennel seed powder
  • 1 tsp red chili powder adjust to taste
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric Haldi
  • 1 tsp Salt adjust to taste

Instructions

  • In warm milk soak the saffron and keep aside.
  • Soak the rice for about 10 minutes, then drain the water and keep aside.
  • Use the instant pot on sauté mode add ghee after half a minute add cashews and raisins and sauté lightly roast them for about 1 minutes.
  • Add all the whole spices and sauté for 30 seconds, they will become aromatic.
  • Add all the dry spices, coriander powder, fennel seed powder, turmeric, red chili powder and salt stir for few seconds, add vegetables and yogurt mix it well, cleaning sides and making sure vegetable mix spread evenly in the pot.
  • Next spread the rice evenly over the veggies. Spread the mint leaves evenly over rice. Sprinkle saffron milk on top of the rice.
  • Add the water for cooking on top of the rice. Rice should be just immersed under water.
  • You are layering the ingredients do not stir in between the steps. Close the lid with vent in sealing position.
  • Change the instant pot setting to pressure cook mode. Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 9 minutes at high pressure.
  • After the instant pot beeps, on the instant pot panel you will notice keep warm mode. Cancel the keep warm mode and wait until it releases the pressure and open the pot, that will take about 12 minutes.
  • Open the pot and fluff the rice gently with a fork.

Notes

Serve hot with Plain yogurt, Spinach Raita, and my favorite is Salted Mint Lassi
Making Vegan:
This is a easy recipe to make vegan, soak saffron in water instead of milk and yogurt you can replace with vegan yogurt or tomato puree.

A bowl of Vegetable Biryani garnished with fresh mint leaves

Vegetable Biryani (Instant Pot)

This next recipe is due to many of you requesting I do a tasty and delicious recipe using the Instant Pot. I decided to try a recipe for "Vegetable Biryani". I have been a little hesitant to do recipes using the Instant Pot. Maybe it's because I have been cooking for so long and I'm set in my habits, or maybe it's my age! I will say I have loved using my Instant Pot more as a pressure cooker and love using it for that purpose! I make lentils and legumes using the Instant Pot and think it's great. Once I use the Instant Pot more and get used to the timings, I think it will allow me to give more precise times for my recipes.
Vegetable Biryani is a complete, satisfying, one-dish meal. My mother would often say this dish is a fancy name for vegetable pulao. However, I think it is more than that. The secret behind this flavorful Vegetable Biryani is a spice mixture that creates the perfect balance of flavors. Basmati rice with a mix of fresh vegetables combined with this spice mixture turns into a dish of perfection! If you follow my steps, you'll see I try to make this recipe as simple as possible. Vegetable Biryani also makes a great lunch box meal. Make sure to check out the footnotes to see how you can make this dish vegan.
Hope you enjoy!
This recipe will serve 3
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 3 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup long grain rice I preferred Basmati Rice
  • 3 Tbsp Milk
  • 1 pinch Saffron Kesar few strands
  • 2 Tbsp oil or ghee
  • ¼ cup cashews
  • 15 Raisins
  • 1 Tbsp ginger thinly sliced
  • 2 cup mixed vegetables cubed potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, green beans cut into 1-inch pieces, cauliflower florets
  • ¼ cup Plain Yogurt whisked
  • ¼ cup Mint leaves Pudhina finely chopped
  • 1 ¼ cup Water

Spices

  • 3 whole Green Cardamom Elaichi
  • 6 Cloves Laung
  • 8 Black Peppercorns
  • 1 inch long cinnamon stick Dalchini
  • 2 Bay leaf Tej Patta
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds Jeera
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp fennel seed powder
  • 1 tsp red chili powder adjust to taste
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric Haldi
  • 1 tsp Salt adjust to taste

Instructions
 

  • In warm milk soak the saffron and keep aside.
  • Soak the rice for about 10 minutes, then drain the water and keep aside.
  • Use the instant pot on sauté mode add ghee after half a minute add cashews and raisins and sauté lightly roast them for about 1 minutes.
  • Add all the whole spices and sauté for 30 seconds, they will become aromatic.
  • Add all the dry spices, coriander powder, fennel seed powder, turmeric, red chili powder and salt stir for few seconds, add vegetables and yogurt mix it well, cleaning sides and making sure vegetable mix spread evenly in the pot.
  • Next spread the rice evenly over the veggies. Spread the mint leaves evenly over rice. Sprinkle saffron milk on top of the rice.
  • Add the water for cooking on top of the rice. Rice should be just immersed under water.
  • You are layering the ingredients do not stir in between the steps. Close the lid with vent in sealing position.
  • Change the instant pot setting to pressure cook mode. Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 9 minutes at high pressure.
  • After the instant pot beeps, on the instant pot panel you will notice keep warm mode. Cancel the keep warm mode and wait until it releases the pressure and open the pot, that will take about 12 minutes.
  • Open the pot and fluff the rice gently with a fork.

Notes

Serve hot with Plain yogurt, Spinach Raita, and my favorite is Salted Mint Lassi
Making Vegan:
This is a easy recipe to make vegan, soak saffron in water instead of milk and yogurt you can replace with vegan yogurt or tomato puree.
Keyword Bhojan, Bondi Raita, cooking shows, Cooking Video, Delicacy, delicious, Desi Khana, Gluten Free, Gourmet food, Homemade, Instant Pot, Jain Cooking, Khana, Lunch Box, Mint Lassi, One Pot Meal, Onion Garlic Free Cooking, Recipe videos, Rice Dish, Sattvic Food, Swaminarayan
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Comments

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    Leigh-Anne
    September 14, 2021 at 1:38 am

    Thanks Manjula. My family always appreciates your recipes. Thank you for experimenting with the IP for the rest of us 🙂

    Annette
    November 20, 2020 at 6:32 pm

    Made it this evening, and used extra potatoes instead of cauliflower. It is fantastic! Very tasty, and very filling, even for two guys and me. It was fun to use the instant pot, too. 🙂 Thanks,Manjula!

      Manjula Jain
      November 20, 2020 at 7:48 pm

      Thank you Anita, it is always good to hear that

    Annette Laing
    November 18, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    Excited to try this! Did you use fresh or frozen cauliflower?

    Annette Laing
    November 17, 2020 at 4:15 pm

    Planning this for dinner! Is the cauliflower you used fresh or frozen? I have cooked your recipes for years, and now own an instant pot! Thanks, Manjula!

    Karishma
    November 10, 2020 at 11:51 pm

    Greetings from Australia ☺️ It looks so good, But I don’t have an instant pot nor a pressure cooker. Can I make this on a stove top?

      Manjula Jain
      November 11, 2020 at 11:50 am

      yes you can make this on a stove top

    Usan
    September 14, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    This is awesome, I tried few time with chicken but it always over cooked. Thx for sharing vegetarian briyani time. I am going to try. I love your recipe since 2016. I am been following. Usan

    Anu
    August 26, 2020 at 11:20 am

    Hi Manjula aunty, Thank you for thus awesome biriyani recipe. Its on my list for this weekend.

    I have a question about your Zucchini rice, can it be made in the instant pot and what adjustments do I need to make?

    I have been making that recipe for years and my family loves it,but wanted to adapt it to the IP as I use my instant pot to cook mostly these days.

    Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes!

    Desicar
    July 8, 2020 at 2:31 am

    Very nice recipe. We have to try. So easy, flavorful and delicious.

    Helen Louise
    June 11, 2020 at 7:57 pm

    Thank you so much! Is the ginger added with whole spices?

    Sudha
    June 11, 2020 at 1:54 pm

    I followed the instructions step by step. Came out extemely well. Thank you very much!

      Manjula Jain
      June 11, 2020 at 11:25 pm

      Sudha, Thanks, It is always good to hear that.

    India lover
    June 11, 2020 at 3:13 am

    Hi from England. I hope you and your family are safe and well at this difficult time.
    I’ve been cooking your recipes for many years now and love them!

    I don’t have an instant pit but could I make this in a pressure cooker using the same cooking times?

      Manjula Jain
      June 11, 2020 at 11:26 pm

      yes, that will work.

    Sudha
    June 10, 2020 at 3:26 pm

    Thanks for giving us a onion and garlic free recipe for biryani !

    Didina
    June 5, 2020 at 8:03 am

    Wow looks great! I don’t have an Instant Pot but if I did I would try this recipe immediately.
    Do you also have some tips for converting your recipes (like curries and soups) to a slow cooker?
    Thanks, Didina

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