Instant Pot Vegetable Biryani

5 from 108 votes

Experience the flavors of aromatic spices and perfectly cooked rice and vegetables with this delightful vegetable biryani recipe. Prepared in the Instant Pot, this convenient one-pot dish brings together the essence of traditional biryani with a simplified cooking method.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 395kcal

Author: Shilpa Kerur

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

2 cup basmati rice
3 tablespoon ghee (use store-bought or homemade ghee)
1 large onion thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic grated or ½ tablespoon garlic paste
2 inch ginger grated or 1 tablespoon ginger paste
½ cup yogurt whisked
2 tablespoon cashew optional
1 tablespoon almonds optional
1-1½ teaspoon salt adjust as per taste
½ cup cilantro chopped
½ cup mint leaves chopped
2-3 tablespoon milk
¼ teaspoon saffron

Vegetables:

1 small potato chopped
1 small carrot chopped
6-8 green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
¼ cup peas
8-10 florets cauliflower

Spices:

1 teaspoon black cumin shah jeera
6 green cardamom
2 small pieces cinnamon
6 cloves
2 bay leaf
1 star anise
1 black cardamom optional
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon chili powder or as per taste

Instructions

Wash the rice thoroughly and soak in sufficient water for 30 minutes.
Soak the saffron strands in warm milk. Set aside.
Set Instant Pot in saute mode and add ghee.
Add whole spices (black cumin, clove, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, star anise, and bay leaf) and saute for a few seconds.
Add onions and saute until golden brown. Add ginger and garlic and saute for one minute. Add cashews and almonds and mix well.
Add salt, turmeric, and chili powder and mix well. Add chopped vegetables and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add whisked yogurt. Mix well. Spread the vegetables to cover the IP. After this stage, do not mix.
Add cilantro and mint leaves. Spread them over the vegetables.
Drain water from the soaked rice and add to the IP. Spread evenly. Next, add the saffron milk.
Add 2 cups of water gradually. It is important not to add all the water in one go as this may mix up the layering.
Close the IP lid and seal the vent. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook mode and cook for 5 minutes. Do a quick release of the pressure.
Veg biryani is ready to be served.

Video

Notes

Use long grain Basmati rice. It has a great aroma and long grains that when cooked correctly, are separate, non-lumpy, and do not stick to each other. Before using the rice, rinse it well under running water to remove excess starch. This will help prevent the rice from becoming sticky when cooked.

For an authentic tasting biryani, use all the spices I used in this recipe. But if you do not have access to any of the spices, you may skip them. You can also sprinkle garam masala or biryani masala when layering the vegetables for added flavor.

When layering the rice and vegetables in the Instant Pot, make sure to distribute them evenly. Avoid mixing them together. This will help ensure that the rice cooks properly and remains fluffy. When adding water, make sure you add it gradually and slowly. We do not want to mix up the layering.

Nutrition