Veg Biryani is a flavourful rice dish made with basmati rice, mixed vegetables, whole spices, freshly ginger, garlic, coriander and mint leaves. Learn how to make this vegetarian rice dish with flavour packed aromatic rice, spices and fried nuts with step by step pictures and video also check my veg dum biryani recipe.
Veg Biryani
Biryani is what I often make, at least once in a week. Since it is so easy to make, plus it taste delicious and family approved. I have quite a few biryani recipes in my blog and each one is made different. Biryani taste different each time by the veggies you use and the method you make.
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This is one of the best veg biryani i ever made. I have posted so many version of biryani in this blog like capsicum biryani, baby corn biryani, paneer biryani, brinji rice and etc.
About Veg Biryani
Vegetable biryani is a fragrant rice dish made with basmati rice, vegetables, herbs, and biryani spices. If made by layering and cooking on dum, veg biryani is just as good as non-veg biryani.
The vegetables and spices combine to create a medley of flavours and aromas that will tantalise your taste buds just as much as a biryani with meat would.
Veg biryani is made with basmati rice, vegetables, whole spices and spice powders. Instead of basmati rice, you can use seera samba rice for more flavourful biryani. Check my chettinad biryani for detailed recipe.
Similar Recipes
The secret for a perfect biryani is the perfect biryani masala spice mix. My homemade biryani masala powder is the answer. Biryani made with this taste great.
Biryani is a celebration dish great for huge gatherings, festivities and quick family dinner meals.
What all Vegetables is used in Veg Biryani
Mixed veggies like carrot, beans, green peas, cauliflower is commonly used. But in veg biryani you can use any vegetables of your choice.
Beetroots, potatoes, soya chunks, paneer, baby corn can be used in the biryani for added taste. Chop vegetables into cubes for even distribution in the veg biryani.
Veg Biryani Ingredients
- Basmati Rice- To attain the best results, the basmati rice should be fragrant and long-grained. The best results will come from aged basmati rice.
- Onions & Tomatoes - Onions and tomatoes form the base for biryani. it adds the necessary sweetness and tartness to the biryani.
- Vegetables - mixed veggies like carrot, beans, green peas, cauliflower is commonly used. But in veg biryani you can use any vegetables of your choice.
- Spice powders - homemade biryani masala powder is used. If you don't have biryani masala powder, use 1 tablespoon chilli powder, 2 tablespoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder and 2 teaspoon garam masala powder.
- Fresh Masala - ginger, garlic, coriander and mint leaves is ground in a blender to a paste which adds a unique aroma to biryani.
Homemade Biryani Masala Powder
In this veg biryani recipe I have used a combination of regular masala powders like chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder.
But instead of using these spices you can add biryani masala powder instead. I have shared a detailed recipe for homemade biryani masala. You have to dry roast all these whole spices and grind them to a powder.
Ingredients for Biryani Masala Powder
- 1 stick Cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 5 Green Cardamom
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 4 Cloves
- 2 Mace
- 4 Kalpasi
- 3 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
- 4 Dry Red Chilli
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 teaspoon Whole Black Pepper
Step by Step Pictures
Pre-preparation
1)Wash and soak basmati rice for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Soaking rice helps remove the excess starch from the rice and makes it more fluffy.
2)Mixed veggies like carrot, beans, green peas, cauliflower is commonly used. But in veg biryani you can use any vegetables of your choice.
Grinding masala
3)Take ginger, garlic, coriander leaves, mint leaves in a blender.
4)Pour water and grind to a smooth puree and set aside.
Make Biryani Base
5)Heat oil+ghee in a pressure cooker. Add in bay leaf or in my case I used pandan leaf in the oil and let them sizzle.
6)Now add in sliced onions.
7)Fry this till golden brown.
8)Add in ground ginger garlic herb paste.
9)saute for 5 minutes till raw smell leaves and the colour changes.
10)Add in chopped tomatoes and cook till it gets soft.
11)Cook that down till tomatoes gets soft.
12)Add in biryani masala powder. If you don't have biryani masala powder, use 1 tablespoon chilli powder, 2 tablespoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder and 2 teaspoon garam masala powder.
13)Add in salt.
14)Add in your vegetables mixture. I used a mix of carrots, cauliflower, green peas, beans.
15)Stir fry the vegetables in the masala for 4 to 5 minutes till raw smell leaves.
Cooking Rice
16)Add in soaked basmati rice and mix to combined.
17)Stir fry the rice with vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes.
18)Pour in water.
19)Add in ½ teaspoon sugar, lemon juice and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
20)Mix everything, bring it to a boil.
21)Cover and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Turn off the flame, let the pressure release by itself.
22)Now the rice is cooked.
Garnish Nuts
23)Heat ghee in a small pan, add cashews and fry till golden brown.
24)Pour this fried nuts over biryani and toss well.
25)Vegetable biryani is ready.
26)Serve hot with raita.
Instant Pot Veg Biryani
Many people prefer to use instant pot to cook veg biryani or any rice dish these days. It is so easy to use and following this method to make any rice dish like pulao, biryani is fail proof.
- Grind masala as mentioned in the recipe. Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 minutes.
- Set instant pot mode to saute. Pour oil into the instant pot. Add in whole spices and let them sizzle. Add in onions and saute till golden. Add in ground masala and vegetables and saute for mins. Add in strained rice, spice powders, salt and water and mix well.
- Now set the mode to pressure cook mode, set timer to 6 minutes. Let it cook. Once the timer is up, it will automatically change to keep warm | low. Leave the pressure to release manually for 11 minutes. Now lift the quick release vent so the excess steam can release.
- Open the instant pot and mix the rice gently. Serve.
FAQ
Biryani is prepared using the draining method of cooking, which entails par-boiling the rice in water, then draining, drying, and layering it. Pulao is made using the absorption method, which means that the rice and vegetables absorb all of the water or stock.
Mixed veggies like carrot, beans, green peas, cauliflower is commonly used. But in veg biryani you can use any vegetables of your choice. Beetroots, potatoes, soya chunks, paneer, baby corn can be used in the biryani for added taste. Chop vegetables into cubes for even distribution in the veg biryani.
📖 Get Recipe
Vegetable Biryani Recipe (Pressure Cooker Veg Biryani)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups Basmati Rice
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 3 piece Pandan Leaves / Ramba Ilai / Biryani leaf
- 1 large Onions sliced thinly
- 2 no Green Chillies slit
- 1 large Tomatoes chopped finely
- 3 tablespoon Biryani Masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 3 cups Water
- 2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- Salt to taste
Vegetable To Use
- 2 large Carrots chopped
- 1 cup Cauliflower chopped
- 10 no Beans chopped
- 1 cup Green Peas
For Grinding
- ½ cup Coriander Leaves chopped
- ½ cup Mint Leaves chopped
- 2 inch Ginger
- 6 cloves Garlic peeled
For Frying
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 10 no Cashews
Instructions
- Wash and soak rice in lots of water for 30 mins. Take the grinding ingredients in a blender and make it into a smooth paste.
- Heat oil and 1 tblspn of ghee in a pressure cooker. Add in pandan leaf and fry for 30 seconds. Now add in sliced onions and saute till it is brown. Add in green chillies and ground masala and saute for 2 mins till raw smell leaves from it. Add in tomatoes and cook for 2 mins or so. Sprinkle in biryani spice mix and salt. Mix well. Add in chopped veggies and toss well in the masala. Add in soaked drained rice and mix well.
- Pour in water and some sugar. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Bring this to boil, simmer the stove and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Simmer for 5 minutes and turn off the flame. Switch off the heat and let the steam go all by itself. Open the cooker. Now heat 1 tblspn of ghee and fry cashews till it golden, pour this ghee and cashews over the rice and mix well. Serve.
Nutrition
Tried this Recipe
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Mohanapriya
Wow!! Masala u prepared must be smelling awesome....I'm going to prepare tat masala powder first up and then the briyani.
sindhuja
Wow super I can feel the aroma here....
Shalini Ayush
Where do we get the Briyani leaves???? Can we substitute that with anything else???
Aarthi
@Shalini AyushYou can skip that
Krisshaa Chinni
Aarthi, whenever I make biriyani in pressure cooker it always end up with black roasted layer at the bottom of pressure cooker.any suggestions to avoid this??
Aarthi
@Krisshaa ChinniIt is because you are cooking it on high flame. Once you add everything to pressure cooker, bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to the lowest possible and cover the cooker and cook it only for 12 to 15 mins. Now turn off the heat and let the steam go all by itself. Now open the cooker and fluff it up
Krisshaa Chinni
Thnx Aarthi.i will try again with your suggestion
Anonymous
Aarthi, I have once basic question, what is the water level. You mentioned 2 cups rice and 3 cups water. If I add vegetables bit more how can i messure the water level.
Thanks
Vasantha
Aarthi
@AnonymousYou have to use same amount of water. The ratio is 1 part rice and 1.5 cup water
Aruna
Your most of them recipes little bit sugar add them.. Why sugar add them?? ? Plz tell arthi
Aarthi
@ArunaI usually add sugar in the recipes which has tomatoes. Because sugar balances everything and makes everything taste better.
Lasya
Hello! I loved your egg biriyani, I used the spices proportions to make a veg biriyani! It was great ( in fact I dont have a pressure cooker so I manage differently; I like to cook the veggies separately, especially the carrots, (I start with that, I cut them slanted like short sticks and I cook them for LOOONG time covered on very low fire, They become like candies!!! and i cook the other veggies with vapor and incorporate them later to the sauce and I cook the rice separately) I leave in Paris, I am french and love to cook indian for my friends who love that too! Today I did your massala biriyani powder, it smells gorgeous! I called about 5 o 6 shops to find the "pandand leaves" I had never heard about it. They dont have it in the indian area ( close by!) but they have it in a chinese shop ( close by too!) I am hapy I moved to this area as I can get everything! from indian to chinese oriental african and more! I am going to try that biriyani today to get used to it as I am cooking saturday for 20 friends! After reading your blog I also discovered the stone flowers" which I found in the indian area and the man at the casher asked me "what is this",,,? He doesn't know all the spices in the shop pavam! " As a very knowledgeable french indian cook I answered proudly' for cooking biriyani lol!
By the way I just wanted to say that I too have a sweet tooth but I avoid totally white sugar I am a health food nut (that is how i discored you 'brown rice" egg biriyani.) I replace refined white sugar with something very trendy now it is called coconut flower sugar . It tates a bit like jaggery. It has many good ingredients in it like potassium calcium and iron... Whereas white sugar as no nutrition value and is said to be carcinogenic...
Wish me good luck for saturday and thank you for your great blog!
Sheeba
Hello Las9ya... Hope you had a great Saturday with your friends
Anonymous
What is biryani leave?
Can I replace it with sm other thngs?
Plz tell me marathi name of that.
Reply must.
Aarthi
@AnonymousYou can skip that...It looks like this
https://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/04/30/images/2002043000370301.jpg
Anonymous
I tried did...its awesome 🙂 tanks Aarthi for your perfect recipe 🙂
Anonymous
Can i use normal rice for cooking biryani instead of BASMATI
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes u can use normal rice. just increase the water level
Hally
I made this today in my electric pressure cooker. Absolutely lovely, thank you for such a great easy recipe. I left out a couple of ingredients but still great. Will look at some of your other recipes. Thank you again
Nammude Ormakal
hai Aarthi... i tried this recipe... so yummy... thank you so much...
SUJA
NO WHISTLES? OR JUST PRESSURE COOK
Aarthi
@SUJAdont worry about whistle. just cover and cook for the mentioned time in a simmer.
Anonymous
Hi Arthi when yu say one cup of rice do you mean 1 aazhaaku. ?
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes small ones
Anjana Mohan
Hiii I just tried this biriyani today..it was awesome.. Thank you so much for the great recipe
info
"Wow, great blog article.Really thank you! Veg Biryani
Srija
Dear Aarthi
Thanks for the recipe. Tried and came out very well. All my guest and hubby appreciated me.
Have to say u r one osm gal.
Abinaya
Hi Aarthi if I use normal rice how long should I soak it and for each cup normal rice how much water should I pour?
Aarthi
@Abinayasoak normal rice for 30 mins, add 2 cup to 2.5 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice
Rashmi
Tried your recipe. Amazing!!! Skipped few ingredients due to unavailability, still came out great. Thank you 🙂
Anonymous
When I cook pulau in pressure cooker, its never more than 5-6 minutes with the top on. So I am very surprised how u are saying 10-15 mins, it will become over cooked at this rate.
Also 1 cup ordinary rice to 2.5 cups water is really way too much, even though we have lots of veg inside....
Aarthi
@Anonymousfor basmati rice i use 1.5 cup of water for 1 cup of rice and for normal rice, use 2.5 cup of water for 1 cup of rice. water level depends on each rice.
archana rajendran
Hi do we hav to put the weight of pressure cooker..
Pri
Hi Aarthi.. just wanted to thank you for this site.. You have no idea how much it has helped me.. I only started cooking after I got married and moved to UK last year. I have tried many other sites, but somehow, only your recipes have come out really well..
And about this recipe, I was initially a little skeptical cause I always burn the bottom of my pressure cooker.. But I read your reply to someone's comment about the same and followed your instructions and voila! no more burnt rice at the bottom!! 😀 Thank you so much for this site again!!!
Pri
Oh also.. my husband also knows your site well now.. Whenever I can't cook and he has to, I always tell him to look at YummyTummyAarthi recipe and do it that way.. 🙂
Unknown
Awesome dish you teach to every one, I also try to make this dish when I will be alone in my house.
Really thanks to you for sharing this yummy dish to all new visitors.
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Anonymous
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. Your blog has given me the confidence to cook. It turned out really well.
Anonymous
Can this be done in a rice cooker instead of pressure cooker?
Unknown
When I tried this recipe there was a bit of a bitter flavour popping up towards the end...I'm dint burn the spices..What do u think could have caused the bitterness
Vidya
Tried this veg biryani. It was awesome. Thank you for the recipe
Jeena
Hello Arathy,
Thank you for the recepie, Using this recepie i could make veg biriyani for 10 people. My first attempt and everyone liked it. Thanks again dear.
Regards
Jeena
Leya
This recipe has taught me two valuable lessons on making biryani in a pressure cooker..1) cooking on sim to prevent burnt base 2) grinding the herbs along with ginger and garlic...these were the two main differences from the biryani I usually prepare..ur version has helped me make one of the best veg biryanis ever! Thank u Aarthi..u r a 🌟
Lasya
Hello! I loved your egg biriyani, I used the spices proportions to make a veg biriyani! It was great ( in fact I dont have a pressure cooker so I manage differently; I like to cook the veggies separately, especially the carrots, (I start with that, I cut them slanted like short sticks and I cook them for LOOONG time covered on very low fire, They become like candies!!! and i cook the other veggies with vapor and incorporate them later to the sauce and I cook the rice separately) I leave in Paris, I am french and love to cook indian for my friends who love that too! Today I did your massala biriyani powder, it smells gorgeous! I called about 5 o 6 shops to find the "pandand leaves" I had never heard about it. They dont have it in the indian area ( close by!) but they have it in a chinese shop ( close by too!) I am hapy I moved to this area as I can get everything! from indian to chinese oriental african and more! I am going to try that biriyani today to get used to it as I am cooking saturday for 20 friends! After reading your blog I also discovered the stone flowers" which I found in the indian area and the man at the casher asked me "what is this",,,? He doesn't know all the spices in the shop pavam! " As a very knowledgeable french indian cook I answered proudly' for cooking biriyani lol!
By the way I just wanted to say that I too have a sweet tooth but I avoid totally white sugar I am a health food nut (that is how i discored you 'brown rice" egg biriyani.) I replace refined white sugar with something very trendy now it is called coconut flower sugar . It tates a bit like jaggery. It has many good ingredients in it like potassium calcium and iron... Whereas white sugar as no nutrition value and is said to be carcinogenic...
Wish me good luck for saturday and thank you for your great blog!
Lasya
I am doing your brown rice veg biriyani again with the home made massala which smells really lovely. I really like the idea of not putting the whole spices which people who don't know indian food wonder what it is when they bite in it! One question though. 3 Tbsp of that very tasty massala for 2 cups of rice I feel is a littly to much I am doing for 10 people but I put the same amount as in the recipe and still the massala taste is quite predominant. Do you always add 3 Tbsp for 2 cups of rice? Don't you find it a little to strong? Thank you anyway!
Aarthi
yes it will be perfect. you can reduce it if you want.
Biryani
Garam masala or Biryani masala? Which gives the exact taste of biryani with some spiciness?
Aarthi
biryani masala
Karthika
Mam if we are using whole spices like only cinnamon,clove and cardamon how much each we have to add in oil,,instead of adding garam masala..
S
Can u delete the advertisement when posting. I am not able to pass on to others.
Roshni
Thankyou so much for sharing this recipe with us