Instant Pot Vegetable Biryani

Simple, fluffy and packed with flavors, this Instant Pot Vegetable biryani is ready in under 45 minutes. Sharing easy step-by-step recipe, tips, common mistakes to what, and learn how to keep biryani fresh for parties—perfect for busy families.

This post was originally published in Sept 2018 and has been update with new instructions, updated images and video

My Personal Story

When I was little, biryani was the fancy food mom made for birthdays or festive holidays. I always helped chop carrots and potatoes. Mom took hours to make it traditionally. Now, I like making veggie biryani for my family and friends . It reminds me of happy times and my kids relish it as much, however I love using my Instant Pot for this recipe because it's quick, simple and requires no baby sitting.

What is Vegetable Biryani

Vegetable biryani is a special Indian rice dish cooked with crunchy veggies, yummy spices, and sometimes nuts and raisins. The rice tastes so good because it soaks up flavors from the veggies and spices. It’s great for lunch, dinner, or parties and can be made easily in an Instant Pot.

Ingredient Notes

• Rice - You can use Sona Masoori or Basmati Rice. However, I use good quality basmati rice for its length and aroma. Wash and soak for at least 10 minutes for fluffy rice.
• Vegetables - I personally prefer freshly chopped carrots, potatoes, peas, green beans, and cauliflower. Cut veggies in big pieces so they don’t get mushy. However, if crunched on time, you could go for the pre-cut or frozen veggies too.
• Spices - Whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaf make it smell good. Don't skip these or else the end product will taste more like a Pulav than a Biryani.
• Onions -Brown them until golden for the best flavor. Save some for topping at the end.
• Yogurt -Makes the biryani soft and tasty. This is also what sets Pulav apart from Biryani. Use non-dairy yogurt if you want it vegan.
• Nuts (optional)- cashews and raisins make it extra special.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

1. Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.
2. Press saute button
3. Add the ghee to the pot.
4. When heated, add the cashew and raisins and roast it for a minute. Remove it in a bowl. we will be adding it after the biryani is cooked.
5. Add the whole spices and the sliced onions and sauté till the onions turn golden brown it will take 3-5 mins. Remove ¼ of the caramelized onion in a small bowl and keep it aside.
6. Add the garlic & ginger paste and stir well.
7. Add all the veggies and the yogurt and mix it well. add in the salt, red chilli powder, Turmeric and Garam masala.
8. Sprinkle the caramelized onion that we removed and the chopped cilantro, mint.
9. Add rice and water.
10. Close the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 4 minutes at high pressure.
11. when done, release pressure, open the valve to release remaining pressure.( Do not let the biryani sit in the instant pot after its done , coz you will get mushy rice). Sprinkle the roasted cashew and raisin and garnish it with more cilantro and mint.
12. Serve it with cold Yogurt Relish / Raita.

Common Mistakes People Make & How to avoid them

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

• Make the spicy veggie mix a day ahead. This gives even better flavor.
• Leftover biryani can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 4–5 days.
• To reheat, add a splash of water before microwaving or warming on the stove, so it stays soft.
• For parties, chop veggies in advance and cook rice just before serving for best taste

Pairing for Parties

• Serve biryani with cool yogurt (raita), sliced cucumbers, or salad.
• Masala papad, mint chutney go well with it, too.
• For a sweet party treat, pair with mango lassi or gulab jamun

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Vegetable Biryani:

Instant-Pot Vegetable Biryani

Fragrant, spicy, delicious, and full of flavors is how I will define Instant-Pot Vegetable Biryani. This Instant-Pot Vegetable Biryani is perfect to serve as a main course meal or a side dish at get-togethers or potlucks. It’s studded with dry fruits, colorful veggies and super fragrant from aromatic whole spices. This  Instant-Pot Vegetable Biryani will be a hit all around will have everyone clambering for more.

4.67 from 3 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: instant pot biryani

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes minutes

Total Time: 16 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 689kcal

Author: Soniya Saluja

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

US CustomaryMetric

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice soaked 10 minutes
• 2 tablespoon Ghee Vegan version Olive oil or coconut oil
• 2 cardamom pods
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 large onion/sliced
• 1 tablespoon ginger & garlic paste
• salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon red chiili powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ cup cauliflower florets
• ½ cup carrots/diced
• ½ cup peas
• ½ cup green beans
• 2 small tomatoes / chopped
• 1 small gold potatoes / diced
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoon Cilantro leaves/chopped
• 1 tablespoon Mint leaves/ chopped
• 8-10 cashews Raisins, optional (Skip if you want nut free)
• ¼ cup yogurt
• 1 cup water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.
• Press saute button
• Add the ghee to the pot.
• When heated, add the cashew and raisins and roast it for a minute. Remove it in a bowl. we will be adding it after the biryani is cooked.
• Add the whole spices and the sliced onions and sauté till the onions turn golden brown it will take 3-5 mins. Remove ¼ of the caramelized onion in a small bowl and keep it aside.
• Add the garlic & ginger paste and stir well.
• Add all the veggies and the yogurt and mix it well. add in the salt, red chilli powder, Turmeric and Garam masala.
• Sprinkle the caramelized onion that we removed and the chopped cilantro, mint.
• Add rice and water.
• Close the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 4 minutes at high pressure.
• when done, release pressure, open the valve to release remaining pressure.( Do not let the biryani sit in the instant pot after its done , coz you will get mushy rice). Sprinkle the roasted cashew and raisin and garnish it with more cilantro and mint.
• Serve it with cold Yogurt Relish / Raita .

Video

Notes

Pressure cooking instructions :

In a pressure cooker , heat ghee, add all the whole spices and cumin seeds Saute for a few seconds.

Add thinly sliced onions, green chilli and cashews and stir well. Add all the Veggies and stir well. Add in the chopped MInt and cilantro. add in the rice and dry fruits. add the water and bring it to a boil on high flame.cover the cooker and simmer for 20 minutes or till the rice cooks well.

Nutrition

Serving: 3g | Calories: 689kcal | Carbohydrates: 119g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 1098mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 11774IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 5mg