Instant Pot Recipe - Vegetable Biryani

One of my favorite recipes to make in an Instant Pot is biryani, thoroughly because it's easy and SOO delicious! I always find that recipes in the instant pot tend to taste better and perhaps even sweeter, maybe because the spices are all settled within. But regardless, this biryani recipe is one that my family absolutely loves and has at least once a week!

This pairs great with Paneer Tikka Masala or even Malai Kofta!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1.5 tbsp oil

• 2 bay leaf

• 4 green cardamoms

• 5-6 whole cloves

• 2 tablespoon cumin seeds (jeeru)

• 1 medium onion (sliced)

• 2 green chilli (sliced) add according to taste

• 10 raw cashews

• 10 dry raisins

• 3 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

• ½ cup frozen peas (soak and thaw)

• 2 medium carrots (sliced)

• 2 medium potatoes (diced, soak in water until ready to cook)

• ⅓ cup cilantro (chopped)

• 1 tbsp garam masala (or per taste)

• 1 tbsp paprika (or per taste)

• 1 tsp salt (or per taste)

• 1 cup basmati rice (soak in 2 cups of water and thoroughly wash prior)

• 1.25 cups of warm water

Preparation

1. Wash basmati rice in water until it’s clear and cleaned. Then, soak the rice in 2-3 cups of water for about 20 minutes.

2. Prepare the veggies. Thaw the frozen peas by soaking them in warm water or alternatively put it in a microwave safe bowl with water covering all the peas for about 40-45 seconds.

3. Prepare the rice and peas. Drain out the water from the rice + peas and set it apart.

4. Turn the Instant Pot on to saute mode. Once it’s hot, you can start adding the oil to the pot along with all the other dry spices: bay leaf, cardamon, cloves, and cumin seeds (jeeru). Let the spices cook with the oil and saute for about 30-40 seconds or until the spices have a fragrance.

5. Add remaining ingredients. After the spices have had a chance to cook a bit, add the onions, green chilies, cashews, and raisins. Let this cook for a bit until the onions have caramelized or turned brown.

6. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for about 1-2 minutes. This will allow the distinct smell of garlic and ginger to dissipate. Then, about 2-3 tablespoons of water to scrape the bottom of the pan. Do not skip this step, it will help your ingredients mix well with your rice if it’s not stuck to the bottom of the pan.

7. Add the remaining vegetables and spices. You can now add the potatoes, carrots, peas, cilantro, the garam masala, paprika, and salt.

8. Add the drained rice + water. First add the rice and make sure to gently mix with a spatula. Do not disturb the water + rice too much, just enough to get the spices mixed around. After you’ve added water, do not stir.

9. Close the lid and cook. Now, once you’ve added all your ingredients, you can close the lid and start the instant pot process. You want to press:

1. Manual or Pressure Cook Button

2. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. The valve should be sealed.

Let the IP release naturally for the 5 minutes and then open the lid. Gently mix and serve with a side of raita.

Enjoy!

Tips

• It really helps to have all the ingredients prepped before you attempt to work the instant pot processes, especially because it’s relatively fast and you don’t want to be squirming around trying to gather your ingredients while the pot has already heated.

• If you like ghee, that’s a great substitute for oil in this recipe.