Pressure Cooker Biryani with vegetables is an easy and quick method of preparing a delicious biryani in one of the most common cooking equipment in our kitchens - the stovetop pressure cooker. In this recipe, there is also no requirement of pre-cooking the vegetables and rice.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 45 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 65 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup basmati rice (- heaped, 190 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup curd ((yogurt), 200 grams; or swap with 1 cup thick coconut milk)
  • 1 to 2 green chilies (- chopped)
  • ½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or 4 to 5 garlic and ¾ inch ginger - crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle)
  • ½ cup carrots (- cubed or chopped, 90 to 100 grams)
  • ¾ to 1 cup potatoes (- peeled & chopped, 90 to 100 grams)
  • ½ cup capsicum (- chopped)
  • ⅓ cup green peas (- fresh or frozen)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala ((optional))
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 3 tablespoons coriander leaves (- chopped)
  • 3 tablespoons mint leaves (- chopped)
  • salt (as required)
  • 3 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
  • 1 cup onions (- thinly sliced, 165 to 175 grams)
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 green cardamoms
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 2 thin single strands of mace
  • ½ teaspoon shahi jeera ((caraway seeds))
  • 5 to 6 black peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (- chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons mint leaves (- chopped)
  • 1 generous pinch saffron
  • ½ inch ginger (- julienne or chopped)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons rose water (or kewra water (pandanus water))
  • 1 to 1.25 cups water

Method

Soaking and marinating rice

  1. Rinse rice in water many times, till you see the water clear of starch. Then soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes.
  2. After 30 minutes, drain the water very well from the rice.
  3. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and salt to the rice.
  4. With a spoon or with your fingers, mix the salt and oil evenly with the rice grains. Keep aside.

With coconut milk

  1. When the rice is soaking, you can chop and prepare the veggie mixture.
  2. Take 1 cup thick coconut milk in a pan or a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add the chopped veggies and green peas. Remember to chop the veggies in small sizes so that they cook well.
  4. Add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, chopped coriander and mint leaves.
  5. Add the spice powders - turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder. Season with salt too.
  6. Mix very well and set aside. If you want, you can marinate for 15 to 30 minutes.

With curd or yogurt

  1. Take curd in a bowl and whisk till smooth.
  2. Then add the ground spice powders, green chilies and ginger-garlic paste. Use the same amount as mentioned in the recipe.
  3. Add the mix vegetables, coriander leaves, mint leaves and salt.
  4. Mix very well and set aside. You can even marinate for 15 to 30 minutes.

Sautéing onions

  1. Next step is to heat a 3 litre pressure cooker and add 3 tablespoons oil. Add all the whole spices mentioned above in the list. Sauté until they crackle and become fragrant.
  2. Then add sliced onions.
  3. Stir and begin to sauté the onions on a low to medium heat.
  4. Cooking onions does take some time, so add a pinch of salt to quicken the cooking process.
  5. Continue to sauté until the onions turn a light golden.
  6. When the onions become golden, turn off the the heat.
  7. Remove the cooker from the stovetop burner and place it on the kitchen table top or countertop.
  8. Remove half of the fried onions in a plate and set aside. Some shahi jeera will also come with the fried onions and its alright. But do not take the other whole spices and keep them in the cooker.

Layering vegetable biryani

  1. With a spoon, evenly spread the remaining fried onions which are in the cooker.
  2. Now with a spoon, pour the veggie mixture evenly; whether you have made it with curd or thick coconut milk.
  3. Make an even layer of all the veggie mixture.
  4. Next spread all the rice evenly on the veggie mixture layer.
  5. Spread the fried onions which we kept aside evenly on the rice.
  6. Add chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and chopped ginger or ginger julienne.
  7. Sprinkle saffron threads.
  8. Now sprinkle rose water or kewra water evenly all over.
  9. Next pour water along the sides of the cooker. Don't add water in the center. Make a note that 1.25 cups water will make the rice grains more soft.

Pressure cooking vegetable biryani

  1. Cover the cooker with its lid and the vent weight/whistle attached to the lid.
  2. On a low heat cook the vegetable biryani for about 20 to 25 minutes. If the pressure cooker whistles, then its alright.
  3. Once the pressure settles down or drops naturally in the cooker, then only open the lid and serve the Pressure Cooker Biryani with your favorite raita, salad or a side gravy.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.