Instant Pot Soya Chunks Biryani is a perfect one pot dish which is healthy, flavorful and high in protein and can be prepared under 30 minutes.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian, South Indian

Ingredients

To Soak Soya Chunks

  • 1 cup soya chunks (or meal maker) ((I used nutrela brand, available in indian grocery store))
  • 2-2.5 cups hot water (for soaking)

To Marinate

  • 1/2 cup yogurt (curd)
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • salt (to taste)

Whole Spices

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 cardamom
  • 1 bay leaf

Other Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil ((or ghee))
  • 1 large onion (thinly sliced, (about 1 cup))
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • 2 green chilies (slit lengthwise)
  • 1 medium tomato (finely chopped)
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons biryani masala powder
  • salt (to taste)
  • 1/4 cup coriander leaves (roughly chopped)
  • 1/4 cup mint leaves (roughly chopped)
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon ghee (optional)
  • few coriander leaves (for garnish)

Method

Soaking the Soya Chunks

  1. Soak 1 cup of soya chunks in 2 cups of hot water for at least 15 mins until they soften.

Marinate the Soya Chunks

  1. Squeeze out all the water from the soya chunks and transfer it to a bowl. Add thick yogurt (curd) and spices like turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. Mix everything well until they are well coated. Cover and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

To Cook Biryani in Instant Pot

  1. Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Heat oil (or ghee), then add all the whole spices, and saute for a few seconds until fragrant.
  2. Add sliced onions, and saute for 2-3 minutes until they turn soft and light brown - stir regularly.
  3. Then add ginger garlic paste, green chilies and saute for another few minutes till the raw smell of the ginger garlic goes away.
  4. Add finely chopped tomatoes along with spices like turmeric, red chili powder, biryani masala, salt, and cook until tomatoes are soft and mushy.
  5. Add the marinated soya chunks and cook for 1-2 minutes. Keep stirring. Else masala paste may get burnt.
  6. Next, add coriander and mint leaves and mix well.
  7. Add rinsed basmati rice, water, and give a stir.
  8. Select "MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK" (High Pressure) and adjust the time to 5 minutes. After the pot beeps, Natural Pressure Release for 5 minutes, and then quick release the remaining pressure.
  9. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee (if preferred) and garnish with coriander leaves. Fluff up the rice using a fork.
  10. Pressure cooker Soya Biryani/Meal Maker recipe is ready. Serve with Raita or plain yogurt.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method

  1. Follow the same steps as Instant Pot in a stovetop pressure cooker and close the lid. Cook for 2 whistles on medium flame. All other steps remain the same.

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.