In this vibrant cauliflower biryani recipe, chunky cauliflower florets are cooked in a spicy yogurt sauce and layered with long-grain basmati rice, shards of fried onion, and herbs like mint and cilantro. It's healthy and hearty enough for a weeknight dinner and special enough for a weekend treat or to share with company.
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Cauliflower Biryani
You can make a biryani with practically any chunky vegetable, but no other veggie lends itself as naturally to a biryani as the amazing cauliflower.
This recipe is not to be confused with a keto-friendly cauliflower rice biryani, made with cauliflower rice. This cauliflower biryani is more like a traditional vegetable biryani, with basmati rice, and with cauliflower as the starring vegetable instead of a mix of veggies. The cauliflower is cooked in a spiced, herbed yogurt sauce and soaks in all those wonderful flavors. It then shares all that yum with the rice layered over it.
This is a ridiculously easy recipe: all you need to do is separate a head of cauliflower in large florets, chop a few herbs, and soak basmati rice in water. The recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free, so anybody can eat it. Serve this gobi biriyani (as it would be called in India) for a flamboyant dinner when you have guests, but it is so simple to make that you might just want to whip it up on a weeknight for family.
Love biryani? Try this healthy quinoa biryani, mushroom biryani and vegan kofta biryani.
Recipe card
Cauliflower Biryani
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw basmati rice (washed in a couple changes of water, then soaked in water for 30 minutes. Drain before using.)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 2 black cardamom pods
- 6 cloves
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons shahi jeera (caraway seeds, divided)
- 1 heaping tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon mint (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon dill (chopped. Use 2 teaspoon if using dried mint)
- 1 cup vegan yogurt
- 2-4 tablespoons biryani masala (Biryani masalas vary greatly by brand. Add a couple of tablespoons at first, then add more or less depending on how the sauce tastes to you. Remember you want the sauce to have a strong, bold flavor because the cauliflower will dilute the taste a bit.)
- 1 cup fried onions (divided)
- 1 medium head cauliflower (separated into large florets)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Add 1 teaspoon shahi jeera or caraway seeds to the soaked, drained rice. You can now either microwave the rice or cook it on the stovetop. If cooking in the microwave add salt to taste and 2 cups water and microwave for 10 minutes. If cooking on the stovetop bring a big pot of water to boil, as you would for pasta. Salt the water liberally, then add the soaked rice with the caraway seeds to the boiling water and cook 7-8 minutes or until the rice is about 80 percent done. Strain out the excess water.
- Mix 2 teaspoons biryani masala and ½ cup fried onions with the rice.
- While the rice is soaking and cooking, make the cauliflower biryani sauce. Heat the oil in a large pot with a tight lid. Add the green and black cardamom pods, cloves and bay leaves. Saute for a minute or two until fragrant.
- Add the shahijeera and saute a few seconds. Then stir in the ginger garlic paste and saute for about 30 seconds. Stir in the chopped herbs. As soon as they start to wilt add in the yogurt. Stir in 2 tablespoons biryani masala, taste, and add more if needed.
- Let the sauce come to a boil. Stir in the cauliflower florets. Add a cup of water, mix, cover and cook 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender but has a bit of a bite. Check salt and add more if needed.
- Layer the rice over the cauliflower sauce. Spread evenly. Top, if you wish, with more fried onions and/or a few mint leaves. You can also sprinkle on a pinch of saffron soaked in ½ cup nondairy milk at this point over the rice, for a fancier presentation. Cover the biryani with a tight lid and let it steam over low heat for 20 minutes so the flavors of the sauce permeate the long grains of the basmati rice.
- Turn off heat and wait 15 minutes, without peeking, before you serve the biryani.
Nutrition Information
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How to make cauliflower biryani
- Wash the rice in a couple of changes of water, then soak it for 30 minutes in enough water to cover the rice by two inches.
- Strain out all the water, then add 1 teaspoon shahi jeera or caraway seeds. You can now either microwave the rice or cook it on the stovetop. If cooking in the microwave add salt to taste and 2 cups water and microwave for 10 minutes. If cooking on the stovetop bring a big pot of water to boil, as you would for pasta. Salt the water liberally, then add the soaked rice with the caraway seeds to the boiling water and cook 7-8 minutes or until the rice is about 80 percent done. Strain out the excess water.
- Mix 2 teaspoon biryani masala and ½ cup fried onions with the rice.
- While the rice is soaking and cooking, make the cauliflower biryani sauce.
- Heat the oil in a large pot with a tight lid. Add the green and black cardamom pods, cloves and bay leaves. Saute for a minute or two until fragrant.
- Add the shahijeera and saute a few seconds. Then stir in the ginger garlic paste and saute for about 30 seconds. Stir in the chopped herbs.
- As soon as the herbs start to wilt add in the yogurt. Stir in 2 tablespoons biryani masala, taste, and add more if needed.
- Let the sauce come to a boil. Stir in the cauliflower florets. Add a cup of water, mix, cover and cook 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender but has a bit of a bite.
- Check salt and add more if needed.
- Layer the rice over the cauliflower sauce. Spread evenly. Top, if you wish, with more golden brown fried onions and/or a few mint leaves. You can also sprinkle on a pinch of saffron soaked in ½ cup nondairy milk at this point over the rice, for a fancier presentation.
- Cover the biryani with a tight lid and let it steam over low heat for 20 minutes so the flavors of the sauce permeate the long grains of the basmati rice.
- Turn off heat and wait 15 minutes, without peeking, before you serve the biryani.
Cauliflower biryani FAQs
You can definitely use frozen cauliflower. No need to thaw, just add to the pot and let it cook.
Biryanis taste even better when they sit around for a day or two, so yes, you definitely can make the biryani in advance. Heat in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until warmed through before serving.
Garam masala is not an exact substitute for biryani masala because it doesn't contain some of the ingredients, like pomegranate seeds and dried plums, which give biryani a special flavor. But if you have only garam masala on hand and can't find biryani masala (or make it), you can substitute the biryani masala with an equal quantity of garam masala.
Serve the biryani with vegan cucumber raita or this simple Indian salad, kachumber.
The cauliflower biryani can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze the biryani in a freezer safe container for up to three months. Reheat small portions in the microwave, or place the entire pot in a 350-degree preheated oven until warmed through.
R. Obot says
Hey Vaishali,
Is this the vegan yoghurt recipe you mentioned?
https://holycowvegan.net/homemade-cultured-cashew-yogurt/
Vaishali says
Yes! Sorry, I thought I linked it.