This restaurant-style vegetable biryani is so aromatic and delicious, but it is also so easy to make! Dig through layers of long-grain basmati rice and a flavor-loaded masala sauce with biryani spices, crunchy nuts and tons of vegetables. It's the ultimate Indian comfort food!
Over the years I've shared with you countless recipes for biryani, including vegan keema biryani, vegan dum aloo biryani, and mushroom biryani. All are easy to make, but today I have for you the best vegetable biryani you will ever make and eat. Better, you can take it from scratch to done in about 45 minutes.
My family loves vegetable biryani but for a long time I believed, as many cooks do, that one needs to set aside a lot of time to make an authentic vegetable biryani. By some accounts, as much as a full day.
But who has a whole day or even half a day to cook a single dish? After years of taking the slow approach, I came up with a few techniques that cut down on the time while keeping the dish authentic and delicious.
To make this veg biryani recipe we will use all of the same spices and ingredients and all of the same techniques that are used to make a traditional biryani, including cooking it over "dum" or a low flame to help the flavors mingle. We will get the same, true taste of a veg biryani, but in a fraction of the time.
The finished biryani is as spectacular as one would expect an authentic Hyderabadi biryani to be: aromatic, long-grain basmati rice is layered over a spicy masala curry, chunky vegetables and (optional) tofu cubes (as a stand-in for paneer) for protein.
It is hearty and cozy and an absolute winner. And it's amazingly healthy as well.
Table of Contents
What is biryani?
A biryani is a layered rice dish that's eaten across parts of the Indian subcontinent. The original recipe is believed to have been brought to India by the Mughals -- central Asian invaders -- who went on to rule parts of the subcontinent. Among the other gems they contributed to Indian cuisine are samosa, phirni and naan (try this fluffy, homemade vegan naan!).
There are versions of biryani made with chicken, mutton (goat), beef, eggs and even fish. But in India, where vegetarians form a sizeable portion of the population, you can easily find vegetarian biryani, called veg biryani, at most restaurants.
There are two kinds of biryani: kuchchi (raw) biryani or pakki (cooked) biryani. For a kuchchi biryani the raw rice and marinated meat are cooked together over a slow flame. For a pakki biryani, the rice and meat (or vegetables) are cooked separately, then layered and allowed to steam together for the flavors and aromas to merge.
The vegetable biryani recipe we are making is a pakki biryani, because we will cook the rice and the veggies separately, then layer them and continue cooking them together.
Why you will love this recipe
- Authentic but easy. It bears repeating that as easy as this recipe is, it tastes like the real thing and it is, in fact, the real thing. But you need a fraction of the time to make it.
- So, so delicious. Indian cuisine is spectacular, but even so few foods can match up to the allure of a biryani. The contrasting flavors and textures of saffron-soaked basmati rice grains and a spicy masala sauce packed with chunky veggies is fantastic.
- Vegan, gluten-free, and can be soy-free and nut-free. You can easily skip the tofu or the cashews if you are soy-free or nut-free.
Expert tips
- Do a bit of simple multitasking. This is not complicated multitasking by any means. Wash and soak the rice and the saffron in the milk before you begin cooking, then proceed with chopping the veggies and herbs. Start the pot of water for the rice when you begin sauteing the veggies, so the rice and the sauce cook up simultaneously.
- Season the rice water. You do this just as you would pasta water, only you'll add a few spices here along with the salt, including cardamom, cloves, shah jeera and bay leaves.
- Undercook the rice. According to Indian lore, perfectly cooked grains of basmati rice should be like brothers: close, but not stuck together. This is especially important in a biryani, and to get such a result make sure that the rice is no more than 80 percent done when it is layered over the sauce. Remember, overcooked rice = sticky rice. And sticky rice is simply not okay in a biryani.
- Season the layer of cooked rice. This adds tons of flavor and more aroma to the biryani. Sprinkle a bit of biryani masala on top of the rice after layering it over the sauce, and a bit of mint. Also add a handful of fried onions and saffron soaked in milk. You can sprinkle edible kewra water or rose water over the rice for an even more tantalizing aroma.
Ingredients
- Basmati rice: This is the only rice you should use for a biryani. Aged basmati rice is wonderful and will give you the best results, because rice, like wine, gets better the longer it stands. However, you don't have to go looking for aged basmati rice. Just use what you can find.
- Neutral oil. This is not the dish to use coconut oil or olive oil. Use a neutral, flavorless oil like avocado oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil or safflower oil.
- Spices: Saffron, bay leaves, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon sticks, ground coriander, caraway seeds (shahi jeera) and biryani masala. You can use garam masala instead of biryani masala but it won't give you the same aroma. Biryani masala is easily found in Indian grocery stores and online. You can skip the black cardamom if you don't have it and use cumin seeds instead of the caraway seeds.
- Herbs: ginger garlic paste, cilantro, dried mint and dried dill. In summer use fresh mint leaves and fresh dill leaves, if possible.
- Vegetables: carrots, potatoes, butternut squash, mushrooms and green bell peppers. I used about six cups of these vegetables. You can change them up. Green peas, cauliflower, green beans, summer squash and sweet potatoes would all be great additions to this biryani.
- Vegan yogurt. I use my homemade cashew yogurt but any nondairy yogurt is fine. Make sure it is unflavored and unsweetened.
- Non-dairy milk. This is for soaking the saffron.
- Raw cashews. These add nice crunch and nuttiness.
- Super firm or extra firm tofu (optional). I like adding the tofu for protein and it adds yet another layer of texture. Super firm tofu holds its shape nicely in the biryani sauce, but you can use extra firm tofu with water pressed out. You can add the tofu as is, but I sometimes coat the tofu cubes in a bit of turmeric and salt and roast it in the air fryer to make it chewier. If you do this, follow the instructions in my air fryer tofu recipe.
- Fried onions. You can make your own by deep-frying slivers of onion, but I just use store-bought fried onions like French's or a similar product available for a much lower price at Aldi.
Variations for special diets
- Soy-free: Skip the tofu and use a soy-free yogurt.
- Nut-free: Skip the cashews and use pumpkin seeds instead, or skip them altogether. Use a nut-free yogurt.
- Low-carb. Skip the potatoes, carrots and squash and use cauliflower, mushrooms, bell peppers, and summer squash like zucchini or yellow squash. Also replace the rice with cauliflower rice. You don't need to cook the cauliflower rice first.
How to make vegetable biryani
Skip to the recipe card for detailed instructions. The recipe card includes a video recorded when I first posted this recipe. I've tweaked the recipe since but you can still follow the video for technique and instructions.
1. Place basmati rice in a colander and wash it under running water.
2. Place the rice in a bowl covered with an inch of water. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add bay leaves, half the cloves, half the cardamom pods and half the caraway seeds (shahi jeera).
4. When the water comes to a rolling boil add the soaked basmati rice (make sure you've drained out the water). Cook 6-7 minutes until the rice is about 80 percent done--tender but with a good bite to it still.
5. Strain the rice in a colander, wash under cold, running water, and set aside.
6. Soak the saffron in nondairy milk of choice. Set aside.
7. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the remaining spices--caraway seeds, cloves and cardamom.
8. Add to the pot the carrots, potatoes and squash. Add salt and mix. Cover and cook the veggies for 5 minutes or until they are almost cooked. Stir frequently to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
9. Add the bell peppers and mushrooms and mix. Cover and continue cooking another five minutes.
10. Add the herbs--cilantro, dried mint and dried dill. Mix well.
11. Add the vegan yogurt and mix.
12. Follow by adding the ground coriander and cayenne or paprika. Mix them in.
15. Stir in half the fried onions, raw cashews and biryani masala spice mix. Mix.
16. Finally add in the tofu, if using, and mix it in. Add about a cup of water or non-dairy milk at this time to the pot and stir it in.
17. Once the masala comes to a boil, check for salt and add more if needed. Turn off the heat. Pour the rice over the masala and spread it in an even layer.
18. Sprinkle the saffron soaked in milk over the rice followed by some dried mint, a few pinches of biryani masala and the remaining fried onions. Cover and cook over high heat for five minutes, then lower the heat and continue cooking 10 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, uncovered, before serving.
Recipe FAQs
The veggies and spices make this an extremely nutritious, one-dish meal, with tons of vitamins and minerals. Rice, nuts and cashews add a healthy wallop of protein. Each serving of the biryani has 336 calories, 11 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fiber.
Yes. Use brown basmati rice and keep in mind that brown rice will take longer to cook than white basmati rice, so factor in additional time for that. Also the brown rice should be cooked almost all the way when you layer it over the veggie masala.
I will post for you a vegetable biryani made entirely in the Instant Pot in coming weeks. You can, however, adapt this recipe to the Instant Pot, but you will need to cook the rice separately. Cook the masala curry (steps 5-11) in the Instant Pot liner set to the saute mode. Layer the cooked rice and other ingredients (steps 12 and 13), cover, and set to cook on the manual pressure mode for five minutes. Force-release after 10 minutes. To make biryani in a pressure cooker, check out this recipe for pressure cooker vegetable biryani.
Sure, you can, but the fried onions add a special flavor. However, for a healthier version, you can use onions sauteed in a small amount of oil. Cut a large onion in thin slices and add salt while sauteeing to help the onions caramelize.
Serving suggestions
- This biryani is perfect eaten by itself, but I love it with vegan cucumber raita.
- In Hyderabad, where some of India's best biryani is made, this rice dish would be served with a spicy mirch ka salan.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days.
- Freeze: Freeze the biryani in an airtight container or freezer-safe container for up to three months.
- Reheat: Thaw and reheat in the microwave or in a covered, oven-safe pot or bowl in an oven set to 350 degrees.
More yummy Indian rice recipes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a review and a star rating below or tag us on Instagram! Thanks!
Vegetable Biryani
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot with a tight fitting lid
Ingredients
- 1½ cups basmati rice (uncooked, washed in running water)
- 2 dry bay leaves
- 10 cloves
- 10 green cardamom pods
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 1-inch piece cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon caraway seeds (shahjeera). You can sub this with cumin seeds but try to use it if possible. It adds great flavor to biryanis.
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- ¼ teaspoon saffron strands
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 medium carrots (finely diced -- you want the pieces to be fairly small, about ½-inch square, to cook fast)
- 2 medium potatoes (finely diced)
- ½ butternut squash (finely diced)
- 8 oz button mushrooms (or cremini mushrooms, quartered or halved)
- 2 green bell peppers (diced)
- 1 heaping tsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (coriander leaves)
- 2 teaspoon dried mint (or 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves)
- 2 teaspoon dried dill (or 2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves)
- 1 cup vegan yogurt
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (or paprika or any red chilli powder. Add less or skip if sensitive to heat, because store-bought biryani masala often has red chili powder added to it).
- 4 heaping tbsp biryani masala
- ½ cup raw cashew pieces
- 14 oz tofu (or use one recipe of my air-fryer tofu. Optional but nice.)
- 1 cup fried onions (divided)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place basmati rice in a colander and wash it under running water until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a bowl covered with an inch of water. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and add bay leaves, half the cloves, half the cardamom pods and half the caraway seeds (shahi jeera). Add a couple of teaspoons of salt (you won't eat most of it because you'll drain out the water). When the water comes to a rolling boil add the drained rice. Cook 6-7 minutes until the rice is about 80 percent done--tender but with a good bite to it still.
- Strain the rice in a colander, wash under cold, running water, and set aside.
- Soak the saffron in nondairy milk of choice. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the remaining spices--caraway seeds, cloves and cardamom.
- Add to the pot the carrots, potatoes and squash. Add salt and mix. Cover and cook the veggies for 5 minutes or until they are almost cooked. Stir frequently to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the bell peppers and mushrooms and mix. Cover and continue cooking another five minutes.
- Add the herbs--cilantro, dried mint and dried dill. Mix well.
- Add the vegan yogurt and mix. Follow by adding the ground coriander and cayenne or paprika. Mix them in.
- Stir in half the fried onions, raw cashews and biryani masala spice mix. Mix.
- Finally add in the tofu, if using, and mix it in. Add about a cup of water or non-dairy milk at this time to the pot and stir it in.
- Once the masala comes to a boil, check for salt and add more if needed. Turn off the heat. Pour the cooked rice over the masala and spread it in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the saffron milk over the rice followed by some dried mint, a few pinches of biryani masala and the remaining fried onions. Cover and cook over high heat for five minutes, then lower the heat and continue cooking 10 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, uncovered, before serving.
Video
Recipe notes
- The recipe card includes a video recorded when I first posted this recipe. This updated recipe has a few tweaks and changes, but you can follow the video to familiarize yourself with the techniques used.
- Do a bit of simple multitasking. This is not complicated multitasking by any means. Wash and soak the rice before you begin cooking, then proceed with chopping the veggies and herbs. Start the pot of water for the rice when you begin sauteing the veggies, so the rice and the sauce cook up simultaneously.
- Season the rice water. You do this just as you would pasta water, only you'll add a few spices here along with the salt, including cardamom, cloves, shah jeera and bay leaves.
- Undercook the rice. According to Indian lore, perfectly cooked grains of basmati rice should be like brothers: close, but not stuck together. This is especially important in a biryani, and to get such a result make sure that the rice is no more than 80 percent done when it is layered over the sauce. Remember, overcooked rice = sticky rice. And sticky rice is simply not okay in a biryani.
- Season the layer of cooked rice. This adds tons of flavor and more aroma to the biryani. Sprinkle a bit of biryani masala on top of the rice after layering it over the sauce, and a bit of mint. Also add a handful of fried onions and saffron soaked in milk. You can sprinkle kewra water over the rice for an even more tantalizing aroma but I find it difficult to source edible kewra water here in the United States.
- Know what not to use. A true veg biryani doesn't contain usual Indian staples like tomatoes and turmeric. While some Indian cooks will use turmeric to marinate non-veg ingredients like chicken for chicken biryani, you don't need to do that here. Saffron will add the perfect color.
- Soy-free: Skip the tofu and use a soy-free yogurt.
- Nut-free: Skip the cashews and use pumpkin seeds instead, or skip them altogether. Use a nut-free yogurt.
- Low-carb. Skip the potatoes, carrots and squash and use cauliflower, mushrooms, bell peppers, and summer squash like zucchini or yellow squash. Also replace the rice with cauliflower rice. You don't need to cook the cauliflower rice first.
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days.
- Freeze: Freeze the biryani in an airtight container or freezer-safe container for up to three months.
- Reheat: Thaw and reheat in the microwave or in a covered, oven-safe pot or bowl in an oven set to 350 degrees.
Harrison Bergeron
Delicious. Came out wonderful
Lola
Made this for dinner last night. It was perfect, like something from a restaurant only better because I made it! Awesome recipe and thanks for posting with such clear instructions. I will be adding this to my rotation.
Vaishali
So thrilled you made it, Lola!
Mark
I wasn't sure whether to use or throw away the rice water. I used a little to cook the vegetables.
Vaishali
Hi Mark, it's in step 5-- strain the rice and discard all the water. Rice water is starchy and you don't want to add it to veggies because it will add more starch and stickiness to the recipe. Biryani rice needs to remain separate.
Maria
My favorite biryani recipe ever! Can't say enough about it.
Vaishali
Awesome, so happy you love it Maria! 💕
Ida
I believe that I’ve left a comment on the phenomenal dish in the past and I decided to leave yet another one because I’d forgotten just how spot-on the flavors are. I used vegetables I had on hand (eggplant, fresh peas, and sweet potato). I love this dish so much and every time I think of comfort Indian food, this dish comes to mind. So incredibly yummy!
Vaishali
Hi Ida, I really love that you find this to be your Indian comfort food! It is mine too. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment--I really appreciate it. ❤️
Marianne
Biryani is one of my favourites and I really want to try this but I have a bunch of questions. I have ground cumin, cardamon, coriander, cinnamon and garam masala. Can I use these or should I order the seeds, pods, leaves and stick?
The other spices I have. Would subing be okay and if yes how much? Than you so much!
Vaishali
Hi Marianne, you can make do with the powdered spices. Use a teaspoon of cumin, half a teaspoon of cardamom, 2 tsp of ground coriander and a fourth of a teaspoon of cinnamon. If subbing the biryani masala with garam masala, just use the same quantity.
Mary Ann Fusco
Have you done this cooking the tofu first? Say in the air fryer?
Vaishali
You can air fry the tofu first for a chewier texture.
Mary Ann
Thank you!
Another question I had is that you mention both caraway seeds and black cumin seeds in the dish, which is the one to use? Just making my shopping list!
Vaishali
Hi, black cumin is sold at Indian stores and online as caraway (although some dispute they are the same, but that's another story :)). You should find it online or at grocery stores under the Indian name of "Shahi jeera". If you can't find it, use regular cumin.
Mary Ann
Great this helps! Thanks!
Suzanne
Hi Vaishali; I'm making the vegetable biryani now but the recipe does not say when to add the ginger/garlic paste. I am going to assume it is when you add the yogurt. Thank you and can't wait to try it!
Susan
This recipe is the BOMB! I mixed some brown basmati with the white however, and it wasn't quite done. I had to use mortar & Pestle to grind cardamon and the cumin seeds so worth it. I didn't want to deal with TOfu and so I added leftover lentils....very yummy!! Thank you so much for this very authentically flavored Biryani! Waiting on spouse to come home with the french fried onions to top it off...and If he doesn't find yogurt, we may add some coconut milk and lemon as you advised. But i already sampled and this tastes great!
Vaishali
Hi Susan, so happy you tried it--and loved it. The ginger garlic paste is in step 4.
Anonymous
Hi Vaishali,
Can I substitute the yogurt with fresh coconut milk?
Thank you.
Kal
Vaishali
Yes, add some lemon for tang.
Britne Andrews
Is there a way to do this in the instant pot? 🙂
Anonymous
I would like a microwave free version of this 🙂
Vaishali
You can cook the rice on the stovetop. Take 3 cups of water, add the spices to it, and the rice and salt. Bring to a boil, cover and cook eight minutes. The rice will be about 3/4ths of the way there. If any water remains strain it out and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Mar
Can I replace fried onions with sautéed onions? I
Vaishali
Hi Mar, you could, but you'd lose the amazing flavor that fried onions add to this.
Nick Parkes
So quick and spicy.
Vaishali
So happy you liked it!
Pauline Ridel
Hi Vaishali. Would you mind sharing your recipe for home-made biryani spice mix?
Thanks for all the lovely recipes!
Pauline
Vaishali
Hi Pauline, just posted this today. Here you go. 🙂 https://holycowvegan.net/homemade-biryani-masala-spice-mix/
Pauline Ridel
Many thanks, Vaishli. I'm making this tonight!
Ida Moser
Phenomena (much like any other dish of yours I’ve prepared in the past). Easy to put together and flavors so incredible. I was not familiar with black cardamom pods but after a trip to the local Indian grocery store, I realize that they’re much different than the green. I am blown away with this pot of goodness! Thank you, Vaishali, for creating!
Vaishali
Hi Ida, so happy to hear you loved the biryani. Thanks for letting me know!
Shan
Im an avid follower of your blog, I must say all the ones that ive tried turn out perfectly. Thank you so much! This recipe certainly looks simple and easy to follow. The recipe says "Place 2 bowls of water in a microwave safe bowl" whats the amount of water? Is that 2 cups of water?
Vaishali
Hi Shan, sorry about that -- it is 2 cups indeed. Corrected!
Camille
This looks delicious, but how much water is "two bowls of water," and would the quantity of water be the same on the stove top? Thanks.
Vaishali
Hi Camille, it's two cups! Corrected now, and yes, same for stovetop.
Hemi
You are a life saver!!! Just signed up for making 2 big trays of veg biryani for a homeless shelter dinner for this weekend and was going to look for a quick recipe . Now I have it and just in time!!
Thanks a lot!!
Vaishali
Hemi, how lovely of you to volunteer your time to such a good cause. Hope you try -- and like -- the biryani!
Hemi
Vaishali,
I made the 2 full trays using your recipe and it was delicious!!!!
In fact, it got over sooner than the chicken biryani at the shelter. Thank you sooo much!!!
Vaishali
So happy you liked it, Hemi! Thanks for the feedback.
Jennifer Bliss
Well this looks great! And that rice is done to perfection! The 30 minute mark sure catches my eye, too!
Vaishali
Thanks, Jennifer! 🙂