Cauliflower Biryani

5 from 3 votes

This delicious and vibrant Cauliflower Biryani is so easy and it makes a grand Indian dinner. 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. It's also gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and vegan, of course.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course/Rice

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 316kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

microwave safe bowl or large pot for cooking rice
Large pot or dutch oven with tight lid

Ingredients

1 cup 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

US Customary - Metric

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