Name: Restaurant Style Vegetable Biryani (Veg Biryani)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 cup basmati rice ( 200 grams , soaked in 3 cups (24 oz) water for 30 minutes); 6 whole green cardamom (divided); 4 cloves (divided); 1 teaspoon salt (divided); 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons ghee (divided ); 2 medium red onion (thinly sliced, divided); 2 tablespoons broken cashews; 1 small potato (cubed); ½ cup cauliflower florets (medium sized florets); 1 medium carrot (cut diagonally); 5-6 green beans (cut diagonally); 2 tablespoons milk (I used whole milk); saffron strands (generous pinch); 1 inch ginger (crushed); 4-5 large garlic cloves (crushed); 2 green chilies (crushed); 1 & ½ tablespoons oil (I used avocado oil); ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (I used shahi jeera); 1 inch cinnamon stick; 1 bay leaf; 3 whole black peppercorns; ⅓ cup plain yogurt; 1 & ½ teaspoon biryani masala (or use 1 teaspoon garam masala); ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder (or use regular chili powder for heat); ¼ cup water; 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro; 2 tablespoons chopped mint; 1 & ½ teaspoon rose water or kewra water

There’s nothing quite like a good plate of aromatic biryani. This Vegetable Biryani hits all the right spots with its wonderful aroma and exotic flavors! Loaded with veggies, crunchy cashews, warm spices like saffron, herbs like cilantro and mint, this biryani is a delight to the taste buds in every bite! For this restaurant-style veg biryani, the rice, vegetables, and herbs are layered in a large heavy bottomed pan and then slowly cooked (what we call “dum”) over low heat to infuse all the flavors together.

I love to eat mine with mirchi ka salan or cucumber raita.

bowl of vegetable biryani garnished with lemon wedge and some spoons placed in the background along with a plate of sliced onions

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My Go To Biryani Recipe That I Swear By!

A lot of people would argue that there’s no such thing as veg biryani. I would respectfully disagree! Let’s not confuse biryani with pulao. When I think of pulao, I think of it as a one-pot dish where I toss with rice with spices, vegetables and cook until done – mostly using a pressure cooker.

Whereas when I make biryani, it’s a multi-step process, involving multiple pots and pans and then bringing all the ingredients together into a big pot for the final process of dum. This is not a recipe that I make on a busy weekday (for those days, I end up making my one-pot instant pot biryani) rather I reserve it for special occasions, it takes time to put everything together but it’s totally worth the extra effort.

The vegetables and rice are layered, and the biryani is then cooked on low heat with some heavy object placed on top of the pot of biryani. This process is called “dum” and hence it’s also known as Vegetable Dum Biryani.

To make sure your vegetable biryani stands out, I swear by these tips:

Choose the right rice: long-grain aged basmati rice is what gives the best results when it comes to biryani. I use Sella Basmati Rice, extra-long grain and it works great for this recipe.

Pan-frying the veggies before cooking them: I like to pan fry them a little before cooking them completely and tossing them with biryani masala. This extra step gives the veggies a nice texture and makes sure that vegetables don’t get over-cooked or mushy.

Using fresh ingredients: freshly minced ginger-garlic paste, fresh cilantro and mint, they all make a difference to the final aroma and taste of the biryani.

Not cutting down on fat: the flavor of the biryani enhances when you use a good amount of fat in this recipe. So, don’t cut down on steps like frying the onions in ghee.

And when you scoop out the biryani, make sure to scoop it from the bottom so that you get all the layers in your plate. Then sit back, and enjoy your biryani!

Use a Steel Pot to Cook This Biryani!

I like to make this biryani in a 6 qt stockpot, even if you triple this recipe, it will still easily fit into this big of a pan. You probably don’t need a 6qt to make this recipe, but whatever pot you choose make sure it’s a deep one. Biryani involves layering of rice, vegetables and other ingredients and so it’s important to use a deep pan.

It’s also important to use a thick bottom pan, because we slow cook it on low heat towards the end by placing it over another flat pan. If you use a light bottom pan, the biryani might get burnt from the bottom during the process of “dum”. I would recommend using a steel thick and deep bottom pot to make biryani.

Let’s Make Vegetable Biryani

Cook the rice only about 70-75%

Boil the rice with whole spices in a large pot of water, the key thing here is to not cook the rice completely. Cook them until they are around 70-80% cooked, there should be a bite to the rice grain at this point of time.

Caramelized onions and fried cashew add crunch & extra flavor

Fried onions are essential in a biryani. I like adding cashews for the crunch, you can also use raisins, or almonds.

frying sliced onion in pan with a spatula

Make it colorful with veggies

Pan fry the potatoes, cauliflower, beans and carrots first. You can also use mushrooms or even add tofu or paneer for extra protein.

Crush the saffron between your palms before adding it to milk, this helps in developing that beautiful color & aroma

Use fresh ginger-garlic paste for best results

Whenever I crush fresh ginger, garlic using mortar and pestle, the dish instantly tastes 5 times better, the aroma is unmatchable.

sliced onions with ginger and garlic in a pot

Yogurt and biryani masala are the flavor enhancers

Yogurt does not only bring the veggies together but also gives them flavor. The last step in cooking vegetables involves adding biryani masala, you can use your favorite brand.

adding biryani masala to a pot using a spoon

Let’s layer the biryani!

I always like to spread a layer of ghee at the bottom first and then add a layer of rice. Remember to use a thick bottom pan for this recipe.

Build layers for maximum flavor

After the rice comes the layer of fried cashews, onion, fresh herbs and followed by a layer of aromatic vegetables.

cashews, mint, cilantro layered on top of rice

cooked vegetables layered on top of rice in a biryani pot

Dum the biryani

Once all the layers are organized, pour the saffron milk, ghee and seal the pot. Some people use atta dough for this, but I just cover it with aluminum foil and then place a tight lid on top. Remember to place the pot over a pan and then dum on low heat.

placing steel pot on top of a flat pan to cook the biryani

Can you make this biryani vegan?

It’s actually very easy to do so! Only make these three changes, the rest of the recipe remains the same.

skip the ghee
replace plain yogurt with non-dairy yogurt (like almond milk yogurt) or with coconut milk
use non-dairy milk to make saffron milk

Storage & Re-heating

Store any leftover biryani in an airtight container. To reheat, transfer the biryani to an oven safe bowl and reheat at 350 F degrees F for around 20 minutes. You can also reheat in the microwave until heated through.

Make Ahead Option

If you wish to make this biryani for a party, here are few steps that you can do in advance which will save you time on the day when you wish to serve it:

Cook the vegetables and keep them ready.
Fry the cashews and onions and get them ready.
Cook your rice on the day you want to serve the biryani, then layer and dum the biryani. Keep it warm in the oven at 250 F degrees until it’s time to serve.

bowl of vegetable biryani with a spoon and a bowl of yogurt placed on the side

Categorized as: Diwali, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Indian Main Course Vegetarian Recipes, Rice

Hi, I’m Manali!

Bringing you easy, delicious vegetarian & vegan recipes! Eating veggies can be fun, you just need to get creative in the kitchen with the right set of ingredients!

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North Indian

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