Quick and easy vegetarian recipe for Biryani! A fragrant Indian rice and chickpea dish infused with Indian spices – vegan adaptable and gluten-free. A quick and easy weeknight meal.
The dark does not destroy the light; it defines it. It’s our fear of the dark that casts our joy into the shadows.~ Brene Brown
This recipe for Biryani requires only 15 minutes of hands-on-time before it gently simmers on the stovetop, relatively hands-free. Biryani, if unfamiliar, is an Indian staple, made with rice that varies greatly from region to region, often made with chicken. Here is another authentic recipe for Chicken Biryani, if you’d like to go that route.
This version is totally meatless, made with veggies and chickpeas- and can be made very quickly using white basmati rice. As it simmers, fragrant Indian spices infuse the house with goodness. Serve this with flavorful Cilantro Mint Chutney which is vegan adaptable!
How to Make Vegetarian Biryani! | 30-second video!
Biryani starts with browning the onions, creating the base of the flavorful dish.
The best way cook biryani is to cover the simmering rice with a thin kitchen towel, folding the edges up over the lid. This helps create a good seal and allowing the rice to cook more evenly.
When it’s done, the rice with be perfectly cooked and fluffy.
Sprinkle with toasted cashews, raisins and cilantro.
Serve with a side of cilantro mint chutney!
Vegetarian Biryani- so simple yet full of great flavor!
If you are looking for a more traditional Indian style biryani recipe, like I mentioned before, make sure to try this Chicken Biryani recipe -it’s really delicious! It’s perfect for a Sunday when you have time to be in the kitchen for a couple of hours.
What to serve with Biryani?
- Naan Bread
- Palak Paneer
- Bombay Carrot Salad
- Raita!
- Mint Chutney
- Aloo Gobi
- Authentic Chai!
- Chai Cookies!
Hope you enjoy!
RELATED: 20 Vegetarian Recipes ( for fall)!
Print
Quick and Easy Vegetarian Biryani Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: vegan, vegetarian, main
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Quick and Easy Vegetarian Biryani! A fragrant Indian rice dish infused with Indian spices – vegan adaptable and gluten-free. A quick and easy weeknight meal. | Serve it with Cilantro Mint Chutney.
Ingredients
- 2 cups white basmati rice (see notes for brown basmati)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or sub ghee or coconut oil)
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup diced carrot ( or use match sticks)
- 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated or use ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon cumin ( or whole seeds)
- 1 tablespoon coriander (or whole seeds, cracked open)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or one cinnamon stick)
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom (or 3 crushed cardamom pods)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 star anise pod (optional)
- 4 cups veggie stock ( or chicken stock)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
- 1/2 cup raisins
- Garnish: 1/4 cup cashews and chopped parsley or cilantro
Serve with Cilantro Mint Chutney (vegan adaptable!)
Instructions
Soak rice in a bowl of hot water while you prep ingredients.
In a large skillet, or shallow Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring often, until tender and golden, 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium, add the veggies, garlic and ginger, and saute 4-5 minutes. Remove one cup of the mixture and set aside.
Add spices and bay leaf, and stir one minute, toasting the spices. Drain the rice and add it along with veggie stock and salt.
Top with chickpeas, raisins and the cup of veggies you set aside. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then lower heat to low. Cover the pot with a thin dish towel, then place the lid over the top of the towel, and bring the four corners of the towel up and over the lid. This will tighten the seal and keep the steam in, allowing the rice to cook more quickly and evenly.
Simmer on low 20-30 minutes or until the rice has soaked up the liquid. See notes.
While it is simmering make the Cilantro Mint Chutney
Uncover the Vegetarian Biryani and fluff up with a fork. Top with the toasted cashew and cilantro. Serve with optional Chutney.
Notes
***Instant or “Quick Cooking” Basmati Rice does not taste good here.
Brown basmati rice may require 10 more minutes of cooking time and more liquid. Check package directions for cooking time and liquid requirements- adding more liquid if need be-each rice is different. Alternatively, you could par-cook the brown rice, in a pot of boiling water so it is “half cooked” – like you would pasta. For example, cook the 2 cups rice in 8 cups boiling water, uncovered for 15 mins or somewhat tender, drain and add to the biryani pan when the recipe calls for it.
You are welcome to add other veggies to the biryani- here I’ve added thinly sliced sweet peppers. If you want to add chicken to this, make sure to season it well and brown it first before adding to the rice mixture to simmer.
Keywords: vegetable biryani, biryani recipe, vegetarian biryani, vegetarian biryani recipe,
Yum!
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Delicious! Very fresh and healthy, loved it.
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This recipe was incredible. I made it just as you said and it was amazing. I was hesitant as I thought the variety & amount of spices would be overwhelming but they were not. I will definitely add this to my favorites.
One thing I have to know though, is what is the purpose of removing the 1 cup of the mixture and then adding it back. To make it visually pleasing when you remove the tea towel? LOL.
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Yes, so some of the onion mixture is on the top. 🙂
Thanks. Mystery solved!
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First recipe I’ve made from your site and I loved it. I even ate some of it cold!
Didn’t have the ingredients to make the chutney but it was still delicious.
Thanks so much!
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Glad you liked this Melanie!
Can this be made without the raisins? If so, is it ok by itself or does it need the raisins or other dried fruit to complement the flavors? All I have is dried cranberries and was wondering if those would work..
Yes Kelly, you can leave the raisins out -or try the cranberries. The raisins add a subtle sweetness…cranberries may be too tart?
This recipe worked really well. My partner dislikes spicy food so I reduced the chili to 1/4 teaspoon and that was tolerable. Also used 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger as fresh ginger is very expensive here. Also used peanuts in place of cashews for cost savings. One note is that our zucchini came out really soft – it probably didn’t need any pre cooking. Next time I will use carrots I instead. I also recommend cauliflower – it goes very well with Indian spices.
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Delicious, I served with a side of home mad daal makhani, it was heavenly.
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The one recipe that the entire family all agree on, delicious!!!!
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Sorry, do not usually give really negative reviews. I made this tonight and found that it had very little taste whatsoever. Followed the recipe exactly, except I didn’t have coriander. Dont really think that would have made that much of a difference. I added more spices, cinnamon, cumin, salt, but to no avail. Sorry. Usually like your recipes.
Sorry it wasn’t for you Isabel.
We made this recipe expecting to use this as a main course. I feel this makes a better side dish then a main course. We left out the added salt and I feel that it would have been tastier with the extra salt. We also substituted quinoa for rice which I think made this dish a little drier. All in all, I enjoyed the flavors of this dish.
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Thank you! I’m going to try it soom 🙂 Will the cooking time be different if I use dried cheakpeas? What quantity?
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Hi Gili, it would be very different. I would recommend cooking the chickpeas ahead, separately. It would make things a lot easier for you.
Hi from Sydney, Australia. I now have a vegan 14 year old, a lacto-vegetarian 18 year old, a carnivore lactose intolerant husband and I am pescatarian and avoid gluten. EVERYONE loved this recipe — the first I have cooked from your blog (but not the last!) Thanks for giving me a recipe that made everyone happy and took 30 mins to cook. Genius.
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Great to hear and glad this recipe worked so well for you!
yummy! five star plus
Oh my gosh I’m in heaven! My body and soul were craving vegetarian but my hubby is a Paleo carnivore type, so if I fix vegetarian it better be good. This was AMAZING!!!!!!! So bursting with flavor, texture, and aroma. YUM!!!!!! I related to Sylvia since I’m a Pacific Northwest girl too (originally). I’ve subscribed and can hardly wait for more wonderful and healthy recipes. Thank you!!! xx
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Glad to hear it Robin- happy you are here!
I made this for our family. I followed the recipient exactly. It came out delicious! Everyone loved it!
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Great to hear!
followed the recipe and it worked perfectly.
offers great flexibility as “2 cups of veg” means you can use whatever is in the fridge.
use more or less chilli to cary the heat.
fed it to non vegans and they loved it.
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Although all your vegan recipes get a 10/10, this is my favorite!! I make it with whatever veggies I have in the fridge but love it with red pepper, carrots and sweet potato. Love it with my homemade ginger mango chutney (mangoes from my tree)
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Hello Sylvia..I just made this dish and it is delicious..it was really easy to make and it tasted fantastic.
Thank you so much!
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Hi Sylvia, I loved this recipe. I included it in my roundup of 10 Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes.
https://www.happierwithtea.com/easy-vegan-dinner-recipes/
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
Freya
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Thanks Freya! Appreciate this1
Absolutely delicious!
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I made this for our dinner tonight, fabulous flavours, loved it… thanks Sylvia another great dish ❤️
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thanks Pam, glad you liked it!
Fabulous flavors and the aroma in the house, gees we were hungry all day. We paired this with grilled lamb tips. My husband made a marinade using your spices and let it mingle in the fridge about 1 ½. Thanks to all those wonderful spices it came out SO GOOD and topped with your Cilantro/Mint Chutney – just WoW! Thanks, you for sharing your recipes with this food lover. Sissy
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Yay Sissy! Glad this worked for you!
I really liked this dish. It’s elegant, exotic and delicious. Do you know how much water and cooking time I would need to increase if using whole grain basmati rice? Thanks.
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Thanks so much Oran! I would read the brown rice package instructions and adapt from there.
Awesome meal. Added crushed pappadums over the top and have tried with both the cilantro chutney and your Zhoug, can’t decide which works better. Your blog is amazing.
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Thanks Ryan!
Hi, where I’m from, we don’t really measure in yields. Does 6 yields mean 6 plates or servings?
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6 smallish servings 🙂
My family, including my 7-year old, really enjoyed this recipe! I don’t have much experience cooking Indian food, but this recipe was easy to follow. I love how healthy it is too. Thank you!
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Thanks Melissa!
My husband and I made this last night. WOW the flavor is so amazing. Thank you so much for this
Thanks Jennifer, glad you liked it!
Are we supposed to cook the rice before adding it to the Biryani? It was a bit unclear with the basmati rice having a link to a recipe for how to cook it
Sorry, Jon, I understand the confusion and fixed the link! No, don’t cook it first! 🙂
This was great! We ate it in lettuce wraps. Toddler approved!
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Great to hear!!!
So delicious! This was a hit at my house. Thank you!
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