With over 100 5-star reviews, this Vegetable Biryani recipe is one of our reader favorites! It requires only 15 minutes of hands-on time before it gently simmers on the stovetop. Vegan and gluten-free.

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
I learned how to perfect this biryani recipe while visiting Northern India! Fragrant and exotic, this vegetarian version is quick and easy and has simple ingredients: basmati rice, healthy vegetables, and chickpeas.
The secret to the best biryani? It’s all in the spices! This Biryani recipe is infused with aromatic Indian spices, which is the secret to its amazing flavor! It tastes warm, exotic, and earthy with a hint of sweetness. Spoon our Cilantro Mint Chutney overtop- a feast for the senses!

Ingredients In Vegetable Biryani
- Basmati Rice– or most long-grain rice, will be light and fluffy. You can use brown basmati; see the recipe notes.
- Onion getting these lightly caramelized will give the best flavor.
- Ginger and Garlic – for savory depth.
- Olive oil or ghee– for richness.
- Veggies- bell pepper and carrot. Feel free to add others- zucchini, eggplant, etc.
- Chickpeas– for a little protein! Or sub-green peas or edamame.
- Spices– garam masala, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, chilli powder, turmeric, bay leaves.
- Vegetable Broth– make sure it is flavorful or make your own broth!
- Optional Garnishes: raisins, cashews, cilantro leaves, and Cilantro mint chutney.
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Vegetable Biryani (instructions)

Step one: Biryani starts with softening the onions in olive oil, creating the base of the flavorful dish. Then add the garlic, ginger, and veggies, and cook until tender-crisp.
Step two: Add all the spices and toast them for a couple of minutes, then set one cup of the veggies aside. Add the rice, saute with the veggies for one minute, add veggie stock and salt. Top with drained chickpeas, raisins, and the cup of veggies you set aside.

Step 3: Cover tightly, placing a thin kitchen towel between the rice and the lid, folding the edges over the lid. This helps create a good seal and allows the rice to cook more evenly. Reduce heat to medium-low, being sure to maintain a gentle simmer.

Step four: Simmer gently on medium-low for 15-20 minutes. Take a quick peek to ensure all the water is gone, and replace the cover. Turn the heat off, and let it stand for 5-10 minutes.
Serving suggestions
Fluff the biryani with a fork and place in a serving dish, top with the spiced veggies you set aside, and sprinkle with toasted cashews, raisins, and cilantro. Serve with a side of our cilantro mint chutney!
Storing Biryani
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stovetop, in a warm 350F oven, or in the microwave. Biryani can also be placed in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

What to serve with Vegetable Biryani
Biryani Faqs
A mixed rice dish. Originating among the Muslims of South Asia. It is a staple comfort food in many households.
Yes, it contains vegetables, spices that are great for digestion, and protein from the chickpeas!
Cilantro mint chutney and Raita as well as Bombay carrot salad.
More Indian recipes you may enjoy!
Hope you enjoy!
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
Vegetable Biryani | 60-sec video

Vegetable Biryani Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: vegan, vegetarian, main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Quick and Easy Vegetable Biryani! A fragrant Indian rice dish infused with Indian spices – vegan adaptable and gluten-free. A quick and easy weeknight meal. I highly recommend serving 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
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin (or sub 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds)
- 2 teaspoons coriander (or use 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds, cracked open)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala (or sub chili powder w/a pinch cayenne)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or one cinnamon stick)
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom (or 3 crushed cardamom pods)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 star anise pod (optional)
- 4 cups veggie stock (or chicken stock) (For fluffier rice use 3 1/2 cups.)
- 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 yogurt or our Cilantro Mint Chutney (vegan adaptable!)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, or braiser or Dutch oven, heat olive 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 sauté 4-5 minutes until tender-crisp.
- Add spices and bay leaf, and stir one minute, toasting the spices. Remove one cup of the mixture and set aside.
- Add the rice and saute it with the veggies for one minute. Add the with veggie broth and salt, stir.
- Top with drained chickpeas, raisins, and the cup of veggies you set aside. Bring to a boil over high heat, then gradually lower heat to medium-low, maintaining its simmer. When simmering, 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 medium-low, 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice has soaked up the liquid. Take a quick peek, if done, replace the lid, turn the heat off, and let stand for 5-10 minutes.
- While it is simmering, make the Cilantro Mint Chutney!
- Uncover the Biryani and fluff up with a fork. Top with the toasted cashews and cilantro.
- Serve with optional Chutney.
Notes
***Instant or “Quick Cooking” Basmati Rice does not taste good here.
Basmati Rice: The liquid rice ratio may vary -please refer to your rice package instructions. For example, my basmati rice says 1 cup rice to 2 cups water. If yours says 1 cup rice to 1.5 cups water, please adjust veggie stock accordingly.
Brown basmati rice: soak it in hot water while you prep your ingredients. Brown rice will require 10-15 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.
Variations: You are welcome to add other veggies to the biryani- here I’ve added thinly sliced sweet peppers. Zucchini, eggplant or even mushrooms (saute them first) would be nice. 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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ¼ cups
- Calories: 385
- Sugar: 10.2 g
- Sodium: 416.2 mg
- Fat: 6.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 73.6 g
- Fiber: 5.5 g
- Protein: 8.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Delicious! Thank you! X we added a touch of Creme fraiche ( because I only had HOT chilli powder!!) and it was delicious! Considering next time adding coconut creme to it🤔
Perfect Mel!
What, if anything, do I need to do to adapt for a vegan?
Hi Doris. If serving this with the cilantro mint chutney- just make it with vegan yogurt. 🙂
Lovely balanced meal. Great with chicken for the non-vegos.
Glad you enjoyed this Greg. 🙂
Packed with rich and balanced flavors. Will be making this one again! Really glad this recipe caught my eye. Thanks Sylvia!
So glad you enjoyed Carolyn!
Very flavourful. Stirred in some baby spinach at the end & served it with Mango Amchar. Thought it could use a tad more salt so will up the salt to 1-1 1/4 tsp total next time.
Perfect Lexie!
When making this recipe, you are going to think there are a lot of very strong spices in it. They work well together and this dish has a ton of flavor! Drizzle a little curried vegan mayonnaise on the top to change it to a comfort food.
Glad you enjoyed this John!
When you list chili powder, is it the standard chili powder you can find in the grocery store, or Indian chili powder?
I used standard in this recipe- but I bet Indian would be delicious-not sure how spicy it is though?
My husband and I loved this recipe. I did not tweak the recipe in any way. It was perfect!
Great to hear Nila!
A wonderful dish! Make sure you keep an eye on the rice. I added extra raisins and it was delicious!
Thanks Kim!
Absolutely LOVED IT!!!! We are currently fasting and this was perfect dish for my family. The chutney is a must!!! Ah-mazing.
thanks so much Liz!
Excellent flavor profile! We used brown bismati and it was delish.
Perfect Cathy!
This was delicious! After prepping almost all of the ingredients, I reached into the fridge for some carrots and realized we were out. I’d already prepped everything else so I ended up substituting a white sweet potato cut into sugar-cube sized dice.
It was wonderful!
Other than my unplanned substitution, I followed the recipe to the letter.
I’ll definitely be adding this to my regular rotation.
Don’t skip the chutney. It’s really brings everything together.
Nice way to improvise David! Glad you enjoyed it!
loved it
thanks Maud!
My first at-home biryani and it was terrific! Flavors were spot-on!
Oh good Dawn! Glad this worked for you!
Great recipe but only needs half of the liquids indicated. We just cooked it longer to reduce the liquidity.
Liked the ease and quickness the recipe took to make. Added some Indian hot peppers 🌶 for some zip and the whole thing turned out great.
Made for incredible leftovers 1-2 days later.
Thanks Ron, what type of rice did you happen to use?
Brown basmati rice rinsed
I’ve made this twice now, without the chutney (since we don’t often buy vegan yogurt), and it’s INCREDIBLE. My husband loves it, and I’m going to be making it for his family when they come for Thanksgiving.
Awesome Lili!
This is a really wonderful recipe – flavoursome, fresh and quick! Thank you for posting this. It’s a regular in our menu – even my non-vegan husband loves it!
Thanks Lee Anne- glad you are enjoying it!
Sorry this didn’t work for you. The cilantro mint chutney truly adds here- did you make that?
I love this! But curious in the video when adding the red pepper and carrots there is something green? Is it zucchini?
Yes, Tiffany it is zucchini- feel free to add, or add other veggies!
Hello Sylvia: What is the reason for soaking the rice first? My biryani attempts (from different recipes) have always failed by producing heavy, wet rice. Would soaking the rice first, and then still adding the broth/water per directions, not make it even more heavy? Thank you!!
So here I did this to speed up the cooking time actually -to make it more doable on weeknights. So feel free to skip it- or If you are worried about overcooked heavy rice, you could use 1/4 cup less broth, but when I last made this ( yes, it has been a while!) it turned out perfect.
Hi! I normally don’t comment on recipes, but I must say that I just finished my meal and it was amazing <3. I loved the mixture of tastes with acidic chutney. Like omggggg my new fave <3
I’m so glad you enjoyed this!
This was my first attempt at trying vegan. Next time I would cut the rice down to one cup. The Cilantro/Mint Chutney was outstanding and what really made this recipe.
Thanks so much for the feedback!
So flavourful! I didn’t make the cilantro-mint chutney, but added fresh cilantro before serving, along with toasted cashews. The raisins added a nice hit of sweet. Family loved it!
Great to hear Sue!
This needed a lot of help. I didn’t have ingredients for the chutney so topped with sambal oelek and tamarind chutney- then, it was very tasty, but without the sauces, it was bland. I did have less salt than the original recipe (unsalted chickpeas, 2 C of broth was unsalted) but it didn’t seem critically low-salt, and I felt it could have used so much more seasoning and spice.
It also makes a HUGE amount. If you don’t have a very big family, half the recipe!
I’ll be making the chutney tomorrow and am sure the dish will taste great. Very kid-friendly, because : bland. If you love Indian food, expect to help this out by adding chutneys & hot sauce!
Sorry, this didn’t work for you, Amy. I do think the salt would help as well as the chutney.
I really liked this biryani! I used brown basmati rice that I soaked for a few hours first, so it did not need much more cooking time compared to white rice. The spice level was perfect for me, as was the amount of vegetables. Will probably use fewer raisins less time to make it a little less sweet. Served with mango chutney. Yum!
Perfect! thanks Rikke!