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Closeup of veg biryani in the pot after a few spoonfuls have been served
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Restaurant Style Veg Biryani

Insanely delicious veg biryani is a great alternative for vegetarians. This recipe is so good that even meat lovers will be impressed! It's the perfect family style meal. My tips and tricks will make sure you have the perfect vegetarian biryani every single time.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4 -6 people
Calories 646kcal
Author Richa

Ingredients

Rice

  • 400 Grams Long Grained Basmati Rice 2 Cups
  • 6 Cups Water
  • ½ Tablespoon Salt
  • ½ Tablespoon Oil

Saffron Milk

  • 2 Tablespoons Milk hot
  • 10-12 Strands Saffron crushed

Biryani Masala

  • ¼ Cup Vegetable Oil
  • ½ inch Cinnamon
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 3 Green Cardamoms
  • 3 Cloves
  • 1 Onion Thinly Sliced, approx ¾ Cup
  • 2-3 Green Chillies slit lengthwise
  • 1 ½ Tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
  • 2 Tomatoes chopped, approx ¾ Cup
  • 300 Grams Mixed Vegetables I used Cauliflower, Peas, Carrots, Potatoes, French Beans
  • ½ Cup freshly Chopped Coriander
  • ½ Cup freshly Chopped Mint Leaves
  • 2 Teaspoons Coriander Powder
  • 2 Teaspoons Chilli Powder
  • ¾ Teaspoon Garam Masala
  • ¾ Cup Curd or Greek Yoghurt
  • 1 ½ Teaspoon Salt

Assembly

  • 2 Teaspoons Ghee

Instructions

Rice

  • Wash and rinse the rice to get rid of excess starch. Soak the rice for 30 minutes.
  • Bring water to a roaring boil in a large stockpot. Add the soaked basmati rice, salt and oil. Mix to combine.
  • Cook for 7-8 minutes or until the rice is 85% cooked on medium flame. Drain the water once done and keep the rice aside.

Saffron Milk

  • Soak saffron strands in hot milk for 10-15 minutes.

Biryani Masala

  • In a big heavy bottomed pan or kadai, heat oil on a medium flame. Once hot, add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf. Fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  • Add the sliced onions and fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Add green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute for another minute.
  • Add the vegetables, coriander and mint leaves and roast for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, coriander powder, chili powder and salt and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are fully cooked. You should see the oil separating around the edges. You may add a little water if you feel the masala is sticking to the bottom.
  • Reduce the flame and add yogurt and garam masala to the cooked veggies and keep stir frying for 2-3 minutes till the yogurt completely disappears.

Assembly

  • Add the par cooked rice on top of the cooked vegetable masala and tuck it at a few places into the masala underneath. Spread out the remaining rice to cover the pot completely.
  • Drizzle the saffron milk and ghee over the rice.
  • Cover the pot with a lid and leave the Biryani to cook on dum for about 15-20 mins. or until the rice is done.
  • Drizzle with fried onions and serve hot

Video

Notes

  1. While buying basmati rice, make sure you buy rice that’s labelled basmati and not just long grain rice. Basmati Rice is fragrant and has slightly thinner grains than long grain rice. Real basmati rice is what gives biryani its distinct flavor and taste.
  2. Using a heavy-bottomed pan distributes heat evenly (vis-a-vis the thin bottomed cooking pans). Therefore, it cooks evenly and prevents the biryani from sticking to the bottom.
  3. Make sure the spices are toasted but don’t burn, because that’ll leave a bitter taste
  4. Don’t underestimate the power of the common mint and coriander leaf, they’re the magicians in this recipe for that restaurant-style taste and key to this recipe
  5. Make sure to cut the veggies to the same size. This ensures they will cook evenly
  6. Soak the rice half an hour before cooking. The grains soak up water and this helps speed up the cooking process
  7. Make sure not to stir the basmati while it boils. Stirring might break up the grains
  8. The final touches of saffron milk and LOADS of ghee amp up the flavours of this veg biryani! Don’t skimp on the oil and ghee - Fat is essential in making sure the biryani is cooked well and tastes great
  9. In the last step of layering and cooking the biryani, all the ingredients are par cooked. Cooking the biryani on a low flame for 15 minutes, steams and cooks everything to doneness. If you don’t have a heavy-bottomed pot, and are using a regular pot, you can place it on a tava (or flat griddle) and then place it on the stove on a medium flame to avoid burning the veggies at the bottom. The tava or griddle creates a degree of separation between the flame and the pot and provides the perfect heat source.
  10. Substitute ghee and milk with vegan replacements like vegetable oil or almond milk. 

Nutrition

Calories: 646kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 910mg | Potassium: 523mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3668IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 2mg