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Vegan biryani in a bowl.
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5 from 6 votes

Vegan Biryani

This vegan biryani is flavorful and fragrant and made in one pot with vegetables, rice and Indian spices. Easy to make and utterly delicious!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian-Inspired
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 4
Calories: 644kcal
Author: Alison Andrews

Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil Divided
  • 1 Medium Onion White, Yellow or Brown, Chopped
  • 1 Green Chili Sliced and Deseeded
  • 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger Minced
  • 4 Cloves Garlic Crushed
  • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons Garam Masala
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick
  • 3 Cloves
  • 3 Green Cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
  • 1 Star Anise
  • ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 Medium Tomato Chopped
  • 1 Large Potato Peeled and Diced
  • 1 Large Carrot Sliced
  • 1 cup Cauliflower Florets (80g)
  • ⅓ cup Raisins (48g) Optional
  • 1 cup Vegetable Stock (240ml) or Broth
  • ¾ cup Coconut Milk (180ml) Canned, Full Fat, Unsweetened
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 cup Basmati Rice (200g) Uncooked
  • 1 cup Frozen Green Peas (134g)
  • ¾ cup Roasted Salted Cashews (100g) Roughly chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Mint Leaves Chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro Chopped

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot or deep skillet on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and chopped onions and cook until the onions are soft and golden.
  • Add sliced chili, minced ginger, crushed garlic, turmeric, garam masala, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds, star anise, red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté until the spices are fragrant.
  • Add tomato, potato, carrot, cauliflower and raisins and cook for 2 minutes to mix with the spices.
  • Add vegetable stock, coconut milk, salt and pepper and stir to mix in.
  • Add rice and gently stir it in.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and let it simmer (covered) until the rice is cooked. About 15 minutes.
  • When the rice is cooked, switch off the heat, add frozen peas, chopped cashews, mint and cilantro and then cover the pot and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then remove the lid and mix everything together.
  • Serve it topped with fresh mint leaves, fresh chopped cilantro and charred lemon slices.

Notes

  1. Spices - some of the spices are in their whole form, like the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds and star anise. This helps to really make this biryani extremely aromatic and fragrant. It also gives it a much more authentic taste. I highly recommend using all the spices in the recipe and using them in their whole forms where specified.
  2. Potato - can be any variety of white potato. Yukon gold or Russet potatoes would both work great.
  3. Charred lemon slices - if you want to serve it with charred lemon slices then heat up a non stick pan and char the slices of lemon until charred on each side. This is entirely optional but does look great served with biryani.
  4. Storing: Keep leftovers stored in a covered container in the fridge for 4-5 days. It can be reheated in the microwave.
  5. Freezing: It's also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 644kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Sodium: 769mg | Potassium: 1072mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4542IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 5mg