Packed with a combination of Indian spices, this colourful vegan biryani rice recipe is deliciously flavoursome and simple to make.
By Dhanistha of The Vegetarian Blog.
Biryani is a festive colorful rice dish from India, that is cooked with many spices and herbs. My Biryani version has lots of vegetables and leftover rice, stir fried in ghee or coconut oil. You can also cook the rice and just let it chill. This dish is a great companion with any Indian curries, dal, and yogurt raitas. With so many layers of flavors and textures, this veggielicious dish is perfect for any special occasion.
This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, meat-free – suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.
Ingredients:
Serves 4
- 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 3 cardamom
- 1 cup long grain rice, preferably basmati
- 2 cups of water
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup green beans
- ½ corn kernels
- ¼ cup green peas
- 1 carrot, cubed
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 1 cup cauliflower, small florets
- ¼ cup almonds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 star anise
- ¾ tsp caraway seeds
- ½ cup of cilantro (coriander) and mint leaves, chopped
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- ¼ tsp javitri
- ¼ tsp paprika
- fresh black pepper
Method:
- Wash rice and set aside to dry. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in your rice pot and add cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick. Fry spices for 30 seconds and add green beans, corn, green peas and carrots. Stir fry the vegetables for 30 seconds and add rice and turmeric. Add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, then turn flame to low and cover to cook for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a large frying pan, add almonds to roast at a medium heat until they turn golden brown. Remove almonds from pan and set aside to use as a garnish (or you can also mix it with the rice in the end). In the same pan add cauliflower and roast for 10 minutes or until tender, you can add a bit of oil so it doesn’t stick and burn. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Check to see if your rice is done, if so, empty on a large plate and fluff it with a fork to cool off. Let cool for 5 minutes (the longer, the easier it is to stir fry without it sticking and breaking apart).
- Add remaining oil in the same pan at a medium heat and add bay leaf, star anise, caraway seeds, cilantro, mint, and ginger. Stir for 30 seconds and add rice. Raise the heat to high and mix in the spices, add cauliflower, and javitri, paprika, and black pepper. Mix well and remove from heat.
- Add salt if needed, garnish with almonds and serve to enjoy immediately.
California based web designer and blogger Dhanistha runs The Vegetarian Blog, where she shares vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free recipes from different cultures. She is a huge fan of cooking with fresh ingredients and wholly encourages growing your own vegetables. Keep up with Dhanistha on Facebook and Instagram.
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