Cauliflower Biryani

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Cauliflower biryani is an one-pot recipe of a dum cooked South Indian style biryani made with cauliflower, herbs, spices and desiccated coconut. A vegan recipe that tastes too good.

cauliflower biryani garnished with coriander leaves and served in a white bowl with a bowl of raita kept in the top left side and text layovers.

About This Recipe

It is been a long time I shared any cauliflower recipe. So here goes this delicious cauliflower biryani with South Indian flavors.

This biryani has a lot of spices but they blend beautifully and give a really good flavor and taste. This cauliflower biryani is dum cooked but not layered and everything is cooked in one pot.

While preparing South Indian versions of biryani, I always use seeraga samba rice – which is a fragrant variety of short grained rice cultivated in South India. It is also known as kaima rice.

If you do not have seeraga samba rice, then you can use aromatic Indian varieties of rice like basmati rice or amber mohur rice (mango blossom rice) to make this biryani recipe.

You can also use sella basmati rice (parboiled basmati rice) to make this biryani. Even short-grained or medium-grained non-sticky varieties of rice work well in this recipe.

I have blanched the cauliflower before adding in the biryani. This step is optional. I also add vinegar in the water while blanching.

Adding vinegar gets rid of the typical cauliflower aroma that comes in the dish. Some folks do not prefer it. You can skip adding vinegar if you want.

To make cauliflower biryani more nutritious and flavorful you can add veggies like potatoes, carrots, capsicum and green peas. Add them when you add the cauliflower.

Serve cauliflower biryani with any raita or salad of your choice. I usually also serve papad and a pickle with the biryani. It will also well with plain yogurt. It can be packed for tiffin box.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Cauliflower Biryani

Soaking Rice

1. Rinse 1.5 cups seeraga samba rice (280 grams) 3 to 4 times in water. Then soak rice for 30 minutes in enough water. After 30 minutes, drain the water and keep aside.

rice for cauliflower biryani recipe

Blanching Cauliflower

2. Next rinse and then chop 1 small to medium cauliflower in medium-sized florets. You will need about 3 cups of gobi florets.

Take the florets in a bowl. Add hot boiling water till it cover the cauliflower along with ¼ teaspoon salt. Keep aside for 5 to 6 minutes. Then drain all the water and set aside.

Blanching the cauliflower is to get rid of the worms or insects. This step is optional. To get rid of the cauliflower aroma, you can add ½ teaspoon vinegar to the hot water and mix it well before adding cauliflower florets.

gobi to make cauliflower biryani recipe

Preparing Spice Paste

3. Meanwhile prepare the spice paste or masala paste. Take the following whole spices.

Note: If you don’t have poppy seeds and stone flower then you can skip adding them.

spices for gobi biryani

4. Now add the above spices along with the desiccated coconut in a small grinder jar or chutney grinder jar.

TIP: You can also use fresh coconut in place of desiccated coconut.

spices to make cauliflower biryani recipe

5. Also add ½ tablespoon chopped green chilies (about 2 green chilies, chopped), ½ tablespoon chopped ginger, ½ tablespoon chopped garlic and 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves.

TIP: For a spicy cauliflower biryani, you can add 3 to 4 green chilies.

spices to make cauliflower biryani recipe

6. Add ¼ cup water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside. You can add more water if needed while grinding the paste.

spice paste to make cauliflower biryani recipe

Sautéing Onions

7. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a thick bottomed heavy pan or pot. Add ½ cup thinly sliced onions.

onions for making gobi biryani recipe

8. Begin to sauté onions on a low to medium flame. Keep stirring at regular intervals so that onions don’t get burnt.

onions for making gobi biryani recipe

9. Sauté the onions till they turn golden.

onions for making gobi biryani recipe

Cooking Tomatoes

10. Then add 5 to 6 curry leaves and 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes.

tomatoes for making gobi biryani recipe

11. Mix very well.

tomatoes for making gobi biryani recipe

12. Cover the pan and cook the tomatoes for 4 to 5 minutes on a low flame, till they soften and become mushy.

tomatoes for making gobi biryani recipe

13. In between do check a couple of times and stir, so that the tomatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pan.

tomatoes for making gobi biryani recipe

Sautéing the Spice (Masala) Paste

14. Then add the ground masala paste.

making gobi biryani recipe

14. Mix and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes on a low flame.

preparing gobi biryani recipe

15. Then add a pinch of turmeric powder.

preparing gobi biryani recipe

16. Mix again.

preparing gobi biryani recipe

Adding Cauliflower and Rice

17. Now add the blanched cauliflower florets.

gobi for preparing gobi biryani recipe

18. Mix the cauliflower florets with the rest of the masala.

gobi for preparing gobi biryani recipe

19. Then add the rice.

rice for preparing gobi biryani recipe

20. Gently mix the rice grains with the rest of the ingredients.

rice for preparing gobi biryani recipe

21. Add 3 cups of water or as required. For some varieties of rice you may need to add less or more water. So add water accordingly.

preparing gobi biryani recipe

22. Next add 1 teaspoon lemon juice. If you want you can skip adding lemon juice.

preparing gobi biryani recipe

23. Then season with salt as per taste. Check the taste of the water and it should have a slight salty taste. Stir well.

preparing cauliflower biryani recipe

Dum Cooking Cauliflower Biryani

24. Seal the pan with an aluminum foil or a moist cotton kitchen napkin.

preparing cauliflower biryani recipe

25. Now cover the pan with its lid. You can even directly keep the lid on the pan without using the foil. Since this lid has a vent on it, I have sealed the pan with the foil.

Dum cook for 18 to 20 minutes on a low heat or sim. Do use a thick bottomed heavy pan or else your cauliflower biryani can get browned or burnt from the bottom.

If doubtful, then keep the pan on a hot heavy tawa (griddle or skillet) which is placed on the burner and cook biryani on a low heat.

preparing cauliflower biryani recipe

26. Give a standing time of 6 to 8 minutes. Then open the lid. Gently fluff the gobi biryani and serve hot or warm.

preparing cauliflower biryani recipe

Serving Suggestions

Garnish with coriander leaves while serving. Serve cauliflower biryani with any raita or salad of your choice. I usually serve it with onion tomato raita or cucumber raita or sometimes a simple veggie salad.

It also pairs well with plain curd (yogurt). Accompany a roasted papad and a mango pickle or lemon pickle for a delish meal.

Storage

You can refrigerate the leftovers for a day. While reheating, steam the gobi biryani in your instant pot or pan. I would not recommend freezing as rice based dishes are best had when freshly cooked.

For more cauliflower recipes, you can check this collection of 18 Gobi Recipes.

gobi biryani recipe
Tips

Helpful Tips

  • Rice: Other Indian varieties of rice like basmati rice or sona masuri rice or amber mohur rice (mango blossom rice) or surti kolam or sella basmati rice (parboiled basmati rice). For sella basmati rice soak for 1 hour and you may need to add more water while cooking.
  • Spicing: For a spicy biryani, add more green chilies while making the spice paste.
  • Pan: When cooking recipes like this, I suggest to use a heavy and thick bottomed pan or pot. This ensures that your rice does not get burnt or browned on the bottom of the pan while dum cooking.
  • Blanching: You can choose to skip the blanching of cauliflower which is optional step.
  • Spices: I would recommend adding all of the spices. But due to unavailability you can choose to skip poppy seeds and stone flower.  
  • Veggies: To make this gobi biryani more healthier and flavorful, you can add veggies like carrots, green peas, broccoli, green beans, capsicum and potatoes. Include them at the step when you add the cauliflower.
  • Scaling: If you want to double the recipe, then you have to use the Indian method of approximation (or andaaz in Hindi) as this recipe is a complexly flavored dish.

More Biryani Varieties

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gobi biryani recipe, cauliflower biryani recipe

Cauliflower Biryani

This Cauliflower biryani is a one-pot recipe of a dum cooked South Indian style biryani made with cauliflower florets, coconut, herbs and spices.
4.82 from 11 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Cuisine South Indian
Course Main Course
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 4
Units

Ingredients

Blanching cauliflower (optional step)

  • 3 cups cauliflower florets or 1 small to medium-sized cauliflower
  • hot water – as required for blanching cauliflower
  • ½ teaspoon vinegar – optional
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Spices to be ground

  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 green cardamoms
  • 1 small piece of stone flower (dagad phool) – optional
  • 2 to 3 strands of mace
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon poppy seeds (khus khus) – optional
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 5 whole black peppers
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 3 tablespoons desiccated coconut or fresh coconut
  • 2 green chilies – chopped or ½ tablespoon chopped – you can add more green chillies for a spicy biryani
  • 1 inch ginger – chopped or ½ tablespoon chopped ginger
  • ½ tablespoon chopped garlic or 4 to 5 medium-sized garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
  • ¼ cup water for grinding

For soaking rice

  • 1.5 cups seeraga samba rice or 280 grams – can sub with basmati rice
  • water – as required for soaking rice

Other ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons oil – any neutral tasting oil
  • ½ cup thinly sliced onions or 1 medium-sized onion
  • 5 to 6 curry leaves
  • 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes or 2 medium-sized tomatoes
  • 1 pinch of turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
  • 1 medium potato or a fistful of green peas – both are optional
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • salt as required
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro) – for garnish

Instructions
 

Soaking rice

  • Rinse 1.5 cups seeraga samba rice (280 grams) 3 to 4 times in water. Then soak rice grains for 30 minutes in enough water. After 30 minutes, drain the rice and keep aside.

Blanching cauliflower

  • Next rinse and then chop 1 small to medium cauliflower in medium sized florets. You will need about 3 cups of cauliflower florets. Take the florets in a bowl. Add hot boiling water till it cover the cauliflower florets. Also add ¼ teaspoon salt. Keep aside for 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Blanching the cauliflower is to get rid of the worms or insects. This step is optional. To get rid of the cauliflower aroma, you can add ½ teaspoon vinegar in the hot water and mix it well before adding gobi florets.

Preparing spice paste

  • Meanwhile prepare the spice paste or masala paste. Take all the whole spices mentioned above in the list ‘spices to be ground’ in a small grinder jar or chutney grinder jar.
  • Also add desiccated coconut, green chilies, ginger, garlic and coriander leaves.
  • Add ¼ cup water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep the spice paste aside.

Sautéing onions and tomatoes

  • Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a thick bottomed heavy pan or pot. Add ½ cup thinly sliced onions.
  • Begin to sauté onions on a low to medium flame till they turn golden. 
  • Then add 5 to 6 curry leaves and 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes. Mix very well.
  • Cover the pan and cook the tomatoes for 4 to 5 minutes on a low flame, till they soften and become mushy. In between do check a couple of times and stir, so that the tomatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pan.
  • Then add the ground masala paste. mix and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. 
  • Then add a pinch of turmeric powder and mix again.

Adding cauliflower and rice

  • Now add the blanched cauliflower florets.
  • Mix the cauliflower florets with the rest of the masala.
  • Then add the rice and gently mix the rice grains with the rest of the ingredients.
  • Add 3 cups water. next add 1 teaspoon lemon juice and salt as per taste.
  • Check the taste of the water and it should have a slight salty taste. Stir well.

Dum cooking cauliflower biryani

  • Seal the pan with an aluminium foil.
  • Now cover the pan with its lid. You can even directly keep the lid on the pan without using the foil. Since this lid has a vent on it, I have sealed the pan with the foil.
  • Dum cook the biryani for 18 to 20 minutes on a low flame or sim. Do use a thick bottomed heavy pan or else the base can get browned or burnt. If doubtful, then keep the pan on a hot heavy tawa (griddle) which is placed on the burner and cook on a low flame.
  • Give a standing time of 6 to 8 minutes. Then open the lid. Gently fluff the biryani and serve hot.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves while serving gobi biryani. Serve any raita or salad of your choice with this cauliflower biryani.

Notes

  • Instead of seeraga samba rice, you can use other Indian varieties of rice like basmati rice or sona masuri rice or amber mohur rice (mango blossom rice) or sella basmati rice (parboiled basmati rice).
  • Add more green chilies for a spicy taste in the biryani.
  • Do use a thick bottomed heavy and deep pan or pot, so that the rice does not get burnt while dum cooking.
  • Blanching cauliflower is an optional step and you can skip it if there are no insects or worms in it.  
  • Skip poppy seeds and stone flower if you do not have them. 
  • If you want to include more veggies then you can consider adding green peas, potatoes and carrots. You can add them in the step when you add the cauliflower.
  • Since this is a complexly flavored biryani, you will have to use the method of approximation (or andaaz in Hindi) when doubling the recipe.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Cauliflower Biryani
Amount Per Serving
Calories 433 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 844mg37%
Potassium 514mg15%
Carbohydrates 69g23%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 390IU8%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 16mg80%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 73mg88%
Vitamin E 5mg33%
Vitamin K 17µg16%
Calcium 95mg10%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 207µg52%
Iron 2mg11%
Magnesium 53mg13%
Phosphorus 154mg15%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This cauliflower biryani recipe post from the archives (December 2016) has been republished and updated on 4 February 2021.

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Meet Dassana

Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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6 Comments

  1. Just tried it!! It has come out amazingly well. I have tried out many of your recipes and they always turn out very tasty and delicious. Thank you so much.

    1. Happy to hear! Thanks for the positive reviews on the recipes. Most welcome.

  2. I made the Gobi Biryani today for lunch, it turned out awesome. My mother who is a par excellent cook liked it and has asked me to make it again .
    Thank you for the recipe ????

    1. welcome nishant. glad to read your comment. yes do make it for your mom as mothers very rarely ask their children to make or cook anything for them.

  3. Hi dassana, I prepared this Gobi biryani today and it was awesome. You are such a great cook and teacher. Many thanks to you.5 stars