Vegetable Biryani Recipe (Restaurant Style)

Restaurant Style Vegetable Biryani recipe is a fragrant rice dish made with basmati rice, mixed vegetables, fresh biryani masala, saffron, fried onions, and mint. The rice and vegetables are layered and slow-cooked so the flavors blend beautifully. It’s a rich, flavorful North Indian-style biryani often served with raita. Biryani is one dish I never get tired of making or eating. The recipe takes some time, but the result is a hearty, delicious biryani worth the effort.

Why This Vegetable Biryani Recipe Works

This restaurant-style Vegetable Biryani has been on my blog for more than a decade. Earlier, I would mostly make Hyderabadi Biryani or my mom’s version at home, but after trying this one, it quickly became a favorite.

Unlike most restaurants that mix pre-cooked rice with vegetable gravy, this recipe stays closer to the traditional method of layering rice and gravy and slow-cooking it. The flavors are authentic and similar to what you find in restaurants known for serving real, traditional biryani.

I first came across this recipe in Nita Mehta’s ‘Taste of Amritsar – Vegetarian’ and adapted it to suit our taste. What stood out to me was the freshly ground biryani masala and the fact that it didn’t use tomatoes, chilies, or turmeric; something I hadn’t imagined possible in a biryani.

The result is a flavorful, mildly spiced biryani with a hint of sweetness and a wonderful aroma from the caramelized onions and freshly ground masala.

I’ve made it many times now, with both dairy curd and cashew yogurt, and both versions turn out equally good. It takes time and patience, but the taste makes it completely worth the effort.

More Traditional Biryani Versions To Make

• Mushroom Biryani – Simple One Pot
• Paneer Biryani – Easy Dum Method
• Soya Biryani – With Soya Chunks (Meal Maker)
• Kathal Biryani – Unripe Jackfruit Biryani
• Lucknowi Biryani – Awadhi Biryani

How to make Vegetable Biryani

Making vegetable biryani takes some time but is simple once the steps are clear. The key is to prepare everything before you start cooking, so the process flows easily. Follow the steps below to make this flavorful biriyani at home.

Preparation

1. Rinse 1½ cups (200 grams) basmati rice very well in water. Soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes. When the rice is soaking, chop all the vegetables and keep aside.

2. Prepare the biryani masala. For it, the spices that we use are – 1 inch cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 4 green cardamoms and a single strand of mace (not the whole mace as it is a strong spice).

3. Add these in a small grinder or spice grinder and grind to a powder. Keep aside.

4. After 30 minutes, drain all the water from the rice and set the soaked rice aside.

Cook Rice

5. Heat 5 cups water. When hot, add 3 to 4 green cardamoms, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf), 2 star anise and 1 black cardamom.

6. On high heat, bring the water to a boil. Then, add the rice. Also, add ¾ teaspoon salt or as per taste.

7. Cook the rice on high heat till it is 75% cooked.

8. There should be some bite in the rice.

9. Drain all the water from the rice thoroughly in a colander. Set aside. You can also check my detailed post on how to cook Basmati Rice For Biryani.

10. Whisk 1 cup fresh curd or yogurt (200 grams) until smooth. Set aside.

Fry Onions

11. Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons oil or ghee in a pan. Add 2 cups thinly sliced onions.

12. Stir and sauté the onions on medium-low to medium heat.

13. Sauté the onions, with frequent stirring, till they turn golden brown.

14. Keep heat to low, then, remove ¼ cup fried onions from this and set aside.

Make Vegetable Gravy

15. Next, add 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste to the fried onions in the pan. Stir and sauté until the raw aroma of ginger-garlic fades away.

16. Then, add the prepared biryani masala. Stir and mix on low heat.

17. Add the chopped vegetables including the green peas.

18. Stir and mix very well.

19. Then, add the whisked curd.

20. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon red chili powder.

21. Stir the gravy mixture very well.

22. Add ½ cup of water.

23. Add salt as per taste.

24. Pressure cook on medium heat for 1 whistle. If cooking in a pot, then cook till the vegetables are fork tender and done. Don’t over cook. 

When the pressure settles down and drops naturally in the cooker, remove the lid and check the gravy.

Tip 1: If vegetables are undercooked, keep the cooker on the stovetop and simmer the gravy without the lid till the vegetables are tender. Add some water if the gravy mixture looks very dry.

Tip 2: If there is too much water in the gravy, simmer till some of the water dries up. The gravy should have a medium-thick or slightly thick consistency and should not be very watery or runny.

Assemble

25. In a small bowl, take 2 tablespoons warm milk. Add a few saffron strands and mix well. Keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

26. In another thick-bottomed pan, add half of the prepared vegetable gravy.

27. Layer with half of the rice.

28. Sprinkle half of the fried onions along with chopped mint leaves. Also, add half of the saffron dissolved milk. Top with 1 tablespoon oil or butter or ghee on this layer.

29. Layer with the rest of the vegetable gravy.

30. Lastly, add the remaining fried onions, chopped mint leaves and saffron milk. Top with 1 tablespoon oil or butter or ghee on this layer.

Make Veg Biryani

31. Cover the pan with a damp muslin or cotton cloth. You can also seal and secure the pan with aluminum foil.

If using a damp or wet cotton napkin, bring together the edges on top of the lid and stick it on the lid. Since the cloth is wet it clings onto the lid.

32. Place a lid on top.

33. Now, place the pan on a hot tawa or griddle. Cook the biryani on low heat for 25 to 30 minutes or until all the liquids have been absorbed and the rice grains look more fluffier and tender.

Remember to allow a resting time of 5 to 7 minutes after you turn off the heat.

Note: The tawa should be heated for 4 to 5 minutes on low to medium flame before you place the pan on it.

Baking: Bake the biryani at 180 degrees C/356 degrees F in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Remember to use an ovenproof glass utensil like Pyrex bowl for baking in the oven. Assemble the biryani as mentioned above in the ovenproof utensil. Cover with aluminum foil or the Pyrex bowl’s lid and then bake.

What To Serve With

Serve this restaurant style Vegetable Biryani with your favorite raita or choose from Onion Raita, Boondi Raita or Cucumber Raita.

You could also pair with Shorba or Mirchi ka Salan and with sliced onions and lemon wedges. A simple Kachumber Salad, Papad or Mango Pickle also goes well on the side for a complete meal.

Storage Suggestions

Store any leftover vegetable biryani in an airtight container once it cools completely. It keeps well in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.

Reheat on low heat in a covered pan or microwave, adding a few tablespoons of water to loosen the rice and keep it moist.

You could also steam the biryani in an Instant Pot for 5 minutes. Avoid reheating multiple times, as the rice can dry out or become mushy.

Dassana’s Recipe Tips

1. Use aged basmati rice for the best cooked rice texture in the biriyani – tender, longer, non-sticky and fluffier.
2. For a plant based version, make the vegetable gravy with cashew yogurt and a neutral tasting oil.
3. Add your choice of vegetables or mushrooms. For softer vegetables like brinjals, capsicum, zucchini or other gourds, I suggest to cook the vegetable gravy in a pot or a pan and not in a pressure cooker.
4. You could also make this biryani recipe with unripe jackfruit.
5. Remember to par-cook the rice. There should be some bite in the rice. Do not cook the rice grains all the way through. Doing so would make your biriyani a mush.
6. The vegetable gravy should have a medium-thick to thick consistency. A watery or runny consistency will make the rice get overcooked and pasty.

Your Questions Answered

Veg Biryani recipe from the archives was first published on November 2012.