Indian CuisineIndian FoodDurban Indian

Vegetable Biryani

Name: Vegetable Biryani
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 19 min
Total time: 39 min
Yield: Serves 4-6
Cuisine: Durban Indian, South African
Ingredients: 1 onion, chopped; 5 small jam tomatoes, blanched; 2 teaspoons ginger & garlic paste; 2 bay leaves; 4 potatoes; 1 star aniseed; cooking oil; 2 teaspoons garam masala; 1/2 teaspoon jeera powder; 2 teaspoons dhania powder; 1 teaspoon jeera seeds; 2 tablespoons Bombay Delite masala; 1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder; 3 tablepoons Kashmiri chilli powder; 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder + additional 1 teaspoon; salt to taste; 1 sprig curry leaves; 1/2 cup biryani dhall (masoor); 2 carrots; 1/2 cup frozen sweetcorn (optional); 1/4 cabbage; 1/2 cup frozen peas; 250 grams green beans; 1 sprig thyme; yellow food coloring; 2 cinnamon sticks; 1 1/2 cups rice; fresh dhania (coriander), for garnishing

A Classic Indian vegetable biryani is a flawless dish for any event.

By DenisiyaPublished on October 7, 2016

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⏱️

Prep Time20 mins

🍳

Cook Time19 mins

⌛

Total Time39 mins

🍽️

ServingsServes 4-6

This Indian Recipe Serves 6-8

A Classic Indian vegetable biryani is a flawless dish for any event.

Biryani otherwise called biriyani or biriani, is a blended rice dish with its origins among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. It is mainstream all through the subcontinent & among the diaspora from the area. It is made with flavors, rice, meat &/or vegetables.

It can be prepared using long grain basmati rice or parboiled rice.

South Africans usually prepare biryanis’ with parboiled rice.

“Biryani” is a Urdu word got from the Persian dialect, which was utilized as an official dialect as a part of various parts of medieval India, by different Islamic administrations.

Pronunciation: Bee-r-ya-nee

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Step-by-Step Instructions

42 Steps

Step 1
Wash rice until water runs clear.
Step 2
Add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder & boil until half cooked.
Step 3
Drain & set aside.
Step 4
Rinse the biryani dhall (masoor) & boil until half cooked.
Step 5
Drain & set aside.
Step 6
Cut onions.
Step 7
Slice cabbage fine, rinse & keep aside in a bowl.
Step 8
Cut the green beans, rinse & keep aside.
Step 9
Wash & peel carrots, then cut them in small pieces & set aside.
Step 10
Peel & rinse potatoes.
Step 11
Cut potatoes in quarters.
Step 12
Full the bowl with water & set aside.
Step 13
In another bowl, drop in the peas & sweetcorn & set aside.
Step 14
Blanch tomatoes. (Click here for blanching method).
Step 15
In a large pot, heat the oil.
Step 16
Add in the onions, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, star aniseed, curry leaves & jeera seeds.
Step 17
Fry until onions are translucent.
Step 18
Add the ginger & garlic paste, turmeric powder, jeera powder, dhania powder, garam masala, chilli powder, curry powder & masala.
Step 19
Fry for 2-3 minutes.
Step 20
Add in the blanched tomatoes.
Step 21
Cook for 10-12 minutes.
Step 22
Add water if necessary.
Step 23
Drop in the cabbage, carrots & green beans.
Step 24
Mix well & add water so that the vegetables cook well.
Step 25
Whilst the vegetables are cooking, go back to the potatoes.
Step 26
Drain the water out & microwave them on high for 3-4 minutes.
Step 27
Add 2 drops of yellow food coloring to the potatoes & give them a good mix so that the color coats them all.
Step 28
In a separate pot, add oil for deep frying.
Step 29
When oil is sizzling, carefully drop in potatoes & deep fry until golden & soft.
Step 30
When cooked, set aside.
Step 31
Keep stirring the vegetables & adding water so that they cook well.
Step 32
When the vegetables are cooked, add in the sweetcorn & peas.
Step 33
Mix well. then add in the biryani dhall.
Step 34
Add a few drops of yellow food coloring to the rice & mix well so that the color gets on most of the rice.
Step 35
Gently add in the rice to the vegetables slowly.
Step 36
Mix well as you drop the rice in.
Step 37
Cover & all to cook until the rice is soft.
Step 38
Add salt to taste.
Step 39
Cook until all the water has evaporated.
Step 40
Place the fried potatoes in the pot. Garnish with fresh dhania (coriander).
Step 41
Serve vegetable biryani with pea dhall, carrot salad, carrot sour milk salad or pickles.
Step 42
I served it with curried dhall & carrot salad.

Frequently Asked Questions & Cooking Tips

Expert kitchen guidance and troubleshooting for making the best Vegetable Biryani

How do I prevent the rice from getting mushy in Vegetable Biryani?

Always par-boil your basmati rice with whole spices until it is only about 70% cooked (firm with a slight bite). The rice finishes steaming to fluffy perfection during the layered dum (steaming) stage.

Can I marinate the meat the day before?

Yes, marinating the meat overnight in yogurt, ginger, garlic, and spices tenderizes the meat and allows the deep aromatic flavors to permeate fully before cooking.

What are the best side dishes to serve with Vegetable Biryani?

Traditionally, serve this with fresh sour milk salad (raita), a side of homemade yellow dhal, and a spicy vegetable or mango pickle.

Denisiya - Founder & Chef at EatMee Recipes

About the Creator

Meet Denisiya

Hi, I'm Denisiya! Food lover, recipe developer, and founder of EatMee Recipes. I specialize in authentic South African Durban Indian cuisine, comforting curries, and modern Instant Pot adaptations. Every recipe on this site is tested in my personal kitchen to ensure you get mouth-watering, foolproof results every time.

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Vegetable Biryani

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This Indian Recipe Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Step-by-Step Instructions

Frequently Asked Questions & Cooking Tips

Meet Denisiya

Comments & Community

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