Vegetable Biryani with Coconut Milk (Pressure Cooker Method)

Recipe for Vegetable biryani made with the addition of coconut milk. Biryani made in the pressure cooker. Recipe with step by step pictures and video.

Here is a simple one pot biryani recipe made with the addition of coconut milk. The coconut milk adds a nice richness and flavour to the rice. I have used ready made biryani masala today to make it a bachelor friendly version. One can use home made masala too. The brand of rice I use, masala etc. have been mentioned in the post here. Read along.

Here are some of the tips while making biryani in a pressure cooker.
1. Soaking the rice – Soak the rice just before starting to cook (about 20 minutes). The rice will absorb some of the water and will nicely fluff up while cooking without becoming mushy or gummy. After the said time, drain the rice in a colander and set aside.
2. Using the right kind / size pressure cooker is important. Using a very big cooker for a small quantity of rice is one of the main reasons for burning / charring at the bottom. For this recipe, a 5-6 liter cooker works best.
3. Readymade biryani masalas usually has added salt. So go easy on salt and adjust the seasoning later if need be. I use Kohinoor brand biryani masala.
4. Sauté the spice powders and masala powders for a minute to extract the flavors of the spices. Do not add it directly to water.
5. Add the rice only after the water / liquid comes to a rolling boil. This is very important for the rice to stay fluffy.
6. I use 1 rice : 1.5 water for cooking the biryani. I like to use the brands Daawat / Lal Qila. These are the brands I use at home too.
7. 1:2 rice vs veggie ratio. If you use one cup of rice, use two cup of veggies. Use firm veggies that will retain its shape after cooking. Vegetables like Carrot, Beans, Green Peas, Potato, Baby Corn, Mushroom, Paneer all works well.
8. Canned coconut milk works perfectly fine for this recipe.

Here are other biryani recipes from the site
Biryani Recipes

Here is the video of how to make Vegetable Biryani with Coconut Milk (Pressure Cooker Method)

Here is how to do Vegetable Biryani with Coconut Milk (Pressure Cooker Method)
Before starting to cook, wash and soak the rice in water. I like to use the following brands of rice.

Make a masala paste with garlic, ginger, green chillies and shallots. Add a little water while grinding. Grind to a really fine paste. Set aside.

Heat ghee and oil in a pressure pan. I have used a 5 liter pressure cooker for making the Vegetable Biryani with Coconut Milk today. Using the right kind / size pressure cooker is important. Using a very big cooker for a small quantity of rice is one of the main reasons for burning / charring at the bottom. Add in the sliced onions and cook till the onions are soft.

Add in the ground paste and the salt. I have used only 3/4 teaspoon of salt for the whole dish as the biryani masala (readymade) that we will be adding later consists added salt. So go easy on the salt. We can adjust the seasoning later if need be.

Cook for a few minutes.

Add in the finely chopped tomatoes. If you cannot chop the tomatoes fine, you can grate the tomatoes and add instead. Cook till the tomatoes are mushy.

Add in the ready made biryani masala. Sauté for a minute. I like to use the Kohinoor brand as it has the right spice and flavour and works really well for this recipe. Ready made biryani masala – Click here to buy online

Add in the chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. Sauté for a minute.

Add in the veggies and toss well to coat.

Add in the coconut milk and water. I like to use 1 rice : 1.5 liquid for making this recipe. I have used 200 ml canned coconut milk. To that, I have added 350 ml water.

Mix well and let everything come to a rolling boil.

Its very important to add the rice only after the liquid comes to a rolling boil. Drain the rice and add it to the pan.

Cover and cook for two whistles. About 7-8 minutes on medium flame. After the said time / whistles, switch off the flame and allow the pressure to settle naturally. Open and gently fluff up the rice.

Vegetable biryani with rich addition of coconut milk is ready. You can just serve as is. You dont even need any side dish for this recipe. You can serve it with a simple raita. This is a perfect lunch box dish as it stays very moist and delicious even when cold.

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