Ingredients
Main Ingredients for Vegetable biryani made with coconut milk
1.5 cups (350 ml) basmati rice
1 tablespoon ghee
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1.5 cups onions, sliced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups tomatoes, finely chopped
15 grams readymade biryani masala
1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
200 ml coconut milk
350 ml water
For the Vegetable biryani paste
1 pod garlic (about 10 cloves)
2 inch piece ginger, chopped
5 green chillies
6 Indian shallots / small onions
1/4 cup water
Instructions
Here is how to do Vegetable Biryani with Coconut Milk (Pressure Cooker Method)
Before starting to cook, wash and soak the rice in water.
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. 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.
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. 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.
Notes
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. The hot water kind of shocks the rice and immediately starts to cook.
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.
- Prep Time: 10m
- Cook Time: 20m