Vegan Biryani (Easy & Quick)

Name: Vegan Biryani (Easy & Quick)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Indian inspired
Ingredients: 1 cup long grain white basmati rice (rinsed and drained well); 2 cups vegetable broth or water; 1 teaspoon salt ( adjust to taste); 1 teaspoon garam masala; 1/4 teaspoon turmeric; 1 bay leaf; 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil; 1 large yellow onion (thinly sliced); 1 red bell pepper (thinly sliced); 1 cup frozen peas; 1 cup chickpeas (rinsed and drained); 5 garlic cloves (minced); 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (minced); 1 to 2 teaspoon maple syrup (adjust to taste); 1 tablespoon garam masala; 1/4 teaspoon turmeric; 1 jalapeno (sliced- remove seeds if preferred); 1/4 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste); 3 to 4 pitted dates (chopped); pepper to taste; Cilantro Mint Chutney; Lemon wedges

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This vegan biryani recipe is gluten free, satisfying, healthy, and also so easy to make! In addition, it's quick, spicy, and customizable with vegetables.

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This Indian inspired vegetable biryani recipe is so much better than take-out and delicious to serve with cilantro mint chutney. It is perfect for weeknight dinners because it takes 30 minutes to make!

When I was testing this vegan biryani, I tried to cook the rice along with the vegetables but the rice was still crunchy and it took a long time. In order to make it quick, delicious, and still have a lot of flavors, we will cook the rice separately then add the vegetables.

I love making Indian inspired weeknight dinners so I usually go for vegan korma, tikka masala, vegan butter chicken or red lentil dal. But this vegetarian biryani recipe is another favorite with healthy veggies and so satisfying.

Before we jump into the recipe, let's talk about how you can customize it and learn some tips.

What is biryani?

Biryani is a rice dish that is made with spices, vegetables, and sometimes meat but we will make it without meat to keep it vegan. Traditionally, it takes a long time to make it but we are taking some shortcuts without a lack of flavors.

How to make Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients

Long Grain White Basmati Rice

Make sure to rinse the rice really well because you don't want it to be sticky. We will be adding spices to the rice to make it very flavorful as well.

Chickpeas

This recipe comes together so fast because we will be using canned chickpeas. But make sure to rinse and drain them well before adding them to the pan.

Vegetables

You can customize and use whatever quick-cooking vegetables you want but I used red bell pepper, jalapeno, and peas. You can also use broccoli, edamame, or zucchini if you prefer.

Onion, Ginger and Garlic

Fresh ginger gives so much aroma to this dish so I don't recommend using ginger powder. I used 5 cloves of garlic but you can use more if you like. Yellow onions work great in this dish because they caramelize really nicely.

Spices

Many biryani recipes call for biryani masala but I use garam masala instead because it's easier to find. We'll also use some turmeric, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.

Maple syrup and dates

Because this dish is very spicy, it is nice to balance out the flavors with maple syrup and chopped dates. Fun fact, I do not like raisins but if you do, you can use them instead of dates.

Water or Vegetable Broth

I always use water for cooking but you can use vegetable broth for more flavor. You should make sure to buy low sodium so you can control the salt.

Cilantro Mint Chutney and Lemon slices for serving (optional)

I highly recommend making my cilantro mint chutney to serve with this vegan biryani but you can skip it and it will still taste great. Lemon wedges are another option for serving.

How to make it

We will start by making the basmati rice in a large pot or dutch oven, add the rinsed and drained rice along with water or broth, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, and a bay leaf. Turn the heat up to boil and then simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Let it sit for 2 minutes and then take out the bay leaf, fluff it with a fork.

While the rice is cooking, in a large pan or skillet over medium heat, add the oil and when the oil is hot, add onion slices and cook until soft for 3 to 4 minutes. And then add the garlic, ginger, 1 tablespoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, salt, and maple syrup, cook for another minute.

Now add the bell pepper slices, jalapeno, and chopped dates, cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the peppers are soft. Next, add the peas and chickpeas, cook for a couple more minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, you can quickly make the cilantro mint chutney according to the recipe if you would like to serve with the biryani.
Now, add the cooked vegetables to the cooked rice and then mix really well. Serve with chutney and lemon wedges if preferred.

vegan biryani in two plates with cilantro mint chutney

Tips & Variations

This vegetarian biryani recipe is very spicy, you can adjust the spice by omitting the jalapeno or adding less garam masala.
You can make this dish in 30 minutes if you cook the vegetables while rice is cooking so multitasking is helpful.
Feel free to change up the vegetables but keep the proportions the same.
Always adjust to taste, add more salt if needed, or add more maple syrup for sweetness.

Frequently asked questions

Can you cook the rice with the vegetables together?

I tried and it didn't work because rice was still crunchy but then it became mushy. If you want to make this recipe very quick, cooking the rice first is the best option.

It is too spicy for me, what can I do?

If you already made it and it turns out too spicy, you can serve it with vegan yogurt to cool it down.

Can I use a different rice?

You can, but the texture will not be the same. If you use brown rice, it will take twice as long to cook.

How to store it

Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator in a covered air-tight container for up to 2 to 3 days but it's best to eat them right away. The rice will get dry so you can add a splash of water or broth before heating up the leftovers.

This vegan biryani is very easy, quick and versatile. It is also:

Gluten free & Dairy free
Better than any take-out
Spicy and made with veggies
Also so delicious!

More plant based recipes that use chickpeas

So, did you make this? I’d love for you to leave a comment and rate the recipe. You can also share your photo of the recipe on Pinterest and tag me on Instagram using @avocadocentric or #avocadocentric! xo, Selin