How to Make Biryani, the Delicious Indian Rice Dish

Indian cuisine is growing in popularity in the US, with some estimates suggesting there are now up to 8,000 Indian restaurants nationwide. While dining out is a great way to explore new flavors, you don’t have to leave home to enjoy restaurant-quality Indian dishes. If you want to save money or simply prefer a homemade meal, you can easily recreate delicious classics—like biryani—right in your kitchen. Read on to learn how to make a flavorful, veggie-loaded biryani from scratch.

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What is biryani?

Biryani—a flavorful and aromatic rice dish with spices, and either meat, seafood, or vegetables—is often thought of as Indian, and it certainly has a long history in the South Asian country. But its origins also span beyond India. In fact, the word biryani likely comes from the Persian words birinj (rice) and biryan (fried or roasted). This is because biryani was likely heavily influenced by Persian dishes like pilaf, a similar aromatic rice dish, which was brought to India by Persian and Turkish travelers and traders.

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Is biryani vegetarian?

There are many, many different versions of biryani. Hyderabadi biryani, for example, is popular in the South of India, and is often cooked with the dum pukht method—this means that all of the ingredients are cooked in a sealed pot to enhance the flavors. Lucknowi biryani is a favorite in the north and tends to have slightly lighter, subtler flavors than Hyderabadi.

Both types of biryani can be made with meat, seafood, or vegetables. So while biryani is not inherently vegetarian or vegan, it’s easy to make it without animal products. 

How to make vegan biryani: 5 recipes to try

Check out the five recipes below to make a tasty plant-based biryani.

Antonis Achilleos

1 Vegan Cauliflower Rice Biryani With Mango Chutney

This recipe from the Good For You cookbook comes together with traditional spices, coconut oil (instead of ghee, a type of clarified butter popular in India), and fluffy cauliflower rice instead of basmati. The dish will pair beautifully with your favorite vegan meat, tofu, or vegetables. Don’t forget the flavorful mango chutney for an extra tangy kick.
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Cook With Manal!

2 Restaurant-Style Vegetable Biryani

For restaurant-level biryani that doesn’t actually require leaving the house, check out this flavor-packed recipe from Cook With Manali. The dish is loaded with aromatic spices like saffron and nutrient-dense vegetables, like cauliflower, carrots, and beans. The recipe is vegetarian, but it does offer instructions on how to make the dish vegan, too. “This vegetable biryani hits all the right spots with its wonderful aroma and exotic flavors,” says recipe developer Manali Singh.
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Vegan Richa

3 Lucknowi Biryani

This northern-style baked biryani recipe from Vegan Richa is incredibly easy. In fact, all you need to make it is one pan and a spare 15 minutes. The spice powder, with ingredients like fennel, cumin, cardamom, and cloves, brings the flavor, while the protein comes from extra tofu. “This North Indian spiced tofu rice bake has a fantastic flavor with a unique blend of spices,” says recipe creator Richa Hingle.
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Plant-Based Persian

4 Indian-Persian Vegan Biryani

From Plant-Based Persian, this recipe celebrates the roots of biryani by combining Indian and Persian spices and cooking methods together. The result is a dish that’s packed with flavor. It also mixes in Indian raita made with vegan yogurt to add a cool, refreshing element to the dish, too.
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Curry and Vanilla

5 Vegan Mixed Vegetable Dum Biryani

This vegan recipe from Curry and Vanilla uses the traditional slow dum method to create a fragrant biryani with fluffy Basmati rice, saffron, and fresh herbs. Recipe developer Vanitha Bhat calls it the “perfect one-pot gourmet Indian meal with some raita and salad.”
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