Aloo Biryani is a simple mixed rice dish that is prepared with Basmati rice and flavorful spices. At the end of this procedure, you will want to showcase your new dish when you entertain your guests.
If there is one dish that resonates throughout India, that will be none other than biryani. That is exactly what I am sharing today! I am going to show you how easy it is to prepare this authentic Indian dish with the Instant Pot.
‘Aloo Biryani’ is one of the several versions of biryani. Simple yet flavorful, it is a version with potatoes (‘Aloo’) as the mainstay ingredient in the mixed rice. It is common to prepare biryani with meat. My wish is that you will realize that biryani is not necessarily an option for dishes with meat.
I have also tried (and shared) several other biryani recipes with vegetables. What makes it an authentic ‘biryani’ is the spices and the way the dish is prepared. Today, I have used baby potatoes for this recipe, but you can choose to use cubed russet potatoes too.
How to make this recipe
It is amazing how many dishes are possible with the Instant pot! Not to mention I have shared several Instant Pot dishes in the past year. Just like all the other Instant Pot recipes, this biryani recipe is quite easy to prepare and leaves very few dishes to clean.
It is my go-to option when I have guests coming over for dinner. Here’s a short summary of the recipe. I have included the detailed version along with the list of ingredients too.
Marinate the peeled baby potatoes with 2 tbsp coconut yogurt, ½ tsp red chili powder, and ¼ tsp turmeric powder.
Press ‘SAUTE’ mode on Instant Pot and add a couple of teaspoons of oil. As the oil heats up, add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, and ginger-garlic paste
Add sliced onions and garam masala, red chili powder, and turmeric powder. Saute for 2-3 minutes with regular stirring until they turn light brown in color.
Add salt, coconut yogurt, chopped carrots and cook for 30 seconds.
Add rinsed Basmati Rice, mint leaves, soaked saffron, marinated potatoes, star anise, and water then give a good stir.
Press the CANCEL button on Instant Pot. Close the lid on the pot, and turn the valve from VENTING to SEALING position.
Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set the timer to 4 minutes. Wait for NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE(NPR). Wait for the silver button on the lid to drop before opening the lid. Aloo Biryani is ready!
Expert tips
- Although the recipe of biryani is not typically vegan because it needs yogurt, the recipe I have shared today is vegan. I have used coconut yogurt to marinate the potatoes.
- You can definitely try another plant-based yogurt. However, Coconut milk yogurt seemed to fit better for this recipe.
- Aloo Biryani is also a good option as a gluten-free dish because Potatoes and vegetables are naturally gluten-free. There is no special ingredient to make it gluten-free!
How to serve potato biryani
Aloo Biryani or rice can be paired with Raita (prepared from yogurt), Vegetable Kurma, or even potato chips. My family prefers to pair it with raita prepared from coconut milk yogurt. Biryani is best enjoyed when it is hot. You could garnish the plate with sliced cucumber too.
If the dish turns out too spicy, cucumbers can come to the rescue 🙂 Last but not least, biryani is best prepared with basmati rice. The slender grained aromatic version provides the perfect complement to the flavor from the spices. If you do not have ready access to Basmati rice, any good quality extra long grain rice is good for this recipe.
If you like this potato biryani, why not try this recipes:
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📖 Recipe
Aloo Biryani - Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 15 - 17 baby potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 maces
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 2 green cardamoms
- 2 tsp minced ginger and garlic
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup of coconut yogurt - +2 tbsp for marination
- ½ cup chopped carrots - optional
- 20 mint leaves/pudina
- 1 ¾ cup water
- 5-6 saffron strands
Instructions
- Marinate the peeled baby potatoes with 2 tbsp coconut yogurt, ½ tsp red chili powder, and ¼ tsp turmeric powder.
- Press ‘SAUTE’ mode on Instant Pot and add a couple of teaspoons of oil.
- As the oil heats up, add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, and ginger-garlic paste
- Add sliced onions and garam masala, red chili powder, and turmeric powder. Saute for 2-3 minutes with regular stirring until they turn light brown in color.
- Add salt, coconut yogurt, chopped carrots and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add rinsed Basmati Rice, mint leaves, soaked saffron, marinated potatoes, star anise, and water then give a good stir.
- Press CANCEL button on Instant Pot.
- Close the lid on the pot, and turn the valve from VENTING to SEALING position.
- Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set the timer to 4 minutes.
- Wait for NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE(NPR). Wait for the silver button on the lid to drop before opening the lid.
- Aloo Biryani is ready! Serve it hot paired with coconut raita or potato chips.
Notes
- You can use any kind of plain yogurt for this recipe. If you do not have plain yogurt, use lime juice as a substitute.
- You can use cubed potatoes instead of baby potatoes.
- Adjust the spices to suit your taste/preference.
Nutrition
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