Instant Pot Vegan Biryani

After a many months/years hiatus, I’m back! This time at home has allowed me the space to get creative with food and I want to share some tips/tricks/ideas I’ve pieced together with all of you! So, to kick things off, here is a recipe for Instant Pot Vegan Biryani. A note - I know the ingredients list might look daunting, but it can all be found in your local Indian grocery store very easily and once you have all the ingredients they will last in your pantry for a long time. So, roll up your sleeves and enjoy cooking up this big ol’ pot of fluffy, steamy, vegan biryani (spiced, flavored rice)!

Vegan biryani

Ingredients

• (For marinade)
• 2 tsp Garam masala
• 1 tblsp ginger (fresh grated, diced from a jar, or frozen cube defrosted)
• 1 tblsp garlic (fresh sliced, diced from a jar, or frozen cube defrosted)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric 
• 2 tblsp lemon juice (fresh or from a bottle)
• A can of full fat coconut milk
• Salt to taste (usually 1-2 tsp)
• Half a bag of frozen veggie meatballs
• Half a bag of frozen falafels
• Note: use what you can get; I get both the veggie meatballs and falafels from Trader Joe’s 
• Optional - sliced bell pepper, sliced mushrooms, frozen peas, frozen carrots
• (Other ingredients)
• 2 cups Basmati rice (white or brown)
• 2 cups water
• 2 yellow or red onions sliced (or half a bag of frozen chopped onions)
• Some type of neutral oil (I prefer Canola; olive oil will NOT work for this)
• (Whole Spices)
• 5 cardamom pods
• 5 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
• (Topping)
•  Fried onions (Indian store kind)
• Cashews (or walnuts)
• Saffron 
• Whole, dried red chilies (1-3 depending on desired spice level)

Instructions

1. Prepare the marinade by mixing all the marinade ingredients (it should be a nice orange/peachy color, if not then add a touch more of turmeric). Add frozen veggie meatballs/frozen falafels and coat evenly with the marinade. (Optional: add a sliced green bell pepper and a handful of sliced mushrooms, or a cup of frozen peas and carrots for additional veggies) Set aside.
2. In a fine mesh colander, rinse the rice (until the water runs clear underneath) and then add to a large bowl. Add enough water to cover the rice. Set aside. 
3. Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté. Add 2 tbsp of oil, or enough to just coat the bottom (I use canola) and add thinly sliced onions (or frozen chopped onions; add an additional 10 minutes for cooking time). Cook down the onions until they soften and become a dark golden/brown.
4. Add whole spices: cardamom pods, whole cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and fennel seeds and stir fry for a couple of minutes until you can smell the spices.
5. Add the marinated mixture to the instant pot and mix well. Turn off the pot.
6. Drain the rice and gently pour over the mixture (DO NOT MIX, gently spread over the top evenly). Add 2 tsp of salt (or to taste, you can always add more later). Add 2 cups of water. Make sure that all the rice is under the water (you can pat down the rice with a spoon to submerge it). Put the lid on, close the IP and set the valve to close/seal. Set manual pressure to 10 minutes. Once it’s done, let it natural release for at least 10 minutes; quick release after. 
7. Open the Instant Pot. Gently fluff the rice with a fork, and using a wooden spoon or spatula, gently mix everything together (the rice, mixture on the bottom etc) - it should look moist (but not watery or wet) and you will smell the aroma of spices!
8. In a small, dry, nonstick pan, add fried onions (or raw sliced shallots if you prefer), cashews (or walnuts), split dried red chilies, and a pinch of saffron (optional) - stir fry on medium high heat for a few minutes until the cashews (walnuts) start to slightly toast and brown. Add on top of the biryani for a fun crunch! 

Ps - this recipe is very forgiving, so feel free to leave out anything you might not have or sub in things you think might work!