Potato Biryani, also known as Aloo Biryani (aloo = potato in Hindi), is a delicious one-pot dish made with basmati rice, baby potatoes, and aromatic Indian spices. It can be easily prepared in under 30 minutes using an Instant Pot or stovetop, it's perfect for office lunch boxes.
We love one-pot biryanis at home - vegetable biryani and mushroom biryani are our favorites. Today, I am sharing another delicious biryani recipe made with potatoes (you can also use baby potatoes). It's a perfect biryani to make for guests at home or as a weekend treat.
There is another version of potato biryani, also called aloo dum biryani, which I will share the recipe soon.
If you like potatoes, then check out more Indian Potato Recipes
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Potato Biryani Ingredients
- Potatoes: I used regular potatoes and cut them into large cubes. You can also use baby potatoes.
- Rice: Long-grain basmati rice works best for making biryani. If you don't have one, you may also use sona masuri rice or seeraga samba rice.
- Yogurt: I used plain homemade yogurt. You can use non-dairy yogurt if you are a vegan or add extra lime juice at the end for the tartness.
- Biryani Masala Powder: You can find biryani masala powder from any Indian grocery store or Amazon, or you can make it at home. You can use any brand, I used Shan Biryani Masala for today's recipe.
- Spices & Herbs: I used cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, and turmeric powder. Herbs like coriander leaves, and mint leaves enhance the flavor of the biryani.
How to Make Potato Biryani in Instant Pot
Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add 2-3 tablespoons oil (or ghee), and once it's hot, add 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamoms, 3 cloves, and 2 bay leaves.
Add 3 large potatoes (cut into large cubes) and saute them for 2 minutes until they turn light golden brown.
Then add 1 medium thinly sliced onion, 2 green chilies, 1 tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they turn light brown.
Add 1 large tomato (finely chopped) and cook for 2 minutes till the tomatoes turn mushy.
Then add ½ cup curd (yogurt), ½ cup mint leaves, ½ cup coriander leaves, 1 tablespoon biryani masala powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and cook for another minute.
Add 1.5 cups of rinsed basmati rice, 2.5 cups of water, salt, and give a stir.
Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
Once the pot beeps, Wait for NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE (NPR).
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Aloo Biryani is ready. Serve with onion raita or plain yogurt.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method
Follow the same steps as Instant Pot. Cook the aloo biryani for 2 whistles on medium heat and let the pressure release naturally. All the other steps remain the same.
What to Serve with Potato/Aloo Biryani?
Potato biryani pairs well with plain yogurt or raita, such as cucumber raita, onion tomato raita, or boondi raita.
Tips & Variations
- Vegans can skip yogurt and add lime juice.
- To make aloo biryani, you can use baby potatoes or large potatoes, I used cubed large potatoes here.
- You can get biryani masala powder from any Indian grocery store or amazon. You can use any brand. If you don't have biryani masala, then replace it with garam masala powder.
- You can replace potatoes with sweet potatoes to make healthier choices.
- You can add fried onions on top before serving.
FAQs
Yes, baby potatoes will work best for this recipe. You can also dice regular potatoes into 2-inch pieces if you don't find baby potatoes.
I used yogurt (curd) in this recipe; you can make this vegan by either using non-dairy yogurt like soy or coconut yogurt else, you can replace yogurt with the juice of a half lemon.
More Veg Style Biryani Recipes
Instant Pot Potato Biryani (Aloo Biryani)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
- 3 large potato (aloo) cut into large cubes
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 1 large tomato
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- ½ cup mint (pudina)
- ½ cup coriander leaves
- ½ cup curd (yogurt) dairy free can be used
- 1 tablespoon biryani masala powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- 2 green chilies
- 1.5 cups basmati rice
- 2.5 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Whole Spices
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaf
- 2-3 cloves
- 2 cardamom
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil, and once it's hot, add cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, and bay leaf.
- Add potatoes and saute them for 2 minutes till they turn light golden brown.
- Then add sliced onions, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they turn light brown -stir regularly.
- Add tomato and cook for 2 minutes till tomatoes turn mushy.
- Then add curd (yogurt), mint, coriander leaves, biryani masala powder, turmeric powder, and cook for another minute.
- Add rinsed basmati rice, water, salt, and give a stir.
- Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
- Once the pot beeps, Wait for NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE (NPR).
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Aloo or Potato Biryani is ready. Serve with Onion raita or plain yogurt.
Indian Pressure Cooker Method
- Heat a pressure cooker with oil on medium flame, add cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, and bay leaf.
- Add potatoes and saute them for 2 minutes till they turn light golden brown.
- Then add sliced onions, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they turn light brown in color - stir regularly.
- Add tomato and cook for 2 minutes till tomatoes turn mushy.
- Then add curd, mint, coriander leaves, biryani masala powder, turmeric powder, and cook for another one minute.
- Add rinsed basmati rice, water, salt, and give a stir.
- Cover the cooker with a lid and cook for two whistles.
- Aloo Biryani is ready. Serve with Onion Raita or plain yogurt.
Notes
- For vegans, you can skip yogurt and add lime juice.
- To make aloo biryani you can use baby potatoes or large potatoes, I have used cubed large potatoes here.
- You can get biryani masala powder from any Indian grocery store or amazon. You can use any brand. If you don't have biryani masala then replace it with garam masala powder.
- You can also replace potatoes with sweet potatoes to make a even more healthier choice.
- Do a QR Release(QR) if you don't have time and then open the lid.
- Increase or decrease spice accordingly.
- You can add fried onions on top before serving.
Nutrition
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Nasimah
Hiya, how to avoid getting the 'burn' sign once the pressure cooker setting has been set?
quite frustrating!
thanks nasimah
Bhavana Patil
Hi Nasimah, Its quite frustrating...First of all make sure correct amount of water is added and also make sure you deglaze the inner pot before setting the timer. If you get burn erroR, You can just cancel the pressure cooking and wait for sometime for natural pressure release.. Sometimes in that pressure rice gets cooked or just add some more water and cook. Hope this helps.
SB
How can we make this with brown basmati? The cook time for that is ~22 minutes, which would make the potatoes mush. Any solution to that?
bhavana
Frankly i havent tried making with brown rice.I would say making biryani separately and then add roasted potatoes in the end after rice is cooked.