Vegetable Quinoa Biryani recipe is an easy, Indian Style one-pot dish you can make with quinoa, vegetables, and biryani masala in an instant pot pressure cooker or stovetop. It's our family's favorite lunch box recipe.
Quinoa is one of the world's healthiest wonder grains that is a complete protein and it contains heart-healthy fats, a good amount of fiber, and folic acid.
Along with it, I have added broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, green beans, and paneer (skip if vegan) which are great sources of protein, fiber, and vitamins.
This meal is rich in fiber and helps avoid unwanted cravings especially if you are on a diet.
You can use Quinoa to substitute rice in many recipes. You can make other recipes like Quinoa salad, Lemon Quinoa, Quinoa Upma, Quinoa Pulao/Pilaf, Quinoa Curd, Quinoa Bisibelebath.
Today I have prepared the Indian Style Vegetable quinoa biryani recipe in Instant Pot.
If you don’t have the Instant Pot, use a regular pressure cooker and follow the same steps. This can be prepared on a stovetop pot too.
How to Make Quinoa Biryani in Instant Pot
Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil or ghee and once it's hot add cumin (jeera).
When cumin seeds begin to sizzle, add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 30 seconds.
Then add sliced onions, green chili, and saute for 2-3 minutes until they turn soft and light brown in color – stir regularly.
Add mixed vegetables, paneer, mint, coriander leaves and cook for a minute.
Then add rinsed quinoa, biryani masala powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, and water and mix everything well. Adjust seasoning at this stage.
Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 2 minutes.
When the instant pot beeps, Wait for Natural Pressure Release(NPR).
Remove lid away from you, Squeeze some lime juice. Vegetable Quinoa Biryani is ready. Serve with Raita or plain yogurt.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method
- Follow the process mentioned above until step 3 i.e. Add mixed vegetables, paneer, mint, coriander leaves and cook for a minute.
- Add 1.5 cups of water, biryani masala powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and Mix well. Close the lid place a whistle and cook for 1 whistle on medium flame.
- After pressure has released naturally, Fluff up the quinoa gently. Squeeze some lime juice
- Vegetable Quinoa Biryani is ready. Serve with Raita or plain yogurt.
Stovetop Pot Method
- Follow the process mentioned above until step 3 i.e. Add mixed vegetables, paneer, mint, coriander leaves and cook for a minute.
- Add 2 cups of water, biryani masala powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and Mix well. Let everything come to a boil. Then reduce the flame to low and tightly cover the vessel with a lid. Cook on very low flame until all the water has evaporated. Stir occasionally.
- Then switch off the flame and let it rest covered for at least 10 minutes.Fluff up the quinoa gently. Squeeze some lime juice
- Vegetable Quinoa Biryani is ready. Serve with Raita or plain yogurt.
What to Serve with Veg Quinoa Biryani?
Vegetable Quinoa Biryani can be served with cucumber raita and pickle. But it can be served with any kurma as well.
Tips & Variations
- Soaking quinoa is not mandatory. In this veg quinoa biryani recipe i dint soak the quinoa. But if you have time you can soak for 15-20 minutes and reduce water by ¼ cup.
- Always keep an eye on the time and do not overcook. Quinoa should not be mushy, i like quinoa to be perfectly cooked and separated.
- I have used fresh vegetables in this vegetable quinoa biryani recipe. But you can also use frozen vegetables too.
- I kept the spices mild, you can add more spices as per your preference.
- Vegans replace ghee with oil and replace paneer with tofu.
- Adding roasted cashew nuts, raisins, ghee, in the end, enhances the taste of Biryani a lot more.
More Instant Pot recipes
Vegetable Quinoa Biryani
Equipment
Ingredients
measuring cup used 1 cup = 250 ml
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups Mixed Veggies(Carrots, Beans,Cauliflower and broccoli)
- ½ cup paneer(cottage cheese) optional
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 green chiles slit into half
- 2 tablespoon mint (pudina) leaves
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (coriander leaves)
- 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera)
- 1.5 tablespoons biryani masala powder I use Shakti Biryani Powder mix. Adjust based on your spice level; see 'notes' for substitute
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil / Ghee(clarified butter)
- 1.25 cups water
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add oil or ghee and once it's hot add cumin (jeera).When cumin seeds begin to sizzle, add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Then add sliced onions ,green chilli and saute for 2-3 minutes until they turn soft and light brown in color – stir regularly.
- Add mixed vegetables, paneer ,mint ,coriander leaves and cook for a minute.
- Then add rinsed quinoa, biryani masala powder ,turmeric powder ,red chilli powder ,salt and water and mix everything well .Adjust seasoning at this stage.
- Close the lid on the pot, and turn pressure valve to SEALING position.Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set timer to 2 minutes.Wait for Natural Pressure Release(NPR).
- Remove lid away from you,Squeeze some lime juice .Vegetable Quinoa Biryani is ready.Serve with Raita or plain yogurt.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method:
- Follow the process mentioned above until step 3 ie Add mixed vegetables ,paneer ,mint ,coriander leaves and cook for a minute.
- Add 1.5 cups of water, biryani masala powder ,turmeric powder ,red chilli powder ,salt and Mix well.Close the lid place a whistle and cook for 1 whistle on medium flame.
- After pressure has released naturally ,Fluff up the quinoa gently. Squeeze some lime juice
- Vegetable Quinoa Biryani is ready.Serve with Raita or plain yogurt.
Stovetop Pot Method:
- Follow the process mentioned above until step 3 ie Add mixed vegetables ,paneer ,mint ,coriander leaves and cook for a minute.
- Add 2 cups of water, biryani masala powder ,turmeric powder ,red chilli powder ,salt and Mix well.Let everything come to a boil.Then reduce the flame to low and tightly cover the vessel with a lid. Cook on very low flame until all the water has evaporated.Stir occasionally.
- Then switch off the flame and let it rest covered for at least 10 minutes.Fluff up the quinoa gently. Squeeze some lime juice
- Vegetable Quinoa Biryani is ready.Serve with Raita or plain yogurt.
Notes
- Soaking quinoa is not mandatory.In this recipe i dint soak the rice.But if you have time you can soak for 15-20 minutes and reduce water by ¼ cup.
- You can use any vegetables of your choice like capsicum(bell pepper),sweet corn, mushrooms.Frozen vegetables can be used.
- Substitute for Biryani Masala: 1 tbsp Garam Masala, 1 tsp Coriander Powder, ½ tsp Cumin Powder.
- I kept the spices mild, you can add more spices as per your preference.
- Vegans replace ghee with oil and replace paneer with tofu.
- At the end, You can also add fried cashews, adds a nice taste and texture to the biryani.
Nutrition
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Mathew V says
Looks fine.
Can you suggest with mutton, chicken say meat biriyani.
bhavana says
Hey Mathew ,I am a vegetarian...so have never cooked meat.Sorry