Chickpea Biryani – Easy and wholesome, vegetarian Biryani with plump chickpeas cooked in caramelized onions and spices over fragrant basmati rice. Paired with a cooling cucumber raita and squeeze of fresh lime, this biryani makes a hearty meal.
Inspired from one of my favorite bloggers, Annika, this satisfying chickpea biryani with warm spices is my version cooked in the Instant Pot. Annika shares amazing family recipes on her blog with gorgeous photography and captivating stories. She uses a lot of seasonal ingredients to make healthy and delicious foods. Do check out her beautiful blog!
I love that the recipe uses very few spices that are easy to find: fresh ginger and garlic, turmeric, kashmiri red chili powder and garam masala.
Over the last few months, this Chickpea Biryani recipe has evolved to use my favorite kitchen appliance the Instant Pot. Here is an easy recipe that is versatile and can be adapted to suit your taste preference. Serve it with pickles, papad, diced red onions, fresh onions and cooling raita.
Variations for Chickpea Biryani:
- Add a teaspoon of black peppercorn for additional spice.
- Add 1 to 2 diced tomatoes along with the chickpeas for a tangy flavor.
- Substitute ghee with oil for a Vegan Chickpea Biryani.
- If using canned chickpeas, rinse and drain the chickpeas and skip the initial pressure cooking step. Add only 1/2 cup of water along with the chickpeas. Layer over soaked white rice and pressure cook for 6 minutes.
- To make chickpea biryani with brown rice, simply layer rinsed brown rice over the soaked and uncooked chickpeas. Increase the pressure cook time to 25 minutes. Same water proportions will work. Also no need to soak the brown rice since 25 minutes is good time for brown rice to cook.
Step by step recipe for Chickpea Biryani:
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute(more) mode and heat 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add onions and saute for 10 mins, stirring frequently until the onions are caramelized. Take out half of the onion and reserve for garnishing the biryani (photos 1 – 2).
- Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. Drain after 20 mins and keep aside (photos 3 – 4).
- Add remaining ghee to the IP with half of the caramelized onions already in the pot. Add drained chickpeas, ginger, garlic, chilies, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, 1 teaspoon salt and 1-½ cup of water. Mix well (photos 5 – 6).
- Close the Instant pot and turn pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook for 20 minutes followed by quick release. Stir the chickpeas well. Spread the chopped mint and cilantro evenly over the chickpeas. Add drained rice, remaining salt and 2 cups of water. Make sure all the rice is under the water (photos 7 – 10).
- Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook for 6 mins. Allow 5 mins natural pressure release. Open the Instant Pot and garnish with the reserved caramelized onions and cilantro.
- Gently fluff the rice. Serve with cucumber raita and lime wedges.
Recipe for Cucumber Raita
- Peel 2 persian cucumbers. Grade or finely dice.
- Whisk 1 cup of plain yogurt in a small bowl and a sprinkle of salt.
- Mix cucumbers with yogurt and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Note – Check out this gorgeous beetroot raita recipe that also pairs up well with chickpea biryani.
If you are a Biryani lover like me, here are some more amazing recipes:
Here is a quick youtube video to show the twice pressure cooking step using soaked chickpeas to make this vegetarian chickpea biryani:
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An easy and wholesome vegetarian Biryani with plump chickpeas cooked in caramelized onions and spices over fragrant basmati rice.
- 1 cup dry chickpeas soaked overnight in warm water (will be 2 cups soaked)
- 3 tablespoons ghee divided
- 1 large onions thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic grated
- 2 green chillies slit into half (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder or any mild red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 3 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 2 cups long grain basmati rice
- ½ cup mint leaves chopped
- ½ cup cilantro chopped + ¼ cup for garnish
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute(more) mode and heat 2 tablespoons of ghee.
- Add onions and saute for 10 mins, stirring frequently until the onions are caramelized. Take out half of the onion and reserve for garnishing the biryani.
Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. Drain after 20 mins and keep aside.
- Add remaining ghee to the IP with half of the caramelized onions already in the pot. Add drained chickpeas, ginger, garlic, chilies, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, 1 tsp salt and 1-½ cup of water. Mix well.
- Close the Instant pot and turn pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook for 20 minutes followed by quick release.
Stir the chickpeas well. Spread the chopped mint and cilantro evenly over the chickpeas. Add drained rice, remaining salt and 2 cups of water. Make sure all the rice is under the water. Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook for 6 mins. Allow 5 mins natural pressure release.
Open the Instant Pot and garnish with the reserved caramelized onions and cilantro. Gently fluff the rice.
- Serve with cucumber raita and lime wedges.
Recipe Video
If the top layer of rice looks a bit undercooked, simply fluff the top layer of the rice with a fork and keep the Instant Pot for 5 more minutes.
Use oil instead of ghee to make the Biryani vegan.
To make simple cucumber raita, mix 2 peeled and diced persian cucumbers with 1 cup of plain yogurt and a sprinkle of salt. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
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Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in March 2018, but was updated in May 2019 with step by step recipe as well as new photos and tips.
Author: Archana
Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
Ramesh says
Has become a staple and is something I can easily do to help out with cooking.
I add 1 red bell pepper. Also cloves and black pepper and bay leaves.
I use less rice than the recipe I use 1 to 1.5 cups rice.
Archana says
Love the idea of adding veggies. Thank you for the feedback.
Melinda Adetona says
Hi, Can I substitute the long grain basmati rice with regular basmati if I don’t have that on hand?
Archana says
yes you can use regular basmati rice
Emily says
I am making this for dinner right now, and I am very excited! I noticed that the video says to cook the rice for 5 minutes, while the written recipe says 6 minutes. I would love to know for next time which time is preferred — I have my IP on for 6 minutes now. Thank you!
Archana says
5 or 6 mins will work.
Lisa says
I’m quite new to Instant Pot cooking, and was wondering do you need to increase the timings if you double re recipe? many thanks!!
Archana says
Same cook time.
Lisa says
Hi Archana – I just read through previous comments and see that timings do not need to increase when doubling the recipe. I am making this, this afternoon – looks amazing and cant wait to see how it goes. 🙂
Lisa says
Turned out perfect! thanks so much for a great recipe!
Faye Tack says
Please clarify; if using canned chick peas, add only 1/2 cup water to cook 2 cups rice? Is this correct or am I misunderstanding?
Archana says
So use 1/2 cup of water for canned instead of 1.5 cups for chickpeas. And then add 2 cups of water for 2 cups of rice.
Renu says
Can I use brown rice for this recipe? Any changes to the soaking time or cooking time? Thanks!
Archana says
I have it in the variations – To make chickpea biryani with brown rice, simply layer rinsed brown rice over the soaked and uncooked chickpeas. Increase the pressure cook time to 25 minutes. Same water proportions will work. Also no need to soak the brown rice since 25 minutes is good time for brown rice to cook.