This jackfruit biryani features layers of saffron-infused basmati rice cooked with whole spices, herbs, juicy chunks of jackfruit, potatoes, and bell peppers. Biryani is a labor of love, but it’s so worth it and will forever be my favorite way to eat rice.
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I’ve never met someone who doesn’t like biryani. It is impossible not to love! It features layers of saffron-infused basmati rice that was cooked with whole spices and herbs. When whole spices are involved, you know the flavor is going to be out of this world. My favorite biryani has become jackfruit biryani because jackfruit is such a wonderful plant-based substitute for meat! My dad is obsessed with biryani, which usually highlights chicken or goat meat, but even he thinks this jackfruit version is on par with the popular non-vegetarian styles of biryani. This biryani also has potatoes and red bell peppers to increase the variety.
The Beauty of Basmati
This jackfruit biryani highlights US-grown basmati rice, which is the iconic fluffy long-grain rice used often in Indian cooking. USA Rice provides plenty of information about where rice grows in the US, who grows it, and available rice varieties. They’ve been committed to sustainability long before it was trendy and over the past few decades, the US rice industry has made strides in its sustainability practices. I’m proud to be sharing this recipe in partnership with them!
What is Biryani?
Biryani is a one-pot South Asian dish of long-grain, saffron-infused basmati rice flavored with fragrant whole and ground spices and layered with a spicy gravy. The gravy usually has some kind of meat, but in this recipe, we use jackfruit. The dish cooks on a low flame and when it’s done, the layers are slowly combined, resulting in this warm, gorgeous yellow-orange color.
What is Jackfruit?
I really hope everyone has heard of jackfruit, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you haven’t tried it because it isn’t common in some regions. It is primarily grown in tropical climates, so the only place I have ever had fresh jackfruit is in India. In this recipe, we use canned jackfruit. Although it has “fruit” in the name, it’s actually a vegetable. In fact, some people even call it a “vegetable meat” because of its texture. When it’s ripe, it’s sweet, but when it’s unripe, it’s pretty neutral in flavor. This makes it ideal for savory dishes like this one, because it absorbs whichever flavors you want it to absorb.
How to Make This Jackfruit Biryani
Soak rice.
Make sure to soak rice for 30 minutes. While the rice soaks, prep the rest of your ingredients.
Fry the potatoes and bell pepper.
This dish is the “full version” rather than the healthified version, but you can use less oil for this if you would like to. Just make sure the potatoes and bell pepper are cooked before adding them to the biryani.
Pan fry the jackfruit.
This is always my favorite method for adding tofu to a dish and it works perfectly for jackfruit too. If you’d like to go oil-free, I think baking could be a possibility, but I always find baking to be more of a hassle. The pan frying requires 2 tbsp avocado oil (or another neutral oil), 2 500g cans of jackfruit, and 10 minutes.
Boil the rice with whole spices.
Make sure the water is boiling before you add the rice. The water should clearly be bubbling. Cover and simmer until the rice is cooked about three-quarters of the way, so this should take around 10 minutes. However, you will need to start checking the rice around 8 minutes in. Simply take a few grains of rice out of the water and use your finger to feel it. It should be a little undercooked. Drain the water and set the rice aside.
Cook the gravy.
This uses your classic onion, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and ground spices, like coriander, cumin, turmeric, red chili powder, and garam masala. It also uses biryani masala, which you can find at any Indian grocery store or online. The recipe offers a substitution if you can’t get your hands on some biryani masala, but if you plan on making biryani a regular occurrence in your household, I’d recommend buying the masala!
Add yogurt and jackfruit.
When the tomato gravy comes together, add some plant-based yogurt. You may need to add some water at this step because you don’t want the gravy to be totally dry if it is going to mix well with the rice layer.
Add the rice layer.
Make sure NOT to mix. Swirl the saffron milk on top of the rice. Cover and cook on low for 10 minutes. Slowly combine the layers and let it sit just a tad longer.
Crispy onions.
These are mandatory. You should fry them in a neutral oil for tastiest results, but you can also air-fry them.
Jackfruit Biryani
Ingredients
Rice
- 2 cups basmati rice *soak in water for 30 minutes
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 4-5 black cloves
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 green cardamoms
- 5-6 black peppercorns
Vegetables
- ⅓ + 1 tbsp avocado oil, divided *sub any neutral oil
- 5 white potatoes, quartered
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 500g can of jackfruit
Biryani
- 6-8 strands of saffron
- 3 tbsp plant-based milk
- 3 tbsp avocado oil *sub any neutral oil
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste *about 2 inches ginger, 6 garlic cloves
- 3 green chilis, whole
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
- salt
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 2 tbsp biryani masala *sub 1 tsp ground coriander and 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ cup plant-based yogurt
- ½ cup herbs (mint and/or cilantro)
Fried onions
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup avocado oil *sub any neutral oil
Instructions
- Soak rice in plenty of water for at least 30 minutes. Soak 6-8 strands of saffron in 3 tbsp plant-based milk. Drain the cans of jackfruit and rinse the jackfruit in water. Squeeze out excess water from the jackfruit. Set aside while you prep ingredients.
- Boil rice. Fill the pot you will boil rice in with plenty of water that is approximately three quarters the height of the pot. Bring the water to a boil. When the water is almost boiling, add the whole spices. When it is clearly bubbling, add 2 tsp salt and all the rice. Let it simmer uncovered on high for about 10-12 minutes, but begin to check it after about 8 minutes. You should cook it until it is 3/4 cooked, so it is still a little firm. Drain the water and set the rice aside.
- Shallow fry the potatoes and bell peppers. Add ⅓ cup avocado oil to a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, preferably the same dish you will use to cook the biryani. Fry the potatoes until they are golden-brown. Set the potatoes aside on a paper towel, leaving the oil in the saucepan. Fry the red bell peppers in the remaining oil until they are soft. Set the bell peppers on a paper towel.
- Pan fry jackfruit. If there is still oil remaining in the saucepan, add the jackfruit. If not, add 1 tbsp oil first. Pan fry each jackfruit piece for 3-4 minutes per side. Each side should look browned and crisp when done. Take the jackfruit out of the pan and place on a paper towel.
- Cook the gravy. Let 3 tbsp avocado oil heat in the same large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onions until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chilis. Cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes. Cover and cook on medium-high for 4-5 minutes, until the tomato juices evaporate and a gravy forms. Add salt to accelerate the cooking a little bit.
- Add all spices: coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, red chili powder, and biryani masala, if using. Combine with the gravy for 2 minutes.
- Add yogurt and let it incorporate in the gravy for 2-3 minutes. Then add the pan-fried jackfruit, potatoes, red bell peppers, and half of the herbs. Combine it well with the gravy. Cover and cook over medium for 10 minutes. Keep 1/2 a cup of water near you. Occasionally uncover, stir, and add some water to make sure it does not get dry.
- Add the rest of the herbs, but do not mix them in. Add the rice on top of the jackfruit layer. Swirl the saffron milk over the rice. Do NOT mix the layers yet. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Slowly combine the layers, cover again, and continue cooking on low for 10-12 minutes. After that, turn off the heat and let the biryani rest until serving.
- Fry the onions. Fry the onions in enough oil that the onions are submerged in the oil. Check frequently to make sure they do not burn. Take them out and place them on a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Before serving, garnish with crispy onions and a ton of cilantro or mint! Optionally, serve with raita (yogurt with cumin and cilantro) on the side.
