Instant Pot Jackfruit Rice Biryani (Kathal Biryani)
Instant Pot jackfruit biryani is a delicious, vegetarian Indian rice dish that can be served as a main dish or a side. Green, young jackfruit is a popular meat substitute with a similar texture to pulled pork. With its neutral flavor, it's perfect for taking on the spices and aromatics of the dish.
1pound jackfruit454 grams, fresh or thawed frozen young green, in chunks
½teaspoonground turmeric
½teaspoonground cumin
½teaspoonground coriander seed
Red chili powderas needed
1tablespoonbesan9 grams, chickpea flour or another flour
Saltas needed
Biryani
2cupsuncooked basmati rice400 grams
¼cupoil60 ml, neutral flavor
2onionsmedium, thinly sliced
saltas needed
½-inchginger1.3-cm, finely grated
2clovesgarlicfinely grated
2teaspoonbiryani masala4 grams, see notes
1tomatosmall, pureed
2cupswater480 ml
4 to 5sprigs fresh cilantroleaves roughly chopped, for garnishing
Serve with basic raita,cucumber yogurt, and naan.
Instructions
To make the marinade, place the jackfruit in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the turmeric, cumin, coriander, red chili powder, chickpea flour and salt over the jackfruit. Toss the jackfruit to coat it evenly in the spices. Let the jackfruit marinate on the counter while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
To make the biryani, rinse the rice under cold tap water until the water runs clear. Set the rice aside.
Place the inner pot in the Instant Pot and press the Sauté button. Once hot, add the oil and onions. Season the onions with salt to help them soften. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring them frequently until they are golden brown. Set aside about one-third of the fried onions for garnishing the dish.
Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and sauté the mixture for 1 minute. Add the biryani masala spiced blend and sauté the mixture for 30 seconds to let the spices bloom.
Add the tomato and stir the ingredients to combine them. Deglaze the bottom of the pot with a splash of water by scraping it with a wooden spoon. This is an important step; if the bottom of the pot is not deglazed well, the “burn” error might appear during the pressure-cooking stage. Cook the mixture for another 5 minutes, until the tomato puree loses most of its moisture.
Stir in the marinated jackfruit and toss it gently to combine it with the biryani mixture, making sure the jackfruit chunks don’t break apart. Sauté the mixture for about 1 minute, stirring it once or twice. Press the Cancel button to turn off the Instant Pot.
Spread the rinsed rice in an even layer on top of the spiced jackfruit chunks. Gently pour in the water without disturbing the layers of jackfruit and rice, ensuring the rice is fully immersed.
Close the Instant Pot’s lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position.
Press the Rice button and use the default settings for time and pressure, 12 minutes at low pressure. When the cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally—which will take 10 to 12 minutes—and then open the lid.
Transfer the biryani to a serving bowl or a deep platter. Garnish the biryani with the reserved fried onions and cilantro. Serve it warm with the raita on the side, and maybe some naan bread.
Notes
Biryani masala is readily available in Indian stores or on Amazon or other online retailers. If you cannot find it, you can substitute it with the same amount of Easy Garam Masala (page 172) with 1 dried bay leaf, 3 to 4 petals of star anise, 1 pod black cardamom and 4 to 5 black peppercorns added to it.
Storage tips: As with most cooked rice dishes, the key is to cool and refrigerate leftover rice as quickly as possible. Spread it out in a thin layer on a baking sheet or tray so it cools rapidly. Then, when cold, put into a container, cover and chill in the fridge. Keep the rice for no more than a day before reheating it – then only reheat it once.
Freezing: Biryani can be frozen for up to 2 months. Once cooled, portion into airtight containers before placing them into the freezer to store. Optionally, if you want to prevent air from getting in and to stop the odour of the biryani from escaping into your freezer, wrap the container in a layer of cling film. Thaw out overnight in the fridge and reheat with a splash of water or stock to moisten the rice.