Lucknowi Veg Biryani is a classic and a fragrant Indian vegetarian biryani recipe from the Awadhi cuisine with a medley of vegetables and spices. Check out the pressure cooker version of the Lucknowi or the Awadhi veg biryani recipe with step-wise pictures.

Awadhi Cuisine:

It’s the cuisine native to the city of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in India. Awadhi cuisine is known for its kebabs, biryanis, kormas, chaats, samosas, and parathas. Mughal cooking techniques heavily influence this cuisine, and great chefs of Awadh invented the art of dum-style cooking. I recently started exploring this cuisine so stay tuned for some exciting recipes.

Indian Biryanis:

Even though we use the same set of spices and fragrant flavors for Hyderabadi biryani, Kolkata biryani, and Lucknowi biryani, they are different, and they are all rich and delicious. While Hyderabadi biryani is slightly spicy and robust, Lucknowi biryani is mild and subtle. And you cannot separate peppercorns and potatoes from Kolkata biryani. As I made all these biryanis in the pressure cooker and Instant Pot, I can’t talk about the differences in cooking style. :-)

Lucknowi Biryani:

I adapted my Lucknowi recipe from here. I used the Sela basmati rice for biryani. You can read more about it in the Delhi veg biryani recipe. One of the local restaurants here serve Lucknowi biryani with paneer and vegetables, and that inspired me to include paneer. But instead of cooking the paneer along with the biryani, I shallow-fried the paneer and cashews and included it later. We love that mild crunch, and it surely adds a layer of richness to the biryani.

Now without any further ado, let me share how I made this Lucknowi veg biryani in the pressure cooker.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp ghee, divided 1 tbsp + 2 tbsp
1/2 cup paneer cubes or approx 12 to 15 paneer cubes
10 cashews
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 inch-cinnamon
1 black cardamom
2 cardamom
1 mace
1 onion cut lengthwise
1.5 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsps salt
1/4 zucchini, cut into big chunks
1/2 carrot, cut into roundels
1/4 cup peas
5 cauliflower florets
2 potatoes, cut into big cubes
2 tbsp yogurt
1 tbsp rose water
2 tbsp lukewarm water
5 saffron strands
1 cup sela basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
1.25 cups water

Steps:

Soak the saffron in the luke-warm water and set aside. Soak it for atleast 15 to 20 minutes.
Heat the pressure cook or pressure pan and add 1 tbsp of ghee.
Add the cashews and paneer. And fry them until they turn light brown. Remove it from the pan and set aside on a plate/bowl.

Add the remaining 2 tbsps of ghee and add the whole spices – bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, black cardamom, and mace.
Fry for 30 seconds and then add the ginger garlic paste and the onion. Cook until the turns are soft and translucent.

Then add the spice powders – red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt — mix thoroughly.

Add the chopped vegetables and give it a good mix.

Now add the yogurt and rose water and mix.

Then add the rice, water and saffron water.

Mix thoroughly and scrape the bottom if needed.

Close the pressure cooker and put the weight on and cook for one whistle.

Allow the pressure to release naturally and open the lid.
Let the biryani to cool for 5 minutes and fluff it with a fork. Add the fried paneer cubes and cashews. Serve hot with raita.

Recipe Notes-

Adjust salt and spice according to your preference. Make sure you chop the veggies into big chunks for this biryani like the Hyderabadi biryani.
If you can sure biryani essence or the biryani ittar, you can add 1/8th tsp of that instead of rose water and saffron water.
I did not include kewra water/essence, but you can add that as well.

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Lucknowi Veg Biryani

Awadhi Cuisine:

Indian Biryanis:

Lucknowi Biryani: