Do you love biryanis, but think it is a lot of work? Worry not!!
This Instant pot Semiya biriyani is what you need. Unlike a traditional biryani, it gets done so soon without a lot of effort and tastes great too. I make this all the time when I am cooking for guests and it is a hit every time. Serve it with a side of raita or chutney to impress your guests.
I don’t do a lot of recipes with vermicelli (semiya) But this Instant pot Semiya Biryani and semiya upma is something I make quite often. There’s nothing like a quick semiya upma to help you out on a busy weeknight. I usually get roasted semiya (roasted vermicelli) so that I have one less work of roasting them which otherwise takes a good 10 minutes of my time. And unlike the traditional stove top method, the instant pot version is actually much easier. I end up with a fluffy semiya everytime.
The secret to this Instant pot Semiya biryani is a simple masala paste that we make fresh using mint leaves, some spices and ginger garlic. The whole spices can be substituted with garam masala powder and coriander leaves can be added along with the mint leaves (which I haven’t done). This fresh masala paste gives that biriyani taste without which it would taste like a simple upma. One point to note while making this masala paste is to not add too much water while grinding it. If you do so, you have to adjust the coconut milk accordingly, so that we don’t end up with a mushy semiya biriyani. And no one likes that!!
The biryani is cooked with coconut milk!
Yes, that’s another secret. The coconut milk makes it so rich and the flavour it adds to the biryani is just amazing. I would strongly recommend using coconut milk, but you could always substitute the coconut milk with water or vegetable stock. They would work perfectly too. Make sure you use unsweetened thin coconut milk for this recipe. I use this organic coconut milk
If you have the veggies prepped, the masala paste would just take a minute or two to be done. The whole dish can be done in less than 30 minutes which is a pretty decent time for a biryani! Don’t you think?
Now lets jump to the recipe
Roasted vermicelli (semiya) cooked with freshly ground masala paste and coconut milk in the instant pot. They are prefect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Grind all the ingredients given under "to be ground" to a smooth paste.
Switch on the saute mode in your Instant pot. Add the oil and when it becomes hot, add the cumin seeds, bayleaf and let the cumin seeds splutter.
Now add the thinly sliced onions and saute until nice and golden brown.
When the onions are done, add the vermicelli, vegetables, ground masala paste and saute for just a minute. Switch off the saute mode.
Now add the coconut milk or water, salt needed for the dish, mix everything well. Scrape the bottom off the inner pot if necesaary if you have stuck onions and vermicelli from the previous steps. Close the lid. Cook on manual high for 2 minutes and release pressure after 6 minutes.
Open up and do not disturb the biriyani for 2 to 3 minutes. Then use a fork to fluff up the biryani. Serve your Semiya Biryani with a side of raita or chutney.
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Hello! I was hoping to make this today but have run out of semi ya. Do you think vermicelli pasta would work? If so, any thoughts on the water ratio and would it still need to be roasted? Thanks!
I havent tested with verimcelli pasta so I am not able to give you the ratio of water. But I would love to know if you did try with vermicelli pasta and what worked for you :)
The proportions and method were perfect, and the biryani turned out great! We all enjoyed it, thanks!
Oh yaay! I'm glad you guys liked it :)
Hi there - what kind of seviyan did you use?
Hi Julie! I used roasted vermicelli we get in the indian grocery stores (Bambino brand). If you are using unroasted one, I would suggest you roast them until they turn golden :) The ones I have used are not instant ones where you soak them in hot water and they get cooked.
I tried this recipe,it was quick and yummy!I replaces onions with fried onions for more quicker lazy weekday dinner!Thanks for the recipe preethi!
Thats a great idea Keerthi! I will try doing it with fried onions next time :) Thank you for the feedback :)
Tried Making this Special Dish.. I t was super yum. Kids and Hubby loved it.
Thank you so much Sai! Glad that everyone liked it :)