It’s probably time that I tell you about the Indian Dinner Debacle. When I was a kid, my parents hosted a dinner party for some of our close family friends. They must have been feeling particularly ambitious when planning the menu – they set out to make several brand new Indian recipes, all having what seemed like very long lists of ingredients. We soon became frantic – there were piles of pots and pans everywhere – and even though we felt like we’d used gallons upon gallons of yogurt already, we somehow ran out. My dad raced to the grocery store just hours before our friends were set to arrive, but got into a minor accident when a pizza delivery guy’s foot slipped on his brake. He made it home just fine, but was much later than we expected (remember life before cell phones?). From what I remember, the dinner actually turned out great – but it scarred our family from cooking Indian food for a very long time.
But Indian food really doesn’t need to be complicated and messy. Take this biryani, which comes together in about 30 minutes, doesn’t require a long list of ingredients, and only necessitates one pot.
The first time I remember having biryani was in San Francisco as a kid. I think my parents and I were assuming it would simply be a vehicle to lap up all of those wonderful Indian sauces, but we quickly changed our minds: fragrant, gently spiced, and studded with plump dried fruit and nuts, it really stole the show. It has taken me way too long to recreate the dish, but I’m so glad I finally did. With a cool cucumber raita (a simple yogurt sauce) served on the side, this has become one of my favorite meals. And with the addition of chickpeas, it certainly is filling enough to be a vegetarian main dish. This is delicious with roasted cauliflower, too.
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground)
- 2 tablespoons sweet curry powder
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1.5 cups basmati rice
- 1.5 cups water
- 1.5 cups almond milk
- 1 can cooked chickpeas, drained
- ½ cup raisins (I use a mix of yellow and red)
- ½ cup cashews, lightly toasted
- For the raita:
- 1 cup Greek plain yogurt
- ½ cup finely chopped hothouse cucumber
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- In a large pot, sautee the onion in the oil for about five minutes over medium heat. The onions should be transparent and softened.
- Add the ginger, curry powder, cinnamon sticks and salt. Stir for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Stir in the basmati rice, ensuring it is coated in the spice mixture. Add the water and almond milk, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover.
- While the rice is cooking, combine all of the raita ingredients in a small bowl. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
- The rice will be fully cooked in about 15-20 minutes. Remove lid and add the chickpeas, raisins and cashews. Stir for about one more minute, add additional salt to taste, and serve alongside the raita.
Note: I use this sweet curry, which is comprised of turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, ginger, nutmeg, fennel, cinnamon, white & black pepper, cardamom, cloves and cayenne.
This is a classic that I would love to be eating RIGHT NOW!
Thanks, Jessie! Luckily it’s the kind of thing that can be whipped up very quickly 🙂
My dad loved Indian food and whenever we went out to eat Indian food I would always be at a loss on what to order. He would always say “get the biryani, you’ll love it” and he was always right. I’ve never made biryani before but looking forward to trying your recipe, Julia. Thanks!
Biryani is a great choice for people who are new to Indian food, or those who don’t love the really spicy recipes. I hope this one compares to all the restaurant versions you’ve had!
Well your parents were very brave taking on Indian cuisine for a dinner party. I have tried making a few different Indian dishes several times and it never comes out as good as when I eat at an authentic restaurant.
You make it look so easy though. This sounds amazing!
They were definitely brave! And I agree that a lot of Indian dishes are hard to replicate at home. Luckily this one just requires a few basic spices!
This is right up my alley. I make something similar with rice and cashews and raisins but I haven’t ever done the full biryani recipe. Now I certainly will be, thank you Julia! And what a funny story too (minus your dad’s minor accident).
Cashews and raisins are such a wonderful combination, aren’t they? And yes, it’s definitely a story that my family laughs about quite often 🙂
Ahhh, who hasn’t got a little over ambitious when planning a dinner party menu?! I have fallen into that trap countless times 🙂 I love biryani, beautiful pics!!
Thank you, Emma! And yes, I think we’ve all fallen into the overly ambitious dinner party trap!
Julia, I have all that I need to make this recipe tonight and I can’t wait to start cooking! It looks and sounds absolutely delicious! I remember that Indian dinner at your parent’s home with great fondness. It was a fun evening and I agree, the meal really did turn out to be quite delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe, and for the reminder of what a sweet experience sharing good food with great friends can be!
Thanks for such a nice comment, Mrs. K! I am glad you remember the dinner fondly – I hope my mom sees this 🙂 I’m excited to hear how the biryani turned out for you. If you haven’t tried the sweet curry from Penzey’s, you really must go pick some up!
This looks so so good! I adore Indian food and I’m trying to cook more from scratch. I still haven’t made a biryani but your recipe sounds super easy 🙂
Thank you, Sara! This is such an easy Indian meal to make – I hope it turns out well for you!
If only we’d had your very tempting recipe, then there’d have been no Indian Dinner Debacle! Basmati rice smells heavenly by itself, and the thought of these spices plus raisins and cashews makes my mouth water. Can hardly wait to have YOU cook this for us very soon!
I promise to make this for you very soon! I have a feeling you’ll love this, given the sweet curry from Penzey’s!
Yum! I love biryani, it’s one of my all time favorite comfort foods, and yours looks great 🙂
Thank you, Medha! It’s quickly become one of my go-to comfort foods as well!
YUM! This looks delicious! Indian food is my favorite type of food, so this is right up my alley. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Trish! Indian food is my favorite type of food as well – I find it completely addicting!
Haha… ‘life before cell phones…’ Oh, I know!? Hard to imagine life without them, now. I’ve not tried biryani, but all the ingredients together sound fabulously delicious. I especially love the sweetness from the raisins and the crunch from the cashews. And how about that raita? Delicious! Thank you for this, Julia! It’s on the list!
Thank you, Traci! I hope you enjoy it 🙂 And yes, isn’t it so bizarre to think about life before cell phones? I think I’m way too dependent on mine…
thank you for shedding some light on biryani. i always thought it was much more complicated! and that story about your family, great memories. i want to make this for a weeknight meal soon!
I always think Indian food will be complicated too, but this recipe is wonderfully simple! Now I’ll have to tackle some of my other favorites, like paneer tikka masala…
Oh no! I think that would scar me too! I’ve never actually cooked Indian food before, probably because I’m scared something like that would happen, but I love to eat it so maybe it is time I learn how! This biryani looks delicious 🙂
I used to be scared of Indian food, but this is a great dish to start off with! As long as you can find a nice Sweet Curry (my favorite is from Penzey’s, which I think you can order online), then you’re all set!!
Wow, that would have turned me off from making Indian for a while, too! I love Indian food, but never make it. I know there are many simple recipes out there, but I guess I’m still intimidated (it’s been three years since I last made it!) your photos are convincing me it is time to give it another go.
Indian food is definitely daunting at times, but I promise this is extremely easy! I hope you give it a go!
Hi Julia: Congratulations for your blog, you have excellents recipes! I am a friend of your mother in law Silvia. My husband and I were in your wedding last year. Yesterday Silvia invited a group of friends for a lunch party and prepared two of your recipes: Panzannella and Pesto Gnocchis; both absolutely delicious! The addition of the peaches to the salad was great! I am not a pasta fan but I loved the gnocchis Everybody enjoyed the food!
Congratulations again and good luck to you and Tommy in your new life in San Francisco.
Hi Susana, thank you so much for your kind comment! I am thrilled that you enjoyed the panzanella and gnocchi. I have never cooked for 16 people, so I’m very happy to hear that the recipes can feed a crowd!