Egg Biryani in Instant Pot

This Egg Biryani recipe in the Instant Pot stars delicately cooked eggs and rice scented with store-bought biryani mix and saffron. It's an easy and convenient one-pot vegetarian meal best served any night of the week with cooling raita.

Biryani is a common occurrence in my house. We love chicken biryani, lamb dum biryani, vegetable biryani, chana masala biryani, achari paneer biryani. I even have a twist on the traditional rice-based meal with quinoa vegetable biryani.

But unlike traditional biryani recipes, the eggs require no marinating time or prep work. I simply cook them pot-in-pot style with basmati rice and dinner is on the table in no time!

Historical Fact: Who invented Biryani? According to many historians, biryani was first invented in Persia and was brought to India by the Mughals. The Mughal royal kitchen further embellished the protein and rice dish as a way to provide a balanced diet to the undernourished soldiers.

What is Egg Dum Biryani?

Egg Dum Biryani is an Indian classic where rice is cooked with a spicy egg layer. It is a take on Hyderabadi Gosht Biryani (rice with meat).

Easy & Convenient Indian Delicacy

I like to think of this as an Indian delicacy that meets an easy meal. It's one of my family's favorite biryani recipes because:

• One special store-bought spice blend cuts down on ingredients for an easy and convenient preparation.
• The eggs and rice cook in one-pot (the Instant Pot!) for a fast, make-it-any-time-you-want homemade meal.
• It's completely vegetarian, gluten-free and easily customizable to include more veggies for a healthy, well-balanced meal!

Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions

The ingredients are a mix of fresh and pantry staples, including basmati rice, ghee, aromatics, biryani spice mix, yogurt, water, fresh herbs, eggs and saffron.

• Basmati Rice: Long grain Basmati rice is best for all biryani recipes. The grains are large enough to cook to fluffy, soft, individual golden jewels. For best results, rinse under cool running water, then soak the rice in tap water for 15 minutes.
• Onions: One of the star ingredients in authentic egg biryani is fried onions. I like to make them from scratch when I have the time. But I have also taken a short-cut and used already prepared fried onions from Trader Joe's.
• Biryani Spice Mix: I use Shan Biryani mix for convenience, but any biryani mix would work. Look for it in specialty Indian grocers or online. Alternatively, feel free to make your own spice blend.
  • Simply mix together 1 tablespoon garam masala + 1 tablespoon coriander + 1 teaspoon cumin + 1 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder + ½ teaspoon ground cardamom + ½ teaspoon turmeric
• Eggs: A half-dozen large eggs is just the right amount for four servings. The eggs are cut in half, resulting in 12 pieces.
• Saffron: Saffron adds that final touch of elegance and golden hue, just make sure to bloom it in warm water or milk beforehand. If you want to skip the saffron, feel free to add a few drops of yellow food color or add a few drops of rose water to add floral notes at the very end.

Pot-in-Pot Accesories: Don't forget the Instant Pot accessories needed for pot-in-pot hard boiled eggs - either the trivet or egg stand will do.

Step By Step Instructions for Egg Biryani Recipe

The whole recipe is ready in under one hour from start-to-finish. If you're using store-ready fried onions, you can enjoy this dish in 30 minutes! I like to prep the onions and aromatics while the rice is soaking. As for the spices, well, all I have to do is open the package.

1. Soak Rice, Fry Onions & Add Spices

• Rinse the rice and soak in 3 cups of water for 15 minutes while you prepare the onions (Pic 1). After 15 minutes, drain, rinse and set the rice aside.
• Select Saute mode at high. When the pot is hot, add 2 tablespoons ghee. Add onions, ¼ teaspoon salt and saute until they turn light golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Remove half of the onions and reserve for later. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to deglaze the pot (Pic 2).
• Now add the remaining tablespoon of ghee, bay leaves, minced ginger, garlic, chopped tomatoes and spices. Add ¼ cup of water, stir and cook for 2 minutes until tomatoes soften. Cancel saute (Pic 3).
• Add in whisked yogurt while stirring continuously. Add rice and water and give it a good stir, scraping the bottom of the pot with your spatula to prevent the 'burn' sign. Top with half of the chopped cilantro and mint (Pic 4).

2. Add Eggs, Pressure Cook & Finish

• Place a trivet or a tall steamer basket in the pot. Place 6 eggs on top of that. Close the lid in place, set the sealing valve to 'sealing' and cook on pressure cook or manual mode for 6 minutes at high pressure (Pic 5).
• After cooking time is done, follow the quick pressure release instructions of your model. Open the lid after the pin drops. Remove the eggs and place them in ice cold water for 5 minutes (Pic 6). After that, peel them. To prevent the rice from overcooking, remove the instant pot insert from the base and keep it on a cool surface.
• Pour the soaked saffron over the cooked rice and add the reserved fried onions, cilantro and mint. Using a fork, fluff the rice gently. Let it sit for 5 minutes uncovered (Pic 7).
• Meanwhile, heat a fry pan on medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons ghee or oil and 1 teaspoon biryani spice mix. Give it a stir and toss the eggs in that for a minute. Turn off the heat, remove the eggs and cut them in half (Pic 8). Serve the biryani in a wide dish or plate, and top with the sautéed eggs.

Alternative Method: Stovetop

• Soak rice: Rinse the rice and soak in 3 cups of water for 15 minutes while you prepare the onions. After 15 minutes, drain, rinse and set the rice aside.
• Boil eggs: Meanwhile, place the eggs in a medium pot covered with an inch of water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let sit 11 minutes. Remove the eggs and place them in ice cold water for 5 minutes. After that, peel them.
• Fry onions: Place a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons ghee. Add onions, ¼ teaspoon salt and saute until they turn light golden brown, about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove half of the onions and reserve for later. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan.
• Stir in aromatics and spices: Add the remaining ghee, bay leaves, ginger and garlic paste, chopped tomatoes and biryani spice blend. Add ¼ cup of water, stir and cook until tomatoes soften.
• Mix in yogurt and cook rice: While stirring continuously, mix in whisked yogurt. Add rice and water and give it a good stir, scraping the bottom of the pot with your spatula. Top with half of the chopped cilantro and mint. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook 12-15 minutes.
• Saute eggs: Meanwhile, heat a fry pan on medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons ghee or oil and 1 teaspoon biryani spice mix. Give it a stir and toss the eggs in that for a minute. Turn off the heat, remove the eggs and cut them in half.
• Finish and serve: When the rice is fully cooked, remove from heat. Pour the soaked saffron over the cooked rice and add the reserved fried onions, cilantro and mint. Using a fork, fluff the rice gently. Let it sit for 5 minutes uncovered. Serve the biryani in a wide dish or plate, and top with the sautéed eggs.

Serving Suggestions for this Indian Egg Biryani Recipe

Cucumber raita is a great pair as it adds a wonderful cooling component to the spicy eggs and rice. Avocado raita or boondi raita is another great option.

Variation to Try

• High Protein: Simply add more eggs to suit your needs. There is no need to change the recipe.
• More Grains: To add more rice, simply follow a 1:1 ratio for rice to water.
• More Veggies: To add more veggies to the dish, add 1 cup sliced carrots or bell peppers along with the rice and water.
• Less Spicy: To make it less spicy, add 1 tablespoon biryani mix + 1 tablespoon coriander powder instead.

Recipe Tips & Notes:

• Rinse and soak the rice. This rids of excess starch and prevents the rice grains from sticking together. The individual grains are the magic touch to any traditional biryani recipe.
• Use store-bought or homemade biryani masala. I like Shan Bombay Biryani Spice Mix for convenience. If unavailable or you prefer to make your own, combine 1 tablespoon garam masala + 1 tablespoon coriander + 1 teaspoon cumin + 1 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder + ½ teaspoon ground cardamom + ½ teaspoon turmeric
• Scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent the Burn message. I do this while frying the onions, as well as when I add the rice and water. Plus, it picks up all those flavorful caramelized sugars.
• Shock the eggs in a bowl of ice water. This stops the cooking process (which prevents overcooked eggs) and makes them easier to peel.
• Poke the hard boiled eggs with a toothpick, if desired. Lightly poke holes into the eggs prior to sautéing to allow some of the ghee and spices to soak into the center.
• Pat the eggs dry before sautéing. A dry outer surface prevents hot ghee or oil from sputtering all over your kitchen.
• Remove the inner steel pot of the Instant Pot after cooking. This stops the rice from overcooking.
• Bloom the saffron in warm liquid. Saffron needs a little assistance to bring out its flavor. Soak in 1 tablespoon warm water or milk for the best flavor.
• To substitute the saffron, add a few drops yellow food color. Alternatively, add a few drops of rose water to add floral notes to the dish.

Egg Biryani FAQ

More Instant Pot Biryani Recipes From My Kitchen

• Chicken Biryani: A one-pot Indian chicken and rice dish, in which marinated chicken is steam-cooked with aromatic basmati rice and flavored with herbs and saffron.
• Lamb Dum Biryani: Marinated meat is layered with nutty basmati rice, flavored with aromatic spices like garam masala and saffron, and steam cooked to perfection.
• Achari Paneer Biryani: A merge of two Indian favorites featuring nutty basmati rice cooked with soft paneer and seasoned with tangy Indian pickling spices.
• Chana Masala Biryani: A combination of two delicious Indian delicacies, chickpeas curry called Chana Masala, and an aromatic rice pilaf called Biryani.
• Quinoa Vegetable Biryani: Rice is replaced with quinoa in this simple 30-minute recipe, and simmered along with vegetables and paneer, for a sumptuous meal.

More Egg Recipes From My Kitchen

• Frittata Muffins: Muffin shaped warm, fluffy and nutritious eggs bites get steamed in an electric pressure cooker for a gluten-free, low carb breakfast.
• Egg Bhurji Recipe: Tomatoes, onions, veggies and warm Indian spices transform plain scrambled eggs into a substantially satisfying meal that's ready in 15 minutes!
• Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs: The popular 5-5-5 method works like a charm every single time and makes for some real easy-to-peel boiled eggs.

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Egg Biryani in Instant Pot

Aneesha Gupta

This Egg Biryani recipe in the Instant Pot stars delicately cooked eggs and rice with store-bought biryani mix for a one-pot vegetarian meal.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Quick Release/Resting Time 10 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4

Calories 516 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Instant Pot

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1¼ cups basmati rice rinsed and soaked for 15 minutes
• ▢ 3 tablespoons ghee or light olive oil + 2 teaspoons for eggs
• ▢ 2 cups thinly sliced onions (red/white/yellow - 2 medium)
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced or grated ginger ½-inch piece
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2-3 cloves
• ▢ 1 roma tomato chopped
• ▢ 2½ tablespoons Shan Bombay Biryani Spice Mix (half the packet) + 1 teaspoon for eggs - see notes for substitute
• ▢ ⅓ cup plain yogurt whisked till smooth
• ▢ 1¼ cups water
• ▢ ½ cup cilantro leaves chopped, leaves and light green stems
• ▢ ¼ cup mint leaves chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried mint
• ▢ 6 large eggs
• ▢ 1 pinch saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon warm water or milk - see notes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

Soak Rice, Fry Onions & Add Spices

• Rinse the rice and soak in 3 cups of water for 15 minutes while you prepare the onions. After 15 minutes, drain, rinse and set the rice aside.
  
• Select Saute mode at high. When the pot is hot, add 2 tablespoons ghee. Add onions, ¼ teaspoon salt and saute until they turn light golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Remove half of the onions and reserve for later. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to deglaze the pot.
  
• Add the remaining tablespoon of ghee, bay leaves, minced ginger, garlic, chopped tomatoes and spices. Add ¼ cup of water, stir and cook for 2 minutes until tomatoes soften. Cancel saute.
  
• Add in whisked yogurt while stirring continuously. Add rice and water and give it a good stir, scraping the bottom of the pot with your spatula to prevent the 'burn' sign. Top with half of the chopped cilantro and mint.
  

Add Eggs, Pressure Cook & Finish

• Place a trivet or a tall steamer basket in the pot. Place 6 eggs on top of that. Close the lid in place, set the sealing valve to 'sealing' and cook on pressure cook or manual mode for 6 minutes at high pressure.
  
• After cooking time is done, follow the quick pressure release instructions of your model. Open the lid after the pin drops. Remove the eggs and place them in ice cold water for 5 minutes. After that, peel them. To prevent the rice from overcooking, remove the instant pot insert from the base and keep it on a cool surface.
  
• Pour the soaked saffron over the cooked rice and add the reserved fried onions, cilantro and mint. Using a fork, fluff the rice gently. Let it sit for 5 minutes uncovered.
  
• Meanwhile, heat a fry pan on medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons ghee or oil and 1 teaspoon biryani spice mix. Give it a stir and toss the eggs in that for a minute. Turn off the heat, remove the eggs and cut them in half. Serve the biryani in a wide dish or plate, and top with the sautéed eggs. Enjoy with cooling cucumber raita.
  

Alternative Method: Stovetop

• Rinse the rice and soak in 3 cups of water for 15 minutes while you prepare the onions. After 15 minutes, drain, rinse and set the rice aside.
• Meanwhile, place the eggs in a medium pot covered with an inch of water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let sit 11 minutes. Remove the eggs and place them in ice cold water for 5 minutes. After that, peel them.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons ghee. Add onions, ¼ teaspoon salt and saute until they turn light golden brown, about 12-15 minutes, stirring ocassionally. Remove half of the onions and reserve for later. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan.
• Add the remaining ghee, bay leaves, ginger and garlic paste, chopped tomatoes and biryani spice blend. Add ¼ cup of water, stir and cook until tomatoes soften.
• While stirring continuously, mix in whisked yogurt. Add rice and water and give it a good stir, scraping the bottom of the pot with your spatula. Top with half of the chopped cilantro and mint. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook 12-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a fry pan on medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons ghee or oil and 1 teaspoon biryani spice mix. Give it a stir and toss the eggs in that for a minute. Turn off the heat, remove the eggs and cut them in half.
• When the rice is fully cooked, remove from heat. Pour the soaked saffron over the cooked rice and add the reserved fried onions, cilantro and mint. Using a fork, fluff the rice gently. Let it sit for 5 minutes uncovered. Serve the biryani in a wide dish or plate, and top with the sautéed eggs. Enjoy with cooling cucumber raita.

Video

Notes

• Rinse and soak the rice. This rids of excess starch and prevents the rice grains from sticking together. The individual grains are the magic touch to any traditional biryani recipe.
• Use store-bought or homemade biryani masala. I like Shan Bombay Biryani Spice Mix for convenience. If unavailable or you prefer to make your own, combine 1 tablespoon garam masala + 1 tablespoon coriander + 1 teaspoon cumin + 1 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder + ½ teaspoon ground cardamom + ½ teaspoon turmeric
• Scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent the Burn message. I do this while frying the onions, as well as when I add the rice and water. Plus, it picks up all those flavorful caramelized sugars.
• Shock the eggs in a bowl of ice water. This stops the cooking process (which prevents overcooked eggs) and makes them easier to peel.
• Poke the hard boiled eggs with a toothpick, if desired. Lightly poke holes into the eggs prior to sautéing to allow some of the ghee and spices to soak into the center.
• Pat the eggs dry before sautéing. A dry outer surface prevents hot ghee or oil from sputtering all over your kitchen.
• Remove the inner steel pot of the Instant Pot after cooking. This stops the rice from overcooking.
• Bloom the saffron in warm liquid. Saffron needs a little assistance to bring out its flavor. Soak in 1 tablespoon warm water or milk for the best flavor.
• To substitute the saffron, add a few drops yellow food color. Alternatively, add a few drops of rose water to add floral notes to the dish.

 

Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 320mg | Sodium: 129mg | Potassium: 382mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 809IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 2mg

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