Instant Pot tofu biryani
Fragrant basmati rice cooked with spiced tofu, deeply browned onions, peas and warm biryani spices in one pot, finished with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
- 60 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.47 a serving
- 640 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1½ cups basmati rice
- 2 packages extra-firm tofu, drained
- 1 tbsp garam masala, divided
- 1 lime, halved
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
From your pantry
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1½ tsp salt, divided
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ cups water
Each serving has about 640 calories, 32 g protein, 76 g carbs and 24 g fat, and costs about $2.47 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No basmati rice? Jasmine rice or long-grain white rice works.
- No extra-firm tofu? Firm tofu works.
- No limes? Lemons work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No frozen peas? Frozen mixed vegetables work.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the rice in a strainer until the water runs almost clear, then leave it to soak in a bowl of cold water while you cook.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Dolly’s tip: Soaking lets the long grains cook up fluffy and separate instead of breaking.the tofu dry, cut it into 1-inch , and in a bowl with 1 teaspoon garam masala, the turmeric, paprika, cayenne, ½ teaspoon salt and the juice of half the lime.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Cube. Cubing means cutting food into chunky, even squares, usually three quarters of an inch to an inch. Same-size cubes cook at the same speed and brown on every side.
How you’ll know: Your pieces look like a handful of sugar cubes, a little bigger than diced, all close to the same size.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Set the Instant Pot to , add 2 tablespoons oil and the onions, and cook, stirring often, about 12 minutes, until deep .
Sauté. Sautéing means cooking cut-up food in a little oil or butter over medium to medium-high heat, stirring now and then. It cooks things quickly and browns them lightly without burning.
How you’ll know: You hear a steady, lively sizzle, not a hiss and spit, and the edges start to soften and color.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 12 min
Dolly’s tip: Browned onions are the soul of biryani. If they start to catch, add a splash of water and scrape.Scoop out about a third of the onions onto a plate for the top.
Add the rest of the oil and the tofu and cook 4 minutes, turning, until the spices smell toasty.
Timer: 4 min
Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, bay leaves and the rest of the garam masala for 1 minute, . Press Cancel.
Fragrant. Fragrant means cooking until you can clearly smell it, usually garlic or spices, often in about 30 seconds. That’s the moment the flavor is ready, just before it can burn.
How you’ll know: You can smell it from a step back, and garlic is pale gold, not brown.
Timer: 1 min
the rice and spread it over the tofu with the peas. Pour in the water and 1 teaspoon salt and gently press the rice under the liquid without stirring.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing and cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes. Let the pressure come down on its own for 10 minutes, then turn the valve to Venting.
Timer: 16 min
Food safety: Tofu is safe to eat straight from the package; cooking is only for texture and flavor.
Fluff gently with a fork, fish out the bay leaves, and top with the saved onions, cilantro and the other lime half cut into wedges.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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