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close-up of jackfruit biryani in the pan
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4.75 from 12 votes

Baked Jackfruit Biryani (Indian kathal Biryani)

Fragrant jackfruit biryani uses jackfruit instead of meat to veganize this favorite dish! Baked means less active time of standing and sautéing. Everything baked in just 1 Pan, and needs just 2 steps.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: baked biryani, baked rice casserole, kathal biryani
Servings: 4
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the jackfruit:

  • 20- ounce can young green jackfruit drained, see notes for subs
  • 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the onion:

  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 whole green cardamom pods slightly open
  • 1 black cardamom pod optional
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon paprika or Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste or minced ginger and garlic

For the rice:

  • 1 cup Indian white basmati rice washed really well and soaked for 5 minutes
  • 2 cups water (for cooking the rice)
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon chopped mint optional

For garnish:

  • roasted cashews omit for nut-free
  • garam masala, cilantro, lemon juice, yogurt or raita , pepper flakes
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare your jackfruit.

  • Preheat the oven to 400º F (205º C).
  • Drain the canned jackfruit and place it in a paper towel, then in a kitchen towel, and fold it over. Wring the towel to remove all the excess moisture. Open it up and break up any large pieces, if any, into halves.
  • Add the jackfruit to a greased baking dish on one side. Add the garam masala, ginger-garlic paste, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and toss well to coat. the other side of the baking dish, 2 teaspoons of oil, and whole spices and mix ( the heat from the baking dish will warm the oil and help the whole spices bloom). Mix for a few seconds then add all of the spices. Then add the onions, ginger garlic. Mix really well, initially mixing just the onion and then mixing in the jackfruit as well.
    Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the onion and jackfruit are golden. You can stir them both up after the 20-minute mark and continue to cook. If the onions are drying up too much at that point add a splash of water or oil and mix it up.

Make the biryani.

  • Remove the baking dish from the oven, (remove half of the jackfruit to add on top later, optional) .Add the drained rice, water, cilantro, mint, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix well. (You can add some chopped veggies now if you like) Cover with parchment and continue to bake for 28 to 35 minutes. Check at the 28-minute mark, and if the rice is cooked remove it from the oven. If the rice is not yet cooked continue to cook for 5 more minutes or until the rice is cooked.
  • Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes then open the parchment paper and fluff the rice really well.
  • Garnish with the reserved jackfruit, cilantro, lemon juice, some roasted cashews, and pepper flakes, and serve with raita or a yogurt drizzle, or curries of choice.

Video

Notes

  • Rinsing and soaking the rice yields a more tender, fluffy texture. 
  • You can also add some saffron milk to this biryani by soaking 4 strands of saffron in a tablespoon of non-dairy milk. Once the saffron has colored the milk, drizzle that all over the biryani. 
  • For a hotter biryani, add also 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne to the spices.  
  • For quicker recipe, add jackfruit and all ingredients directly into the onion mixture . 
To make this recipe with other ingredients instead of jackfruit , you can use up to 16 ounces of mushrooms or 6 to 7 ounces of rehydrated soy curls or 15 oz can of chickpeas or other vegan chicken of choice. You can also use 7 to 8 ounces of cubed and marinated tofu that has been baked along with the onion. Or add these in addition to jackfruit for added protein and double up on the spices 
This recipe is naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free as long as you use a soy- and nut-free non-dairy yogurt. Omit the cashews for nut-free.
Brown rice: brown rice takes much longer to cook and will need an hour or so bake time. Add hot boiling broth and bake, check at 50 minutes. - Or parboil the brown rice for 20 minutes, then add to the casserole dish, use 1 cup hot water/broth instead of 2 cups and continue recipe as written
 

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 321mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 2mg