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Beef Biryani in a pot with a spoon in it
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Craveworthy EASY Beef Biryani

Make authentic Pakistani beef biryani at home with this easy recipe! Flavorful, foolproof, and includes stovetop & Instant Pot options
Course Main Course
Cuisine Pakistani
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 6
Author Sarah Mir

Ingredients

For the Meat Masala:-

  • 1 pound stewing beef cubed
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
  • 6-8 whole black peppers
  • 3-4 laung (cloves)
  • 1 black cardamom (optional)
  • 1-1.5 inch piece cinnamon stick
  • 2 medium sized onions (for 1 cup sliced)
  • 2 thinly sliced green chillies
  • 1 ½ tbsp ginger paste (measuring spoons)
  • 2 tbsp garlic paste (measuring spoons)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • ½-1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1-2 medium tomatoes diced see notes
  • 4-6 dried plums or aloo bukharay. can omit and sub with lemon juice (see notes)
  • 2 medium potatoes cut into 1.5 inch pieces
  • 1 tsp garam masala

For the Rice:

  • 2.5-3 cups rice
  • 2.5-3 tablespoons salt (see notes)

For the finishing touches:

  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • ⅓ cup chopped mint (optional)
  • Juice of a lemon or lemon slices
  • 1 tsp of yogurt mixed with 2 tbsp water
  • Rang/Yellow coloring
  • 4-6 green chilies
  • handful of prefried onions (optional)

Instructions

Rice

  • Wash rice to drain away excess starch and then soak and set aside
  • Boil the rice in salted water when your potatoes are just done so that the rice is still warm when you layer it.

Meat Masala - Instant Pot

  • Heat ½ cup oil in saute mode instant pot and add your whole spices
  • When they sputter and smell toasty add your onion and green chilies and cook till the edges of the onion are golden
  • Now add your ginger and garlic paste, saute for a minute
  • Add the spices, give it a quick mix
  • Stir in the beef, sauteeing until the beef cubes are evenly browned.
  • Stir in your tomatoes, dried plums (if using), and 1.5 cup of hot water.
  • Pressure cook (manual) for 15 minutes, the meat should be cooked through, but not tender.
  • Quick release then add the potatoes and put it back to pressure for 4 minutes.
  • Quick release and then saute to dry up the excess liquid - I like to remove my potatoes here and add them back in later to avoid breaking them. The masala should be so dry that it starts to stick to the bottom and the oil rises to the top.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning - you want a little salty and a little spicy - if you have not used dried plums add lemon juice at this point along with your garam masala, half your mint, cilantro, chilies.

Meat Masala - Stovetop

  • Heat ½ cup oil in a large pot on medium high heat and add your whole spices
  • When they sputter and smell toasty add your onion and green chilies and cook till the edges of the onion are golden
  • Now add your ginger and garlic paste, sauté for a minute
  • Stir in your spices and cook for another minute.
  • Now add in your meat cubes, sautéing until the beef cubes are evenly browned.
  • Stir in your tomatoes, dried plums (if using), and 2 cup of hot water and let the mix simmer on low until the meat is cooked through but not tender, typically 45-50 minutes.
  • Now add in your potatoes and simmer till they're cooked through.
  • Crank up the heat and dry out the masala, I like to take out the potatoes to avoid a potato mash scene. Cook until the excess water dries out and the masala starts sticking to the bottom.
  • Add half your mint, half your cilantro, half your chilies, your garam masala and lemon (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning - you are going for bold here!

Layering

  • Layer half the rice in the pot you used to cook it, then the meat masala, then scatter remaining cilantro, mint and chilies over top and follow it by the remaining half of the rice.
  • Mix a little food color with yogurt and drizzle over top.
  • Cover the pot and cook on the lowest heat for 25 minutes.
  • Use a flat spoon or a small plate and gently mix it to avoid breaking the rice and serve with raita and kachumbar.

Video

Notes

Rice: I cook and drain which is why I use so much salt, if you are cooking with the exact right amount of water then use a tsp per cup. Also 2.5 cups is perfect for a more masala biryani, 3 cups for a lighter (but still yummy) one.
Using a boxed mix: omit all the spices (whole and dried) and sub with ½-1 of your favorite masala packet
Aloo Bukharay vs Lemons: IMHO this Beef Biryani tastes best when you adjust the masala by adding lemon juice when it is cooked. I usually put 2-3 tbsp.
Tips for faster cooking processes in the blog post.