Lima Beans Biryani - Butter Beans Biryani in an Instant Pot

I tend to make biryani a lot. It is quick, tasty and flavorful. Be it mixed vegetables, eggplant or fresh shelled Lima or kidney beans they all end up tasting good. While none of these will compare to chicken or mutton biryani, this Lima beans biryani is nothing to snicker at.

Ever since I switched to cooking biryani in an Instant Pot, I cook the spices, add the rice and set the Instant Pot on timer for some piping hot meal at lunch time. Normally I cook in the evenings but the past year I switched to cooking in the mornings. I wake up early because I go to bed early :) It is much faster to get cooking out of the way in the mornings then to do it through the day or later in the day.

You can put the Instant Pot in saute mode and do the sauteing of the spices directly in it. I do it in the stove pot because it is much faster.

The recipe I use biryanis is pretty much same for both non veg and veg. I cannot do biryani without coriander leaves and mint leaves. I normally have frozen mint leaves pretty much always. I used freshly shelled Lima Beans for this recipe. These pretty beans are called Christmas Lima Beans.

Recipe in pictures,

Heat oil, add the spices, saute onions, green chilies, ginger garlic, coriander and mint leaves, tomatoes and when the tomatoes are nice and mushy add in the lima beans.
Mix the beans into the masala mixture and add the rice.
Add water and transfer contents to the Instant Pot.
Cook for 6 minutes in the Instant Pot.

Unplug the Instant Pot once the cooking is complete.

Lima Beans Biryani
Preparation Time:20 minutes
Cooking Time:25 minutes
Ingredients

1. 3-4 cups of freshly sheled Lima Beans (if using dry soak it overnight)
2. 1 1/2 cups of Basmati Rice
3. 1 cup of thinly sliced onions
4. 2 tbsp grated ginger and garlic
5. 6-8 green chilies
6. handful of chopped mint + handful of chopped coriander leaves
7. 2 tsp turmeric powder
8. 2 tsp of red chili powder (or to taste)
9. 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes
10. 1/4 tbsp of curd(yogurt) whisked (skip for vegan)
11. Seasonings: curry leaves, cinnamon sticks 2 small pieces, few cloves, 1 small star anise
12. Salt to taste
13. 1/2 tbsp oil

Method

1. In a wide mouthed pan, heat oil and add the whole spices - cinnamon and cloves followed by the curry leaves, saute for a minute.
2. Add the thinly sliced onions and green chilies and saute till the onions start to turn slightly brown.
3. Add in the grated ginger and garlic and saute for a minute stirring to avoid burning.
4. Add in the mint leaves and coriander leaves and saute till the leaves are fully wilted.
5. Add in the chopped tomatoes and salt and let cook till the tomatoes become mushy. Takes approximately 4-5 minutes.
6. Add in the shelled lima beans red chili powder and turmeric powder and saute for 3-4 minutes.
7. Add the whisked yogurt, mix and add in the washed rice and mix it well into the masala.
8. Now add in the required amount of water for the rice, check for salt and heat. (For unsoaked Basmati Rice 1: 1.5 cups of rice : water)
9. Transfer the contents to the Instant Pot and put it in manual mode for 6 minutes and delay of a minimmum 30 minutes.
10. Once the cooking is done unplug and when the steam subsides naturally and fluff up the rice.

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