Sweet Potato and Lentil Biryani

Name: Sweet Potato and Lentil Biryani
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 cups (400 g) basmati rice, rinsed in several changes of water until the water runs mostly clear, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, then drained well; 1 cup (200 g) brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed; 1 lb (450 g) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) avocado oil or other neutral oil; 2 medium (300 g) yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons; 1 teaspoon (2 g) cumin seeds; 1 3-inch (7.5 cm) stick (4 g) cinnamon stick; 5 pods (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 4 cloves (½ g) whole cloves; 2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves; 5 cloves (15 g) garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon (15 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 2 chiles (20 g) green chiles (serrano or Indian green chile), slit lengthwise, left whole (optional); 1 teaspoon (3 g) ground turmeric; 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin; 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground coriander; 1 teaspoon (2 g) Kashmiri chili powder or mild paprika; 2 medium (250 g) ripe tomatoes, cored and finely chopped; 4½ cups (1080 ml) water, 2½ cups (600 ml) at room temperature for the lentils, plus 2 cups (480 ml) boiling hot for the rice; 2 teaspoons (12 g) fine sea salt; 2 teaspoons (4 g) garam masala; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon; ½ cup (20 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh mint leaves, roughly torn

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A fragrant, fully vegan one-pot biryani where brown lentils, sweet potato and basmati rice cook together with browned onions, whole spices, turmeric and cumin. Finished with lemon, cilantro and mint, it's hearty enough to be the whole meal.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 55 min
Wait: 40 min
Total: 2 hr
Makes: About 8 cups (6 generous servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

2 cups (400 g) basmati rice, rinsed in several changes of water until the water runs mostly clear, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, then drained well
1 cup (200 g) brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 lb (450 g) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
3 tablespoons (45 ml) avocado oil or other neutral oil
2 medium (300 g) yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons
1 teaspoon (2 g) cumin seeds
1 3-inch (7.5 cm) stick (4 g) cinnamon stick
5 pods (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
4 cloves (0.5 g) whole cloves
2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves
5 cloves (15 g) garlic, minced
1 tablespoon (15 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 chiles (20 g) green chiles (serrano or Indian green chile), slit lengthwise, left whole (optional)
1 teaspoon (3 g) ground turmeric
2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin
2 teaspoons (4 g) ground coriander
1 teaspoon (2 g) Kashmiri chili powder or mild paprika
2 medium (250 g) ripe tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
4½ cups (1080 ml) water, 2½ cups (600 ml) at room temperature for the lentils, plus 2 cups (480 ml) boiling hot for the rice
2 teaspoons (12 g) fine sea salt
2 teaspoons (4 g) garam masala
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
½ cup (20 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
¼ cup (10 g) fresh mint leaves, roughly torn

Equipment (7)

5–6 quart (5–6 L) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch-style casserole with a tight lid
Medium bowl for soaking rice
Fine-mesh sieve
Chef's knife and cutting board
Wooden spoon
Fork for fluffing
Kettle or small saucepan for boiling water

Steps

Before you start

Start the rice soak first: it needs 30 minutes, and you can chop everything while it soaks.
Use brown or green lentils. Red lentils will dissolve and make the dish mushy.
Choose a pot with a tight-fitting lid. If your lid is loose, cover the pot with foil first, then press the lid on top.
Boil about 2 cups (480 ml) of water in a kettle before step 6 so the pot returns to a boil quickly when you add it. This recipe is made entirely on the stovetop; no oven is needed.

1
Soak the rice
- Rinse the basmati in a bowl with cold water, swirling and draining 4–5 times until the water runs mostly clear.
- Cover with fresh cold water and let soak for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prep the onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and sweet potatoes.
- Drain the rice thoroughly in a fine-mesh sieve just before step 6.
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Ready when: Grains look opaque white and snap easily when pressed
Tip: Don't skip the rinse: surface starch is what makes biryani gummy.
2
Brown the onions
- Heat the oil in the heavy pot over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the sliced onions and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 12–14 minutes until the onions are soft and deep golden brown at the edges.
- Lower the heat to medium-low if they darken faster than they soften.
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Ready when: Onions are deep golden brown, soft and jammy, reduced to about one third of their original volume
Tip: Browned onions give biryani its savory depth. Pale onions will taste raw and sharp.
3
Bloom whole spices
- Push the onions to the sides and add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, crushed cardamom pods, cloves and bay leaves to the center of the pot.
- Stir for 30 seconds until the cumin seeds sizzle and smell toasty.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger and green chiles (if using) and cook for 1 minute until fragrant and the garlic no longer smells raw.
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Ready when: Cumin seeds sizzle and darken slightly, and the kitchen smells warm and spicy
Tip: Keep stirring: garlic that turns brown turns bitter.
4
Cook the masala
- Stir in the turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander and chili powder, then immediately add the chopped tomatoes.
- Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot, for 5–6 minutes until the tomatoes collapse into a thick, jammy paste and the oil begins to separate at the edges.
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Ready when: Tomatoes have broken down into a thick paste and little beads of oil shimmer around the edges
Tip: Add the tomatoes right after the ground spices so the spices don't scorch.
5
Simmer the lentils
- Add the rinsed lentils and 2½ cups (600 ml) room-temperature water.
- Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway.
- The lentils will be partly cooked, with roughly 1 to 1½ cups (240–360 ml) of liquid remaining.
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Ready when: Lentils are softened on the outside but still have a firm, chalky center when bitten; liquid just covers them
Tip: If more than 1½ cups of liquid remains, uncover and boil for a few minutes. Too much liquid makes mushy rice.
6
Layer rice and sweet potato
- Turn the heat to high and pour in 2 cups (480 ml) boiling water.
- Stir in the remaining 1½ teaspoons salt and the garam masala, then taste the liquid: it should taste well seasoned, almost slightly salty.
- Scatter the drained rice evenly over the lentils and gently level it with the back of a spoon.
- Scatter the sweet potato cubes on top.
- Do not stir.
- The liquid should sit about ¼–½ inch (0.5–1 cm) above the rice; add a splash of hot water if it doesn't.
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Ready when: Liquid is at a full boil and the rice is just submerged
Tip: Don't stir after adding the rice. Stirring breaks the grains and releases starch.
7
Steam covered
- Bring to a rolling boil, then immediately cover with the tight lid and reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
- Cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
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Ready when: Steam escapes steadily from under the lid and the pot smells fragrant, not scorched
Tip: Resist lifting the lid: the trapped steam is what cooks the rice and sweet potato.
8
Rest off the heat
- Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered and undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- This lets moisture redistribute so the bottom doesn't stay wet and the rice firms up.
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Ready when: Lid lifts to reveal dry, separate grains of rice and fork-tender sweet potato
9
Fluff and finish
- Remove the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and any whole chiles you don't want to eat.
- Drizzle the lemon juice over the top.
- Use a fork to gently fold the rice, lentils and sweet potato from the bottom up, in broad strokes, until just combined.
- Fold in half the cilantro and mint, and taste for salt.
- Top with the remaining herbs and serve hot.
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Ready when: Rice grains are long, fluffy and separate; lentils are tender; sweet potato is soft but still holds its shape
Tip: Fold gently so the sweet potato stays in cubes rather than mashing into the rice.

Good to know

Tips

Use a heavy pot: thin pots scorch the bottom layer of onions and lentils before the rice cooks.
Make sure the water is boiling hot when you add it in step 6, so the pot returns to a boil quickly and the rice cooks evenly.
If your lentils are old and still hard in the center after 15 minutes, simmer 5 minutes longer and check the liquid level before adding the rice.
Serve with a cooling cucumber and coconut-yogurt raita or a simple onion-tomato salad.

Make ahead

Brown the onions and cook the masala (steps 2–4) up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in the pot; reheat until sizzling before adding the lentils and water.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours after cooking. Refrigerator: cool within 1 hour, then keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months in portioned airtight containers. Reheat each portion with 1–2 tablespoons water, covered, in a pan over low heat or in the microwave until steaming hot throughout, stirring once.

Substitutions

brown or green lentils → canned brown or green lentils (two 15-oz/425 g cans, drained and rinsed). Skip step 5 and the 2½ cups of room-temperature water. After the masala, add the canned lentils, then 2½ cups (600 ml) boiling water with the salt and garam masala, and continue with the rice and sweet potato as written.
sweet potatoes → butternut squash. Use the same weight cut into ½-inch cubes; cooking time is the same.
avocado oil or other neutral oil → coconut oil. Adds a slight sweetness; use refined coconut oil for a neutral flavor.
Kashmiri chili powder or mild paprika → mild paprika plus a pinch of cayenne. Gives similar color and warmth when Kashmiri chili powder isn't available.