Super Easy Rice Cooker Biryani

The dish is lightly spiced enough that confirmed Indian food haters can be won over, but it’s still flavorful enough for those of us that love Indian food. The cashews add a little crunch in this hearty lentil and rice dish. One of the best things is you can add seasonal veggies and vary the spices to suit your taste.

Indian food is my absolute favorite and I eat it for lunch almost everyday. My friend, Kalpana, took me on a guided tour of the Indian grocery this week. I thought I knew a good bit about Indian staples, but in her 1 1/2 hour tour she showed me beans and lentils that I had never really seen before. I love the way a bean is used whole and split as well as with skin or without. Nothing is wasted in Indian cuisine.

The Indian store is the go to place for spices since they are less than half price of a regular grocery or Whole Foods. Plus it’s a nice adventure if you’ve never been before.

During our visit at the Indian store Kalpana rattled off almost a dozen recipes including variations for every bean we saw. When she started talking about biryani I realized it’s been a long time since I’ve had or made one. And she reminded me it can be easily made in the rice cooker.

With dreams of fragrant rice scenting my kitchen, I made one for dinner. It came out just right and only took about 10 minutes of prep time. My dog, Brenna, loves meals like this because she knows she’ll get a walk while dinner cooks itself!