This Vegan Chickpea Pumpkin Biryani is easy to make, super nutritious and full of flavour. It's healthy, and colourful enough to brighten up even the dreariest of days!

Why you'll love this Chickpea Pumpkin Biryani:

it's filling and satisfying
it's spicy and fragrant
it's slightly fruity
it's full of nutty chickpeas
it's packed with veggies
it's easy to make
it comes together easily in one pot
it's ready in 40 minutes
it's healthy and nutritious
it looks impressive
it's easy to make in big batches!

How to make this Vegan Chickpea Pumpkin Biryani

Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

Fry the onion, garlic and ginger.

Add the spices and fry for a minute until fragrant.

Add the rice and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the pumpkin, chickpeas, cranberries, coriander (cilantro), stock cube (dissolved in a splash of hot water) and salt + pepper, along with the water.

Tip: Make sure to use a measuring jug to measure the amount of water exactly - too much and the rice will be uncooked and hard, too much and it will be watery and soupy.

Tip: If using a stock cube, make sure you've dissolved it completely in boiling hot water before adding it to the rice otherwise you'll end up with clumps of stock in your rice and the flavour won't be distributed evenly. You can alternatively use liquid stock.

Bring to the boil and keeping a lid over it, turn down the heat and cook for 15 minutes.
Once cooked, turn off the heat and keep the lid on for another 5 minutes.

Substitutions you can make to this recipe:

you can use any type of oil: coconut oil, vegetable oil, rapeseed oil, olive oil
you can substitute the dried cranberries with raisins, dried sour cherries or chopped dates
you can substitute the pumpkin with butternut squash or sweet potato
you can substitute the chickpeas with white beans or black beans
you can add any vegetables you like: French (green) beans, green peas, spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower etc.

How long does this Vegan Biryani keep for?

This Biryani keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days. You can reheat it until piping hot in a dry frying pan with a lid, or in the microwave.

How to serve this Vegan Biryani

This Biryani is delicious by itself, but would also be delicious served with any of the following dishes:

More vegan rice recipes:

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.