This Mushroom Biryani is a simple and easy South Indian one-pot It is made in under 30 minutes and has a bold, spicy flavor. I’ve shared methods to make it in both an Instant Pot and a stovetop pressure cooker in the notes section below. This vegan biryani is perfect for weekends or when you want a quick, flavorful meal.
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: South Indian, Tamil Nadu
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oil (- any neutral oil)
- ½ cup onions (- finely chopped)
- ½ cup tomatoes (- finely chopped & tightly packed)
- 1 teaspoon green chilies (or serrano - finely chopped or 1 to 2 green chillies)
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste (about 5 to 6 garlic cloves and 1 inch ginger crushed in a mortar-pestle)
- ¼ cup mint leaves (- chopped & tightly packed)
- ¼ cup coriander leaves ((cilantro) - chopped & tightly packed)
- 8 to 10 curry leaves (- medium sized)
- 200 grams white button mushrooms (- chopped or sliced)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (or cayenne pepper)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1½ teaspoons coriander powder ((ground coriander))
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder ((ground black pepper))
- 1 cup (200 grams) basmati rice (- heaped)
- 2 cups water (- add more if required)
- salt (as required)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 2 to 3 green cardamoms
- 2 to 3 single strands of mace (thin strands, optional (javitri))
- 1 tej patta ((indian bay leaf), small to medium-sized)
- 1 star anise (small piece, optional, (chakri phool))
Method
Preparation
- Rinse rice a few times in water until the water is clear of starch. Soak the rice in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes.
- After 20 to 30 minutes drain the water from the rice. Keep the soaked rice grains aside.
- When the rice grains are soaking, prep up the rest of the ingredients like chopping veggies, herbs and getting the spices ready.
Making Mushroom Biryani
- Heat oil in a deep pan or pot. Make sure that the bottom of the pan is thick, otherwise the rice can get browned or burnt.
- When the oil becomes hot, add all the whole spices - fennel, cumin, cloves, tej patta, cinnamon, green cardamoms, star anise and mace.
- Fry the spices till fragrant for a few seconds.
- Then add chopped onions and sauté until they are softened and turn translucent.
- Next add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, half of the mint & coriander leaves, tomatoes and curry leaves.
- Stir and mix well. Sauté this mixture on a low to medium-low heat until the tomatoes soften.
- Then add coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, red chili powder and black pepper powder.
- Mix again very well so that the ground spice powders gets mixed evenly with the rest of the mixture. Sauté for a minute.
- Add sliced mushrooms. Stir again. Sauté on a low to medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Keep on stirring at intervals.
- Next add water and stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the rice. Add rest of the mint & coriander leaves. Mix again.
- Season with salt. Check the taste of the water and it should taste a bit salty.
- Cover the pan with a lid. On a low to medium-low heat cook the biryani until the rice grains are softened well, tender and all the water is absorbed.
- In case if the rice grains are undercooked and the water has dried up, then add about ¼ to ½ cup water or more if needed.
- You have to keep on checking the rice a couple of times to see if the water dries up or not.
- Once done, allow the biryani to rest for 5 minutes. Then open the lid and gently fluff the rice, before serving.
- Serve this Mushroom Biryani with your preferred raita or plain yogurt. You can also pair it with a simple vegetable salad.
Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note
Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.