Mushroom Biryani (One Pot)

Mushroom biryani recipe with step by step photos. This is a spicy, tasty and easy one-pot mushroom biryani recipe from the Chettinad cuisine. This is the vegetarian version of popular Chettinad biryani made with mushrooms.

Mushrooms make a regular appearance in our meals and I make many recipes with them. Some time back I had made this mushroom biryani and thus also clicked pics. The taste of this biryani always reminds me of a biryani I had some years back whilst traveling in south India on a train journey.

I referred some cookbooks as well as videos and experimented & came up with this recipe. Apart from this recipe, there are few more ways you can make a mushroom and rice combo:

1. Ambur biryani (with mushrooms)
2. Dindigul Biryani (with mushrooms)
3. Mushroom Fried Rice

To make this mushroom biryani, you will need some ingredients like coconut milk and curd/yogurt. Coconut milk can be made a day before or you can even use store bought coconut milk. You can skip the curd, but I would not suggest skipping coconut milk. Its an essential ingredient in this recipe. Though its best to use both of them.

The Chettinad biryani is spicy and thats the hallmark of Chettinad cuisine. if you cannot tolerate the heat and spice, then you can cut down on the number of green chilies. The preparation of this biryani takes some time as both mushrooms and rice are marinated. But the cooking is easy and one pot.

Unlike other Biryanis, This mushroom biryani is not layered and dum cooked, but a one pot recipe like I mentioned above. You can also make the biryani in a pressure cooker.

Usually seeraga samba rice is used while making most biryanis in South India. But you can also use basmati rice instead of seeraga samba rice. Since I do not get seeraga samba rice, I have used basmati rice.

Serve this Chettinad style mushroom biryani with onion tomato raita or even a side vegetable salad.

How to make mushroom biryani

Prepping rice

1. First rinse rice very well in water. Then soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.

2. After 30 minutes, drain the rice and add 1 tsp ghee to it.

3. Coat the rice with ghee very well and allow to marinate for 20 to 25 minutes. Instead of marinating, you can also saute the rice in ghee lightly.

Prepping veggies

4. When you keep the rice for soaking, prep the ingredients. First rinse or wipe dry and then quarter the mushrooms. Take the mushrooms in a mixing bowl.

5. Slice thinly 2 medium onions. Chop 1 medium to large tomato. Also chop 3 to 4 green chilies, 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves and ½ inch ginger. Also chop mint leaves and coriander leaves (cilantro leaves).

Preparing ground paste

6. In a small grinder or chutney grinder, take ¼ cup chopped mint leaves, ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chilies, garlic & ginger.

7. Add ½ tbsp water and grind to a smooth paste.

Marinating mushrooms

8. Add the ground paste along with 3 tbsp curd to the chopped mushrooms. Curd can be skipped in the recipe. Just marinate the mushrooms with the rest of the ingredients.

9. Add ¼ to ⅓ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder and 1 tsp coriander powder (ground coriander).

10. Gently mix all the ingredients with the mushrooms. Cover and keep aside to marinate for 30 to 40 minutes.

11. Take all the whole spices and keep aside. the spices in clockwise order are 1 tsp fennel seeds, 2 green cardamoms, 2 marathi moggu (optional), 1 medium to large tejpatta (Indian bay leaf), 6 to 7 black pepper, 1 inch cinnamon, 3 to 4 cloves, 1 small piece of stone flower (optional) and 2 single strands of mace.

Making mushroom biryani

12. Heat 2 to 2.5 tbsp oil in a thick bottomed pot or pan. Add the whole spices and saute them till they are fragrant.

13. Then add the sliced onions.

14. Stir very well and saute them on a low to medium flame. Add a pinch of salt for quick cooking of the onions.

15. Stir often and saute till the onions become golden.

16. Add the tomatoes.

17. Stir and saute the tomatoes for about 2 minutes.

18. Add the marinated mushrooms.

19. Stir very well and saute the mushrooms for 6 to 7 minutes.

20. In the bowl, there will be some marinade left. Add 1 cup of water and mix the marinade with the water. Add water as required depending on the quality of rice. You can add from ½ to 1 cup water. Since I used organic basmati rice, I added 1 cup of water.

21. The mushrooms should shrink and you should see oil specks on top. Now add this water to the mushrooms.

22. Add 1 cup of thick coconut milk.

23. Stir well.

24. Season with salt.

25. Stir. Check the taste of the gravy/stock and it should taste a bit salty.

26. On a medium flame bring the mixture to a boil.

27. Then add the ghee coated rice. Mix gently.

Cooking mushroom biryani

28. Cover the pot or pan with a lid.

29. On sim or low flame cook the biryani till the rice grains are done. Check once or twice when rice is cooking. It took me 12 minutes for the rice to cook. Depending on the thickness and depth of the pan, quality of rice and flame intensity, it can take 10 to 12 minutes. Once the rice grains are cooked, cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving mushroom biryani. Then gently fluff the rice with a fork.

30. Garnish with mint or coriander leaves and Serve mushroom biryani with a side salad or raita.

More rice recipes

• Veg biryani
• Paneer biryani
• Mushroom pulao

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Mushroom Biryani

4.93 from 28 votes

By Dassana Amit

This is a spicy, tasty and easy one-pot mushroom biryani recipe from the Chettinad cuisine.

Save Pin Print

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 55 mins

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Cuisine Chettinad, South Indian

Course: Main Course

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Servings 3 to 4

Units

Ingredients

for marinating rice

• ▢ 1 cup heaped basmati rice or seeraga samba rice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ghee for marinating rice

for ground paste

• ▢ ¼ cup chopped mint leaves
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
• ▢ 3 to 4 green chilies
• ▢ 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves
• ▢ ½ inch ginger
• ▢ ½ tablespoon water

for marinating mushrooms

• ▢ 200 to 250 grams white button mushrooms quartered
• ▢ 3 tablespoon Curd (yogurt)
• ▢ ¼ to 1/3 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)

other ingredients

• ▢ 2 to 2.5 tablespoon oil
• ▢ 1 inch cinnamon
• ▢ 2 green cardamoms
• ▢ 3 to 4 cloves
• ▢ 6 to 7 black pepper
• ▢ 1 medium to large tejpatta (indian bay leaf)
• ▢ 2 single strands of mace
• ▢ 1 small piece of stone flower (dagad phool or pathar phool) - optional
• ▢ 2 marathi moggu (optional)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• ▢ 2 medium onions or 100 grams onions - thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 medium to large tomato or 80 grams tomatoes - chopped
• ▢ ½ to 1 cup water or add as required
• ▢ 1 cup thick coconut milk
• ▢ some chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves for garnish
• ▢ salt as required

Instructions

prepping and marinating rice

• First rinse rice very well in water. Then soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, drain the rice and add 1 tsp ghee to it.
• Coat the rice with ghee very well and allow to marinate for 20 to 25 minutes. Instead of marinating, you can also saute the rice in ghee lightly.

prepping veggies

• When you keep the rice for soaking, prep the ingredients. First rinse or wipe dry and then quarter the mushrooms. Take the mushroom in a mixing bowl.
• Slice thinly 2 medium onions. Chop 1 medium to large tomato. Also chop 3 to 4 green chilies, 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves and 1/2 inch ginger. Also chop mint and coriander leaves.

preparing the ground paste

• In a small grinder or chutney grinder, take 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves, 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves and the chopped green chilies, garlic & ginger. 
• Add 1/2 tbsp water and grind to a smooth paste.

marinating mushrooms

• Add the ground paste along with 3 tbsp curd to the chopped mushrooms.
• Add 1/4 to 1/3 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala powder and 1 tsp coriander powder.
• Gently mix all the ingredients with the mushrooms. Cover and keep aside to marinate for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Take all the whole spices and keep aside.

making mushroom biryani

• Heat 2 to 2.5 tbsp oil in a thick bottomed pot or pan. Add the whole spices and saute them till they are fragrant.
• Then add the sliced onions. Stir very well and saute them on a low to medium flame. Add a pinch of salt for quick cooking of the onions.
• Stir often and saute till the onions become golden.
• Then add tomatoes. Stir and saute the tomatoes for about 2 minutes.
• Add the marinated mushrooms. Stir very well and saute the mushrooms for 6 to 7 minutes or till they shrink and you see oil specks on top.
• In the bowl there will be some marinade left. Add 1 cup water and mix the marinade with the water. 
• Add water as required depending on quality of rice. You can add from 1/2 to 1 cup water. Since I used organic basmati rice, I added 1 cup water.
• Add this water to the mushrooms. then add 1 cup thick coconut milk. Stir well.
• Season with salt and stir. on a medium flame bring the mixture to a boil.
• Then add the ghee coated rice. Stir well.

cooking mushroom biryani

• Cover the pot or pan with a lid. Check once or twice when rice is cooking.
• On sim or low flame cook the biryani till the rice grains are done. 
• It took me 12 minutes for the rice to cook. Depending on the thickness and depth of pan, quality of rice and flame intensity, it can take 10 to 12 minutes.
• Once the rice grains are cooked, cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving mushroom biryani. Then gently fluff the rice with a fork.
• Garnish with mint or coriander leaves and serve mushroom biryani with a side salad or raita.

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