Mushroom pulao is a quick, easy and tasty pulao variant made with white button mushrooms, basmati rice, coconut milk, aromatics and herbs. While I share the recipe in a stovetop pressure cooker, you can easily make it in a pan or in the Instant Pot. The recipe comes together in about 45 minutes and makes for a comforting, healthy lunch or dinner.
This mushroom pilaf is a vegetarian version of Goan pulao and one of those recipes that is often made at home. The recipe is similar to the Goan prawn pulao my mom would make – minus the prawns but delicious.
This is a simple, quick and extremely tasty pulao. It is a handy recipe when you have little time or are tired to cook and yet long for comforting homemade food.
I have used button mushrooms in the pulao. Though you can use any variety of fresh or dried edible mushrooms. You could also make this pulao with mixed veggies of your choice instead of mushrooms.
Together with the mushrooms, you can add some veggies like green peas, potatoes, carrots, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, capsicum (bell pepper) and baby corn.
The addition of coconut milk in the pulao, gives it a rich taste. Though if you do not have coconut milk, just add water or vegetable stock. At times when there is no coconut milk, I add water and prepare the mushroom pulao.
Serve this Goan style mushroom pulao plain or with a side of onion-lemon salad or veggie salad or raita.
How to make Mushroom Pulao
1. Pick, rinse and soak 1.5 cups of rice for 20 to 30 minutes. When the rice is getting soaked, chop all the onions, tomatoes, potatoes, green chilies. Rinse and chop the mushrooms too. After 20 to 30 minutes, drain all the water and keep the soaked rice aside.
I have used basmati rice here. But you can use long-grained rice or even any variety of non-sticky rice.
2. In a stovetop pressure cooker, heat 3 tablespoons of oil. You can use coconut oil or sunflower oil or any neutral-flavored oil. You can also use ghee for a richer taste.
Add the following whole garam masala and saute till they splutter and become fragrant:
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 3 green cardamoms
- 4 to 5 cloves
- 6 to 7 black pepper
- 1 to 1.5 inches cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds – optional
3. Next add 1 medium-sized sliced onions (approx about ⅓ to ½ cup sliced or chopped onions).
4. Stir and saute the onions on low to medium heat till they become light golden. Keep stirring often from time to time so that the onions are cooked evenly.
5. Then add ½ tablespoon ginger-garlic paste or crushed ginger-garlic.
6. Saute for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.
7. Add 1 medium-sized chopped tomato (about ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes), 1 to 2 chopped green chilies and 1 medium-sized peeled and chopped potato. The addition of potato is optional and can be skipped.
You can also add about ⅓ cup of green peas or other veggies at this step.
8. Stir and saute for a minute.
9. Now add the sliced or chopped button mushrooms (200 to 250 grams).
10. Mix and saute for 4 to 5 minutes on low to medium heat.
Cooking mushroom pulao
11. Add the soaked rice.
12. Saute the rice for 1 minute stirring gently on low heat.
13. Add 1 cup thick coconut milk.
14. Next add 1.5 to 1.75 cups of water. The amount of water required depends upon the quality of rice used and whether you have soaked the rice earlier or not.
Usually, 1.5 cups of basmati rice that has been soaked for 20 to 30 minutes before, requires about 2.5 cups of water if you want separate grains. For a slightly more cooked texture, you can add 2.75 to 3 cups of water.
Since we have added 1 cup of thick coconut milk, you only need to add 1.5 to 1.75 cups of water. So the total liquid proportion comes to 2.5 to 2.75 cups.
15. Stir and mix very well.
16. Now season with salt as per taste. Mix again. Check the taste of the broth and it should taste slightly salty.
17. Pressure cook the mushroom pilaf for 2 to 3 whistles or for 9 to 10 minutes. If using 3-liter cooker, pressure cook for 2 whistles and for a 2 litre cooker, pressure cook for 3 whistles.
18. When the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, then only remove the lid. Gently fluff with a fork.
19. Serve mushroom pulao hot or warm with sliced onions and lime. You could also have it with onion-tomato raita and roasted papad.
More delicious rice recipes !
- Pulao – vegetable pulao is a one-pot dish made with rice and mix vegetables.
- Peas pulao – aromatic and tasty matar pulao recipe from the Punjabi cuisine.
- Mushroom rice – an easy and quick recipe of mushroom rice made in european style.
- Mushroom biryani – spicy and tasty vegetarian biryani with mushrooms from the Chettinad cuisine.
- Mushroom fried rice – a stir fried Chinese style fried rice with mushrooms.
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Mushroom Pulao
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1.5 cups basmati rice – you can use any type of long grained rice
- 200 to 250 grams white button mushrooms, sliced or chopped
- 85 grams onion or 1 medium size onion, thinly sliced or finely chopped, about ⅓ to ½ cup sliced or chopped onions
- 1 tomato – medium-sized or ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 potato – medium-sized, peeled & cubed, optional
- 1 to 2 green chilies – chopped
- ½ tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste or 1 inch ginger + 6 to 7 garlic, crushed in mortar-pestle
- 1 cup Coconut Milk (Thick)
- 1.5 to 1.75 cups water or add a total of of 2.5 to 2.75 cups water minus the coconut milk. Check point 1 below in the notes.
- salt or sea salt as required
Whole spices for mushroom pulao
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 1 to 1.5 inches cinnamon
- 3 green cardamoms
- 4 to 5 cloves
- 6 to 7 black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds , optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Clean, wash and soak the rice for 20 to 30 minutes.
- When the rice is getting soaked, chop all the veggies. Rinse and chop the mushrooms too.
- Take all the whole garam masala and keep it aside.
- After 20 to 30 minutes drain all the water from the rice. Set the soaked rice aside.
Making mushroom pulao
- In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Add the whole garam masala including cumin, and fry till they become fragrant. About few seconds.
- Add the onions and fry them stirring often till they become light golden.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a few seconds or till the raw smell of the paste disappears.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes, potatoes and mushrooms. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes till the mushrooms are half cooked on low to medium heat. Keep on stirring in between.
- Add the soaked rice and the chopped green chili.
- Saute the rice for 1 to 2 minutes stirring in between on a low heat.
- Add the coconut milk and water. Stir and season with salt as per taste. Mix very well.
- Check the taste of the broth and it should taste slightly salty.
- Pressure cook the mushroom pulao for 2 to 3 whistles or for 9 to 10 minutes. If using 3-liter cooker, pressure cook for 2 whistles and for a 2 litre cooker, pressure cook for 3 whistles.
- When the pressure settles down on its own, then only remove the lid and gently fluff the rice with a fork.
- Garnish with coriander leaves or mint leaves and serve mushroom pulao with sliced onions and lime. You could also have it with onion-tomato raita or any raita of your choice.
Notes
- You can also add a total of 2.5 to 2.75 cups water and skip the coconut milk completely. Add water depending on the quality of rice. Usually most basmati rice which have been soaked for 20 to 30 minutes before, requires about 2.5 cups water if you want separate grains. For a slightly more cooked texture, you can add 2.75 to 3 cups of water.
- If you don’t have coconut milk then you have the option to use only water or vegetable stock.
- In place of oil you can use ghee.
- You can add mushrooms like white button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms.
- Some veggies can be added together with mushrooms for a colorful and healthy pulao. I generally add veggies like green peas or carrots or potatoes. But you can also include other vegetables like broccoli, french beans, bell pepper, cauliflower, corn etc.
- Instead of basmati rice you can use any variety of non-sticky rice or long grained rice.
- The recipe can also be made in a pan or Instant pot. You have to add water as needed.
- The recipe can be scaled to make a small batch or a big batch for parties or get togethers.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Mushroom Pulao post from the blog archives first published in September 2010 has been republished and updated on 3 September 2021.
Hi Dassana, I have been making this pulao recipe for a while now, and it is a huge hit in our home. The addition of coconut milk transforms the pulao altogether. I use 200ML Thai Taste coconut milk pouches which are easily available here in London. I have so far made this pulao with mixed vegetables, and plan to try it out with mushrooms and potatos this weekend. I also plan to try your mushroom pepper fry tomorrow. Thhanks as always for posting these recipes. I return to your blog time and again for ideas and recipes when I cannot figure out what to cook.
thank you geetha. i am glad that the recipes are turning good. i hope you like the mushroom pepper fry as well. welcome and happy cooking.
This mushroom pulao turned out to be very tasty,delicious, thanks for the recipe,did some modifications in the recipe but overall very tasty.
Welcome Divya. Glad to know this.
Made mushroom pulao for dinner toay.It was smelling divine and tasted fabulous.Thank you for sharing the recipe.
thanks vinita for this feedback. glad.
Dassana didi, I keep reading most of your recipes but never took the effort to make one. This is the first one i did and i cudnt go away without posting. It came out simply superb! 🙂 (I’m not someone who comments on sites. This is my first time 😛 )
What I wanted to mention here is, though we have lots of YouTube channels on cooking, there is something special about your page here, the way you describe one recipe, posting pics and extra tips. When we want to make one recipe and we’re in kitchen we wouldn’t want to keep watching a video, note down things or pause it in between to go do. Here i cud simply scroll according to my need without missing anything, coz you see the full recipe in one go according to your pace n need. So keep posting! I would definitely try more and let you know 🙂
Thanku so much! Stay blessed 🙂
Welcome Amy. Thanks a lot for your detailed feedback. I appreciate it much. Do try some more recipes and feel free to ask any query about cooking.