Mushroom Biryani Recipe (Simple & Easy)

Mushroom Biryani is a simple and easy vegetarian biryani made with mushrooms, rice, herbs and spices. This South Indian one-pot recipe from Tamil Nadu is made in under 30 minutes. The rice and mushrooms absorbs the masalas, giving it a rich, balanced flavor. Serve Mushroom Biryani with raita or plain yogurt. It’s a quick, flavorful meal for any day and works well for both lunch and dinner.

Simple & Easy Mushroom Biryani Recipe

This Mushroom Biryani recipe of mine is a simple one-pot South Indian biryani made with mushrooms, rice, and aromatic spices. It has bold, tangy, and spicy flavors from tomatoes, onions, herbs, and ground spices. The recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

It’s inspired by the Mushroom Biryani I had years ago at the Pepper Vine Café in the Isha Yoga Center near Coimbatore. Since then, it has become a regular at home because it’s quick to make and full of rich, umami flavors.

In this recipe, you’ll need basic Indian spices and herbs that are usually available in most kitchens. Mint leaves are optional but you can skip them or use dried mint if you don’t have fresh ones.

The one-pot method lets the mushrooms and rice cook together, allowing every grain to absorb the masalas beautifully. It’s a spicy biryani, so feel free to reduce the red chilli powder, green chillies, black pepper, or garam masala to suit your taste.

Also called Kalan Biryani in Tamil Nadu (where mushrooms are known as kalan), this dish is ideal for weekends or small gatherings when you want a flavorful biryani without the long Dum cooking process.

You can make this Mushroom Biryani in both an Instant Pot or a stovetop pressure cooker. I have shared both methods in the recipe card below.

For another version with a different spice mix, coconut milk and yogurt, you can try my Chettinad Biryani . It has a deeper and more robust flavor profile than this simple, classic one.

More Tasty Biryanis To Try

• Vegetable Biryani Recipe (Restaurant Style)
• Paneer Biryani (Easy Dum Cooked)
• Potato Biryani (Hyderabadi Style)
• Soya Chunks Biryani (Layered)
• Cauliflower Biryani (One Pot)

How to Make Mushroom Biryani

Making Mushroom Biryani is easy and doesn’t take much time once the ingredients are ready. Everything cooks together in one pot, so the rice and mushrooms absorb all the rich flavors of the spices and herbs.

You don’t need any special equipment or a dum setup. Just a heavy pan or pressure cooker works well.

Follow the step-by-step instructions below to prepare the ingredients and cook this flavorful Mushroom Biryani.

Prep Ingredients

1. First, rinse and then soak 1 heaped cup basmati rice in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes.

You can make use of any non-sticky variety of rice to make this biryani. Even seeraga samba (kaima rice), which is the South Indian variety of rice that is often added to a biryani, can be used in this recipe.

2. After 20 to 30 minutes, drain all the water from the rice and set the rice grains aside.

3. When the rice is soaking, prepare the rest of the ingredients like chopping vegetables, white button mushrooms, getting spices and herbs ready, etc.

Fry Spices

4. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a deep pan or pot.

Make sure that the bottom of the pan is thick, otherwise the rice can get browned or burn while cooking.

Use any neutral oil. If you prefer, you can include ghee (clarified butter) as well.

5. When the oil becomes hot, lower the heat. Add all the whole spices – ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 to 3 cloves, 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf), 1 inch cinnamon, 2 to 3 green cardamoms, 1 small star anise and 2 to 3 thin strands of mace.

Note: I recommend to add all the spices, but due to non-availability consider skipping mace and star anise. Do try to include all the other spices.

6. Fry the spices for a few seconds or until fragrant.

Sauté Aromatics

7. Add ½ cup chopped onions and sauté until translucent and softened.

8. Next, add 2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies, 2 tablespoons chopped mint, 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves, ½ cup tightly packed finely chopped tomatoes and 8 to 10 curry leaves.

9. Mix well.

10. Stirring often, sauté this mixture until the tomatoes soften.

11. Add 1½ teaspoons coriander powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper and ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder.

If you do not have garam masala powder, either skip it or swap with ½ teaspoon curry powder.

Note: If you add curry powder, add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and not ½ teaspoon as curry powder has some turmeric in it.

12. Mix again very well so that the masala or spice powders get mixed evenly with the rest of the mixture. Sauté for a minute.

Sauté Mushrooms

13. Add 200 grams chopped or sliced button mushrooms.

14. Mix again.

15. Sauté mushrooms on low to medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Keep stirring at intervals.

Make Mushroom Biryani

16. Add 2 cups water.

17. Bring this mixture to a simmer on medium-low to medium heat.

18. Add the soaked rice grains.

19. Add 2 tablespoons each of chopped mint and coriander leaves.

20. Mix gently taking care not to break the rice grains.

21. Season with salt. Check the taste of the stock and it should taste a bit salty.

22. Cover the pan with a lid. On low heat, cook the biryani until the rice grains are tender, fluffy with all the water absorbed.

If the rice grains are under cooked and the water has evaporated, add about ¼ to ½ cup hot water or more as needed.

Remember to check the rice a few times while cooking, to see if the water dries up or not.

Depending on the size and quality of the pan and the kind of rice grains, you may need to add more water.

23. When the rice grains are cooked perfectly, let the biryani rest for 5 minutes before serving. Open the lid and gently fluff the rice.

24. Serve Mushroom Biryani hot or warm.

Serving Suggestions

This simple Mushroom Biryani Recipe pairs very well with a Kachumber or plain Onion Raita, as the yogurt tones down the spiciness and balances the heat of the biryani. In fact, you can also serve it with just plain curd or yogurt.

Garnishing the biryani with mint or coriander leaves is also a choice. In case you don’t want to serve the Mushroom Biryani with curd or raita, then a few lemon wedges or a fresh Vegetable Salad or fried/roasted papadums are also great options to enjoy with the biryani.

Dassana’s Cooking Tips

• Choice of mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms both taste great in this recipe. You also can include a combination of various varieties of edible fresh mushrooms.
• Rice varieties: Use aged basmati rice for the best texture and taste. You can also use seeraga samba rice, sona masuri rice or any other variety of non-sticky short-grained or medium-grained rice.
• Adding herbs: Its better if you add both the mint and coriander leaves. In case of unavailability, either add dried mint or skip the mint. But do add the coriander leaves.
• Use of fats: You can use ghee instead of oil for a vegetarian take on the recipe.
• Adjust spices: Ensure to use all the spices mentioned in the recipe to get the best flavor. However, you can add less or more spices according to your requirements. This will result in some changes in the flavor of the biryani.
• Cooking rice: Make sure to cook rice grains until they are softened. Do not make them mushy or too soft. Add water as needed keeping in mind the quality, type and age of the rice you have used.

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