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mushroom biryani recipe, spicy south indian mushroom biryani recipe

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mushroom biryani recipe with step by step photos – a spicy, hot and super delicious south indian style mushroom biryani recipe.

first time we had a taste of this mushroom biryani at the pepper vine cafe during our visit in isha yoga center of sadhguru jaggi vasudev. there in tamil language this was called as as kalan biryani. what was served at the cafe was a spicy biryani. when we came back i wanted to try making the biryani at home.

i searched for the mushroom biryani recipe on the web and came across many. finally i decided to adapt the recipe from this youtube video. the original recipe is made without any oil, so good for heart patients. i made this mushroom biryani both with and without oil on separate occasions.

to be honest, i liked the one made with oil. the frying of the masala in the oil does impart a lot of taste and flavor to the biryani. below are pics of both the oil free and the oil versions of the mushroom biryani. the left pic is of the oil-free version and the right is the oil version.

mushroom biryani

after that i made this mushroom biryani many times and every time it was a winner. this is not a layered biryani. there is a layered mushroom dum biryani recipe already posted. few more recipes you can make with mushroom and rice combo are:

this is a really spicy mushroom biryani. so if you cannot tolerate spicy food, then do cut down on the ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, green chilies, black pepper powder and garam masala powder.

this mushroom biryani recipe came very close to the one served at the isha yoga center cafe. this south indian mushroom biryani pairs very well with a kachumber or plain onion-tomato raita, as the yogurt tones down the spiciness and balances the heat of the biryani. in fact you can also serve this biryani with just plain curd/yogurt.

mushroom biryani recipe

if you are looking for more mushroom recipes then do check mushroom pulao, palak mushroom, kadai mushroom, methi mushroom, mushroom cutlet and mushroom manchurian recipe.

mushroom biryani recipe below:

4.83 from 17 votes
mushroom biryani recipe
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mushroom biryani recipe
prep time
10 mins
cook time
20 mins
total time
30 mins
 
spicy and hot mushroom biryani from south indian cuisine.
course: main course
cuisine: south indian
servings: 2
author: dassana amit
ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)
main ingredients for mushroom biryani:
  • 1 cup heaped basmati rice, 200 gms
  • 2 cups water, add more if required
  • 200 grams white button mushrooms
  • 1 medium onion, about ½ cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 medium tomato, about ½ cup tightly packed finely chopped tomatoes
  • 1 or 2 green chilies, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, about 5 to 6 garlic and 1 inch ginger crushed in a mortar-pestle
  • ¼ cup tightly packed chopped mint leaves
  • ¼ cup tightly packed chopped coriander leaves
  • 8 to 10 medium sized curry leaves
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons coriander powder (dhania powder)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder (kali mirch powder)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons oil
  • salt as required
whole spices for mushroom biryani:
  • ¾ teaspoon cumin (cumin)
  • ¾ teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
  • 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
  • 2 to 3 cloves (lavang)
  • 2 to 3 green cardamoms (choti elachi)
  • 2 to 3 single strands of mace (javitri)
  • 1 small to medium tej patta
  • 1 star anise (chakri phool)
how to make recipe
preparation for mushroom biryani recipe:

  1. soak rice in enough water for 30 mins. 

  2. after 30 minutes drain the rice and keep aside.

  3. so when the rice is soaking, prep up the rest of the ingredients like chopping veggies etc.
making mushroom biryani:
  1. 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 burned.
  2. when the oil becomes hot, add all the whole spices - fennel, cumin, cloves, tej patta, cinnamon, green cardamoms, star anise and mace.
  3. fry the spices till fragrant for a few seconds.
  4. then add chopped onions and saute till translucent.
  5. next add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, half of mint+coriander leaves, tomatoes & curry leaves.
  6. stir well. saute this mixture till the tomatoes soften.
  7. then add coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, red chili powder and black pepper powder.
  8. stir again very well so that the masalas or dry spice powders gets mixed evenly with the rest of the mixture.
  9. add sliced mushrooms. stir again.
  10. saute on a low to medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes. keep on stirring at intervals.
  11. then add water. bring the mixture to a simmer.
  12. add the rice. add rest of the mint+coriander leaves. stir.
  13. season with salt. check the taste of the stock and it should taste a bit salty.

  14. cover the pan with a lid. on a low flame cook the mushroom biryani till the rice grains are cooked well and all the water is absorbed. 

  15. in case if the rice grains are not cooked and the water has dried up, then add about ¼ to ½ cup water of more if required. 

  16. you have to keep on checking the rice a couple of times to see if the water dries up or not. 

  17. once done, allow the mushroom biryani to sit for 5 minutes. then open the lid and gently fluff the rice.

  18. serve this mushroom biryani with onion-tomato raita.

recipe notes

i have made the biryani with button mushroom because thats the only variety of mushroom we get here. you can make this mushroom biryani with any variety of mushrooms.


if you are looking for more biryani recipes then do check veg biryani recipe in pressure cooker, hyderabadi veg biryani, chole biryani, paneer biryani and veg biryani recipe.

step by step mushroom biryani recipe:

1. first rinse and then soak 1 heaped cup basmati rice in enough water for 30 mins.

rice for mushroom biryani recipe

2. after 30 mins drain the rice and keep aside.

rice for mushroom biryani recipe

3. so when the rice is soaking, prep up the rest of the ingredients like chopping veggies etc.

ingredients for mushroom biryani recipe

4. 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 burned while cooking.

oil for making mushroom biryani recipe

5. when the oil becomes hot, add all the whole spices – fennel, cumin, cloves, tej patta, cinnamon, green cardamoms, star anise and mace.

spices for mushroom biryani recipe

6. fry the spices till fragrant for a few seconds.

frying spices for mushroom biryani recipe

7. then add chopped onions and saute till translucent.

sauting onions to make mushroom biryani recipe

8. next add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, half of mint+coriander leaves, tomatoes & curry leaves.

adding mushroom biryani ingredients

9. stir well.

saute mushroom biryani masala

10. saute this mixture till the tomatoes soften.

cooking mushroom biryani masala

11. then add coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, red chili powder and black pepper powder.

add spices to mushroom biryani recipe

12. stir again very well so that the masalas or dry spice powders gets mixed evenly with the rest of the mixture.

cooking mushroom biryani masala

13. add sliced mushrooms.

add mushrooms for mushroom biryani recipe

14. stir again.

sauting mushroom biryani recipe

15. saute on a low to medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes. keep on stirring at intervals.

sauting mushroom biryani recipe

16. then add water.

add water to mushroom biryani recipe

17. bring the mixture to a simmer.

making mushroom biryani recipe

18. add the rice.

add rice to mushroom biryani recipe

19. add rest of the mint+coriander leaves.

mix mushroom biryani, kalaan biryani recipe

20. stir.

mushroom biryani, south indian mushroom biryani, kalaan biryani

21. season with salt. check the taste of the stock and it should taste a bit salty.

add salt to mushroom biryani recipe

22. cover the pan with a lid. on a low flame cook the mushroom biryani till the rice grains are cooked well and all the water is absorbed. in case if the rice grains are not cooked and the water has dried up, then add about ¼ to ½ cup water of more if required. you have to keep on checking the rice a couple of times to see if the water dries up or not. depending on the size and quality of the pan, you may need to add more water while cooking the mushroom biryani.

cooking mushroom biryani recipe

23. once done, allow the mushroom biryani to sit for 5 minutes. then open the lid and gently fluff the rice.

cooked mushroom biryani recipe, south indian mushroom biryani

24. serve this south indian mushroom biryani with onion-tomato raita.

mushroom biryani recipe




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Reader Interactions

{ 101 Responses }

  6. Hi . I have always lived your recipies and many have turned out to be amazing . I just have a doubt . Can we add biryani masala to this? Also I havve been using 1:1.5 ratio in a electric rice cooker and my biriyani/pulao turns out dry . What’s is the mistake I am making . Thanks in advance !

    • thanks runalini. you can add biryani masala. 1/2 to 1 teaspoon as per how strong you want the flavors to be. in a rice cooker, i usually add more water as if less water is added, the rice becomes dry. i add 1:2.25 for basmati rice which has been soaked for 30 minutes. so you can try adding 2 cups water first for 1 cup of rice. if the rice is still dry, then increase to 2.25 cups.

  7. Delicious quick recipe. Prepared it several times with oyster, button,quinoa etc. Loved it and become my fav. Comes perfect every time even when i omit mint leaves and cilantro if not available. Tastes the best if follows the same recipe and mint just enhances the taste of biriyani. Suggested few of my friends to try too. Thank you!!

  8. Hi Dassana
    I love your recipe works perfect for all sorts of veggies not just mushroom.pictures really helps.Well done and thanks for sharing this recipe☺

  9. Hi Dassana!

    I was wondering if the recipes from this website are also available as a cooking book that I can purchase (instead of printing the recipes one by one). As an European learning to cook South Indian food, your step by step recipes are a real blessing!

    • Thanks Emilia for your kind words. We don’t have a cookbook. But I never thought that people will be printing the recipes. So to save paper, we might consider making a cookbook in future.

  10. Made mushroom biryani first tym by following your recipe in pressure cooker and reduced the water quantity to 2 cups . Was super delicious … My family loved it . Thank you dassana 🙂

  12. Hi Dassana,
    I owe you one!! I chanced upon your site after searching for “mushroom biryani” as my dad wanted to have it after trying it out from one of his colleague’s place.. Tried it today and it came out awesome..!!!

    P.S: My parents have started trusting my cooking abilities after tasting this biriyani… Thanks to you.. 😉 will sure try out more of your recipes

    • sowmya surely try more recipes and look forward for more feedbacks from you. thank you for your positive feedback. glad to know your parents liked the biryani made by you, wish you all the best in life.

  13. Hi
    I usually add 1.5 cups of water to 1 cup of basmati rice. Wouldn’t 2.5 cups make it more soft?
    Thanks in advance

    • it depends on the quality of basmati rice. organic basmati rice takes a longer time to cook. also if pressure cooking, then 1.5 to 2 cups is fine, but when cooking in a pan or pot, it can take up to 2 to 2.5 cups water. as a family too, we prefer softer cooked grains rather than al dente grains.

  14. Hi Dasanna,
    I tried this recipe yesterday and the biryani came out yummylicious. I used half the quantity of rice but kept the amount of spices same,just the right spice level for us.
    Thanks for a wonderful recipe.

  15. I have been following this recipe and making it for a while now. Thank you so much for this. This has become my family’s comfort food : )

  17. Hi Dassana, this is really yummy and mouth watering recipe, I’m gonna try this very soon. Thanx a lot…

  18. Hi…I made palak mushroom and paneer bhurji gravy as per your recipes. Both of them were awesome. Today I am going to try mushroom biryani as well. thanks a lot!

  19. If making without oil, do we have to dry roast mushroom? Can you tell me wat else do I have to follow.. The video in the link doesn’t work here at US..
    Made the oil version already.. Was a hit here.. Thanks for the wonderful recipe..
    I keep wondering how you come up with such pretty recipes, the never-fail recipes with precise measurements and ofcourse the speaking photographs!! Just addicted to your space..

    • thank you ashritha. no need to roast the mushrooms. just add the mushrooms in the onion-tomato-spice base and then saute it for 4 to 5 minutes. just the add the spices first without oil and roast till they are fragrant. then add the onions. stir very well. then add the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. cover and simmer for some minutes till the tomatoes and onions are cooked. then follow the recipe. i checked the video link and the channel behind the video have made it private. if possible i will update the link.

  22. I tried this today n it turned out to be yumm…love all ur recipes….i’m still learning to cook (mom of 2 though :P) and ur site is my go to place. I have tried some of the sweets during Diwali n they turned out too gud…lots of gud wishes comin ur way !!!

  23. hi… i tried your recipe of mushroom biryani yesterday afternoon. Me and my husband, both loved it . thanks for such an awesome recipes. We both like non veg food but my husband has decided to go veg for 1 year. Your website is helping me a lot for delicious veg food. A big thumbs up to both of you for creating such a wonderful blog . Keep Rocking 🙂

  28. Dear Dassana,

    I am curious about the garlic ginger paste used here. Is this item something you purchase pre-made or do you put together the paste yourself? Please advise me on your preferred brand or a home recipe you might use.

    Thanks! Looking forward to trying this dish!
    Best wishes,
    Lee

    • lee, i crush the ginger garlic in the mortar and pestle whenever needed. so i make it fresh every time. i never purchased this from store.

  29. Biryani turned out awesome! Just like in restaurants. .may I say even better …I’m hooked to your website and have tried 6-7 recipes so far and each one of it is so good.

    I have a question…in case in need to double any recipe, do I go ahead n double all ingredients??
    I’m asking you this because, previosly I tried to do this with other recipes, the end products does not taste exactly as the original recipe. Could you pls guide me here ( esp onion, tomato and whole garam masala quantities)
    thanks

    • thanks shruthi, you can double up the biryani recipes. because the recipe is made in parts and then the layering is done. i have tried doubling the recipe and it had worked for me. but otherwise, for other recipes doubling or tripling the ingredients does not work always. since this is a layered recipe… and if even the rice becomes more or vegetables becomes less then its still OK. even if the masala becomes too much then it gets balance with the rice. so give it a try.

  30. Hi Dassana,

    I chanced upon your site after searching for “mushroom biryani” using tags “Coimbatore” ; and should say am lucky landing here. Tried it today and it came out awesome..just as I had wanted. Actually, I am from Coimbatore and here at a local restaurant we get similar biryani and was wanting to do the same for a long time. All my family members enjoyed today’s lunch..thx a zillion..

    P.S. U have a lovely collection of recipes and most of them are very tempting; eager to try them one by one…

  31. Hi dassana,
    This is an awesome recipe…we started having mushrooms just 2 yrs back and now mushroom biryani is like one of our fav…even tried it for guests…it came out delucious….thanks a lot.

  32. Hi dassana,thank u 4 the wonderful recipe I am going 2 try it today, nice pics looks tempting 🙂

  36. I tried this Biryani today. The colour and aroma was awesome. 🙂
    However I am soooo new to cooking that I need guidance on salt always. How much salt will you add to this when cooking for your family? And do you add garam masala in the end in this recipe too?
    And thanks in advance for the help. 🙂 I am going to try most of your vegetarian recipes.

    • dear zohra, this mushroom biryani recipe is a fav at home too. in this recipe the garam masala is added along with the other masalas. for some recipes i add garam masala before and for some towards the end.

      regarding salt… i add salt with andaz, the indian way of estimation. but for beginners, i suggest adding less salt first. then checking the taste. if the salt is less, then add some more. for any recipe meant for 2-3 people, my suggestion would be to add 1/2 tsp salt first and then increase it later to suit your salt preference.

  37. Dassanaji,

    Please biryani ki recipi hindi me de denge kya. Ham Mushroom har din khate hai. Kynki Ham khud gharme farming karte hai. Ham English jyada jante nahi ho. Pl email pe bhej dijiye.
    shukriya.
    Ashu G G

    • ashuji, aap biryani ka hindi mein translation directly page par hi kar sakte hain. right hand side bar main pinterest ke lal button ke upar google translate ka box hain. us box main drop down se hindi select kijiye and aur saara post hindi main anuvad ho jayega. recipe banana ke liye aapko samagri aur prakirya janana hoga, jo google translate tool bahut acche se karta hain… baki ka post hain woh itna achcha nahin translate karta hain, phir bhi samajh main aa jata hain.

  38. hey Dassana..although i have made this biryani thrice till now but i have a confusion..u have’nt mentioned in ur recipe when to add the khada masala..however i add it before onions..do u powder them or add the same as above..

    • thanks suhani. i have made the correction. the whole masala or spices have to be added before frying the onions. what you are doing is right. you don’t need to powder them. just adding them whole is alright.

  39. Hello again:)
    going to try your mushroom methi recipe today and i’m sure it will come out great…and i absolutely love mushrooms …will be trying all of these one by one!
    PS: your smiley face is very warm and welcoming like your entire site 🙂

  40. hi dassana… had missed this as i did not get any update… the mushroom biriyani ooks very temting and i will try this soon… lovely pics…

  41. I’m a huge fan of Indian food, but have never tried biryani. After seeing how quick and simple it is with a flavour burst of mushrooms, I’m sold! Thanks for sharing what I’m sure will be a new favourite!

    -Shannon

  42. hey Dassana..let me tell u that u hv made my weekend..the biryani was just superb..this is again going to be made next week..also my hubby liked it..thanks for the recipe..mmmm i can still remember the taste..cant stop thinking about it..ha ha

    • thanks suhani. glad to know this.

      i also make the mushroom biryani atleast once a week. this is one of the biryanis i make which is easy and quick plus tasty as well. hence i make it often.

  43. Dear Dassana, how r u? this receipe is amazing…full of flavours bursting in the mouth and in the air too…i cooked it but was not expecting it to come out so yummy…now it has become my favourite too..my kid and hubby also liked it very very much.. the whole house was full of its aromatic and spiritual fragrance… thank you dassana for sharing such a wonderful biryani receipe…Also last time i had cooked veg hyd biryani but i didnt add mint leaves as was not there.. & today i came to know the importance of adding mint leaves-:)
    bye tc.. with love meeta.

    • thanks meeta. i am good. your comment has made my day. feels great to know that your family liked the mushroom biryani. actually the pics do not convey the taste and the flavors of the biryani. it does not look like a great recipe. photographing rice dishes is not easy at times.

      mint leaves really bring out a lot in biryani and pulaos in terms of flavor. even if you add some mint leaves in your simple veg pulao, they taste very different. next time when you make the biryani, do add mint leaves to it. it is an essential and important ingredient in the biryani. something will be missing if you don’t add it.

  46. hi Dassana..how r u..where hv u been..i really missed u and ur posts..now when i was just thinking of making the hyderabadi biryani here comes mushroom biryani..i m confused which one to make now..anyways i will make this one soon..will tell u the results..

    • i am good suhani. i was on a short break hence did not post anything for almost a week, even on janmashtami and independence day.

      you can make both on separate ocassions. hyderabad biryani is really a nawabi style dum biryani and if the your mood or some ocassion calls for something special than you make this.

      mushroom biryani, on the other hand is simple but spicy and can go in the regular menu. it is quick and even can be made in a hurry. you can also pressure cook. but for pressure cooking keep the water amount to 4 cups and 3-4 whistles would be fine.

      both go well with kuchumber, papad and raita.

  47. Ahh mushrooms. Mushrooms are always in our menu. I and my partner like homemade grilled portabella mushroom and halloumi burger with salad. Great biryani and lovely clicks though.

  48. This looks delicious. To think you watched a video which was in a language you did not understand and then adapted it is amazing! Love the other dishes you have featured here too. Unfortunately the husband does like mushrooms. Maybe I will adapt it to other vegetables.

  49. Dassana, Looks so tempting. I am not able to understand the language in that video. 🙂 But not a problem, I have written recipe by you. Your other mushroom recipes are also looking very good.

  50. Dear dasana,at the end of every receipe,i do not like that my e-mail add can be seen by every body.my coment is for everybody body to read but not e-mail adress…………is this only on my computer that i can see or every body who like to read blogs? if so can we fix this problem? i do like to read your receipes,thanks a lot.

    • dear hemlata, yours or anyone’s email address is not visible on the web. it does not even show in the source codes. so there is no need to worry dear. you can safely read the new as well as old posts 🙂

  52. Mushroom biryani looks flavorful and delicious with the spice mix…and we love it when mushrooms are cooked with rice which imparts its own taste..Has come over here many times seeing your beautiful clicks at foodgwaker…so there is nothing to say about clicks..They are amazing…..

  54. Ah! mushroom, brings nostalgic memories of coorg….I used to make it often while living there… here in the city it comes in packets, I still prefer the ones in the backyard…. but have to be cautious with it…your clicks is just amazing….. now I am tempted to make one 🙂

  55. Looks delish Dassana!! Loved the use of all the spices in the mushroom biryani, clicks as usual great and not to miss the steam coming out of the mushrooms while they are getting cooked….wow!!!