South Indian mushroom biryani with step by step photos. This is a spicy, hot and super delicious South Indian style mushroom biryani. It also known as kalan biryani
First time we had a taste of this 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 South Indian 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 biryani. the left pic is of the oil-free version and the right is the oil version.
After that I made this 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:
- Mushroom biryani (spicy biryani Chettinad style)
- Ambur biryani
- Mushroom fried rice (from Indo Chinese cuisine)
- Mushroom pulao (easy pulao made in pressure cooker)
- Dindigul biryani
- Pressure cooker mushroom biryani
This is a really spicy 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 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.
How to make South Indian mushroom biryani
1. First rinse and then soak 1 heaped cup basmati rice in enough water for 30 mins.
2. after 30 mins drain the rice and keep aside.
3. so when the rice is soaking, prep up the rest of the ingredients like chopping veggies etc.
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.
5. When the oil becomes hot, add all the whole spices – fennel, cumin, cloves, tej patta (Indian bay leaf), cinnamon, green cardamoms, star anise and mace.
6. fry the spices till fragrant for a few seconds.
7. then add chopped onions and saute till translucent.
8. next add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, half of mint+coriander leaves, tomatoes & curry leaves.
9. stir well.
10. saute this mixture till the tomatoes soften.
11. then add coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, red chili powder and black pepper powder.
12. Stir again very well so that the masala or dry spice powders get mixed evenly with the rest of the mixture.
13. add sliced mushrooms.
14. stir again.
15. saute on a low to medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes. Keep on stirring at intervals.
16. then add water.
17. bring the mixture to a simmer.
18. Add rice.
19. add rest of the mint+coriander leaves.
20. stir.
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 a low flame cook the 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 this South Indian mushroom biryani.
23. Once done, allow the biryani to sit for 5 minutes. Then open the lid and gently fluff the rice.
24. Serve this South Indian mushroom biryani with onion-tomato raita.
South Indian Mushroom Biryani
INGREDIENTS
main ingredients
- 1 cup heaped basmati rice, 200 grams
- 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 (cilantro leaves)
- 8 to 10 medium sized curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1.5 teaspoons coriander powder (ground coriander)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 to 3 tablespoons oil
- salt as required
whole spices
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- ¾ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 2 to 3 green cardamoms
- 2 to 3 single strands of mace (javitri)
- 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- 1 star anise (chakri phool)
INSTRUCTIONS
preparation
- Soak rice in enough water for 30 mins.
- After 30 minutes drain the rice and keep aside.
- So when the rice is soaking, prep up the rest of the ingredients like chopping veggies etc.
making south indian 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 burned.
- 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 saute till translucent.
- Next add ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, half of mint+coriander leaves, tomatoes & curry leaves.
- Stir well. Saute this mixture till the tomatoes soften.
- Then add coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, red chili powder and black pepper powder.
- Stir again very well so that the masalas or dry spice powders gets mixed evenly with the rest of the mixture.
- Add sliced mushrooms. Stir again. Saute on a low to medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes. Keep on stirring at intervals.
- Then add water. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the rice. Add rest of the mint+coriander leaves. Stir.
- Season with salt. Check the taste of the stock and it should taste a bit salty.
- Cover the pan with a lid. On a low flame cook the 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.
- Once done, allow the biryani to sit for 5 minutes. Then open the lid and gently fluff the rice.
- Serve this south indian mushroom biryani with onion-tomato raita.
Thank you for this recipe it was delicious
thanks sarah for this feedback on the mushroom biryani recipe. glad to know.
Thank you for this recipe. my ever favourite from Pepper vine is Mushroom Biriyani.
Welcome Femina. Good to know this.
Thank you! Every recipe I have tried from your site has been amazing 🙂
Welcome Rashmi. Thanks for sharing positive feedback on recipes.
I prepared this mushroom biryani recipe today.It was very tasty. Thanks for the recipe.
thanks kirti for sharing this lovely feedback. welcome ????
Tried it and it was was yumm! Thanks for all the wonderfull recepies.
Welcome Nayana
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.
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!!
Welcome Soumya. Glad to know that you liked mushroom biryani recipe. Thanks for your positive feedback and inputs.
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☺
thanks a lot. glad you liked the website as well as recipes.
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.
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 🙂
thanks chandana for this feedback. glad to know. happy diwali to your and your family.
That made an awesome mushroom biriyani! Loved the taste. Thanks fr sharing the recipe!
welcome always radhika 🙂 thanks for positive feedback.
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.
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.
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.
pleased to know this mini 🙂 thankyou for your kind words.
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 : )
Thanks Dassana for wondeful recipe.first time I am going to cook something with Mashroom
you are welcome priya glad you would cook mushroom biryani. do keep us posted how it was?
Hi Dassana, this is really yummy and mouth watering recipe, I’m gonna try this very soon. Thanx a lot…
sure summa and thankyou so much 🙂
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!
welcome shreeti. glad to know this.
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.
easy tips….
we like v much.t u