Mushroom Biryani Recipe

Mushroom Biryani is a popular South Indian dish where fragrant rice is cooked with mushrooms, herbs and aromatic whole & ground biryani spices. It is delicious, super aromatic with umami flavors and is easy to make. You can cook this fluffy Mushroom Biryani in a regular pot, stovetop pressure cooker or in an Instant pot with my instructions below.

While you may find dum cooked version of this in specialized biryani houses, the one pot dish is a staple in the South Indian restaurant and households. It is also known as kalan biryani. You will also find this being made with coconut milk in place of curd/yogurt like in the traditional dish.

Traditionally a biryani is made with meat (chicken or mutton), marinated in spiced yogurt, layered with par-boiled rice and later dum cooked to perfection. Since this is a no-meat vegetarian dish, there is no marination of the mushrooms or layering of the rice.

You simply temper the spices, saute the mushrooms in the masala and cook with rice in the same pot like this Vegetable Biryani. This recipe requires a really good garam masala or biryani masala, this is the key ingredient. If you do not have that, you may make your own following my recipe below.

Unlike the traditional Hyderabadi or Lucknowi biryani, there is no caramelizing of onions involved, meaning you will save plenty of time. The meaty mushrooms together with the ground spices & mint leaves, infuse extra flavors to your mushroom biryani and you won’t miss your traditional biryani flavors.

More Mushroom recipes
Kadai mushroom
Mushroom masala
Matar mushroom
Mushroom manchurian
Chilli mushroom

Photo Guide

How to Make Mushroom Biryani (Stepwise photos)

Preparation

1. Soak 1 cup (200 grams) aged basmati rice in a large bowl until you prepare the vegetables. Later drain the water from the rice. I prefer to make and use fresh spice powder. If you have readymade garam masala or biryani masala you can also use that. But this mushroom biryani gets it real taste and aroma from the masala powder that is used. So make sure you use a good one. These are the spices I have used. Be careful not to use more as it can make your biryani bitter.

• 4 green cardamoms
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 6 cloves
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 small strand mace (javitri) (don’t use more, optional)
• 1 pinch nutmeg (jaiphal) (don’t use more, optional)
• ½ tsp stone flower (dagad phool / kalpasi) (optional)

2. Make a fine powder of the above ingredients. I also sieve the powder. Coarse spices can be added to your tea.

Make Biryani

3. Heat a pot or cooker with 2 tablespoons oil or ghee. When it turns hot, add the following whole spices the whole spices. If you do not have some of them just skip.

• 1 bay leaf
• 1 star anise (biryani flower)
• ½ tsp shahi jeera or (jeera – cumin)
• 2 to 3 green cardamoms
• 1 cinnamon – 2 inch piece
• 3 to 4 cloves or laung

4. Add 1 medium sliced onion (⅓ cup) and 1 to 2 chopped or slit green chilies.

5. Spread the onions and saute until they turn golden. Add 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste.

6. Saute for a minute, until aromatic & stir in ¼ to ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes, ⅓ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon turmeric. Saute until the tomatoes breakdown and become soft. While the tomatoes cook, rinse and slice the mushrooms thick.

7. Stir in

• ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon red chili powder (cut down for low heat)
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint (pudina) & 2 tbsps coriander leaves
• ¾ teaspoon garam masala or half of the ground spices we made in step 1

8. Turn down the flame to very low flame and add 3 tablespoons yogurt or coconut milk.

9. Mix everything well to deglaze the pan.

Fry mushrooms for biryani

10. Add about 2 cups (7 ounces, 200 g) sliced mushrooms. You can add more or less to your preference.

11. Saute the mushrooms in the masala for 2 to 3 mins.

12. Add the drained rice and pour water. Use 2 cups if cooking in a pot or 1¾ cups water to cook in stovetop pressure cooker. 1¼ cups water to cook in Instant pot.

13. Mix well and taste test the water to adjust salt. I forgot to add mint & coriander in the earlier step so I added here.

14. Bring to a rolling boil and reduce the heat. No cooker – pot method – Cover and cook on a medium low flame until the rice if fully cooked and the water is absorbed. Stovetop Pressure – Cook for 1 whistle on a medium flame. Wait for the pressure to drop naturally. Instant Pot – Pressure cook for 5 mins, let the pressure drop manually for 5 mins and release the rest carefully. (I have a detailed step by step picture guide for the Instant pot version below)

15. When the biryani is done, add some chopped coriander leaves.

Troubleshooting tip: Once the water is all absorbed, you can check if the rice is done correctly. If not then pour little hot boiling water & give a stir. Cook covered.

16. Mushroom biryani turns fluffy, grainy and fully cooked.

Serve mushroom biryani with Raita and some papads on the side. You can also pack this in the office or school lunch box.

Expert Tips & Notes

1. Rice: I have used basmati rice but you can use any short grain aged rice like seeraga samba rice or keema rice or sona masuri. If you are using newly harvested rice, avoid cooking in the pressure cooker.
2. Water: I have used 1¾ cups water for every cup of basmati rice since there is a little amount of yogurt too. Adjust the amount of water depending on the kind of rice. A general tip is to use the same amount of water as you would use to make your plain rice.
3. Mushrooms: I have used button mushrooms. Other kinds like fresh shiitake, Swiss brown mushrooms (Cremini) and Portobello also work well. For an extra umami flavor, use some dried shiitake. Hydrate them in water and use along with the fresh mushrooms.
4. Spices: Feel free to alter the tempering spices and use what you have in hand.
5. Vegan: To make the recipe vegan just omit curd/ yogurt and use coconut milk. You can also substitute water in the recipe with coconut milk and cook the mushroom biryani with coconut milk alone.
6. Biryani masala : The key to this flavorful biryani is the biryani masala powder that I shared in this recipe. It elevates the flavors completely. If you do not have the whole spices needed to make the mushroom biryani then just use garam masala.

Photo Guide

Instant Pot Mushroom Biryani

Soak 1 cup aged basmati rice until you prepare the onions, tomatoes etc for this recipe. Later drain the water completely.

1. Press saute button on the IP and pour oil to the steel insert. Add 1 bay leaf, 1 star anise, half teaspoon shahi jeera, 2 to 3 green cardamoms, one 2 inch cinnamon piece and 3 to 4 cloves.

2. When the spices sizzle, add ⅓ cup (1 small) sliced onions and 1 to 2 slit green chili. Saute onions until light golden. Then add 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic and saute quickly.

3. Add ¼ cup (1 medium) tomatoes and sprinkle ⅓ teaspoon salt. Saute until the tomatoes turn soft, for about 1 to 2 mins.

4. Add ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon red chilli powder and ¾ teaspoon garam masala or half of the biryani masala from the post.

5. Quickly mix it and add 3 tablespoons yogurt or coconut milk.

6. Mix everything well and deglaze to remove bits of food stuck at the bottom.

7. Then add 2 cups thick sliced mushrooms (7 ounces, 200 grams), 2 tablespoons mint and 2 tablespoons of coriander leaves. Saute for 2 mins and press cancel.

8. Add drained rice and pour 1¼ cups water.

9. Mix everything well and taste test. Water has to be slightly salty. If need add more salt.

10. Secure the instant pot with the lid and position the steam release valve to sealing. Press pressure cook button and set the timer to 5 minutes. Let the pressure release manually for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, fluff up the rice and cover back. This helps the rice on the top layer to soften and cook evenly.

Serve mushroom biryani with raita.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card