I sometimes do feel that it is not necessary a good biriyani needs to be non-veg. The Malabar style vegetable biriyani proved it to me as well as a bunch of guests I made it for! A very close competitor is this biriyani, which is made with mushrooms.
Mushroom tastes so much like meat. I personally like it a lot, though I don’t have folks in the family who enjoy it. I had to make biriyani when I landed up with two boxes of it picked up at a very good deal at the hypermarket closeby. Now does that happen to you? When I see fruits and vegetables at good deals, I tend to go overboard and pick them up and unfortunately they end up hastily used up or spoiled. 🙁 I used to always keep mushrooms at normal temperature – my kitchen is pretty warm! – and it would get spoiled within a day or so, but recently I realized keeping it in the fridge did keep it more fresh and without any slimy feeling.
OK, now coming back to the biriyani, it is basically a one-pot meal, so you don’t have any multiple pots to wash. It also comes together in no time, making it a perfect lazy weekend meal or a special dinner for a weekday. All you will need is a raita and some pickle, and you are good to go! As soon as Rasha saw the pot, she frowned and said, “Mushrooma?” 😕 Hearing her, Azza refused to even touch the rice, though I somehow pushed a few morsels down her throat. But the imp who first frowned, ate up her first portion, came for a second serving and had that too! All I could do was ask her, “Why all that drama in first place?” 😀 Off to this recipe…
Easy Mushroom Biriyani
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice soaked for an hour and drained
- 2 tbsp oil/ ghee or a mix of both
- 1 pc cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cardamom
- 10-15 peppercorns
- 2 cloves
- A sprig curry leaves
- 1 large onion sliced
- 3 green chillies chopped
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 to mato chopped
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
- 500 gm mushrooms chopped coarsely
- A handful of coriander and mint leaves chopped
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a large saucepan and fry the whole spices briefly. Add the curry leaves and allow to splutter.
- Add the onions and chillies and saute till soft.
- Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell is gone.
- Add the tomatoes and cook till it is mashed up.
- Add in the powders and cook for a minute.
- Add the mushrooms, coriander and mint leaves and cook for around five minutes.
- Add the drained rice and coat well. Leave on low for five minutes.
- Add in the coconut milk, water, salt and pepper as required (I added around a tbsp or more for spice). Allow to boil on high flame.
- Reduce the flame to the lowest and cook covered till done.
- Serve garnished with more coriander and mint leaves.
This usually happens with my kids too….if the older one frowns and refrains from eating the little one too walks the same path!!!😂😂.l too love mushrooms but my family is divided over it 🙄.The biryani looks so tempting !!!😋😋😋😋
I tell my elder one to keep her dislike to herself but she just wouldn’t… 😕 Thank you so much dear Nusrath… 🙂
So fluffy and delicious…that’s a perfect biriyani.
Thanks a lot Angie…
looks delicious and perfect Rafee <3
Thanks dear Gloria…
Delicious Biriyani..
Thanks Ruxana…
Looks delicious biriyani dear, for a change definitely mushroom biriyani is a good choice..I have made mushroom and paneer mixed biriyani, which was ok ok in the family..I generally store mushrooms in fridge only 🙂
That is the problem… unless it is non-veg, nobody wants to have biriyani… hehe… Thanks a lot Julie… 🙂
Looks so delicious! I’d love to have a go at this as I haven’t tried using mushrooms in a biryani. Love the idea!
Thank you so much Kanak…
My husband loves mushroom . I don’t hate it but for some reason I haven’t tried out much with mushrooms.. your biriyani looks amazing and I am now tempted and motivated to try it..
Thank you so much Anupa… it is very easy to give it a try!
Guess what! I have never touched a mushroom ever. When single, I was clear I am never gonna have to make it. But now I know F likes it but yet I can’t bring myself to make them.. lol. He doesn’t feel bad, because if mushrooms come into my kitchen, so will all seafood.. lol. These two have no entry. But because this is biryani, I could eat it if you serve me without the mushrooms.. 🙂
Hmm… I have never seen umma cook with mushroom but once in a while I pick it up and cook with it too, just for variety sake… Now I can’t cook a mushroom biriyani and serve you without it! 😛 Thanks dear Fami…