Mushroom Biryani | How To Make Mushroom Biryani | Kalan Biryani | Button Mushroom Biryani

I love cooking biryanis with any ingredient available eggs, sprouts, prawns, capsicum, vegetables, meat, I've shared almost all of them here. I personally do not like the "too grainy biryanis" and so does everyone at home. That might awe you, but that's the truth. Back at home, everyone looks forward and enjoys a biryani with well cooked grains that are not sticky. So here's my way of making mushroom biryani, a well flavored tasty one with well cooked non-sticky grains. I have used a pressure cooker to make it similar to the dum process, this way of cooking will ensure that all the flavors get well blended with the rice. Mushrooms do not have much flavors to contribute to the biryani unlike meat so I always make this recipe flavor dominated yet subtle in spiciness. This recipe is not fussy like my other ones but a little time consuming than the other biryani recipes I've shared earlier, I have already that it is similar to the dum process and now you know why it is time consuming. I served it with a subtle, fennel flavored chicken curry, boiled eggs and raita. It will be a perfect lunch box recipe and kids would love it. You can serve it with curries and sides of your choice. So here's how I made this garam garam biryani. 

INGREDIENTS

Total Preparation Time - 40 minutes 
Serves 4 to 5 people 

1. Basmati - 350 grams 
2. Button Mushroom - 200 grams (20 mushrooms) 
3. Onion - 3 
4. Green chillies - 2 
5. Bay leaf - 2 
6. Cloves - 2
7. Cardamom pods - 10
8. Cinnamon stick - 5 long sticks (about 3 to 4 inches long)
9. Star anise - 2 
10. Kalpasi / Black stone flower - 1 inch leaf 
11. Fennel seeds - 1.5 tablespoons 
12. Red chilli powder - 2 teaspoons 
13. Coconut milk - 200 ml 
14. Lemon juice - From one big lemon
15. Mint leaves - 2 handfuls 
16. Coriander leaves - 2 handfuls 
17. Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tablespoons 
18. Salt - As per taste (2 teaspoons approximately)
19. Oil - 100 ml 
20. Ghee - 50 ml 

Spices For Basmati Rice 

1. Cinnamon stick - one small piece
2. Bay leaf - 1 
3. Cloves  - 2 
4. Cardamom pods - 2 

PREPARATION METHOD

• Pick mushrooms that do not have too many black spots on them and looks fresh from the grocery store. Wash well and wipe with a cloth to remove the dirt easily. Most of the times washing wont be enough. Then chop them as I have shown in the below pic. 
• Slice onions and slit green chillies into two lengthwise. Wash and pick leaves from stems, select spices and set them aside as it will be easy while cooking.

Cook Basmati Rice

• Wash and Soak Basmati in water and set aside for 10 minutes. Soaking makes the grains get cooked faster, and also gives it a better texture, there are few more benefits too but it is not compulsory. 
• Then place a heavy pan on flame and pour enough water to cook the rice. Drop in the spices I've mentioned below "spices for basmati rice" and a teaspoon of oil,  sprinkle salt and stir. Cook until the grains seems 3/4th cooked. Don't let it cook too much. Then remove from flame and drain excess water. Set aside. 

Making Biryani

• Place a cooker on flame and pour oil along with ghee, after it heats up add one big cinnamon stick, 3 bay leaves, cloves, 5 cardamom pods, 2 star anise, fennel seeds and saute for a few seconds. Take care not to burn the spices. 
• Now add the slices or chopped onions, slit green chillies and saute until onions seem half cooked. Then add mint leaves, coriander leaves (reserve a few of these leaves for later use) 
• Add ginger garlic paste and saute until the leaves shrink and until raw smell of ginger garlic leaves.

• Now add red chilli powder and stir well. Wait until raw smell leaves. 
• Pour in the coconut milk along with 100 ml of water and stir. Cook for 2 minutes. 

• Pour lemon juice and stir. 
• Then add salt, mushrooms and give a nice stir. 

• Now add the cooked basmati rice into it and give a few gentle stirs using a flat spatula/spoon. It will not have too much water in it. 
• Now drop some mint and coriander leaves over rice and cover with the cooker lid with the regulator or whistle on it. Remove cooker from flame and place the cooker over a flat pan or any heavy dosa pan. Place this set up over stove, cook for about 15 minutes on low flame.  
• Then remove from the stove and place aside until the pressure drops down completely. Now remove the lid and fluff up the biryani well or give a few gentle stirs from the bottom to the top, if you do not mind breaking your rice grains. Cover with the lid again with the cooker lid and set aside on the kitchen counter for 25 to 20 minutes. 

• Then serve the flavor packed biryani with some raita. 

TIP 1: Along with mushrooms you can also add peas. Adding other veggies is totally upto your choice. 

TIP 2: If you do not want to follow the lengthy process, you can simply add coconut milk, then pour water 1.5 times that of rice and pressure coo for ten minutes. I have prepared capsicum biryani this was you can check that recipe to know more about this easier method. 

TIP 3: Placing the cooker over a pan or some flat tawa will help the bottom of the biryani from getting burnt. 

TIP 4: Do not pour too much water than I have mentioned here. It will make the biryani soggy. I have added 200 ml coconut milk and 100 ml water you can customise this ratio as 100 ml coconut milk and 200 ml water also. 

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