Mushroom Biryani Recipe (South Indian Style)

Mushroom Biryani is the vegetarian version of the classic biryani with meaty mushrooms, tender fluffy rice and flavorful spices. This Mushroom Biryani Recipe is from the South Indian Tamil Nadu cuisine. This dish requires only one pot and is made in less than 30 minutes! A spicy, tasty mushroom and rice recipe, this South Indian-style vegan biryani with mushrooms is perfect for a delicious weekend meal.

About Mushroom Biryani

This Mushroom Biryani of mine is a super easy one-pot South Indian biryani made with mushrooms. This super delicious recipe has a tangy, bold and spicy flavors from the tomatoes, onions, herbs and spices. The recipe is also vegan and gluten-free.

The concept of this one-pot spicy Mushroom Biryani Recipe is a relatively modern adaptation within South Indian cuisine, blending the region’s love for bold, aromatic flavors with the convenience of contemporary cooking methods.

This recipe of Mushroom Biryani is inspired from the one we had at the Pepper Vine Cafe at Isha Yoga Center of Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev near Coimbatore.

This was decades ago and I still continue to make this winning dish every time at home. Simply, due to its ease of preparation with rich, spicy, umami flavors.

Traditional South Indian biryanis are renowned for their use of local spices, short-grain seeraga samba rice, meats or seafoods and unique flavor profiles.

However, as vegetarianism gained prominence in South India due to cultural and religious practices, plant-based alternatives like vegetables, paneer, and mushrooms began to replace meat in biryani recipes.

Mushrooms have been a relatively recent addition to the South Indian culinary scene. While not traditionally cultivated in the region, their popularity grew in the late 20^th century.

Mushrooms’ meaty texture and ability to absorb spices made them a natural fit for biryani, aligning with the robust flavor profiles of South Indian cuisine. Thus, the Mushroom Biryani Recipe emerged.

About This Recipe

In this Mushroom Biryani Recipe, you will need some spices and herbs that are easily available in the Indian kitchen. Exception can be mint leaves, as these may or may not be in your kitchen.

So, feel free to remove it completely from the recipe or swap with dried mint. There are many variations of this biryani and each recipe will have a unique flavor depending on the ingredients used.

Mushroom Biryani is also known as Kalan Biryani in Tamil Nadu as mushrooms are referred to as ‘kalan’ in Tamil language.

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.

The one-pot technique allows the rice, mushrooms, and spices to cook together, resulting in a deeply flavorful dish where every grain is infused with aromatic masalas.

While traditional biryani often involves a dum (slow-cooking) technique requiring multiple steps, the one-pot method simplifies the process without compromising on taste in the Mushroom Biryani Recipe.

One-pot spicy Mushroom Biryanis have gained popularity as a weekend meal option for families, as well as a crowd-pleaser at small gatherings.

Its simplicity in preparation makes it an attractive choice for working professionals and home cooks who want to recreate the flavors of a traditional biryani without the time-intensive dum process.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to Make Mushroom Biryani

Prep ingredients

1. First, rinse and then soak 1 heaped cup basmati rice in enough water for 30 minutes.

You can make use of any non-sticky variety of rice to make this biryani. Even seeraga samba (kaima rice), which is the South Indian variety of rice that is often added to a biryani, can be used in this recipe.

2. After 20 to 30 minutes, drain all the water from the rice and set the rice grains aside.

3. When the rice is soaking, prepare the rest of the ingredients like chopping vegetables, white button mushrooms, getting spices and herbs ready, etc.

Fry Spices

4. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a deep pan or pot.

Make sure that the bottom of the pan is thick, otherwise the rice can get browned or burn while cooking.

Use any neutral oil. If you prefer, you can include ghee (clarified butter) as well.

5. When the oil becomes hot, lower the heat. Add all the whole spices – ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 to 3 cloves, 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf), 1 inch cinnamon, 2 to 3 green cardamoms, 1 small star anise and 2 to 3 thin strands of mace.

Note: I recommend to add all the spices, but due to non-availability consider skipping mace and star anise. Do try to include all the other spices.

6. Fry the spices for a few seconds or until fragrant.

Sauté Aromatics

7. Add ½ cup chopped onions and sauté until translucent and softened.

8. Next, add 2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies, 2 tablespoons chopped mint, 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves, ½ cup tightly packed finely chopped tomatoes and 8 to 10 curry leaves.

9. Mix well.

10. Stirring often, sauté this mixture until the tomatoes soften.

11. Add 1½ teaspoons coriander powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper and ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder.

If you do not have garam masala powder, either skip it or swap with ½ teaspoon curry powder.

Note: If you add curry powder, add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and not ½ teaspoon as curry powder has some turmeric in it.

12. Mix again very well so that the masala or spice powders get mixed evenly with the rest of the mixture. Sauté for a minute.

Sauté Mushrooms

13. Add 200 grams chopped or sliced button mushrooms.

14. Mix again.

15. Sauté mushrooms on low to medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Keep stirring at intervals.

Make Mushroom Biryani

16. Add 2 cups water.

17. Bring this mixture to a simmer on medium-low to medium heat.

18. Add the soaked rice grains.

19. Add 2 tablespoons each of chopped mint and coriander leaves.

20. Mix gently taking care not to break the rice grains.

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 low heat, cook the biryani until the rice grains are tender, fluffy with all the water absorbed.

If the rice grains are under cooked and the water has evaporated, add about ¼ to ½ cup hot water or more as needed.

Remember to check the rice a few times while cooking, to see if the water dries up or not.

Depending on the size and quality of the pan and the kind of rice grains, you may need to add more water.

23. When the rice grains are cooked perfectly, let the biryani rest for 5 minutes before serving. Open the lid and gently fluff the rice.

24. Serve Mushroom Biryani hot or warm.

Serving Suggestions

This South Indian Mushroom Biryani Recipe pairs very well with a Kachumber or plain Onion Raita, as the yogurt tones down the spiciness and balances the heat of the biryani. In fact, you can also serve it with just plain curd or yogurt.

Garnishing the biryani with mint or coriander leaves is also a choice. In case you don’t want to serve it with curd or raita, then a few lemon wedges or a fresh Vegetable Salad or fried/roasted papadums are also great options to enjoy with the biryani.

Expert Tips

• Choice of mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms both taste great in this recipe. You also can include a combination of various varieties of edible fresh mushrooms.
• Rice varieties: Use aged basmati rice for the best texture and taste. You can also use seeraga samba rice, sona masuri rice or any other variety of non-sticky short-grained or medium-grained rice.
• Adding herbs: Its better if you add both the mint and coriander leaves. In case of unavailability, either add dried mint or skip the mint. But do add the coriander leaves.
• Use of fats: You can use ghee instead of oil for a vegetarian take on the recipe.
• Adjust spices: Ensure to use all the spices mentioned in the recipe to get the best flavor. However, you can add less or more spices according to your requirements. This will result in some changes in the flavor of the biryani.
• Cooking rice: Make sure to cook rice grains until they are softened. Do not make them mushy or too soft. Add water as needed keeping in mind the quality, type and age of the rice you have used.

FAQs

More Biryani Recipes To Try!

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.