Easy Mushroom Biryani recipe – Instant pot and stovetop

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Mushroom Biryani is an easy, one-pot flavorful meal. You just need simple raita to enjoy this wholesome dish.

This vegan mushroom biryani is a great choice to enjoy fuss-free weekends with your family and friends. Let’s learn to make it in the Instant pot and stovetop method.

Mushroom Biryani

Biryani is a rice-based dish cooked with meat and spices. You can also add eggs, vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower peas to give variety for the vegetarians.

Mushroom is a brilliant substitute for meat to make biryani.

	You can also try our Instant pot vegetable biryani.
	For meat lovers, check out Fried chicken biryani.

How to make easy Mushroom Biryani

Biryani is usually made using long-grain basmati rice or short-grain jeeraka samba rice. Both are aromatic rice though some prefer basmati and some prefer jeeraka samba.

In this recipe, I used basmati rice. The rice-water ratio is really important while cooking biryani. The rice-water ratio for basmati rice is 1:2.

 If the rice becomes mushy, the whole dish won’t taste good.

Instant pot method

Wash the rice thoroughly until the water becomes clear. Soak it for at least 30 minutes and drain.

Grind tomato and the whole spices except bay leaf, and star anise to a smooth paste.

Switch on the Instant Pot. Press the saute button. Add the oil inside the stainless pot. 

Add the bay leaf, and star anise when the oil is hot. Now add the sliced onions, and green chili and saute them till translucent. Add the cleaned mushrooms to the sauteed onions. Stir it for a minute and add ginger garlic paste.

Saute it till the raw smell of the ginger-garlic paste fades away. Now add the spice powders and saute. Add cilantro and mint leaves. 

Once all the masala comes together, add the soaked and drained rice. Add water, lemon juice, and the required salt. Stir gently. Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the valve to a sealing position.

Press the cancel button. Now press the pressure cook or manual button and set the timer for 5 minutes. Once done, let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid. Fluff the rice gently with a fork and serve flavorful mushroom biryani with simple raita.

Stovetop method

For the stovetop method, follow the same steps as above in a pot, and after adding water cook covered until the rice is cooked.

What to serve with mushroom biryani?

This mushroom biryani needs a simple accompaniment like carrot raita, onion raita, or cucumber raita. Also, do not forget to have our raw mango ginger cooler or sweet and salty lemonade with this biryani.

Need to use your Instant pot more? Check out Instant pot recipes.

Few variations to try in this recipe

• You can use ghee or clarified butter instead of oil to give more aroma and flavor to the dish. 
• You can use coconut milk instead of just water. In that case, use 1 cup of coconut milk and 2 cups of water for this recipe. It may differ when you the measurement of rice.

Other lunch options

Mint rice

Cumin rice

Lemon rice

Lentil rice

Do not forget to check out the Indian Lunch menu and plan menu for a week like a pro.

Easy Mushroom Biryani recipe

Ingredients

Basmati Rice – 1 1/2 cup

Mushroom – 2 cups ( cleaned and sliced)

Onion – 1/2 cup ( thinly sliced)

Tomato – 1 big

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 teaspoon

Green Chili – 2 

Turmeric Powder – 1/4 teaspoon

Red Chili Powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Biriyani Masala – 1 teaspoon

Cinnamon Stick – 1/2 Inch

Bay Leaf – 2

Cloves – 2

Star Anise – 1

Elaichi/Cardamom – 2 

Fennel Seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

Cilantro – ¼ cup chopped

Mint – ¼ cup

Water – 3 Cups

Oil – 2 Tablespoon + 1 Tablespoon

Salt – As Required

Lemon Juice – 1 teaspoon

Cashews – 1 Tablespoon

Method

• Wash the rice thoroughly until the water becomes clear. Soak it for at least 30 minutes and drain.
• Grind tomato and the whole spices except bay leaf, and star anise to a smooth paste.
• Switch on the Instant Pot. Press the saute button. Add the oil inside the stainless pot. 
• Add the bay leaf, and star anise when the oil is hot. Now add the sliced onions, and green chili and saute them till translucent. 
• Add the cleaned mushrooms to the sauteed onions. Stir it for a minute and add ginger garlic paste.
• Saute it till the raw smell of the ginger-garlic paste fades away. Now add the spice powders and saute. Add cilantro and mint leaves. 
• Once all the masala comes together, add the soaked and drained rice. Add water, lemon juice, and the required salt. Stir gently. Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the valve to a sealing position.
• Press the cancel button. Now press the pressure cook or manual button and set the timer for 5 minutes. 
• Once done, let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid. Fluff the rice gently with a fork. Roast the cashews in oil or ghee till golden and add it over the cooked biryani.
• Serve flavorful mushroom biryani with simple raita.

Stovetop method

• For the stovetop method, follow the same steps as above in a pot, and after adding water cook covered until the rice is cooked.

Notes

1. Adjust spices as per your requirements. You can avoid green chilies if you want less spicy.
2. The rice-to-water ratio is 1:2. So adjust when you alter the rice quantity.
3. If you are using anything other than basmati rice, then the rice-water ratio will change.
4. I used store-bought biriyani masala.
5. You can use ghee or clarified butter instead of oil to give more aroma and flavor to the dish. 
6. You can use coconut milk instead of just water. In that case, use 1 cup of coconut milk and 2 cups of water for this recipe.

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This recipe was originally posted on October 15, 2018. Now updated with new content and pictures.