Mushroom Biryani Recipe

For the very first recipe, I'll be starting off big with my favorite Indian food: mushroom biryani! This glorious, mouthwatering dish is actually my replacement for mutton (goat) biryani. Before switching to a whole-food plant-based (WFPB) diet, I used to really look forward to those Friday nights when my mom had chosen mutton biryani as the 'weekend special'. After transitioning, I'll admit I was sad about giving it up. However, my mom (I can't cook FYI) started looking for a suitable WFPB alternative for mutton that could parallel the visuals while delivering its own unique taste... and stumbled across mushrooms!

I'll never forget the pure joy I felt when I first tasted this wondrous dish, because it was INCREDIBLE. For starters, it looked and smelled exactly the same. The mushroom biryani captured the same perfect blend of all the different tastes and aromas of the original—without using any animal products! The intensity and savoriness of the spices as well as the harmony between the main ingredient (mushrooms) and the masala was unchanged. This new food instantly pleased my taste buds and soared to the top as my #1 favorite food. Plus, by avoiding the meat, I was reaping so many benefits! Check out my Instagram page for more nutrition info about the key ingredient in this dish. I'm confident you will enjoy this healthier version of biryani as much as I do. Give it a go and let me know in the comments how yours turned out!

Makes: 4 servings

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 60-90 minutes

Ingredients

500 grams baby bella mushrooms

200 milliliters coconut milk

4 rice-cooker-cups basmati rice

4 medium size onions

6-8 green chilies

2 medium size lemons

3 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon Shaan brand mutton biryani powder

1 cup mint leaves

1/2 cup cilantro

1-2 teaspoons red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1-2 pinches saffron

1 inch cinnamon stick

2-3 bay leaves

4 pieces whole cardamom

6-8 pieces whole cloves

1 small star anise

1/8 teaspoon caraway seeds (shahjeera)

5 tablespoons cooking oil of choice (we use cold-pressed peanut oil)

Salt

Preparation

1. Wash the mushrooms thoroughly. In a bowl, mix them well with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder. Marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Cut the onions into thin slices.

3. Slit the top end of the green chilies in half.

4. Cut the lemons into half.

5. Soak the saffron in 2 tablespoons of coconut milk.

6. Wash and soak the basmati rice for 20 minutes. **Perform this step about 20 minutes before Step 10 below, so that you can add the rice directly into the cooking pot once fully soaked.

7. While the rice is cooking in Step 10, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cooking

1. Light the stove to a medium to high flame. Place a medium-sized pan on the stove top and add 5 tablespoons of oil to it.

2. Once the oil is heated, add the sliced onions to the pan and fry until golden brown. Optional: add salt (per taste) to the help speed up the frying.

3. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir with the onions, allowing the paste to cook and turn slightly brown.

4. Add the green chilies, 3/4 cup of mint leaves, 1/4 cup of cilantro, chili powder, garam masala, and Shaan mutton biriyani masala, and stir. **Save 1/4 teaspoon of the Shaan masala powder for later in Step 14.

5. Rinse the marinated mushrooms. Add them to the pan and mix well. Stir occasionally and make sure to not let the masala powders burn or stick to the bottom.

6. Add coconut milk to the pan and stir. Squeeze 3 lemon halves into the curry.

7. Cook until the mushroom curry becomes thick, but not paste-like. Taste and adjust with salt and chili powder as needed. Once done, set aside.

8. Now, it's time to cook the rice. Place a 5 quart saucepan or pot on the stove and add 10-12 rice-cooker-cups of water to it. Add 1/4 teaspoon of cooking oil to the water.

9. Add spices (cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, star anise, and caraway seeds) and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the water. Close the lid and bring to a boil.

10. Drain the soaking rice. When the water on the stove is boiling, add the pre-soaked rice to the pot. Stir it well. Close the lid again and allow to cook.

11. When you see that the rice grains are 70% cooked, drain out all of the remaining water from the pot.

12. Take out another thick-bottomed pan or caldero. We will be using it to layer the rice and curry. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to it.

13. Transfer half of the cooked rice to the caldero. Then, transfer half of the mushroom curry to the top of the rice. Transfer the remaining half of the rice to the top of the curry.

14. On top of the rice, sprinkle the remaining mint and cilantro. Sprinkle the remaining Shaan masala. Squeeze the remaining lemon half. Evenly pour the coconut milk with saffron.

15. Finally, add the remaining curry to the top and spread it evenly.

16. Cover the caldero with aluminum foil, creating a tight seal, and put the lid on.

17. Place it into the pre-heated oven. Keep for 30 mins or until you can smell the biryani flavor.

18. Remove the caldero, open the lid and foil, and allow the biryani to cool for a bit. Once cooler, mix the rice and mushroom curry together. **Be gentle when mixing so as not to break the rice grains.

All done! Serve and enjoy :)

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