Chettinad mushroom Biryani – Delicious rice cooked with Mushrooms, spices, herbs and grounded shallot paste in Chettinad style
Biryani – the mere word is enough for me to crave for this food. Biryani is the usual way of celebrating holidays in many households. They might exotic with exquisite flavors and always my first choice at restaurants. But that doesn’t call for any complex cooking techniques. The process of preparation depends on according to region to region; it can be prepared using dum process, or in an oven, in a pan or simply in a pressure cooker. However prepared, they taste delicious. They are one pot meal and a satisfying food to your tummy. They are the first choice for any get-together and must have in a feast. And, they can be prepared easily and is quite popular among bachelors.
I have always loved biryani from my childhood and it brings back my childhood memories. I love biryani prepared with any kind of ingredients – chicken biryani, vegetable biryani, egg biryani or simply with potatoes. My recent favorite is Chettinad mushroom biryani, prepared with shallots, herbs, and spices. Chettinad biryanis are prepared with seeraga samba rice authentically but as in the US, I prepare them with Kaljeera rice available in Indian groceries. One can prepare with Basmati rice or simply with sona masoori too.
I have always used store bought masala which is available in Indian groceries but this calls for freshly grounded paste. I was initially hesitant as for how would the biryani taste. But you won’t believe me that I have prepared this mushroom biryani twice in a week and it turned to be a party favorite. This recipe calls for fresh garam masala but one can use store bought too. Another important step to be remembered is the addition of herbs – Coriander and mint leaves. Ensure to chop them finely before addition to the biryani. Either the mushrooms can be added as a whole or can be chopped into small pieces. I prepared either way and doesn’t find any difference in taste.
One can cook the rice separately and prepare mushroom masala separately. Finally, they can be combined together. Else biryani can be prepared using dum process. Or simply stir up everything in a pressure cooker and cook for whistles followed by cooking for another ten minutes in low flame. Though it can be prepared with any kind of rice, I would highly recommend trying with seeraga samba rice to enjoy the most flavorful authentic biryani
Now, to the recipe. I have prepared biryani using Dum Process. Please check my Prawn Biryani for step by step pictures for dum process
Ingredients:
- For Garam Masala
- 3 – 2 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 8 Cloves
- 4 cardamoms
- For Grounded Paste
- 30 Shallots
- 15 Garlic
- 2 teaspoon grated ginger
- For Biryani
- 2 Cups Rice
- 4 Cup water
- 1 pack Mushrooms of any type, diced (I used small portobello)
- 1 cup Chopped Coriander Leaves
- 1 cup Chopped Mint Leaves
- 1 Big Onion, chopped finely
- 5 Green chilies
- 1 Tomato Chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon Red Chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ teaspoon Salt (adjust accordingly)
Method:
- Let’s prepare garam masala first.
- Dry roast cinnamon, cloves and cardamom in a pan over medium heat until nice aroma.
- Cool down and grind into fine powder
- For Grounded Paste.
- In a mixer, add shallots, garlic, and ginger and ground them into fine paste
- For Biryani.
- Wash and soak rice in water for about 30 minutes.
- In a pot, add water and bring it to boil.
- Once water starts boiling, add rice and cook until it is cooked ¾ th, for about 5-8 minutes.
- Drain the excess water from the cooked rice and set aside the rice in a colander for the water to drain completely.
- In another pan, add oil and heat it over medium flame.
- Add bay leaf once the oil is hot.
- Add chopped onion and slit green chilies to the pan.Cook until the onions become transparent.
- Add the grounded masalas and combine them well.
- Now, add chopped tomatoes and cook till it becomes mushy.
- Add chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves and cook until they are wilted.
- Slide in the chopped mushrooms into the pan and mix them well
- Now, add grounded garam masala and remaining powders to the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are cooked completely. Mushroom leaves water while cooking , hence there is no need for the addition of water.
- Cook until oil separates from the masala. Let the masala be a bit watery than dry.
- Heat a dosa tawa on high flame. In a pan, add masala as the bottom layer; top with rice and then add remaining masala on the top.
- Place the pan on the tawa and cover it with a vessel of boiling water. Let it cook on high flame for about 15 minutes.
- Reduce the flame and cook over medium flame for another 20 – 30 minutes.
- Switch off the flame and gently mix the rice with a ladle.
- Serve warmly with raita of your choice
- Pressure cooker method
- There is no need to cook rice separately
- Prepare the masala in the pressured cooker and add soaked rice with masala. Pressure cooker in high flame for 2 whistles
- Reduce the flame and cook over medium heat for about ten minutes
- Wait until the pressure releases and combine the rice gently
- Serve Mushroom Biryani with raita of your choice. I served with Pavakka Pachadi
I do have other interesting biryani recipes too at my studio. Check out Ambur Chicken Biryani, Vegetable Biryani and Prawn biryani.
I do have other Chettinad delicacies in my space, do check out Chicken Masala, Kuzhi Paniyaram, Konda Kadalai Kara Kuzhambhu, Vengaya Poondu Kuzhambhu, Egg Paniyaram, Kathirikai UrulaiKizhanghu Pachidi, Thatta Payaru Sambar, Spicy Brinjal Potato Curry, Spicy Pepper Chicken and Thengai Paal Kuruma
If you try the recipe, do let me know how they tasted in comments. If you like space, do like and follow my profile at here –
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Yours Truly
Karthi
