Mushroom Biryani or Kalan Biryani is an aromatic South Indian style meal authentic to Chettinad Cuisine. This mushroom/Kalan biryani has a special place in most restaurants and south Indian houses. Mushroom Biryani made with basmati rice or Seeraga samba rice along with special Chettinad spices makes this meal unique and flavorful. It is a tasty and flavor-packed one-pot biryani for veg as well as non-veg lovers. This mushroom biryani is served along with raita for lunch and dinner, parties, or on festive days.
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What is Mushroom Biryani?
Mushroom Biryani is a tasty wholesome meal in which the Mushroom/Kalan is cooked with basmati rice along with Chettinad spices and fresh herbs like mint and coriander leaves. This Mushroom or Kalan biryani is popular in south India, especially in the state of Tamilnadu. Usually, the Kalan biryani recipe uses freshly ground Chettinad spices or paste which makes the dish unique from other biryanis.
Variations
Kalan Biryani/biriyani is a common and popular one-pot veg biryani that has a lot of variations. Usually, the mushrooms are cooked with onion, tomato, and Indian spices along with basmati rice. Though the Kalan biryani recipe uses basmati rice in this recipe, Seeraga samba rice is also widely used in Tamilnadu style biryani and for a few other south Indian biryani recipes in the neighboring states. So, for a different flavor of the biryani, I would suggest you try this recipe with Seeraga samba rice as well.
One of the popular versions is Chettinad style biryani, in which the Chettinad special whole spices are freshly ground to make and mixed with all other ingredients while cooking. Though we could use the store-bought biryani masala, freshly ground masala powder or paste adds great flavor and it is the unique difference of this variation.
Traditionally this Kalan biryani is made in a pot, similar to Vegetable Biryani, it can also be made like layered dum biryani in which the rice and gravy are cooked separately. To enjoy the vegan-friendly version of this recipe, you could replace the curd with coconut milk and skip the ghee totally.
About this recipe
The recipe I have shared here is an authentic South Indian biryani from Chettinad cuisine. I have ground the ginger, garlic, and Chettinad spices like cloves, star anise, javitri, cinnamon, and cardamom into a fine paste. This is the main ingredient that gives a special aroma to this Kalan biryani.
The mushrooms are cooked with this special biryani masala paste along with onion, tomato, and other spice powders. Then the basmati rice which is soaked for 30 minutes is added to the mushroom gravy. I cooked the rice to 70% and cooked for another 15 minutes with low heat with the pan lid closed.
This Chettinad style mushroom biryani is then garnished with mint leaves, coriander leaves, ghee, and some fried onions. Fried onions that I have used here are optional, so feel free to skip them, if you really don't want to use them or it is not readily available for you to include.
Tips for getting perfect Mushroom Biryani
The rice water ratio plays an important role in making the best fluffy biryani. Usually, I use a 1: 1 ½ ratio for all other biryani recipes, especially when using basmati rice. But here I have reduced it to a 1:1 ¼ ratio since the mushroom leaves water while it's cooked.
The perfect taste of the biryani comes from the mushroom and biryani masala paste, so I would recommend you to grind the paste fresh to enjoy the special aroma-filled biryani with your family.
Though I have ground ginger and garlic with the Chettinad whole spices, you could also make the dry Chettinad biryani masala powder without adding ginger and garlic to it. If you go with this approach you will have to add the ginger garlic paste separately during the making process.
Serving Suggetions
This Mushroom Biryani/Kalan Biryani delivers a soft, fluffy, and tasty one-pot meal that you would definitely love and enjoy. Typically this Mushroom biryani is served with raita, but you could also serve it with Meal Maker Curry, Chana Masala, Vegetable Korma, and Gobi 65 that tastes great when paired together. And I am sure you will not regret it.
Related Recipes
Please find similar biryani recipes below and more under Biryani recipes.
- Biryani Rice (Kuska Rice)
- Vegetable Biryani
- Chicken Biryani
- Ambur Biryani
- Mughlai Biryani
- Mutton Biryani
- Fish Biryani
- Shrimp Biryani
To make your life easy, I have also created a collection of Biryani Recipes and Indian Vegetarian Lunch Recipes in one place for both vegetarian and nonvegetarian lovers and I believe it will help you to plan your meal at home. Take a peek!
Mushroom Biryani video
I have also shared detailed video instructions of this Mushroom Biyani recipe below which I believe will help you to make/prepare this dish easily at home. For a quick reference, you could also find this recipe in story format.
📖 Recipe
Mushroom Biryani (Kalan Biryani)
Ingredients
For Biryani Masala Paste
- 1 piece Ginger, small
- 7 Garlic cloves
- 2 Cinnamon stick, small
- 5 Cardamom
- 1 Star Anise
- 4 Cloves
- 1 Javitri
- 3 tbsp Water
Main ingredients
- 1 cup Basmati Rice, soaked 30 mins & drained
- 0.55 lb Mushroom, sliced
- 2 Onion, sliced
- 2 Tomato, chopped
- ¼ cup Oil
- 1 Bay leaves
- 2 Cinnamon stick, small
- 4 Cloves
- 1 Star Anise
- 5 Cardamom
- 2 Kalpaasi
- 3 Green Chili, sliced
- ½ cup Mint Leaves
- ½ cup Coriander Leaves
- 1½ tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- Salt, as needed
- ¼ cup Curd
- 2 cup Water
- ¼ cup Fried Onions
- 1 tbsp Ghee
Instructions
To Prepare Biryani Masala Paste
- In a blender, add ginger, garlic, cinnamon stick, cardamom, star anise, cloves, javitri, water, and grind it into a coarse paste
To Prepare Mushroom Biryani
- In a wide bottom pan with medium heat, pour oil, add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, cardamom, kalpaasi, and green chili. Saute until it turns aromatic
- Add thinly sliced onions and saute until it turns soft
- Now add the ground biryani masala paste and saute until it turns fragrant
- Add ¼ cup of mint leaves, coriander leaves, and tomato and saute until it turns mushy
- Now add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and mix well until everything is incorporated
- Add curd and give a quick mix
- Add the sliced mushroom and give a nice toss until all the masala coat evenly
- Close the pan with the lid and cook the mushroom for about 10 minutes
- Open the lid, give a quick mix, add the basmati rice, and spread it evenly
- Add water from the sides of the rice
- Allow the rice to cook for 70%
- Now add the remaining ¼ cup of mint leaves, fried onions, and ghee and simmer the heat to medium-low heat
- Close the pan with the lid and cook it for about 15 minutes
- Switch off the stove and allow it to rest for 5 minutes and then open the lid
- Fluff the rice gently and now the mushroom biryani should be ready for you to taste and enjoy
To Serve
- Serve the delicious Mushroom Biryani with raita or just as it is
Video
Notes
- The key to getting a perfect long-grain, fluffy biryani is by soaking the basmati rice for an hour. So make sure you don't miss it
- Always caramelize the onion and allow the tomatoes to turn soft for a perfect flavorful biryani
- I haven't used biryani masala powder instead used homemade biryani masala paste as seen mentioned in this recipe
- You can replace Basmati rice with Seeraga samba for more soft biryani with a different & unique taste
- To make a vegan-friendly version of the biryani replace the curd with coconut milk
- This biryani can also be prepared in a pan, or pressure cooker by following the same procedure
Nutrition
FAQ
Mushroom Biryani/biriyani is an authentic south Indian style meal made with mushroom and basmati or Seeraga samba rice along with Indian spices and herbs.
Chettinad style biryani is made with chicken, goat meat, and mushroom with Seeraga samba rice that is slow-cooked with freshly ground Chettinad spices and Indian herbs.
For a Vegan-friendly version, you could replace the curd with coconut milk and ghee with coconut oil in this recipe.
Yes, you can make this biryani in a pressure cooker and it should be perfectly fine.
I really hope you enjoyed the recipe that I have shared here and I would love to hear from you about how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
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