Mushroom Biryani (Instant Pot & Stovetop)
Aug 13, 2019, Updated Sep 25, 2019
Mushroom Biryani made in the Instant Pot! Fragrant basmati rice cooked with spices, mushrooms, fresh herbs makes this a wonderfully spiced dish. Vegan & gluten-free.
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Aromatic and flavorful Mushroom Biryani cooked in the Instant Pot.
This one-pot meal is one of my favorite ways to eat mushrooms. Serve it with a cooling raita.
Like I mentioned in this post, I have been cooking with mushrooms way more these days.
My in-laws are here which means I have company in eating mushrooms, yay!
This Instant Pot Mushroom Biryani is one of my favorite ways to enjoy mushrooms, other than the tikka of course.
Fragrant whole spices, aromatic basmati rice, mushrooms, fresh herbs and nuts makes this a wonderfully spiced dish!
I love one-pot meals, they are just so convenient especially when you are having a busy day.
This mushroom biryani is one such one-pot meal which you can make quickly without spending hours in the kitchen!
This Instant Pot Mushroom Biryani
✓ is wonderfully spiced
✓ is vegan and gluten-free
✓ makes a wholesome meal
✓ one-pot meal which is convenient for busy days!
This is obviously a quick way to make biryani. The traditional way always involves more steps but we are talking easy here, right?
I always like to start with soaking my rice for a bit. I just soak for 10 minutes and then start making the biryani, by the time it is time to add rice to the pot, it has already soaked for 20 minutes and that’s good enough.
Also remember to rinse the rice very well until water turns clear and then soak it. This helps in removing the starch and helps in keeping the grains separate.
A good biryani uses a lot of spices. This mushroom biryani recipe calls for whole spices and only 2 ground spices.
I also add fresh cilantro, mint and cashews for the crunch. All these flavors come together wonderfully in the end.
This recipe of mushroom biryani is vegan. You can however use yogurt in place of coconut milk if that’s what you have on hand.
Then it would not be vegan of course but it would still be just as good!
For this recipe, I have used 8 oz mushrooms however if you love lot of mushrooms in your biryani, I would strongly suggest doubling the quantity of mushrooms! It’s a personal choice so adjust to taste.
Stove-Top Mushroom Biryani
Can you make this biryani on stove-top? Of course yes.
You will need to follow the same steps except do that on stove-top.
Please read the instructions below in the recipe card.
Serving Suggestions for Mushroom Biryani
I love to serve this biryani with a simple raita made of onion, tomatoes. I will share the recipe soon.
Until then, here are some other raita recipes that will pair well: spinach raita, beetroot raita, mango mint raita.
Method
Before you start, rinse the basmati rice until water turns clear. Then soak it in 2 cups water for 20 minutes and then drain the water using a colander and set it aside.
I usually let it soak for 10 minutes and then start with the process of making the biryani. By the time, it’s time to add the rice, it has already been soaked for 20 minutes.
1- Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. Once it displays hot, add the oil and then add the whole spices- bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamom, cloves, peppercorns and shahi jeera.
Saute for few seconds until the spices are fragrant.
2- Then add the sliced onion, green chili and cashews.
3- Cook for around 3 minutes until the onions are soft and light brown and cashews are lightly browned too. Then add in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute.
4- Add in the mushrooms and cook them for 1 to 2 minutes. Remember to slice them thick. You can add more mushrooms if you want here.
5- Then add in the coconut milk and stir.
6- Once you add the milk, use your spatula to scrape the bottom and de-glaze the pot.
Since you sautéed the onion, there will be brown bits at the bottom and you want to get rid of it else the pot won’t come to pressure.
7- Add the chopped cilantro and mint.
8- Then add the garam masala, smoked paprika and salt.
9- Add the rinsed and drained rice and toss to combine with the rest of the ingredients.
10- Add water, don’t stir, most of the rice should be under water.
Then add the rose water (if using) on top.
11- Close the pot with its lid. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, with the pressure valve in the sealing position. Let the pressure release naturally.
12- Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
Serve Mushroom Biryani with a side of yogurt or raita.
If you’ve tried this Mushroom Biryani Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
Mushroom Biryani
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice 200 grams, soaked for 20 minutes in 2 cups water and then drained
- 2 tablespoons oil 30 ml, I used avocado oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 4 whole green cardamom
- 3 whole cloves
- 5-6 black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon shahi jeera (black cumin seeds) or use regular cumin seeds
- 1 medium red onion sliced thin
- 1 green chili sliced, or add more to taste
- 12-15 whole cashews
- 2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
- 8-10 oz white mushrooms sliced thick
- 1/2 cup coconut milk 4 oz
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped mint
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 cup water 8 oz
- 1/2 teaspoon rose water optional
Instructions
- Before you start, rinse the basmati rice until water turns clear. Then soak it in 2 cups water for 20 minutes and then drain the water using a colander and set it aside.I usually let it soak for 10 minutes and then start with the process of making the biryani. By the time, it's time to add the rice, it has already been soaked for 20 minutes.
- Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. Once it displays hot, add the oil and then add the whole spices- bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamom, cloves, peppercorns and shahi jeera.Saute for few seconds until the spices are fragrant.
- Then add the sliced onion, green chili and cashews. Cook for around 3 minutes until the onions are soft and light brown and cashews are lightly browned too. Then add in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute.
- 4- Add in the mushrooms and cook them for 1 to 2 minutes. Remember to slice them thick. You can add more mushrooms if you want here.
- Then add in the coconut milk and stir. Once you add the milk, use your spatula to scrape the bottom and de-glaze the pot. Since you sautéed the onion, there will be brown bits at the bottom and you want to get rid of it else the pot won't come to pressure.
- Add the chopped cilantro and mint. Then add the garam masala, smoked paprika and salt.
- Add the rinsed and drained rice and toss to combine with the rest of the ingredients.
- Add water, don't stir, most of the rice should be under water. Then add the rose water (if using) on top.
- Close the pot with its lid. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, with the pressure valve in the sealing position. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve Mushroom Biryani with a side of yogurt or raita.
Stove-top Instructions
- Start with rinsing and then soaking the rice for 20 minutes. Drain water and set it aside. Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Once it's hot, add the oil and then the whole spices.
- After that follow all the steps as mentioned above for the Instant Pot recipe. After adding the rice and water (you might need extra 1/4 cup for stove-top, so total water would be 10 oz in that case), stir and close the pot with a lid. Cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. Remove lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
Notes
- You may use plain whole milk yogurt in place of coconut milk here. The recipe won't be vegan then.
- If you really love mushrooms and want a biryani packed with them, double the quantity of mushrooms. I have used 8 oz here, you can easily double it.
- If you want to make this biryani spicy- add more green chilies or add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder (depending on how much heat you like).
- If you make this in a 8qt, do add the extra 1/4 cup of water. Total water then would be 10 oz.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yet another excellent recipe from Manali! You’re increasingly one of my go-to food bloggers. (I’m making your Matar Paneer tomorrow for the hundredth time)
I found this a very simple and delicious biryani and I suspect it will become a family favourite. I think we’ll up the spices a bit as we like quite punchy flavours, but the texture was marvellous and I’m delighted with it.
Hello Manali
We have now made this recipe 3 times (last two times were double portions) and we absolutely love it 😊
We want to try this with brown basmati rice – any suggestions on the time in instant pot and water proportion?
Thank you
N
brown rice would need 22-24 minutes to cook in the instant pot. The mushrooms will be really overcooked by then but you can try. Here’s the timing and ratio for making brown rice in IP: https://www.cookwithmanali.com/instant-pot-brown-rice/
Excellent!! I doubled the recipe and added 1 cup of boiled soya chunks because my husband likes soya, the recipe came out really good. I made it with yogurt instead of coconut milk and cooked in pressure cooker on ceramic stove. The bottom part are bit burned, but overall this recipe is good. Thank you, I will definitely make it again..
I tried this today and it turned out very clumpy. Not sure if that’s because of the water emitted by the mushrooms during the saute stage?
hmm we do cook mushrooms for 2 minutes which removes the moisture a bit, so it can’t be the reason. I am not sure what happened since this water to rice ratio works well for me. Probably next time, reduce water by 1/4 cup.
Excellent recipe. Used green chilies from the garden! Quick and straightforward to cook and enjoyed by all (quite a feat). New to IP cooking but this will definitely go on the list for future meals. Thanks Manali.
Welcome Paul, glad to know you enjoyed it!
This is great. I am loving the Instant Pot. I have used it mainly for dals but tried this recipe tonight. It’s amazing! It cooks the rice so well.
Enjoying your cookbook as well. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience of cooking this lovely cuisine.
Now to get some rose water and try again next week!
Thanks Ray!
Hi Manali,
This recipe is amazing, thank you so much! I have a question – am I supposed to remove the cardamom pods and cloves before I serve this to guests or are they supposed to stay in the dish? Thanks!!
It’s a personal preference Nicole. If you don’t want to bite into these spices, remove them before serving!
We make Mushroom Pulao very often at our home. Its sometimes a Hit but most of the time its a Miss.
Trusted this Recipe and made it today, it turned out PERFECT!! Thank you!!
welcome!
Very nice and looks easy and yummy, i will prepare tomorrow
Very fragrant and really yummy! I threw in some other veggies as I did not have enough mushrooms, and it was so good. Served with some mint raita. Great directions and great food – thank you!
Is it possible to make this with brown rice or will the extra time affect the texture of the mushrooms too much?
hmm I haven’t tried, brown rice need 22-24 minutes at high pressure. What you can try is soak the brown rice for 3 to 4 hours first. And then pressure cook for 10 minutes with NPR along with mushrooms. Might work!
This is excellent! I didn’t have any basmati so I used sushi rice and it was still very good…more like risotto. Your flavors are spot-on! Thank you!
My fiance is from Hyderabad, and I’ve been learning how to cook Desi dishes. I made this last night, and it was the most excited he’s ever been him about something I’ve cooked. Thank you for sharing!
welcome! 🙂
This is delicious! But PLEASE How do I double it?!
double everything , cooking time remain same …
Wow i love Mushrooms and sure going to try this
Seems tasty & aromatic.