Mushroom Dum Biriyani

Who doesn't love biriyani? It's a mixed rice dish with a lot of Indian spices, rice and meat or vegetables.

Chicken biriyani is a favorite at home and I tried to make vegetarian version of it with mushrooms. It tastes absolutely delicious and so much like the ones served in the restaurants.

This can also be cooked with paneer, mixed vegetables or eggs. It's a dum version where the mushroom gravy and 3/4 th cooked rice are layered in a thick bottomed pan with a tight lid and dum cooked. I have used rose water, Kevra water and saffron that add distinct flavor to any biriyani. The list of ingredients is a bit lengthy but most of them are commonly available in Indian kitchens:-) 

Ingredients:

Long grain basmati Rice : 2 cups

Button Mushroom: 200 gms

Fried Onion: 1 cup

Cinnamon stick :1

Cloves :4-5

Green Cardamom: 3

Cashew: 10-15

Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder: 1 tsp

Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp

Garam masala: 1/2 tsp

Oil/ ghee :2-3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Coriander and Mint leaves: 2 tbsp for garnishing 

Optional:

Saffron: 1/4 tsp

Milk: 2-3 tbsp

Rose water: 1 tsp

Kewra water (screw pine water): 1 tsp

To grind to smooth paste:

Medium Onion: 2 

Tomato : 1

Ginger: 2 inches

Garlic: 4-5 cloves

Coriander leaves: 3/4 cup

Mint leaves: 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice in enough water for 30 minutes. 

2. Warm milk and soak saffron in it and keep aside.

3. Grind onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, coriander and mint leaves to a smooth paste in a blender and keep aside.

3. Heat oil/ghee in a pan and add whole spices - cardamom, clove and cinnamon and fry until the oil is fragrant.

4. Add ground paste and sauté on medium flame until the raw smell disappears and oil separates. Takes about 4-5 minutes.

5. Mix in red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric and garam masala and mix well.

6. Add quartered button mushrooms and salt. Mix properly so that all mushroom pieces are well coated with masala. 

7. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Keep stirring in between. Sprinkle little water if the masala is sticking to the pan. Turn off the gas and keep it aside.

8. Boil water in a large pot and add salt, shahi jeera (black cumin) and a tsp of oil and add soaked rice. Let it cook 3/4th. When rice grains start popping up, press the rice and check. It shouldn't be fully cooked.

9. Drain the water and keep the rice aside.

10. Take a thick bottomed pot with a tight lid and arrange rice and mushroom masala in layers. Put one layer of rice first and sprinkle some fried onion, chopped mint and coriander leaves and add a layer of mushroom masala. Repeat with rice and then mushroom and finish with rice layer on top.

11. Sprinkle remaining fried onion, fried cashew nuts, saffron milk, rose water and Kevra water. Close the lid and keep it on low to medium flame and cook for 15-20 minutes.

12. Open the lid and check the rice grains on top. If it's done turn off the gas and garnish with remaining chopped mint and coriander leaves. 

13. You can serve the dish as it is with layers or Mix them up and serve hot with cucumber raita.

Cucumber Raita:

Beat 2 cups of yogurt, add chopped onions, cucumber, finely chopped green chilli, coriander leaves and salt. Chill and serve with biriyani.

How to fry onions:

1. Finely slice onions and sprinkle some salt and sugar and keep it aside for 15 minutes.

2. Squeeze out extra water and deep fry the onions in hot oil. Remove on paper towel to get crispy fried onions.

3. This can be stored in airtight jars in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.

Notes:

If the pot doesn't have a tight lid you can cover the edges with some chapathi dough.

If the pot is not thick bottomed keep it on a heavy pan and then turn on the flame. This way the pot won't be on fire directly and the heat will transfer from pan to the pot and you can avoid chances of biriyani sticking to the bottom of the pot.