Mushroom Biryani

Mushroom Biryani

This is a myth buster Biryani!

My myths buster Biryani. There are 2 myths bust here.  One is that you need basmati rice to make Biryani and second you need coriander leaves to make Biryani!

This year we brought mushrooms, wild mushrooms that are available only in the rainy season. These mushrooms are prized and available only for a short period in Sharavan and are all over by the time its Nagpanchami. I have already written about the mushroom tonak and fried mushrooms also known as Almi Fry.

But this time Apeksha, in line with her name wanted something different, a Biryani!

 For people who are aware of the way it pours here, in Goa, it will not be a surprise if I said I had very few vegetables and no coriander in the house.  I did not have any basmati rice also so I was very reluctant.

 But then when Apeksha wants something she can be very pervasive.  So I ended up making the Biryani in the mud pot that I had picked up from a restaurant. Thanks Sanjeev Anna and Vaani Vaini for the pot. It brought us back the memories of the time we spent together.

To make the Biryani you will need this long list of ingredients don’t worry the list is long but all the ingredients’ are in your pantry. These are the only pictures I have of this Biryani never expected I will be posting this one ever!

Mushroom Biryani

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups or 500 grms rice

  

  Mushroom Biryani

• 4 ½ cups water
• 3 cups mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 1 inch of ginger
• 5 medium onions
• 3 tomatoes
• 3 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 ½ tsp of jeera
• 2 masala cardamoms
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon
• 3 cloves
• 5-6 pepper corn
• 2-3 strands of mace or jaipatri
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 petals of star anise or dagad phool
• 2 green chillies
• 2 red chillies
• Turmeric
• ½ tsp red chilli powder (optional)
• Few strands of saffron
• ½ cup milk
• Oil
• 3 tblspn ghee

Method:

• Wash and drain the rice. Set aside.
• Heat a steel katori switch off the gas and drop the saffron strands in it. The saffron strands will shrivel up. Let the katori cool before you crush some of the strands then add the milk. Set aside.
• Slice 2 onions lengthwise and keep them on a paper napkin.  Then deep fry them in sufficient oil. Drain and set aside.
• Now fry the cashew nuts and set them aside. You can also fry raisins but since they are not appreciated at home I don’t.

Rice for the Biryani:

• To the rice add the black cardamom or masala elicihi and star anise. Add the water, salt to taste and bring to boil.
• Cook till the rice is ¾ done or till all the water evaporates.
• Let the rice cool fully before fluffing it with a fork.

Masala for the Biryani:

• Grind the rest of the onions, ginger , garlic,  coriander seeds, jeera, cloves, pepper, mace, green cardamom, ½ the cinnamon, green chillies, red chillies, turmeric, red chilli powder( if using) to a fine paste. Set aside.
• Grind the tomatoes to a puree.
• In the oil that you have fried the onions and cashew nuts tip in the ground masala paste.fry till the oil oozes out.
• Add the tomato puree fry till the oil oozes out.
• Add the mushrooms mix well and cook covered till the mushrooms are done.

To assemble the Biryani:

• In the vessel that you are assembling the Biryani (generally its same vessel in which I cook the rice)
• Pour 1 tbsp ghee into the vessel and spread half of the rice at the bottom followed by the mushroom gravy spread rest of the rice as the top layer and drop 2 tbsp ghee.
• Pour the saffron milk on top.
• Seal the mouth of the vessel with a tight fitting lid. Seal the lid with some dough and place the vessel on the tawa.
• Heat the whole contraption for 15-20 minutes. After which you are free to open the seal and serve delicious fragrant Biryani.
• Serve with onion raita.

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