Biryani is a mixed rice dish from the Indian Subcontinent. It is made with spices, rice and meat or vegetables. I have been grown in the Nawabi capital Lucknow of Uttar Pradesh , India and so I am very much fond of Biryanis. I remember the days when I used to go with my uncle to a famous Sardarji Biryani wala shop in Hazratganj in Lucknow , to eat authentic chicken Biryani. He used to make it traditionally in a big clay Handi ( that is the way Biryanis are originally made) and tasted heavenly.
Biryani has a stronger taste of curried rice due to a higher amount of spices.Today, I made a vegetarian version of Biryani using Mushrooms and the same spices and it tasted divine. So delicious and above all my kids enjoyed it a lot.
Biryani is derived from the Farsi word ‘Birian’. Based on the name, and cooking style (Dum), one can conclude that the dish originated in Persia and/or Arabia. During Mogul empire, Lucknow was known as Awadh, giving rise to Awadhi Biryani.Needless to say it was a royal dish for Nawabs and Nizams as it was equally famous in Hyderabad. There are various kinds of Biryani like Chicken Biryani, mutton Biryani, Fish Biryani and so on.
Serve hot Biryani with Mint Raita Or mint yogurt dip, green chutney and sliced onions.
Mushrooms, mint,coriander,fried onions,chopped onions
Lid sealed with Dough or Dum
MUSHROOM DUM BIRYANI
10-12 Button Mushrooms
2 cups basmati Rice, Soaked and drained
1 Bay leaf
4 cardamoms
salt to taste
2 table spoons Olive oil( or ghee)
1 inch cinnamon
5-6 cloves
4-5 pepper corns
3-5 green cardamoms
6-8 cloves
1 onion finely chopped
1tsp. red chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1tsp. coriander Powder
1 tsp. Cumin powder
1 cup Hung yogurt
1/2 cup fresh tomato puree
1tsp. kewda water ( optional)
2 tablespoon freshly chopped mint leaves
2 table spoon Freshly chopped coriander leaves
1/2 cup fried onions
2-3 green chilis
1 tbsp. lime juice
few drops of orange food colour( or saffron soaked in milk)
Wheat flour dough for sealing the lid.
1tbsp of Desi ghee or clarified butter
METHOD
1. In a big pan heat water and add Bay leaf, black cardamoms, salt and bring to boil. Add rice and cook till rice is 3/4th done.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan and add cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves, peppercorns and add onions. Sauté till onions change colour. Now add mushrooms and saute well.
3. Add Turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and stir for a while. Add tomato puree and mix well. Add yogurt and mix well and now add salt. Add little water and cook well.
4. Add half of the fried onions, mint, coriander leaves and mix well and add lime juice.
5. Now spread Rice on top of this mixture evenly and pour kewda water. Take few rice and mix food color and then place them back in the Pan. Don’t mix them.
6. Cover the lid of the pan and seal the lid with whole wheat dough( see the pic above)
7. Cook for 20 minutes on low flame and then open the lid when the sealing dough becomes normal.
8. Add desi ghee and give your biryani a light stir so that the colored rice mix well. Garnish with Remaining fried onions and serve hot with Raita( yogurt dip), chutney and sliced onions. Enjoy to the fullest!!
NOTES
1. You can also use ghee instead of olive oil. Additionally you may add any other vegetables along with the mushrooms.
2. It is important to soak the rice for at least 20 minutes.
looks so darn good Swati ! def on my list of “to try” thanks for the recipe !! 🙂
This is going to be on my trial list Swati! Love mushrooms and love biryani ❤️
Hi.. What do you mean by . when the sealing dough becomes normal? Thanks in advance.
Hi Shweta, sealing dough normal means once the dough becomes hard to touch. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for stopping by!