Spiced Mushroom Biryani
Layered biryani with meaty mushrooms and parboiled basmati, steamed together (dum) so the rice takes on the spice from below. A weekend project that rewards the effort.
By Vegan Cook. Published 5 August 2026
Ingredients
Serves 4.
- 2 cupsbasmati rice, soaked for 20 minutes
- 400 gmushrooms, quartered
- 2onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cupplant-based yoghurt (soy or coconut)
- 1 tbspbiryani masala (a ready-made Indian spice blend for biryani, from most supermarkets; garam masala works as a substitute)
- 1 tbspginger-garlic paste (equal parts ginger and garlic, crushed to a paste; or use 1 tbsp each, grated)
- 1/2 tspground turmeric
- 1 tspred chilli powder
- 1/2 cupmint leaves, chopped
- 1/2 cupcoriander leaves (cilantro), chopped
- 4green cardamom pods
- 1bay leaf
- 1cinnamon stick
- 4 tbspoil
- 5 tspsalt, divided
Cookware
- Large pot
- Heavy-bottomed pan with tight lid
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Partly cook the rice
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil with the bay leaf, cardamom and cinnamon. Add the drained soaked rice and boil for 5-6 minutes only, until about 70 percent cooked. The grain should still have a firm core. Drain and set aside. It finishes cooking in the steam later.
- 02
Fry the onions
Heat the oil in a heavy pan and fry the sliced onions over medium heat for 12-15 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Remove half for garnish, leaving the rest in the pan.
- 03
Cook the mushrooms in the spiced sauce
To the pan with the remaining onions, add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, biryani masala, turmeric, chilli powder, yoghurt and 1 tsp salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the spiced sauce is thick and clinging, with no watery liquid left.
- 04
Layer
Spread the mushroom mixture level in the pan. Layer the parboiled rice evenly on top. Scatter with the mint, coriander and the reserved fried onions.
- 05
Steam the layered biryani
Cover with a tight lid (or seal with foil under the lid) and cook on the lowest possible heat for 15 minutes. This slow steaming of layered rice is the traditional biryani method. If your heat runs hot, set the pan on a flat griddle or tawa first to protect the base from scorching. Rest for 5 minutes off the heat, then gently fold from the bottom up to mix the layers, keeping the grains whole.
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.
Swap note
Naturally gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free. Check your biryani masala blend if avoiding specific allergens.