If you like your fungi along with a forkful of spiced rice, this mushroom biryani is going to tick a lot of boxes.
Vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free, it features meaty shrooms and a delicious combination of flavours for a one-pot meal that's ready in just over 30 minutes.
There's a great mix of aromatics and spices going on here, and I'd certainly encourage you to get your hands on the ingredients if possible. That being said, you could substitute all the whole spices for an equivalent amount of ground cumin (which tends to be more readily available).
If you're interested in more vegan rice dishes, see these recipes for chickpea biryani, homemade pilau rice, and smoked tofu risotto.
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- Mushrooms 🍄
- Spices 🌶️
- Nutrition 🌱
- Ingredients 📋
- Step by step 📷
- To serve 🍽️
- FAQ ❓
- Variations 🔀
- Recipe 👨🍳
Which mushrooms are best?
I've gone with flat cap mushrooms (fitting for a recipe written in Yorkshire) that have been cut into bite-sized pieces. Also known as 'large flat' mushrooms and very similar to the portobello variety, they have a good flavour and meaty texture that goes nicely with the spiced rice.
Of course, you could use any mushrooms you like or have to hand. If you've got a mix, try adding some to the biryani and frying off the others separately to finish the dish when serving.
For more recipes involving flat cap (or portobello) mushrooms, try this vegan haggis, vegan goulash, mushroom stroganoff, and vegan cream of mushroom soup.
Which spices are involved?
This mushroom biryani varies slightly from my chickpea biryani in that it uses smoked paprika and nigella seeds (a.k.a. black onion seeds / kalonji / nigella sativa – the little black seeds you often find in naan bread). It's a great combo that I was very happy with when playing around with the recipe.
Beyond those, both recipes feature the same cumin seeds, fennel seeds, turmeric, and garam masala, not to mention fresh garlic, ginger, and chilli.
Is mushroom biryani healthy?
This mushroom biryani works out at 461 kcal per serving, with plenty of healthy nutrients including vitamins, iron, fibre, and protein. In one serving of this recipe, you'll find:
- Protein: 13 g (26% of RDA)
- Fibre: 8 g (33% of RDA)
- Vitamin C: 20 mg (24% of RDA)
- Iron: 4 mg (22% of RDA)
Amounts based on a third-party nutrition calculator.
What you'll need
To make this delicious one-pot recipe, you'll need:
- Meaty mushrooms as the star ingredient
- Basmati rice for its nutty flavour
- Green lentils for additional plant-based protein
- Aromatics and spices (see section above for more info)
How to make mushroom biryani
Using a large pan with a tight-fitting lid, heat one tablespoon of oil on a low-medium heat. Add the chopped onion, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and cook for 4-5 minutes or until starting to soften.
Next, add the mushrooms and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until starting to soften, stirring regularly.
Once soft, add the garlic, ginger, and chilli.
Cook for another couple of minutes to soften.
Add another tablespoon of oil then add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, garam masala, ground turmeric, and smoked paprika.
Mix well and cook for a minute or so until aromatic.
Add the final tablespoon of oil then stir in the rinsed rice and green lentils. Mix well and fry for a minute, making sure all the rice grains are coated in the oil and spices.
Next, add the boiled water or vegan stock.
Sprinkle with a little more salt, give everything a gentle stir, bring back to a simmer, then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to very low and cook for 12 minutes (don't remove the lid).
After around 12 minutes, remove the lid to check that the water has been absorbed and the rice grains are tender with a little bit of bite. If not, you can add a splash more water and continue cooking for a few minutes on low heat.
Once the rice grains are tender, remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for another few minutes with the lid on.
Fluff up the grains gently using a fork and serve.
Serving suggestions
This dish is great with sides and sauces such as vegan cucumber raita, kachumber salad, and various chutneys (not to mention a sprinkling of sliced spring onions, chopped coriander, and/or fresh chilli).
To take the biryani to the next level, top it off with fried mushrooms cooked separately in a little oil and seasoned with a pinch of garam masala. Bonus points for using mixed wild mushrooms and adding greens such as spinach or kale.
I also love grilled king oyster mushrooms, which you could simply pan-fry instead of marinating and grilling.
Recipe FAQ
I'd encourage you to try this with the cumin, fennel, and nigella seeds, however you could replace these whole spices with one tablespoon of ground cumin or a different curry spice mix.
To prevent the rice from turning soft and mushy, rinse the rice before cooking, use oil during cooking, and avoid overcooking. Once cooked, let the biryani steam with the lid on for a few minutes off the heat.
If you have wild mushrooms to use, these would be great in this biryani (as well as other recipes such as mushroom pâté). Oyster, porcini, hedgehog, and amethyst deceiver are all wild varieties I like to cook with.
Note: Be careful when identifying wild food and never eat anything you're unsure of.
Once cooled down, store the biryani in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat thoroughly and don't reheat more than once.
Once cool, freeze for up to a couple of months. Defrost and reheat thoroughly before eating.
Variations and tips for mushroom biryani
- Lentils: I used tinned green lentils, but any pre-cooked tinned variety (black, brown, etc.) would work. You could also use tinned beans or chickpeas, or use extra mushrooms in place of the pulses.
- Coconut oil: This adds great flavour in place of regular cooking oil.
- Less fat: To reduce the fat, simply use a little less oil (although note that the oil helps to keep the rice grains separate).
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More vegan recipe ideas
If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy:
- Vegan Jalfrezi with Tofu
- Tofu Risotto with Lemon and Basil
- Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
- Mushroom and Tarragon Soup
- Sweet Potato Dal with Lime
- Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Jackfruit Coconut Curry
You can also check out my full list of vegan curry recipes and vegan mains.
Full recipe
Vegan Mushroom Biryani
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
- 1 onion, chopped
- 10 oz (300 g) portobello or flat cap mushrooms, cut into small bite-sized pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1½ inch piece of ginger, chopped
- 1 red chilli, sliced
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1½ cups (270 g) basmati rice, rinsed/washed
- 1x 14 oz (400 g) tin green lentils, drained and rinsed (optional – see notes)
- 2¾ cups (650 ml) boiled water or vegan stock (see notes)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Using a large pan with a tight-fitting lid, heat one tablespoon of oil on a low-medium heat. Add the chopped onion, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and cook for 4-5 minutes or until starting to soften.
- Next, add the mushrooms and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until starting to soften, stirring regularly.
- Once soft, add the garlic, ginger, and chilli. Cook for another couple of minutes to soften.
- Add another tablespoon of oil then add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, garam masala, ground turmeric, and smoked paprika. Mix well and cook for a minute or so until aromatic.
- Add the final tablespoon of oil then stir in the rinsed rice and green lentils. Mix well and fry for a minute, making sure all the rice grains are coated in the oil and spices.
- Next, add the boiled water or vegan stock. Sprinkle with a little more salt, give everything a gentle stir, bring back to a simmer, then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to very low and cook for 12 minutes (don't remove the lid).
- After around 12 minutes, remove the lid to check that the water has been absorbed and the rice grains are tender with a little bit of bite. If not, you can add a splash more water and continue cooking for a few minutes on low heat.
- Once the rice grains are tender, remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for another few minutes with the lid on.
- Fluff up the grains gently using a fork and serve.🌱 Serving suggestions >📸 Recipe steps >📖 Table of contents >
Notes
- Vegan Chickpea Biryani
- Go-To Vegan Lentil Dal
- Ultimate Vegan Haggis
- Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)
- Brinjal Masala (Aubergine Curry)
- Aloo Palak (Potato and Spinach Curry)
- Homemade Pilau Rice
Nutrition
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Diane
Fantastic! Easy to prepare and cook. And absolutely delicious. Thank you.
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you enjoyed it!
Karen
Another triumph. Spot on!
The Pesky Vegan
Great news, cheers!