This perfect instant pot Mushroom Biryani – Shahi Biryani is uncomplicated and turns out exemplary, every time! The fiery color, the strong aroma, and the fluffy rice makes this biryani a marvelous vegetarian main dish. This recipe is so simple and versatile that you should totally try making it. I can assure you that this recipe will not let you down.
What is Biryani?
Biryani is long-grained rice with whole spices as well as ground spices and is layered with lamb, chicken, fish, or vegetables. In chicken biryani the chicken is usually marinated. Typically, a slow cooking method is used in which layers of rice and marinated chicken are cooked. The rice is typically parboiled and then cooked with chicken. The spice layering makes it incredibly flavorful and it acts as a complete meal. Typically it is slow cooked.
How am I going to make Instant Pot Mushroom Biryani – Shahi Biryani?
If you have been following my blog, my cooking is about convenience and saving time, without losing the authentic taste, and flavors of the actual dish. This instant pot biryani recipe has been cut down to have a faster cooking time.
First sauté the whole spices (cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, black cardamom pods, green cardamom pods, star anise, black peppercorns, mace, and carraway seeds). Further add raw cashews, onions, ginger garlic paste, serrano peppers, salt, and mushrooms, and throw in the spices (ground coriander, ground turmeric, red chili powder, and garam masala) with some plain yogurt.
Furthermore add the rice and water and pressure cook it. Finally top it off with caramelized onions, raisins, roasted cashews, and saffron.
Mushrooms: half of an 8 oz package of white button mushrooms.
Rice: Long grain basmati rice is key for biryani.
Raisins: The traditional recipe uses golden raisins, however, I used California sun-dried organic raisins.
Let’s get cooking!
Tried this recipe yet? Give us a rating, comment below in the reply section and let us know what you think.
Moreover, try some of our other recipes:
Instant Pot Mushroom Biryani – Shahi Biryani
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp oil or ghee (clarified butter)
- 4 whole cloves
(laung)
- 1 bay leaf
(tej patta)
- 1 cinnamon stick
(dalchini 2 inch piece)
- 2 whole black cardamom pods
(badi elaichi)
- 2 whole green cardamom pods
(hari elaichi)
- 1 star anise
- 5 black peppercorns
(whole)
- 1 mace
(javitri)
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
(shahi jeera)
- 1 red onion chopped into thin long slices (approx. 1.5 cups chopped)
- 2 tbsp cashews
(raw and unsalted)
- 1 serrano pepper split lengthwise cut into two halves (green chili pepper) (optional)
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste (either freshly minced or bottled)
- 4 oz whole white button mushrooms (2 and 1/4 cups chopped)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
(dhaniya powder)
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
(haldi powder)
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
(cayenne pepper) - 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro finely chopped (dhainya ke patte)
- 1.5 cups water (divided)
- 1 cup long grained basmati rice
(soaked in 2 cups water for 20 minutes)
For Garnish
- 1 tbsp cashews
(raw and unsalted) - 1 tbsp raisins
(sun-dried or golden)
- 7 saffron strands
(kesar)
- 1/2 tsp half and half or milk
Instructions
Prep
- Rinse the rice well. Then soak the rice in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes. Discard the water before cooking.
- Wash and slit the serrano pepper (green chili pepper) lengthwise into two halves. Chop the cilantro.
- Wash and chop the onion into thin long strips.
- Chop the mushrooms into two halves from the center.
- Soak the saffron strands in half and half or milk.
Cook
- Select sauté on the instant pot and adjust to normal.
- Add oil to the pot.
- When the oil is hot add cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, black cardamoms, green cardamoms, star anise, black peppercorns, mace, and caraway seeds.
- Sauté for 30 seconds until the spices are fragrant.
- Add the sliced onions. Keep stirring.
- When the onions turn golden in roughly 2 to 4 minutes remove a spoonful and keep it a bowl. It will be used for garnish later.
- Add the raw cashews, serrano pepper and ginger garlic paste.
- Add the mushrooms. Stir for about 30 seconds.
- Add ground coriander, ground turmeric, garam masala, salt, red chili powder (cayenne pepper), yogurt, cilantro and ¼ cup water. Let is sauté for a minute until the water dries out. Stir well.
- Add the drained rice to the pot and gently toss it all together with a spoon.
- Add the remaining 1 and ¼ cup water to the pot. Do not stir anything at this point.
- Press cancel.
- Secure the lid on the pot and close the pressure-release valve.
- Select manual and cook at high pressure for 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roast the cashews and raisins (ingredients under garnish) on medium heat in a pan until the cashews brown. Keep stirring and make sure they don’t burn. Transfer in a bowl and set aside.
- When cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Transfer the biryani into a serving bowl. Discard the bay leaf and the mace.
- Garnish with saffron, half and half, roasted cashews, raisins and caramelized onions that were set aside.
Serve
- Serve the biryani with a side of raita (yogurt containing chopped cucumber or other vegetables, and spices.)
Notes
- This recipe has been tried on a 6-quart instant pot. The proportions may vary depending on the size of the instant pot you choose to use.
- Ground cayenne pepper and red chili powder can be used interchangeably as both of them make the dish spicy. So if you don’t have red chili powder you can use cayenne pepper instead.
- This recipe is moderately spicy. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would place it at level 3 if you cook as is with the red chili powder and serrano pepper. If you like your food very spicy you can add an additional 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red chili powder. If you don’t like spicy food you can avoid the serrano pepper and reduce the amount of cayenne pepper or not add it at all.
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