Receta Mushroom Biryani with Seeraga samba and Homemade Biryani Masala/ Restaurant style

by Shanthi Muthuvel

Written by: 7aumsuvai Mushroom biryani with seeraga samba rice and homemade biryani masala, sounds great right!. We always like South Indian biryani especially restaurant style. This is the one of the best recipe that replicates restaurant biryani.Let’s get into the recipe now. Ingredients: Serves 4 to 5 1 package – Mushroom 2 cups – Seeraga samba rice/or use Basmati rice 1 big – Onion (sliced lengthwise) 1 big – Tomato (chopped) 1 to 2 tsp – Ginger garlic paste 2 to 4 no’s – Green chillies 1 handful – Mint leaves 1 handful – Coriander leaves 1 tbsp – Curd/yogurt Salt to taste 4 cups – Water For Biryani masala: 1 small – Cinnamon stick 2 no – Cloves 1 big - Bay leaves 1 no– Cardamom / elachi 1 no - Star anise 1 pieces – Kadal paasi 4 no’s - Dry red chillies (or add as needed) 1 tsp – Fennel seeds / Sombu 1/2 tsp – Poppy seeds / Kas kas Seasonings: 1 to 2 tbsp Oil 2 to 3 tbsp – Butter 1 small - cinnamon sticks 2 no’s – Cloves 1 no– Star anise 1/2 tsp – Fennel seeds 1 no – Cardamom 1 no -  Bay leaves 1 piece – Kadal paasi 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp – Cashew nuts broken (around 5 to 6) Preparation method:  Heat a pan, dry roast the items given in the list for “biryani masala” until nice aroma comes and grind it to a fine powder. Set it aside. Wash mint leaves and coriander leaves thoroughly, set it aside. Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes, then drain the water completely. Heat butter and oil in a pressure cooker, season with items given in the list for seasonings, simmer for few minutes over medium flame. Followed green chilies and ginger garlic paste, saute for 1 to 2 minutes or until raw smell goes off. Next add sliced onions and little salt, saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion turns slightly brown in color. Meanwhile heat butter(approximately 1 tbsp) in a pan, add the soaked and drained rice to it, gently roast it over slow flame for 2 minutes( fry until the extra moisture from the rice goes). Then add the remaining mint leaves and continue to saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Set it aside.  Add tomato after onions are brown, continue to saute until the tomato are slightly mushy. Add sliced mushroom and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until all the water in mushroom evaporates. Next add the freshly ground biryani masala and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add required salt and continue to saute. Then add coriander leaves and mint leaves(except few add all mint leaves), continue to saute for a minutes. Add 4 cups of water and required salt, mix well and bring it to boil.Add the roasted rice and yogurt, mix well and bring it to boil. Cover with a lid and allow them to cook for 5 to 10 minutes(check in between). Once the rice has absorbed all the water, mix well gently using the back side of the spoon/ spatula. Then add little butter all over the rice and flatten it using a spatula. Cover with a lid and cook over slow flame (dum) for 15 to 20 minutes (or until well cooked), switch off the stove. After 10 minutes, open the cooker and transfer the cooked biryani to a hot pack or any serving vessel. Serve hot with onion raita, boiled egg and salna. Notes: You may increase or decrease the quantity of dry red chillies and green chillies based on your spice level. Because we are not using any spice powder except dry red chillies and green chillies in this recipe. You may replace seeraga samba rice with basmati rice (rice and water would be 1:1 1/2) but even for basmati I add only 2 cups.