Mushroom Briyani (without Briyani Masala Powder)

Category:  Lunch / Rice
Preparation Time: 10 mins  
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Servings: 3 Servings

Mushroom Briyani

 Ingredients: 

• Mushroom - 1 packet (8 oz / 227 gms)
• Rice - 1 cup
• Onion, thinly sliced - 1 no
• Green chillies, slitted - 1-2 nos
• Tomato, roughly chopped - 2 nos 
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chilly Powder - 1 tsp ( Optional and adjust as per spice level)
• Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Fennel Powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Mint leaves - handful
• Coriander leaves, chopped - handful
• Thick Curd- 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Ghee - 1/2 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Cloves - 3 nos
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Star anise - 1 no
• Cardamon - 1-2 nos 
• Water - as required

*For more richness, I would prefer adding coconut milk extracted from fresh coconut instead of water

Method:

1. Wash & Soak rice in enough water for atleast 30 mins
2. Peel the outer skin of the mushrooms and chop them into medium sized pieces; no need to wash in water
   
3. Heat Oil + 1/2 tbsp of ghee in a pan / pressure cooker; once it becomes hot, add the bayleaf, star anise cloves, cinnamon and cardamon, saute for 20-30 secs
   
4. Add the sliced onion along with green chillies and saute well till it starts to get browned
   
5. Add the Ginger-Garlic paste and saute in medium flame till the raw smell goes off
   
6. Add the chopped mushrooms and fry for 1-2 mins
   
7. Add little salt required for the mushrooms and mix well
   
8. Add in all the spice powders (Turmeric, Cumin, Chilly, Fennel, Coriander & Garam Masala Powders) , mix well and saute for another 1-2 mins. (Since I dont want spicy, I had not added chilly powder here)
   
9. Add in the roughly chopped tomato pieces; saute for 1 min (Take care not to turn the tomato mushy otherwise it would taste like tomato rice)
   
10. Now add the chopped coriander and mint leaves, give it a quick mix
    
11. Add the thick curd and saute for a min in medium flame until all the masalas gets combined
    
12. Add the drained rice and mix 
    
13. Add required water to it (around 1.5 - 2 cups as per the rice variety) along with needed salt
    
14. Mix well and before closing with lid, add the 1/2 tbsp of ghee over it and cover it
15. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and simmer for 5 mins, switch off and allow to cook in the steam itself Or we can cook in pan / using electric rice cooker
16. Once its done, let t stand for another 7-8 mins and then open it up and gently fluff it with fork
    
    
    
17. Serve hot with any raita / salna