🍄🔥 Mushroom Biryani

(Tamil–Kongu Style)

A bold, earthy, pepper-fragrant biryani made with mushrooms, caramelized onions, tomatoes, and

warming Kongu spices — a delicious South Indian vegetarian biryani.

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ Medium

Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins | Total Time: 50 mins
Serves: 4
Calories (approx): ~410 kcal per serving

🍛 One Pot, Thousand Stories

🌿 Introduction

Kongu-style Mushroom Biryani is earthy, bold, and beautifully spiced — mushrooms soak up every bit of masala, pepper, and ghee, making this biryani irresistibly fragrant.

With caramelized onions, tomatoes, garam masala, and fresh herbs, it’s a vegetarian biryani that’s hearty enough to feel festive.

“Where warmth meets earthiness — every grain carries the soul of Kongu spice.”

Mushroom Biryani

(Tamil–Kongu Style)

Photo by Stirred By Spice

📝 Ingredients

Masala Paste

  • 1 Onion

  • 1 Tomato

  • 1-inch Ginger

  • 4 Garlic cloves

  • 2–3 Green chilies

  • 1 tbsp Coriander seeds

  • 1 tsp Fennel seeds

  • ½ tsp Cumin

  • ½ tsp Black pepper
    (Grind to paste.)

Mushroom Base

  • 400 g Mushrooms, sliced

  • 3 tbsp Oil or ghee

  • 2 Onions, thinly sliced

  • 2 Tomatoes, chopped

  • ½ cup Mint

  • ½ cup Cilantro

  • Salt to taste

  • ½ tsp Turmeric

  • 1 tsp Chili powder

  • 1 tsp Garam masala

Rice

  • 2 cups Basmati rice (soaked 20 mins)

  • 3½ cups Water

Whole Spices

  • 1 Bay leaf

  • 4 Cloves

  • 3 Cardamom

  • 1 small Cinnamon stick

Garnish

  • Fried onions (optional)

  • Ghee drizzle

  • Cilantro

🍽️ Instructions

  • 1. Grind Masala Paste

    Blend onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, spices, and pepper to a smooth paste.

    2. Sauté Whole Spices + Onions

    Heat oil/ghee.
    Add bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon.
    Add sliced onions — fry until golden.

    3. Cook Masala

    Add ground masala paste → sauté until oil releases.
    Add tomatoes — cook until soft.
    Add turmeric, chili powder, garam masala.

    4. Add Mushrooms

    Add mushrooms + salt.
    Cook until they release moisture and shrink.

    5. Add Rice + Water

    Add soaked basmati rice.
    Pour water.
    Add mint + cilantro.
    Mix gently.

    6. One-Pot Cooking

    • High flame: 3 mins

    • Medium flame: 10 mins

    • Low flame: 10–12 mins

    Rest covered for 5 mins.

    7. Finish

    Fluff gently.
    Add fried onions + ghee.

🍷 Optional Serving Notes

Best enjoyed with onion raita, cucumber raita, or a simple kosambari.

💬 Soulful Note

There’s something magical about mushrooms in biryani — they absorb every spice, every herb,

every memory of the pot, turning into earthy little bursts of flavor.

📚 Cook’s Wisdom / FAQs

Cook's Wisdom

Tip: Mushrooms absorb flavors rapidly and effectively.

  • Why mushrooms?
    They mimic meatiness beautifully, making this a hearty vegetarian biryani.

  • Why grind the masala?
    It coats the mushrooms fully — a Kongu-region hallmark.

  • Why pepper?
    Kongu cuisine uses pepper for warmth over chili heat.

📊 Nutrition (Per Serving — Approx.)

  • Calories 410

  • Protein 11g

  • Carbs 55g

  • Fat 14g

🍃🌶🍃 The Bottom Line

Earthy mushrooms, warm spices, and fragrant basmati — a vegetarian biryani that’s bold,

soulful, and wonderfully South Indian.

🧡 Meet the Heart Behind the Spice

Maya Shetty – Stirred By Spice Author Photo

Hi, I’m Maya Shetty — cook, storyteller, and spice lover.

Through Stirred By Spice, I share recipes that warm both the kitchen and the heart — where simple ingredients and warm flavors turn everyday meals into moments of connection.

💬 I’d Love to Hear From You!

Your words, memories, and reflections mean the world to me.
Share your thoughts using the form below — I read every message.

© 2025 Stirred By Spice | Designed with warmth 🌶️ & storiess 🪔. All rights reserved