Mushroom Pulao is a delicious, Indian-style rice casserole that you can cook in a pressure cooker or instant pot. Be sure to watch the video!
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For mushroom lovers, this pulao recipe is worth bookmarking. The caramelized mushrooms, roasted onions, cashews, and spices all make it so damn delicious.
In my house, we call it a cheat mushroom biryani. Except for the layering process, the taste and texture of the pulao are as good as a biryani.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Mushroom: I use button mushrooms as they are the most effortlessly and readily available in India. But you can use crimini, portobello, shiitake, gucchi, or any other wild variety of meaty mushrooms to make pulao. With mushrooms, you can make – garlic mushroom pasta, healthy soup, or comforting fried rice.
- Green Peas fresh or frozen peas. If using frozen ones, thaw them before adding them to the pulao.
- Rice: Long-grain basmati rice is best for any Indian pulao or biryani. Avoid using starchy, sticky, short-grain rice.
- Whole Spices: Cardamom, Bay leaf, Cloves
- Spice Powder: Garam Masala, Red Chili Powder
- Other Ingredients: Red Onion, Cashew, Ginger Garlic Paste, Salt, Water, Ghee
My Tried and True Tips
- Cooking Liquid: From plain water to vegetable stock or low-sodium chicken broth, you can use either of these liquids to cook the rice.
- Liquid Ratio: For mushroom pulao ratio of 1: 1 ½ (rice to water) works perfectly fine.
- Cooking Method: You can cook this pulao in a traditional stovetop Indian pressure cooker, heavy-duty casserole, Dutch oven, instant pot, or electric pressure cooker.
- Cooking Time: In the instant pot, the pulao takes 10 minutes (6 – 7 minutes sauteing + 3 minutes cooking). On the stovetop, it takes 20 – 25 minutes (10 – 15 minutes sauteing + 10 – 15 minutes cooking).
- Vegan Pulao: Skip ghee for cooking. Use coconut oil or any other vegan cooking oil.
Instant Pot Method
Step 1) Wash and soak rice in water for 30 minutes. Set it aside.
Step 2) Set the saute mode of IP for 15 minutes. Once hot, add ghee or cooking oil and whole spices. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release the aroma of the spices.
Step 3) Next, add the sliced onion and cashews. Fry till the onion turns light golden.
Step 4) Add the ginger-garlic paste, mushroom, green peas, spices, and salt. Fry the masala for 5 minutes or till the mushrooms are nicely caramelized.
Step 5) Drain the water from the soaked rice. Add the rice to the pressure cooker or IP. Saute the rice for a minute. Add water. Stir. Taste the liquid. If required, add more salt or seasoning.
Step 6) Seal the IP with the lid. Set pressure cook mode for 3 minutes. After set the timing is over, allow the steam to release naturally from the pressure cooker. Open the lid and fluff the rice using a fork.
Serving Suggestion
Mushroom Pulao is a wholesome, fulfilling meal in itself. However, I do love to serve a few side dishes with a pulao, one of them is green boondi raita, and the second is Indian kachumber salad.
Apart from that, a homemade pickle and fried papadum are the perfect accompaniments for a pulao.
You can easily pack this mushroom pulao for school or office lunch boxes. It is easy to carry around and reheat.
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Mushroom Pulao Recipe
- Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 Cup basmati rice
- 4 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cloves (laung)
- 4 green cardamom (elaichi)
- ¼ Cup cashews (kaju)
- 1 Cup sliced onion
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 ½ Cup button mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup green peas (matar) (fresh or frozen)
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala ( see recipe here)
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoon mint leaves, chopped
- 1 ¼ Cup water
Instructions
- Wash and soak the rice in enough water. Set it aside for 30 minutes.
- Heat ghee in a pressure cooker or saucepan. Add whole spices, and saute for 10 – 20 seconds to release the aroma.
- Next, add the sliced cashews and onion. Fry till the onion turn light golden in color.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste, chopped mushrooms, peas, spices, and salt. Fry for the next 2 – 3 minutes or till all the liquid of mushrooms is evaporated.
- Drain the water from the soaked rice. Add the rice in the pressure cooker. Stir to combine and saute the rice for a minute.
- Next, add water and chopped herbs. Close the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook the pulao for one whistle over medium heat on the stovetop. In an instant Pot, it will take 3 minutes in pressure cook mode.
- Allow the steam to release naturally from the pressure cooker. Open the lid and fluff the rice using a fork.
Recipe Notes:
- You can use – crimini, portobello, shiitake, or any other wild variety of fibrous or meaty mushrooms to make pulao.
- The long grain basmati rice is the best for any type of Indian pulao or biryani. Avoid using starchy, sticky, short-grain rice for this rice recipe.
- For cooking the pulao from plain water, and vegetable stock, to chicken broth, you can use either of these liquids to flavor the rice.
- For my basmati rice ratio of 1: 1 ¼ (rice:water) works perfectly fine.
- This pulao can be cooked in a traditional stovetop Indian pressure cooker, heavy-duty casserole, instant pot, or electric pressure cooker.
- You can make this pulao vegan by skipping ghee for cooking. Use coconut oil or any other vegan cooking oil to make the pulao.
ritesh says
A suggestion for those cooks having trouble rolling and cutting the dough: Try putting the dough in a floured pastery bag (or a Ziplock with a corner cut out will do) and squeezing it out like t…
Mystiquiera says
Really good basic recipe. I thought I had chicken breasts that I could add; turned out it was chicken keema (1 lb) , the only quantities I changed were ginger garlic paste (~ 1.50 tbsp), Garam Masala (1.50 tsp). Cooked in instapot – used about 1.75 cups of water and pressure cooked for 11 mins. Rice came out really well, flavors are mild yet delicious
Shruthi Reddy says
Yummm! love how it looks. Making this for dinner tonight 🙂
Hina Gujral says
It is our dinner staple too!
Supriya Kutty says
I have never tried making this recipe ever and was searching for a recipe so that I get some help. I am so happy to come across this post of yours as this is really a great guide for me and this will help me in making this delicious recipe.
Hina Gujral says
I am so glad you like the recipe.
Annie says
Been making this recipe for years- love it!
Hina Gujral says
Great!