Chettinad Biryani Recipe (Vegetarian)

Method25 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: First rinse rice very well in water for a couple of times. Then soak the rice in water for 20 to 30 minutes.

   Rice soak before draining · 30 minUses 200 g basmati rice (source 1 heaped cup) · Water for rinsing and soaking rice (quantity unspecified, drained)

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   Step 2: After 20 to 30 minutes, drain the water from the rice grains. Add 1 teaspoon ghee to the soaked rice.

   Uses rinsed soaked rice after draining · 1 teaspoon ghee (- for marinating rice)

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   Step 3: Gently coat the drained rice with the ghee and let it rest for 10–15 minutes. This route follows the source’s resting option, rather than its alternative brief ghee sauté.

   Rest ghee-coated rice · 15 minUses drained rice with 1 tsp ghee

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   Step 4: While the rice soaks and rests, clean the mushrooms and quarter or slice them.

   Uses 200–250 g white button mushrooms, quartered or sliced

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   Step 5: Thinly slice the onion (100 g) and chop the tomato (80 g). Chop the paste’s mint, coriander, green chillies (3–4), 3–4 garlic cloves and peeled 1-inch ginger (1-inch piece) piece, keeping onion and tomato separate from paste aromatics.

   Uses 100 g onion, thinly sliced (source ¾–1 cup) · 80 g tomato, chopped (source ½ cup) · ¼ cup mint leaves (- chopped ) · ¼ cup coriander leaves (- chopped (cilantro)) · 3–4 green chillies · 3–4 small-to-medium garlic cloves, peeled · 1-inch piece ginger

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   Step 6: Put only the prepared paste mint, coriander, green chillies, garlic and ginger in a grinder; the whole frying spices, onion and tomato stay separate.

   Uses chopped quarter-cup mint leaves for paste · chopped quarter-cup coriander leaves for paste · chopped green chillies for paste · chopped garlic cloves for paste · chopped ginger piece for paste

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   Step 7: Add ½–1 tbsp paste-blending water and grind to a smooth green paste.

   Uses chopped green-paste herbs and aromatics · ½–1 tbsp water for blending green paste

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   Step 8: Add this ground green paste with the curd to the chopped mushrooms.

   Uses cleaned quartered or sliced mushrooms · smooth green paste with blending water · 3 tbsp plain yogurt (curd)

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   Step 9: Sprinkle turmeric (¼–⅓ tsp) powder, red chilli powder (½ teaspoon), garam masala (½ teaspoon) powder and coriander powder (1 teaspoon).

   Uses mushrooms with green paste and yogurt · ¼–⅓ tsp ground turmeric · ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper) · ½ teaspoon garam masala · 1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)

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    Step 10: Gently mix all the ingredients. Cover and set aside to marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.

    Mushroom marination · 30 minUses complete spiced green-yogurt mushroom marinade

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    Step 11: Heat 2–2½ tbsp oil in a thick-bottomed pot. Add cinnamon (1-inch piece), green cardamom (2), 3–4 cloves, 6–7 peppercorns, tej patta (1), optional mace (2), optional stone flower (1), optional kapok buds (2) and fennel seeds (1 teaspoon); fry briefly until fragrant.

    Uses 2–2½ tbsp neutral-tasting OR coconut oil · 1-inch piece cinnamon · 2 green cardamoms · 3–4 whole cloves · 6–7 whole black peppercorns · 1 tej patta (- medium to large-sized (Indian bay leaf)) · 2 thin strands mace, optional · 1 tiny piece stone flower (dagad phool), optional

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    Step 12: Then add the sliced onions. Mix very well and sauté them on a low to medium heat. Add a pinch of salt for quick cooking of the onions.

    Uses fragrant whole spices in hot oil · thinly sliced 100 g onion · Pinch from unmeasured salt supply for onion frying

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    Step 13: Stir often and sauté until the onions become golden.

    Uses sliced onion in whole-spice frying oil

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    Step 14: Add tomatoes. Stir and sauté the tomatoes for about 2 minutes.

    Brief tomato sauté · 2 minUses golden sautéed onions and whole spices · chopped 80 g tomato

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    Step 15: Transfer the marinated mushrooms and their attached marinade to the pot, keeping the original bowl for any actual residue. Mix and sauté for 6–7 minutes until mushrooms shrink and oil specks appear.

    Sauté marinated mushrooms · 7 minUses fried tomato-onion and whole-spice base · marinated mushrooms with attached green-yogurt marinade

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    Step 16: Pour the full 1 cup basmati cooking-water supply into the original marinade bowl and swirl to mix with any actual marinade remaining there.

    Uses actual residual green-yogurt marinade left in original bowl · 1 cup cooking water for author basmati route

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    Step 17: The full cooking-water quantity for this basmati route is 1 cup, already mixed with the marinade residue in the preceding step.

    Uses one-cup cooking water mixed with actual marinade residue

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    Step 18: Add this marinade mixed water to the mushrooms in the pan. Also add 1 cup coconut milk. Mix very well.

    Uses sautéed marinated mushrooms in tomato-onion base · marinade-laden full cooking-water dose · 1 cup Coconut Milk (- thick, can use lite coconut milk)

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    Step 19: Season with salt and stir. On a medium heat bring the mixture to a boil.

    Uses mushroom base with cooking water and coconut milk · More from unmeasured salt supply, to season cooking liquid

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    Step 20: Then add the ghee coated rice. Mix again gently.

    Uses boiling seasoned mushroom-coconut liquid · rested ghee-coated drained rice

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    Step 21: Cover and cook over low-to-medium heat for about 10–12 minutes, checking once or twice to prevent the bottom catching.

    Covered rice cooking, total phase · 12 minUses rice mixed into boiling mushroom-coconut base

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    Step 22: Continue that same covered cooking phase until the rice grains are tender and the liquid is absorbed.

    Uses covered biryani during rice-cooking phase

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    Step 23: The source’s 10–12 minutes is a guide for the preceding rice-cooking phase; tenderness determines completion.

    Uses biryani at tender-rice endpoint

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    Step 24: Turn off the heat and leave the cooked biryani covered for 5 minutes before opening.

    Rest before serving · 5 minUses cooked mushroom biryani with tender rice

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    Step 25: Gently fluff the rested biryani and garnish with the separate 2–3 tbsp coriander OR 1–2 tbsp mint. Serve hot with optional ready raita of choice.

    Uses rested Chettinad mushroom biryani · 2–3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves OR 1–2 tbsp chopped mint leaves, for garnish · Ready raita of choice for optional serving (quantity unspecified)