Mushroom Biryani

Ingredients

• 10 oz mushrooms (in about 1/4 inch slices)
• 1 1/2 cups Basmati rice (rinsed at least 3 times)
• 4 Tbsp ghee (separated (or vegetable oil))
• 1 tsp salt (separated)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (separated)
• 3/4 cup yogurt
• 3 tsp garam masala (separated)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 4 garlic cloves (minced or grated)
• 1/2 Tbsp ginger (grated)
• 1 onion (sliced pole to pole)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp mint (chopped)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cilantro (chopped)

Instructions

2. In a medium sized pot toss in the rinsed rice add 2 1/2 cups of water, 1/2 tsp of salt and 2 tsp of ghee.

3. Bring to a boil on high heat, cover and lower heat to lowest setting immediately. Cook for 8 minutes. The rice will be mostly cooked but not all the way.

4. Take out 1/2 cup of the par-cooked rice in a bowl. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1 tbsp of water and mix. This will make the pretty yellow rice.
5. Fluff par cooked rice with a fork and turn out onto a plate.

7. While the rice is cooking, heat 1 tsp ghee in a saute pan and toss in the mushrooms. Add 1/4 tsp salt.

8. Turn the heat on high.
9. Cook the mushrooms, stirring a few times, until nice and golden brown. The mushrooms will shrink a lot.
10. Add 1/2 tsp garam masala cook for 1 minute and turn off heat.
12. In a small bowl, toss in the yogurt, 1 tbsp of water, 1 1/2 tsp of garam masala, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp salt, the garlic and the ginger. Mix.
13. **This not technically a marinade because I don’t even leave the mushrooms in it for more than 15 minutes. But I add the mushrooms while they’re still hot in hopes that they will absorb more flavor. It’ll work either way.

14. Toss the hot mushrooms into the yogurt mixture.

16. In the same pan that the mushrooms were cooked, heat 1 tbsp of ghee.

17. Cook the onion slices on medium high heat until deeply browned.
18. Top the biryani with the fried onion slices and serve.

20. In the same pot that the rice was cooked, add 1 tbsp of water, 1 tbsp of ghee and 1 tbsp of yogurt. Whisk it together with a fork. This should coat most of the bottom layer of the pot. If it doesn’t, add 1 more tbsp of water.

21. Now, layer a third of the par-cooked white rice on top of this water, ghee and yogurt later.

22. Layer half of the mushroom yogurt mixture on top of the rice layer. Spread it around.
23. Layer a second third of the rice on top, followed by another layer of mushrooms.
24. Then layer the last third of the white rice.
25. Top with the 1/2 cup of yellow rice.

26. Drizzle 2 tbsp of water and remaining ghee over the layers.

27. Cover and put the pot back on the stove over high heat for 30 seconds. Lower heat to the lowest setting and let cook for 15 minutes.

Nutrition

• Calories: 304
• Carbohydrates: 43
• Protein: 6
• Fat: 12
• Saturated Fat: 7
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 1
• Monounsaturated Fat: 3
• Cholesterol: 30
• Sodium: 413
• Potassium: 299
• Fiber: 2
• Sugar: 3
• Vitamin A: 130
• Vitamin C: 3
• Calcium: 61
• Iron: 1