Ingredients

• 1 cup - Long grain rice, soaked for 20 mins
• 10-12 - White button mushrooms
• 6-8 Cashewnuts, soaked for some time (optional, you can replace with green peas)
• 1 - Medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp - Ginger garlic paste
• Fistful of mint leaves, chopped finely
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp - Ghee
• 1 tbsp - Oil
• Dry spices:
• 6-8 - Cloves
• 2 inch - Cinnamon stick
• 1 - Bay leaf
• 1 - Star anise
• 1/4-1/2 tsp - Shahi jeera / black cumin
• 3-4 - Green cardamoms

How to Make Rich Mushroom Pulao

• Wash and soak rice for at least 20 mins.
• Drain the water and set aside for at least 10 to 15 mins, make sure there is no water left in the rice.
• Wash and cut the mushrooms.
• Heat a wide pan with ghee, fry mushrooms for a minute or 2 and set aside.
• Add rice and fry on high till the rice becomes crunchy.
• Mix the mushrooms and rice and continue to fry for another 1-2 minutes.
• This process makes the rice more flavourful.
• Heat a pressure cooker or a heavy bottom pan with oil, add dry spices and saute till you get an aroma
• Add onions and fry till they turn translucent.
• Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
• Add mint leaves and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
• Add cashews or peas and fry for a minute or more.
• Add water and salt bring the water to a boil.
• Add rice along with the mushrooms and cook till almost all of the water evaporates fully.
• Refer to the picture.
• Close the pressure cooker lid and cook for 4-5 minutes on a very low flame if using basmati rice.
• If you are using any normal aged rice, then let it whistle once.
• If cooking without a pressure cooker, cook till the rice turns soft and cooked fully.
• Serve hot with any raita or gravy.
• Recipe courtesy: Indian Healthy Recipes.