Mushroom Peas Pulao

Any mushroom fans here? If you are one, you are going to relish this recipe!

I love including mushrooms in our weekly menu, and this mushroom peas pulao recipe is one of my personal favorites. It’s my go-to lunch/dinner meal, both to prepare and eat, especially when I am too lazy to cook twice a day.

Mushroom-peas pulao is a quick and delicious one-pot rice meal for the family. It has whole spices, mushrooms, green peas, onions, tomatoes, herbs, and powdered spices, sautéed in oil to make a delicious masala, then pressure-cooked along with rice. It tastes best when eaten with raita. Continue reading to know how to make this yummilicious mushroom-peas pulao.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: 3 – 4 servings

Ingredients:

200g green peas, fresh or frozen
300g button mushrooms, rinsed & sliced
250g rice(regular or basmati)
400ml water
4 tablespoons of cooking oil
Whole spices( 1 tsp fennel seeds, 3 cloves, 5 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 1/2 inch cinnamon, mace, 2 star anise, 2 bay leaves)
1 medium onion, chopped
Green chilies to taste, slit
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons mint, chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
¾ teaspoon garam masala
Lime juice
Taste to salt

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
2. Add all the whole spices – fennel seeds, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, mace, star anise, bay leaves and sauté on low heat until aromatic.
3. Add green chilies and onion, sauté until onion translucent. Then add ginger-garlic paste, sauté until the raw smell no more exists.
4. Add tomatoes, sprinkle a pinch of salt and cook until soft and mushy.
5. Add cilantro and mint, sauté for a minute.
6. Add the powdered spices – turmeric, red chili, coriander powder and garam masala, sauté until the oil separates from the masala.
7. Add green peas and mushrooms, sauté and cook covered for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. (You will notice that the mushrooms release water)
8. Add rinsed rice and pour water – 350ml to 400ml depending on the mushroom water already present in the cooker. Stir in salt to taste and drizzle 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Allow the mixture to come to a boil. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.
9. Cover the lid and pressure cook until 2 whistles. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
10. Mix well and serve mushroom-peas pulao with raita. Enjoy!

Note:

• Add salt and spices according to your taste and preference.
• Including a tablespoon or two of yogurt/curd while making the masala enhances the flavors. However, if you are following a vegan diet, you could use vegan yogurt and ghee for this recipe.
• Generally, white rice requires 2X times of water to cook perfectly. But here we are using less water since mushrooms release some water while cooking. So check and add water.
• Store pulao in the refrigerator for up to 2 days if needed. Reheat before consuming.