My Favorite Recipes Collection: Easy Brown Rice Biryani with Portobello mushroom, Paneer and Edamame

Biryani, also known as biriyani, biriani, birani or briyani, is a South Asian mixed rice dish with its origins among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. It is popular throughout the Indian subcontinent . It consists of main ingredients Rice, Indian spices, Vegetables, (Meat, Egg for non veg) Yoghurt, and Dried Fruits.

Ingredients:

1 cup Brown Basmati rice
2 and half cup of water
1 teaspoon salt
1 table spoon Olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter.
2 yellow onion
8 oz of baby portobello mushrooms
1 cup of cooked shelled edamame
1 block of Paneer (12 oz)
Cooking spray

3 table spoon of Olive oil
1 tablespoon ghee or butter
2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
2- 1" stick of Cinnamon
2 black cardamom pods
1 teaspoon of black pepper corn
2-4 pods of dried red chilies
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon of Asefoetida
1/2 cup of roasted unsalted cashews
Salt to taste

2 cups plain yogurt
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of powered cayenne pepper*
1 teaspoon Sriracha seasoning *
1 teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper*
1 tablespoon of ground cumin powder
1 tablespoon of Mango powder
1 teaspoon of garam masala*
1 tablespoon of Biryani powder (optional)*
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Kasoori Methi Crushed (dried fenugreek leaves)

*You can adjust the amount of spice based on how spicy or robust you want your Biryani.

Method:

Wash and soak brown rice for 4-6 hours (if you don't have time to soak the rice, you may have to add little more water and increase the cook time to 27-30 min instead of 25 min.
Place the container Instant pot.
Keep the setting at saute mode.
Drain all the water out of rice.
Add 1 table spoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of butter.
Add rice and saute for 1-2 min stirring it lightly.
Add water and salt.

Close and lock the lid in place and press the manual button.
In the newer version which I bought, the manual button is "Pressure cook" which is the last button on right side.
Press that and set the timer by pressure the plus button to 25 min.
Turn the steam release handle to "sealing"
Once the pressure builds up, the clock will start counting down.

When the clock has counted down. allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 min.
Once the clock shows 10 min has passed, carefully quick release the remaining pressure and remove the lid.
Fluff the rice with wooden fork /spoon or silicone spoon.
Transfer in a casserole and let it be open to cook
Set aside

Cut the paneer in to small 1"cubes.
Heat the griddle on medium heat on stove. Spray with cooking oil spray.
Place paneer cubes on the griddle and cook both sides until golden brown.

Cook the frozen shelled edamame in microwave per instruction on the frozen pack.
Slice onions and mushrooms.

Heat Olive oil in a skillet.
When heated add bay leaves, cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, black peppercorns and dried red chili pods
Add asefoeted and butter.
Add roasted cashews, when cashews are light brown add sliced onions.
Turn the head up a little
When onions are caramelized, add mushroom sliced and saute.
Then add paneer and edamame.

While you are doing this you can prep the yogurt mixture or you can prep it ahead of time.

Mix following in a bowl:
2 cups plain yogurt
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of powered cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Sriracha seasoning
1 teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of ground cumin powder
1 tablespoon of Mango powder
1 teaspoon of garam masala
1 tablespoon of Biryani powder (optional)
Salt to taste

Add the yogurt mixture to sauteed and cooked onions, mushrooms, paneer and edamame.
Mix toss it and add 1/2 cup of water.

Cover and cook for few min on medium low heat until paneer is soft.
Crush Kasoori methi with palms of your hand and add it to mixture.
Cook for 1 more minute.
Add cooked rice to this mixture or you can add this to cooked rice casserole.
Toss gently until all spice mix, onions, mushrooms, edamame and paneer are evenly well incorporated.