Chettinad Biryani Recipe (Vegetarian)
User Reviews
5
76 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
45 mins
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Servings
3
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Calories
556 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indian
Chettinad Biryani Recipe (Vegetarian)
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This vegetarian Chettinad Biryani highlights a flavorful blend of marinated mushrooms with vibrant green masala made from fresh mint, coriander, ginger, garlic, and green chilies. The rice is soaked and coated with ghee before cooking, enhancing its aroma and texture. The biryani is prepared with spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and bay leaf, combining a thick coconut milk base and fresh vegetables for a richly spiced yet balanced dish.
Description
Chettinad Biryani Recipe (Vegetarian) features marinated mushrooms enveloped in a green masala paste made from mint, coriander, ginger, garlic, and green chilies, bringing fresh herbaceous notes. The rice, ideally basmati or Seeraga Samba, is soaked, drained, and marinated with ghee to keep the grains separate and fragrant during cooking. Aromatic whole spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and black peppercorns are tempered in oil, then combined with sautéed onions, tomatoes, and coconut milk to build a flavorful base. The mushrooms and masala paste are incorporated before layering the rice to finish cooking, resulting in a biryani packed with spice complexity and creamy textures.
The biryani pairs well with cooling sides like raita or simple salads to balance its spice. It can be served as a main dish for lunch or dinner.
Note that substitutions are possible for ingredients: the curry leaves, kapok buds, stone flower, and mace are optional, and various mushroom types may be used. Using any neutral oil is acceptable in place of ghee, and dairy yogurt can be substituted with vegan versions or omitted, with lemon juice added for acidity if skipping yogurt. Proper rinsing of rice ensures a non-sticky final product.
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Ingredients
Marinating rice
- 1 cup (200 grams) basmati rice (heaped) - or use seeraga samba or kaima rice
- 1 teaspoon ghee - for marinating rice
Green masala
- ¼ cup mint chopped, leaves
- ¼ cup Coriander leaves - chopped (cilantro)
- 3 to 4 green chilies
- 3 to 4 garlic small to medium-sized, peeled, cloves
- 1 inch ginger - peeled
- ½ to 1 tablespoon water
Marinating mushrooms
- 200 to 250 grams white button mushrooms - quartered or sliced
- 3 tablespoons curd (yogurt)
- ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
Other ingredients
- 2 to 2.5 tablespoons neutral cooking oil any neutral tasting oil or coconut oil, generic cooking oil
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 green cardamom
- 3 to 4 cloves
- 6 to 7 black peppercorns
- 1 tej patta - medium to large-sized (Indian bay leaf)
- 2 thin single strands of mace - optional
- 1 stone flower - tiny piece, (dagad phool or pathar phool) - optional
- 2 kapok buds (marathi moggu) - optional
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¾ to 1 cup (100 grams) onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup (80 grams) tomato chopped
- ½ to 1 cup water or add as required
- 1 cup coconut milk - thick, can use lite coconut milk
- salt as required
Garnish
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Coriander leaves - chopped or 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
Instructions
Soaking Rice
- First rinse rice very well in water for a couple of times. Then soak the rice in water for 20 to 30 minutes.
- After 20 to 30 minutes, drain the water from the rice grains. Add 1 teaspoon ghee to the soaked rice.
- Mix and coat the rice with ghee very well and allow to marinate for 10 to 15 minutes. Instead of marinating, you can also sauté the rice in ghee lightly in a pan on low heat.
Preparing Veggies
- When you keep the rice for soaking, prep the remaining ingredients. First rinse or wipe dry and then quarter or slice the mushrooms. Transfer them to a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Slice thinly the onions. Chop the tomato. Also chop the green chilies, garlic cloves and ginger. Chop mint and coriander leaves as well.
Making Green Paste
- In a small grinder or chutney grinder, take the chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chilies, garlic and ginger.
- Add ½ to 1 tablespoon water or as required. Blend to a smooth paste.
Marinating With Green Paste
- Add this ground green paste with the curd to the chopped mushrooms.
- Sprinkle turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and coriander powder.
- Gently mix all the ingredients. Cover and set aside to marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.
Sautéing Aromatics
- Heat 2 to 2.5 tbsp oil in a thick bottomed pot or pan. Add the whole spices and fry them for a few seconds or until they are fragrant.
- 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.
- Stir often and sauté until the onions become golden.
- Add tomatoes. Stir and sauté the tomatoes for about 2 minutes.
- Add the marinated mushrooms. Mix very well and sauté them for 6 to 7 minutes or until they shrink and you see oil specks on top.
- In the bowl here will be some marinade left. Add 1 cup water and mix the marinade with the water.
- Add water as required depending on quality of rice. You can add from ½ to 1 cup water. I used organic basmati rice, so I added 1 cup of water.
- Add this marinade mixed water to the mushrooms in the pan. Also add 1 cup coconut milk. Mix very well.
- Season with salt and stir. On a medium heat bring the mixture to a boil.
Making Chettinad Biryani
- Then add the ghee coated rice. Mix again gently.
- Cover the pot or pan with a lid. Check once or twice when rice is cooking.
- On a medium-low heat cook until the rice grains are tender and soft.
- It took me 12 minutes for the rice to cook. Depending on the thickness and depth of pan, quality of rice and flame intensity, it can take about 10 to 12 minutes to cook rice.
- Once the rice grains are tender, cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving Chettinad Biryani. Then gently fluff the rice with a fork.
Serving & Storage
- Garnish with mint or coriander leaves and serve Chettinad Biryani with a side salad or raita of your choice.
- Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for one day. Keep the biryani in a covered container.
- While reheating, either sauté until warm or hot in a skillet or steam for 5 minutes in a pot or an Instant Pot.
Notes
- Use fresh herbs for the green masala to maximize flavor intensity.
- The recipe allows for skipping rare spices like kapok buds, stone flower, and mace without losing much flavor.
- Any neutral cooking oil can replace ghee if preferred for cooking.
- If omitting yogurt, add lemon juice to introduce acidity and balance flavors.
- Rinse the rice thoroughly to ensure fluffy, separate grains.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
556kcal
(28%)
Carbohydrates
67g
(22%)
Protein
10g
(20%)
Fat
29g
(45%)
Saturated Fat
17g
(85%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
(6%)
Monounsaturated Fat
10g
(50%)
Cholesterol
7mg
(2%)
Sodium
385mg
(16%)
Potassium
703mg
(15%)
Fiber
6g
(24%)
Sugar
6g
(12%)
Vitamin A
605IU
(12%)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
0.2mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
0.4mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
4mg
Vitamin B6
0.3mg
Vitamin B12
0.1µg
(4%)
Vitamin C
17mg
(19%)
Vitamin D
0.2µg
(1%)
Vitamin E
4mg
Vitamin K
9µg
Calcium
113mg
(11%)
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
46µg
Iron
4mg
(22%)
Magnesium
82mg
(21%)
Phosphorus
257mg
Zinc
2mg
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 3Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 556 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 556kcal | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 67g | 22% |
| Protein | 10g | 20% |
| Fat | 29g | 45% |
| Saturated Fat | 17g | 85% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 7mg | 2% |
| Sodium | 385mg | 16% |
| Potassium | 703mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 605IU | 12% |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 0.2mg | |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.4mg | |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 4mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.3mg | |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.1µg | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 17mg | 19% |
| Vitamin D | 0.2µg | 1% |
| Vitamin E | 4mg | |
| Vitamin K | 9µg | |
| Calcium | 113mg | 11% |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 46µg | |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
| Magnesium | 82mg | 21% |
| Phosphorus | 257mg | |
| Zinc | 2mg |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
76 reviews
Excellent
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