Love Mushroom Pilau Rice? Want to make it at home, but worried it might be difficult and time consuming? Not with my easy peasy recipe! This super easy mushroom version of pilau rice is ready in just 25 minutes and is virtually foolproof! But there’s absolutely no compromise on flavour – this recipe is a real crowdpleaser.
One of my most requested recipes
I often get emails, comments and social media messages from my readers, asking for me to make specific recipes for this website. And Mushroom Pilau Rice has been one of my most requested recipes ever!
To those who have asked for it, sorry it took so long, I hope you feel it was worth the wait. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it! Let me know in the comments below.
Super easy mushroom pilau rice
This mushroom pilau recipe is packed full of flavour, but it’s super simple to make!
All you need to do is fry sliced onions and diced mushrooms in butter. Then add a cinnamon stick, bashed cardamom pods, cloves, turmeric, salt and bay leaves, and fry for another couple of minutes. Next add in the basmati rice and boiling water, and bring back to the boil. Then cover, turn the heat right down and cook until all the water is absorbed. Finally, turn the heat off and allow the rice to steam for 5 minutes. Easy Peasy… But VERY tasty!
What to serve mushroom pilau rice with
Mushroom pilau rice is very versatile and makes a wonderful partner to almost any curry. It goes particularly well with my Easy Peasy Beef Curry (shown here), but it’s also lovely with Lamb Tikka Masala, Slow Cooked Chicken Bhuna or Easy Prawn Jalfrezi.
If you prefer veggie curries, then mushrooms pilau is also a great partner to my Quick Aubergine and Chickpea Curry.
Easy Mushroom Pilau Rice with Easy Peasy Beef Curry
The best mushrooms for mushroom pilau rice
This recipe will work with regular mushrooms, or indeed almost any kind of mushroom. However, for best results, I recommend using chestnut mushrooms.
Make it your own!
This mushroom pilau rice is very easy to adapt. For example, you could:
- Add some frozen peas 2 minutes before the end of the cooking time
- Use diced aubergine, courgette or peppers instead of (or as well as) diced mushrooms
- Add cooked chicken to make chicken pilau rice (add 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time)
- Add dried fruit to make fruity pilau rice (add at the same time as the rice)
- Add lamb mince to make keema pilau rice (fry at the same time as / instead of the mushrooms)
- Add a handful of toasted flaked almonds to the finished dish
- Any combination of the above!
If you prefer plain pilau rice, check out my Easy Peasy Pilau Rice recipe. (And if you want a low carb option, take a look at my Pilau Cauliflower Rice!)
What to do with leftover mushroom pilau rice
Put any leftover rice in a lidded container and place in the fridge where it will keep for 1 day. Reheat it until it is piping hot, before eating immediately.
Please take care to follow food safety guidelines when it comes to storing and reheating cooked rice.
Can you freeze mushroom pilau rice
Yes you can. Put any leftover rice in a lidded container and place in the freezer within 1 hour of cooking, where it will keep for 1 month. Defrost your rice overnight in the fridge and reheat it until it is piping hot, before eating immediately.
Please take care to follow food safety guidelines when it comes to freezing, defrosting and reheating cooked rice.
Easy Mushroom Pilau Rice with Easy Peasy Beef Curry
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Easy Mushroom Pilau Rice
Ingredients
- 25 g butter (you can use ghee or 2 tablespoons of olive oil, if you prefer)
- 1 onion sliced
- 100 g chestnut mushrooms diced (See Note 1)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cardamom pods gently bashed to open
- 2 cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 300 g basmati rice
- 600 ml boiling water
Instructions
- Melt the butter very gently in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the sliced onion, stir and cover with a lid. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes until the onions are soft but not brown, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat up to high and add the diced mushrooms – fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms and onions are lightly browned.
- Turn the heat back down and add the cinnamon stick, bashed cardamom pods, cloves, turmeric, salt and bay leaves. Fry gently for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Add a small splash of water if it gets too dry.)
- Add in the basmati rice and stir to coat the rice in the onions, mushrooms and spices.
- Pour in 600ml boiling water and bring back to the boil. Cover with a lid and turn the heat right down. Continue cooking for 8 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. (See Note 2.)
- Turn the heat off completely (take the saucepan off the burner if you are using electric), but leave the lid on. Allow the rice to steam for 5 minutes.
- Serve with your favourite curry or why not try this with my Easy Peasy Beef Curry?
Notes
- This recipe will work with regular mushrooms, or indeed almost any kind of mushroom. However, for best results, I recommend using chestnut mushrooms.
- Rice cooking times do vary, so be sure to check packet instructions. I have used these exact timings with both Tesco Basmati Rice and Tilda Basmati Rice, and it comes out perfectly every time. If you find your rice is not sufficiently cooked after following the instructions above, simply add a little more water (if necessary) and cook a little longer. However, take care not to overcook!
- Suitable for freezing. (Take care to follow food safety guidelines when it comes to freezing, defrosting and reheating cooked rice.)
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Geraldine says
This recipe turned out perfectly! Do you think it would work with brown rice too? Thanks for sharing.
Eb Gargano says
That’s great to hear! Yes, this recipe should work well with brown basmati, but it will probably require a little more liquid and a longer cooking time. Eb 🙂