Easy Mushroom Pilau Rice

5 from 1 vote

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.

Course Rice, Side, Side Dish

Cuisine British, Fusion, Indian

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 17

Steam Time 5

Total Time 25

Servings people

Calories 346kcal

Author Eb Gargano

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

Metric - US Customary

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.

Nutrition