Mushroom pulao is a flavorful one-pot dish made with rice, mushrooms, and aromatic spices. This vegan and gluten-free rice dish is perfect for a weeknight meal or to serve guests at a party.

In India, the preparation and utilization of spices vary from one region to another. This one-pot mushroom rice is a basic version that doesn’t involve any complex steps or grinding. Only a handful of spices, rice, and mushrooms are needed to make it.
No need to make a shopping trip just for these spices if you don't have them in your pantry. You can make this dish using garam masala or any Indian spice blend such as biryani masala or curry powder that you have on hand, and believe me, it will still be delicious. These spices infuse extra flavour, that’s it!
Check out more recipes with mushrooms on the blog - mushroom potato curry and zucchini mushroom pasta.
Jump to:
Why you will love instant pot pulao?
Ideal dish for beginners
One pot dish
Need a few basic ingredients
Ingredients

Spices: Cloves, green cardamom, cassia, bay leaf, salt, garam masala powder and cumin.
Liquids: Coconut milk and water to cook pulao.
Mushrooms: I have used white button mushrooms.
Vegetables: Onion, freshly minced ginger and garlic.
Rice: I have used extra long grain basmati rice.
Herbs and Nuts: Fresh coriander leaves and cashew nuts.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make mushroom pulao in instant pot?

Place 2 cups basmati rice in a deep-bottomed bowl and wash it under cold tap water 2-3 times, or until the water becomes clear.
Add fresh water and soak the rice for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, gather the chopped mushrooms and the rest of the ingredients on the kitchen platform.

Plug in an instant pot pressure cooker, turn the sauté mode ON and add oil.
When the oil is hot, add the cumin, bay leaves, cassia, cloves, green cardamom and fry briefly until the spices become aromatic.
Now, add cashews and fry until they turn light brown.

Next, stir in green chillies and then add onion and sauté until the onion turns translucent.
Now add the minced ginger and garlic, and sauté for a minute.

Stir in mushrooms, salt and garam masala and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir regularly to prevent the mushrooms and onion from sticking to the base of the pot.
While the mushrooms are cooking, drain water from the soaked rice.
Now press the CANCEL button.

Add the soaked rice, coconut milk, water, coriander leaves and gently stir. Check the taste and add more salt if necessary.
Secure the pot with the lid and move the pressure valve to the SEALING position.

Press the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL button and set the timer for 4 minutes.
Initially, the instant pot shows ON and the timer begins when the pressure is built up.
Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes after the timer goes off.
After 10 minutes, move the pressure valve to VENT and wait until all the pressure is released and the small knob beside the pressure valve goes down.

Open the pot, give it a 5-minute wait, and then fluff the rice with a fork.
Enjoy scrumptious instant pot mushroom rice with cucumber raita, jeera aloo or any side dish of your choice.
Substitutions and Variations
Vegetable Stock: Consider using vegetable stock for added flavour instead of water.
Ginger Garlic Paste: If you have pre-made ginger garlic paste, you can use that instead of freshly grated ginger and garlic.
Coconut Milk: I chose to use reduced-fat coconut milk also called low fat coconut milk. However, it doesn’t really make much difference if you use full-fat coconut milk.
Mushrooms: Although I like button mushrooms the most, you can also consider using cremini, portobello, or porcini mushrooms.
Rice: I used basmati rice, but you can try other varieties like ponni or sona masoori. The rice-to-water ratio and cooking times must be modified accordingly.
Mushroom peas pulao: Take this simple mushroom pulao recipe up a notch by including green peas and transforming it into a delicious mushroom peas pulao.
Vegetables: Consider sneaking in additional vegetables like carrots, beans, cauliflower, potatoes, or squash to boost its nutritional value. This is an ideal recipe to use up leftover vegetables lying in the fridge.

Serving Suggestions
Mushroom pulao goes well with onion raita and gravy such as plain salna.
It is a perfect dish to serve with mild to medium spiced paneer curries such as malai matar paneer, paneer butter masala, paneer korma or methi malai paneer.
This is a great dish to pack in a kid's lunchbox along with zucchini corn fritters or vegetable pakoda .
Storage
Fridge: Mushroom pulao with coconut milk stays fresh for 2-3 days in the fridge when stored properly in an airtight container. Transfer the leftover rice to an airtight container and then store it in the fridge.
Freezer: Consider freezing if you cook large quantities of mushroom rice to use in the future. Let the pulao cool completely before storage. Divide the rice into portions, transfer it into freezer-safe containers or resealable bags and store them in the freezer.
Defrost: Thaw the pulao the night before you plan to consume it. Take a portion out of the freezer and pop it in the fridge.
Reheat: Place the rice in a heatproof micowave safe container and heat it in the microwave until it's piping hot. Pause at intervals, remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the rice using a spoon for even heating.
Tips and Tricks
Wash Rice: Rinse and wash the rice under cold running water at least 3-4 times until the water is clear.
Soak Rice: Soaking the rice for 15-20 minutes shortens the cooking time. However, if you soak the rice for over 30 minutes, cut down the liquid slightly to compensate, otherwise, the rice might turn a little mushy.
Remove Whole Spices: Try to remove the whole spices while serving as they are used to impart a lovely flavour and aroma to the pulao rice. These spices have an overpowering taste that leaves a lingering, unpleasant aftertaste.
Total Cooking Time: The pressure cook time doesn't account for the entire cooking duration. The instant pot requires time to build pressure before the timer begins counting down. It calculates the time depending on the quantity inside the pot. The total time to prepare this pulao rice includes sauteing vegetables and spices, coming to pressure, countdown time, and natural pressure release.
Deglaze: Ensure to deglaze the pot before closing it with a lid to prevent a BURN message.

How to cook mushroom pulao on a stovetop?
Soak the rice for 15 minutes in a bowl.
Heat the oil in a pot over medium-low heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the whole spices - bay leaves, green cardamom, cassia, cloves and cumin. Fry the spices for a minute until they release the aroma.
Stir in green chillies and fry for half a minute.
Now add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until they turn soft and translucent.
Add the ginger and garlic, stir and cook for a couple of minutes.
Stir in mushrooms, salt and garam masala and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir regularly to prevent the mushrooms and onion from sticking to the base of the pot.
While the mushrooms are cooking, drain water from the soaked rice.
Add water, coconut milk and bring it to a boil.
Once the liquid boils, reduce the heat and carefully add the soaked rice and gently stir once.
Add the coriander leaves and close the pot with a lid.
Simmer for 12-15 minutes.
Turn the heat off once done. Take the lid off the pot and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Fluff the rice and then serve this vegan pulao rice with plain poppadom/ masala papad and any side dish of your choice.
Serve piping hot mushroom pulao as a side dish with your favorite curry or enjoy it on its own.
Check out other mushroom recipes on the blog - spinach mushroom sandwich, zucchini mushroom pasta and mushroom potato curry.
FAQ
To make it mild, either reduce the number of green chillies or use a small quantity of black pepper powder instead. Also, add just ¼ teaspoon garam masala in case you want to reduce the spiciness further.
Of course, you can. However, basmati rice is preferred over other varieties for its fragrance and long-grain texture. Ensure you use the correct ratio of rice to water.
The usual Indian rice varieties, such as sona masoori and ponni, typically need an extra half or 1 cup of water, depending on the age of the rice. Brown rice takes a little longer to cook and requires a couple more cups water.
More Pulao Recipes
Matar Pulao: One-pot rice dish flavoured with green peas and spices.
Vegetable Pulao: One-pot aromatic dish made of rice, vegetables, essential whole spices and herbs.
Mint Pulao: Vegan rice flavoured with fresh mint and spices.
Tomato Pulao: South Indian recipe made with tomato, coconut, herbs and spice-based ground masala
Methi Pulao: Nutritious rice dish made with fenugreek leaves and a few basic spices.
Kashmiri Pulao: Delicious and aromatic rice dish from Kashmiri cuisine made with fruits and nuts.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you make this delicious instant pot mushroom pulao. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
📖 Recipe Card
Mushroom Pulao
Equipment
- 1 instant pot (I use Duo 7 in 1, 5 Quart)
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 1.5 Tablespoons Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ½ inch Cassia
- 4 Cloves
- 3 Green Cardamom
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 10 Cashews each split into 2 halves
- 6 Green Chillies each slit lengthwise
- 1 Large Onion sliced
- ½ Teaspoon Fresh Ginger minced
- ½ Teaspoon Fresh Garlic minced
- 300 gms Button Mushrooms washed and each cut into 4 pieces
- 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
- Salt as required
- 3 Cups (or) 670 gms Extra Long Grain Basmati Rice
- 3 Cups Water
- 1.5 Cups (or) 400ml Reduced Fat Coconut Milk
- Handful Fresh Coriander Leaves chopped
Instructions
- Place 2 cups basmati rice in a deep-bottomed bowl and wash it under cold tap water 2-3 times, or until the water becomes clear.3 Cups (or) 670 gms Extra Long Grain Basmati Rice
- Add fresh water and soak the rice for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, gather the chopped mushrooms and the rest of the ingredients on the kitchen platform.
- Plug in an instant pot pressure cooker, turn the sauté mode ON and add oil.1.5 Tablespoons Oil
- When the oil is hot, add the cumin, bay leaves, cassia, cloves, green cardamom and fry briefly until the spices become aromatic.1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds, ½ inch Cassia, 4 Cloves, 3 Green Cardamom, 1 Bay Leaf
- Now, add cashews and fry until they turn light brown.10 Cashews
- Next, stir in green chillies and then add onion and sauté until the onion turns translucent.6 Green Chillies, 1 Large Onion
- Now add the minced ginger and garlic, and sauté for a minute.½ Teaspoon Fresh Ginger, ½ Teaspoon Fresh Garlic
- Stir in mushrooms, salt and garam masala and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir regularly to prevent the mushrooms and onion from sticking to the base of the pot.300 gms Button Mushrooms, Salt, 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
- While the mushrooms are cooking, drain water from the soaked rice.
- Now press the CANCEL button.
- Add the soaked rice, coconut milk, water, coriander leaves and gently stir. Check the taste and add more salt if necessary.3 Cups Water, 1.5 Cups (or) 400ml Reduced Fat Coconut Milk, Handful Fresh Coriander Leaves
- Secure the pot with the lid and move the pressure valve to the SEALING position.
- Press the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL button and set the timer for 4 minutes.
- Initially, the instant pot shows ON and the timer begins when the pressure is built up.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes after the timer goes off.
- After 10 minutes, move the pressure valve to VENT and wait until all the pressure is released and the small knob beside the pressure valve goes down.
- Open the pot, give it a 5-minute wait, and then fluff the rice with a fork.
- Enjoy scrumptious instant pot mushroom rice with cucumber raita, jeera aloo or any side dish of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Related
Looking for other rice recipes like this? Try these:
More Instant Pot Recipes

Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey. Read more
Leave a Reply