Looking for an indulgent but healthy veg meal? Fitness influencer shares soya and mushroom biryani recipe loaded with protein and fibre

Vanshika Khurana turns biryani healthy with her recipe using soya, mushrooms, and brown rice; read for the step-by-step guide to make the dish at home.

The debate over the existence of veg biryani can rage on forever, but when the craving strikes, fitness influencer Vanshika Khurana’s soya and mushroom biryani is the dish to make at home. The recipe is loaded with protein and fibre, and apparently has just 470 calories, using brown basmati rice.

The ingredients listed below are sufficient for two servings. The detailed steps to make the dish are presented as follows.

Ingredients for soya and mushroom biryani

For the marinade

• 60g soya chunks
• 15–18 mushrooms, sliced
• 300g Skyr
• ¾ of the air-fried onions
• Chopped coriander and mint
• 1½ tbsp biryani masala
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi
• Red chilli powder, as per taste
• Salt, to taste
• Green chilli-garlic paste
• Lemon juice, to taste
• 1 tbsp jaggery powder

For the rice

• 85g brown basmati rice (raw)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3–4 black peppercorns
• 1 tsp ghee
• A pinch of salt

For layering

• 90% cooked brown basmati rice
• ¼ of the air-fried onions
• Fresh mint
• 30–35ml toned milk mixed with saffron

Method of preparation

1. First, boil the soya chunks, squeeze out all the excess water and keep them aside.
2. Next, thinly slice two medium onions and air-fry at 180°C with a light spray of oil until brown and crisp.
3. Time to prepare the marinade. Make the marinade by mixing the soya chunks, mushrooms, Skyr, three-quarters of the air-fried onions, chopped coriander and mint, biryani masala, kasuri methi, red chilli powder, salt, green chilli-garlic paste, lemon juice and jaggery powder. Mix well and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Cook the brown basmati rice with cinnamon, black peppercorns, one teaspoon of ghee and a pinch of salt until the rice is 90 percent cooked. Drain the water and keep the rice aside.
5. Heat one teaspoon of ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds. Let them sizzle, then add the entire marinated soya-mushroom mixture. Cook on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Layer the 90 percent cooked rice over the soya-mushroom mixture. Top with the remaining quarter of air-fried onions, fresh mint and saffron-infused milk.
7. Cover and cook on low heat for another six to seven minutes, allowing the rice to finish cooking and the flavours to infuse.
8. Serve hot and enjoy.

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