Mushroom Masala

Mushroom masala is a flavorful and aromatic indian mushroom recipe made with mushrooms and spices in a rich & thick gravy. This mushroom curry combines the earthy flavors of mushrooms with browned onions, yogurt and a fragrant blend of spices. Easily made vegan and perfect for vegetarian lovers and meatless monday dinners!

My little one and I are huge mushroom lovers, and we enjoy eating them in any form. This dish has become my husband's favorite too, and though it might take some persuasion, I might just convert our older one as well.

I make it punjabi style, that's how I grew up eating it, finishing it off with a generous amount of garam masala and kasoori methi. This incredibly flavorful mushroom curry paired with indian flatbreads is a weekly affair in our home. Its rich flavor and versatility make it a delightful choice especially if you are entertaining guests with a preference for vegetarian food. This aloo paneer curry is another vegetarian curry that we love.

I love serving mushroom masala with flaky parathas or rotis, and it also complements rice dishes like pulao perfectly. To add some crunch, I usually prepare a fresh Indian salad, kachumber, as a side. For special occasions, I like to make it with ghee, but for our regular weeknight dinners at home, I prefer using oil.

About Mushroom Masala Curry

There are many ways to make mushroom curries in Indian cuisine. There are homestyle versions made simply in an onion tomato base with aromatic spices. Then there are rich restaurant versions with cream, nut pastes etc.

Growing up, we savored a pressure cooker mushroom curry where white button mushrooms were gently pressure cooked with an onion-tomato masala. On certain days, we enjoyed a dry version using the same masala base.

While the recipe is simple, it does require you to prepare a browned onion and yogurt paste, which, in my opinion, significantly enhances the curry's taste. Browning the onions do take additional 5-7 minutes compared to preparing a regular onion-tomato masala, but the resulting flavor is undoubtedly worth the effort.

My Mushroom Masala Recipe is

• Nut & Cream Free
• Vegetarian friendly
• Gluten Free
• Easily made vegan - use a plant based yogurt for the masala base
• Works with any variety of mushrooms- use baby bella if you like.

Ingredients For Mushroom Masala

• Mushrooms - I like to choose the white button mushrooms for this sauce for their mild taste and how they carry forward the flavor of the spicy masala.
• Whole Spices - Cinnamon, Bay leaf, Cloves, green cardamoms (or you could use black cardamom for a smokier taste)
• Powdered Spices - Coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, lemon juice or amchoor (dry mango powder), kasoori methi
• Mustard Oil - for the true punjabi taste, or any cooking oil you use at home.
• Other Ingredients - sliced onions, tomato puree, ginger & garlic paste yogurt, salt

How To Make Mushroom Masala

Preparing The Mushrooms

Clean Mushrooms - Take a damp kitchen towel or paper towel and gently wipe the mushrooms one by one to remove any dirt on their surface.

If the mushrooms are small, leave them whole. You could keep the stems however if the mushroom stems have any dry or tough ends, trim them with a knife. If the mushrooms are rather large, half them.

You could clean and prepare the mushrooms days ahead and store them in a paper bag or a loosely closed container in the refrigerator. I avoid using plastic bags, as they can trap moisture and lead to spoilage.

Make The Browned Onion Paste

1. Add mustard oil to a cooking pot or kadai (indian wok). Let heat up till you see ripples on the surface.
2. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced onions. For the next 6 to 8 minutes, on medium heat let the onions brown. Don't stir too much else the onions start releasing their water instead of browning.
3. You could use this time to make tomato puree.
4. When the onions are golden brown, using a slotted spoon transfer them to a blender jar. You could save a few for garnishing later.
5. Add yogurt to the blender jar and make a coarse paste. Set aside.

Make The Mushroom Masala Sauce

6. To the remaining oil, add the whole spices. Let crackle for few seconds.
7. Reduce to low flame and introduce the ginger and garlic. Saute for 10-15 seconds taking care not to burn.
8. Add the powdered spices next along with a splash of water. Fry the spices for a minute in oil.

Tip - I save the water in which I boiled the tomatoes and use while making the sauce.

9. Next goes in the tomato puree. Fry the tomatoes and spices together for good 2-4 minutes or until you see bubbles of oil separating on sides.
10. Reduce the flame to low and add the onion yogurt paste we made. Immediately start stirring to avoid yogurt from curdling. Fry for 1-3 minutes to cook out the moisture of yogurt. You will see that the masala is becoming shiny.
11. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle salt. Stir to coat the mushrooms in the masala. We will fry the mushrooms with masala for good 2-3 minutes to get them started. Slowly they will warm up, start absorbing the flavors of the masala and you will notice water of the mushrooms starting to release.
12. Then, add about ½ cup to ¾ cup hot water (add as required).

Tip - Remember that a pound of mushrooms are going to release their moisture as they cook and the sabzi could get pretty watery, add water depending on how you like the consistency.

13. Cover the pot now and let cook for 10-12 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked through.
14. Finish with garam masala, amchoor and kasuri methi. Add chopped cilantro to garnish this delicious curry.

Instant Pot & Pressure Cooker Instructions

On IP saute mode, cook from steps 1-12. Add water, close the lid of the instant pot or pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes in sealed position. Let pressure release naturally for 4-5 minutes. Finish the curry with garam masala, amchoor and kasuri methi. Add chopped cilantro to garnish.

In pressure cooker, cook for 2 whistles on medium flame after you have added the mushrooms. Let pressure release naturally.

Variations

• Add vegetables like green peas, baby corn, or colorful bell peppers (capsicum) to this recipe. You may introduce the vegetables along with the mushrooms or towards the end, decide depending on how long the vegetable you are adding is going to take to cook.
• For high protein vegetarian curry, add cubed paneer towards the last few minutes and let soften. You could shallow fry the paneer if you like.
• Add cashew paste or poppy seeds  paste & a dash of heavy cream to make mushroom masala richer.
• For Vegan Mushroom Masala- Use cashew yogurt or cashew cream instead of regular yogurt. If you would like a coconut flavor to your curry, finish with bit of coconut milk or coconut cream.

Serving Suggestions

• With Indian Flatbreads: Mushroom masala pairs wonderfully as main dish with all sorts of indian flatbreads like naan, roti, or paratha. Add some green chutney and kachumber on the side.
• Serve with steamed basmati rice or pulao.
• As a Side Dish: You could serve mushroom masala as a side dish alongside other main courses in an Indian meal spread.
• Serve with cauliflower rice or quinoa as a low carb meal. 

Recipe Tips

• Use fresh, good quality mushrooms. White button mushrooms are most commonly used however, you can also use other varieties like cremini mushrooms or baby bella mushrooms for added depth of flavor.
• Brown the onions well: Well browned onions really add deep flavors to the masala base. Brown them to golden however keep an eye and don't let them turn black else the masala gets bitter.
• Mushroom masala curry can be made mild or spicy, depending on your preference. Feel free to adjust the amount of red chili powder to suit your taste.