Mushroom masala

Mushroom masala is a delicious Indian style mushroom curry that is full of flavors. This creamy curry is made by cooking mushrooms in a smooth onion tomato gravy flavored with Indian spices and balanced with cream.

If delicious Indian curries tempt you and you are a mushroom lover too then today's easy mushroom masala recipe is just for you.

It's also one of my favorite vegetarian curries because it's very easy to make, tastes delicious, always turns out great, and is loved by everyone.

This creamy mushroom curry is made by cooking mushrooms in a smooth onion tomato base which is flavored with warm Indian spices and their heat is balanced with cream.

What goes in mushroom masala?

To make this creamy dhaba style mushroom curry or mushroom ki sabzi you will need the following ingredients:

1. Mushrooms: Use white button mushrooms. They are the best for most Indian mushroom recipes. If that's not available cremini is the second-best option.
2. Onion: Preferably red onion.
3. Tomato: Take a large red juicy tomato.
4. Garlic
5. Ginger
6. Green chili peppers
7. Fresh cilantro
8. Cream
9. Powdered spices and seasoning: Salt, coriander powder, garam masala, kasoori methi, red chili powder, turmeric powder.
10. Whole spices: Bay leaf, cumin seeds, black cardamom, green cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves. It's fine if you don't have 1-2 of these spices, use whichever Indian spice you have. However, if you like Indian food and planning to cook it often, I would suggest keeping these spices in your pantry. These spices not only make your food more flavorful but are good for your health too.
11. Cooking oil: Use any cooking oil with a neutral flavor. Non-vegans may also use ghee.
12. Water

How to make a vegan version of this dish?

To make a vegan version of this mushroom masala, either use a vegan cream or just soak around ⅓ cup of cashew nuts in warm water for around 10-15 minutes and then grind with some water to make a smooth paste. Use this cashew paste instead of cream to make vegan mushroom curry.

Can cream be skipped?

Though cream helps in balancing the heat of mushroom masala curry and gives it a smooth creamy texture, if you don't like cream and prefer a spicier mushroom curry, just skip adding the cream. It will become a delicious spicy mushroom curry.

Serving suggestions

Serve mushroom masala with any Indian bread like roti, naan, or paratha.

It can also be enjoyed with a rice dish like jeera rice, pulao, or plain steamed basmati rice.

Can it be made in advance?

Yes, you can make mushroom masala in advance and store in the fridge. It will be fine for around 2-3 days. In fact, the flavors become stronger the next day.

Another way to save you some time on the day you are actually planning to eat it is by making the onion tomato masala in advance.

To do that follow the recipe steps till you fry onion tomato paste with powdered spices. After that, allow the paste to cool down then store in an air-tight container and put in the fridge. Don't add water to it, It will be fine for around 3 days in the fridge. You can also add some vinegar or extra oil to increase the shelf life of this paste.

When you want to enjoy mushroom masala, just heat the paste in a pan, add chopped mushrooms and follow the remaining steps of the recipe. And, in just 10 minutes your dish will be ready.

You can also use this onion tomato paste to make other similar dishes by replacing mushrooms with paneer, potatoes, cauliflower, or any other vegetable of your choice.

Freezing suggestions

This mushroom curry freezes well. To freeze put it in batch size freezer-safe containers and keep in the freezer. It will be fine for 3-4 months

Recipe tips & tricks

1. Use button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms to make this recipe.
2. To make vegan mushroom masala, use vegan cream or cashew nut paste instead of cream.
3. Full cream milk can also be used instead of cream but it will make the gravy thinner.
4. If you don't like whole spices in your gravy, tie them in a small clean muslin cloth before adding to the oil. Once the dish is ready remove the spices tied in the muslin cloth. The spices will leave flavor in the curry but you won't get bothered by the spice pieces in your mouth.
5. Don't skip kasoori methi and garam masala in this Indian mushroom masala curry. These two spices give this curry a very nice and unique flavor for which it's loved by so many people.
6. This dish is made slightly thicker so don't add a lot of water to it.

Step by step photo instructions

More easy Indian mushroom recipes

If you like mushrooms and want to enjoy it in Indian style then don't miss to check the following easy Indian mushroom recipes:

1. Matar mushroom
2. Kerala style pepper mushrooms

More vegan/ vegetarian mushroom recipes from around the world

And, if you want to try different mushroom recipes from around the world then the following recipes are worth checking:

1. Stir fried tofu with bean sprouts and mushrooms
2. Garlic butter mushrooms
3. Vegan mushroom soup
4. Mushroom rice
5. Easy mushroom noodles
6. Thai stir fried mushrooms
7. Mushroom tom yum soup

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Recipe

Mushroom masala

Mushroom masala is a delicious Indian style mushroom curry that is full of flavors. This creamy curry is made by cooking mushrooms in a smooth onion tomato gravy flavored with Indian spices and balanced with cream.

5 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, North Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 386kcal

Author: Vandana Chauhan

Equipment

• Food processor/ grinder
• Pot

Ingredients

• 250 grams button mushrooms chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 large red onion roughly chopped
• 1 large tomato roughly chopped
• 2-3 large garlic cloves roughly chopped
• 1 inch ginger piece roughly chopped
• 1-2 green chili peppers roughly chopped
• ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
• ¼ cup cream dairy/ cashew/ coconut cream
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 green cardamoms
• 1 black cardamom
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 black pepper corns
• 2 cloves
• ½ tablespoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon kasoori methi
• Salt as per taste
• 1 tablespoon any cooking oil with neutral flavor

Instructions

• Heat around ½ tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook until the onion starts turning brown.
• Add chopped tomato, green chilies, and some salt. Cover the pan and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy. Switch off the gas and allow the mixture to reach room temperature.
• Put the cooked onion tomato mix in a grinder or food processor and make a smooth paste.
• Heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, pepper, cloves, green, and black cardamom. Saute for a few seconds or until the spices become fragrant.
• Add onion tomato paste, remaining salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and red chili powder. Mix and cook for 5-6 minutes.
• Add mushrooms, mix, and cover the pan. Cook until the mushrooms get nicely cooked. If you feel the gravy is too thick add some water to get the desired consistency and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Next, add cream while stirring continuously.
• Finally, add kasoori methi and garam masala. Mix everything and cook for a minute and then switch off the gas.
• Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti, naan, or rice.

Notes

1. Adding cream is optional and you can skip it.
2. Vegans may also add cashew cream/ coconut cream.
3. You can make similar recipes with paneer, tofu, potato, and cauliflower too.
4. Button mushrooms are the best for this mushroom masala recipe but you can add cremini mushrooms too.
5. When adding cream either switch off the gas or keep the flame at minimum level. Also, stir continuously for at least after adding the cream otherwise it may curdle.
6. More detailed recipe tips and tricks are given in the post above.

Nutrition

Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 1540mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 2491IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 5mg

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