Name: Mushroom Masala (Mushroom Curry)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 cups sliced white button mushrooms; 1/4 cup cooking oil; 1 1/2 cup sliced onions (divided into 1/2 and 1 cups); 1 tbsp chopped ginger; 4 cloves garlic (chopped); 1 small red tomato (chopped); 1 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp red chilli powder or paprika; 1/4 cup cashews; salt (to taste)

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Mushroom masala is a delicious addition to your collection of Indian vegetarian (and vegan) curries. If you like mushrooms, you will absolutely love this Indian curry made with white button mushrooms, onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, cashews and just two common spices.

Confession: I was indifferent to mushrooms for the longest time and never imagined that I would actually make them and write about them. But something happened along the way (don't ask me what 'cause I don't know) and I actually started liking them. Sort of an acquired taste, just like olives. I spent half my life hating them, then, very reluctantly tried a few dishes featuring them, and now we're best buds! How tastes change.

Have you ever experienced this with any food? Do tell in the comments below:)

If you like cooking with mushrooms, then do try mushroom pulao, mushroom soup. And if you are not averse to meat, this chicken curry with mushrooms. These are pretty fool-proof recipes that never fail to satisfy. The mushroom soup, particularly, has an interesting Indian twist, that makes it a little different from the gazillion other mushroom soup recipes on the web.

I made these recipes (including this one) in the Instant Pot Duo which is quickly becoming an indispensable piece of equipment in my kitchen. I love it for the convenience it offers. It's easy to use and clean, and once you close the lid and set it to pressure cook, you can pretty much forget about it. If cooking curries in the instant pot is your thing too, do look up 21 Instant Pot Curries.

Anyway, to get back to this mushroom curry...the secret to its deliciousness lies in the gravy. This one's thick and rich and tomato-ey and wraps itself lovingly around those mushrooms. Scoop up some gravy infused mushroom with a piece of naan or spoon some over rice, and you'll not want anything else.

Hangry for some, yet? Let's dive right into the ingredients for making mushroom masala.

Ingredients

White button mushrooms - 2 cups, sliced
Onions - sliced, ½ cup + 1 cup
Ginger - 1 tbsp, chopped
Garlic - 4 cloves, chopped
Tomatoes - 1 small, chopped
Cashews - ¼ cup
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Cooking oil - ¼ cup
Sea salt - to taste

Note: The red chilli powder I use in almost all my recipes is called Kashmiri red chilli. It's not as hot as your regular red chilli and it's a naturally deeper red than other varieties of chilli powder. I like to use it both for its mild taste and good looks! Of course, if you don't have it or don't want to buy it, you can use the variety of red chilli you have at hand. Just use a little less if you don't like heat.

Instant Pot Instructions

Preparation

1. Put the 1 cup onions, ginger, garlic and tomato in a blender and whiz to get a smooth puree.

2. Make a paste of the cashews.

Cooking

1. Turn the instant pot to saute and wait for it to display HOT. Add the oil, followed by the ½ cup sliced onions. (picture 1)

2. When the onions start changing color (don't caramelize them completely or your gravy will turn very dark), add the onion puree prepared in step 1 of prep as well as all the powdered spices (turmeric and red chilli powder), and salt. (picture 2)

3. Cook this masala for 5 minutes, adding splashes of water or broth to keep it from sticking to the bottom. If the masala splatters too much, add ½ cup water and cover with a glass lid.

4. Cancel the saute mode. Add the sliced mushrooms, mix well and close the lid. Make sure the steam release handle is sealed and set the pot to pressure cooking (high) for 2 minutes. (picture 3)

5. When the timer beeps, wait 5 minutes, then release pressure. Open the pot, add the cashew paste and cook for 5 minutes more. Serve hot with rice or Indian bread. (picture 4)

Stovetop Instructions

This is such an easy mushroom curry, and it comes together in minutes even on the stovetop.

1. Follow the two prep steps, then heat the oil in a karahi or wok and add ½ cup onions.

2. Saute the onions until they start changing color. Do not brown them completely.

3. Add the onion paste prepared in step 1 of prep as well as the ground spices (turmeric and red chilli powder) and salt. Add ½ cup water or broth, mix well and cover with a lid to avoid splattering. Cook this masala for 5 minutes or so.

4. Add the mushrooms and more water if required and cook for 10 minutes, stirring the mushroom masala gravy a couple of times.

5. Add the cashew paste, mix well and simmer for another 5 minutes. Mushroom masala is ready to be served with fresh Indian bread or rice.

Top Tips

1. If you don't like spice, substitute red chilli powder for paprika or even Kashmiri red chilli. Either of these will add color without the heat.

2. If you want a deeper flavor profile, add vegetable or mushroom broth instead of water to the cooking gravy. The curry will taste really nice. However, do reduce the salt if you're using broth. Usually, it already has quite a bit of salt unless you specifically go for unsalted broth.

3. While washing mushrooms, don't leave them in the water. They absorb water like a sponge and you don't want soggy, water-logged mushrooms! Just rinse them lightly after wiping off the dirt with a damp paper towel. I buy a tray of pre-sliced mushrooms always to avoid having to clean them.

More vegan Indian recipes for you

Bombay Potatoes - Baby potatoes in a simple spice mix and dressed with lemon juice, cilantro and green chillies.
Bagara Baingan - Eggplant curry with tamarind, coconut, sesame, and peanuts.
Vegetable Pulao - Fragrant and fluffy rice with loads of veggies. A one-pot weeknight recipe.
Bhindi Sabzi - A 5-ingredient okra stir fry that's a fresh, vibrant green in color.
Aloo Curry - Potatoes in gravy that taste terrific with puri or bhatura (fried Indian breads).

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