An Instant Pot Mushroom Potato Korma that is ready from scratch in under 20 minutes, and is perfect to scoop up with naan or roti, or ladle onto rice. I use a blend of fresh and dry mushrooms here for most flavor and texture. You can make this on the stovetop too -- instructions included. Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free recipe.
I guess if it's a recipe made in the Instant Pot, I don't really need to say it's an "instant" one, but honestly, a recipe that takes under 20 minutes from scratch for all that deliciousness? It deserves to scream "INSTANT," in all caps.
I gifted myself an Instant Pot this past week, not because there's a dearth of pressure cookers in my house -- there isn't -- but because my slow cooker, which I've used for nearly a decade and a half now, is pretty much on its last legs. It's one of those older models, with just a knob that sets to "high" or "low," nothing fancy, and ever since that knob fell out a couple of years ago, it's been pretty much stuck at "high." But I hate throwing things out when I can still get some use from them, so I stuck with it until Desi finally begged me to replace it.
Since the Instant Pot can both slow-cook and pressure-cook, among several other functions, it looked like a good option. Besides, does anyone not have an Instant Pot these days? I've been getting tons of requests for Instant Pot recipes, and since so much Indian food gets cooked in a pressure cooker, I knew this was one appliance that would not be gathering dust.
I started out with this simple recipe that requires hardly any prep because I've been a little swamped. Work has been crazy as usual, and we're also getting some long-needed work done on the house, which means there have been workmen traipsing in and out of the kitchen, making it impossible to cook. Half of my things are covered up by plastic sheets, or, right when I need to get something from the refrigerator, someone's put a ladder right in front of it and is poking into the wall above it.
Same with the photos, because Desi had to move from his usual location to a less desirable one with not-so-ideal light.
Long story short, it was something of a small miracle that I got this Mushroom Potato Korma done, and the Instant Pot certainly made the job easier.
A korma, if you've never made it before, is a silky, creamy Indian stew with vegetables or meat in it. Some kormas are made with coconut milk, others with nuts. The result is almost always mindblowing and delicious.
This korma is certainly all that. I used a mix of fresh crimini and dry shiitake mushrooms, but you can use wild mushrooms like chanterelles or oysters too. Button mushrooms are fine. What I loved about the Instant Pot was that it cooked up the fresh mushrooms really beautifully, without making them too soggy, while retaining the wonderfully chewy texture of the dry mushrooms.
If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can certainly make this korma on the stovetop, although your cooking time will be longer, because you need to get the potatoes tenderized. And if you want a nut-free version, use a cup of coconut milk instead of the cashews.
Hope you try!
***
Looking for more vegan mushroom recipes?
Vegan Mushroom Stew, 30-minute recipe
Mushroom Biryani
Mushroom Matar, mushrooms and peas in a creamy sauce
Railway Mushroom Curry
Mushroom and Wild Rice Bisque
Malaysian Mushroom Korma
***
Instant Pot Mushroom Potato Korma
Vegan | Gluten-free | Soy-free
Instant Pot Mushroom and Potato Korma
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- ¼ cup fried onions (I use a supermarket brand, like French's, for convenience, but you can also make your own by deep-frying onions)
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms (wild mushroom varieties like chanterelle or oysters are great here too. Steep the mushrooms in two cups of water for 30 minutes. Mine were pre-sliced, but if you need to, slice them. Save the stock.)
- 8 oz crimini mushrooms (or button mushrooms, quartered)
- 4 medium potatoes (cubed)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon garam masala * Use storebought, if you'd rather, or check the recipe notes for a link to my homemade DIY garam masala recipe.
- Salt to taste
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (coriander leaves, optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Place the cashews, poppy seeds, fried onions and sesame seeds in a blender with ½ cup of water and blend into a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Place the steel insert in your Instant Pot and add 2 tablespoon of water. Set the Instant Pot to saute, and add the ginger and garlic.
- Saute for 2 minutes or until the water has dried up. Add the potatoes, all the mushrooms along with the stock from soaking the dry mushrooms, ground black pepper, cayenne, if using, turmeric, garam masala, and salt to taste.
- Add the cashew paste. Give it all a good stir.
- Click on the Instant Pot lid and set the Instant Pot to high pressure for five minutes.
- After cooking has ended and the pressure has released, open and squeeze in the lemon juice and add cilantro, if using. Check for salt and add more if needed. Serve hot.
Recipe notes
- Check out my homemade garam masala recipe here.
- If making this recipe without an Instant Pot, follow all the steps as directed, but add the potatoes with some water before you add the mushrooms. Let the potatoes cook to tenderness, and then add the mushrooms and proceed with the recipe. After the stew comes to a boil, lower heat and let it cook for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- For a nut-free version, use a cup of coconut milk instead of cashews and blend with the sesame and poppy seeds as directed.
- Serve hot with roti or paratha or naan, or with white or brown rice.
Nutrition
Toni
I'm trying to eat low or no fat. Do you think sautéed onions in veggie broth would work as a substitute for the fried onions?
Vaishali
Yes, absolutely!
Toni
Thanks!
Valerie
Thanks to you, I've just ordered a hot pot and am looking forward to trying your hot pot recipes. They need to give you a commission on their sales.
Vaishali
Haha, thanks for the thought Valerie. I just posted an Instant Pot recipe. I think you'll grow to love it as much as I have.
Jenny
Vaishali, I couldn't wait to get home and get this recipe started. I just opened the Instant Pot and it smells like heaven around here.
Anonymous
what a lovely coincidence Vaishali. I'm dealing with a stress fracture in my right foot and with the heavy boot on; standing in front of the stove is turning to be a nightmare. So exactly 4 days ago; we decided we needed instant pot to help ease my life a bit and I purchased Instant Pot 6 quart 7-in-1 pressure cooker. So far, I've tried cooking black beans, pilaf, oatmeal, hakka noodles and cabbage fry. I love it . It definitely needs some getting used to; but I love the fact that I don't have to babysit the dishes being cooked and cleaning has been a breeze.
Can you please post more recipes using Instant pot?
Thanks,
Meena.
Vaishali
Meera, so sorry to hear that- and hope you get better soon. I think that's exactly the IP model I have. And yes, it's certainly making life easier. I will definitely post many more recipes using the Instant Pot, stay tuned.
Rosario
Do you release the pressure or let it come down naturally
Vaishali
You can do either. If forcing a release, wait 10 minutes after cooking has ended.
Deborah
Where are the potatoes added in the recipe?
Vaishali
Deborah, four medium potatoes, cubed. Step 3. Thanks!
Krithika
Yay instant pot recipes! I gave into the craze and got one a couple of months ago. I'll admit that I haven't used it quite as much as I thought, mostly because I'm still not entirely comfortable with it. I look forward to other instant pot recipes you come up with! Would love some pasta recipes and one pot meal recipes!
Vaishali
Krithika, yes, absolutely. Stay tuned!