Mushroom Makhani, or Mushroom Butter Masala, is a buttery dish of chunky mushrooms and green bell peppers in a perfectly spiced, velvet-textured makhani curry. Serve it with roti, vegan naan, paratha or basmati rice for a delicious Indian meal.
It was in 2009 that I first created -- and shared with you on this blog -- a recipe for a makhani dish made with mushrooms instead of meat or paneer. I'd already created vegan versions of popular Indian restaurant makhani recipes like butter chicken and paneer makhani (this vegan butter chicken and tofu makhani) but I was eager to experiment with mushrooms because they seemed a perfect fit with the signature orange makhani gravy, especially for those who were trying to avoid soy.
The mushroom makhani was just as amazing as I had imagined, and a delicious new dish was born. More, it tasted way better than any makhani you could buy at a restaurant, and it was easy.
I wanted to pull that recipe back to the front for those of you who, like me, love mushrooms and the amazing qualities they bring to any food they are added to: amazing flavor and umami, tons of texture, and a fantastic nutritional profile. I've updated this recipe with new photos and text and added a recipe card because the recipe was so old, it actually didn't have one! The recipe itself, however, is so good I have left it mostly untouched except for some small tweaks to the method. I hope you will love it!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- Big on flavor. Everyone loves makhani or butter-based dishes (like this vegan paneer butter masala) because they are creamy, buttery and incredibly aromatic, thanks to the butter, spices and kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves). You don't have to miss any of that in this dairy-free, meatless and easy mushroom makhani recipe. Try it and you'll agree it's an improvement over any makhani with animal products in it.
- Easy. This is an easy recipe to pull together and all you will need is under 45 minutes to prep and cook it, making it perfect even for a weeknight dinner.
- Versatile. You can serve this mushroom makhani to guests or for a special or just everyday but delicious family dinner. Everyone is sure to love it, and if you have kids who hate mushrooms, who knows, maybe they will grow to love them.
- Vegan, soy-free, gluten-free and can be nut-free. See ingredients list below for how to make this recipe nut-free.
Ingredients
- Curry base: onions, tomatoes and ginger garlic paste. You can use canned tomato puree, if that's what you have. Use 1 cup to replace two large tomatoes. If you don't have ginger garlic paste, add 3-4 garlic cloves and a 1-inch piece of ginger to the blender.
- Vegan butter. This adds a buttery flavor. You can also use any neutral-flavored oil, including avocado oil, grapes seed oil, refined coconut oil or sunflower oil.
- Spices: ground coriander, ground cumin, paprika or cayenne (or both) and garam masala powder.
- Herbs: kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) for garnish.
- Sugar. Just a tiny bit, to balance out the flavors in the mushroom makhani.
- Raw cashews. These are for a vegan cream. You can also use pistachios. If nut-free, use pumpkin seeds. I know lots of people love adding coconut milk instead of nut cream but please don't do that in a makhani because you will change the flavor significantly. It might still taste good, but it won't be a makhani.
How to make mushroom makhani
Place tomatoes, onions and ginger garlic paste in blender. Blend into a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a wok or skillet. Add the tomato onion sauce and mix.
Add paprika/cayenne, ground coriander powder, ground cumin and kasuri methi to the wok.
Stir them in along with ½ cup water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
When the sauce is cooked, you should see the oil separate and float to the top.
Add mushrooms and bell peppers to the sauce.
Stir them in and continue to cook 5-10 minutes or until the veggies are as tender as you want them. I like to stop when they are slightly tender but still have a good bite. You can cook them longer, if that's your preference.
Stir in garam masala and sugar.
Blend cashews with ½ cup water. Stir it into the sauce.
Mix well and let the curry come back to a boil. Check salt and add more if needed. Turn off heat. Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Helpful tips
- Cut the mushrooms and bell peppers in large chunks. Halve or quarter the mushrooms depending on their size, and cut bell peppers in 1-inch cubes.
- Stop cooking when the veggies still have a bite to them. This adds a lot of wonderful texture and mushrooms and bell peppers taste way better when they are not overcooked.
- Make sure the sauce is thoroughly cooked before adding the veggies. See photo above -- specks of oil should float to the top of the sauce to indicate it is done. This ensures there is no raw smell or taste.
- There's just a tiny bit of sugar in this recipe but it, along with the kasuri methi and spices, adds complex notes into this mushroom makhani recipe. Don't skip it. You can substitute it with maple syrup.
Serving suggestions
- Serve the mushroom butter masala with roti, paratha or vegan naan, or with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice.
- Serve with a potato side, like Bombay Potatoes or this Indian-style vegan potato salad with turmeric and green peas.
- You can also serve a vegan raita with the mushroom makhani.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate the mushroom butter masala in an airtight container for up to four days.
- Freeze: Freeze curry in a freezer-safe container for up to four months.
- Reheat: Thaw and reheat in a pan on the stovetop. Or use a microwave-safe container to heat in the microwave. Add water if necessary and check for salt.
More Indian-style mushroom recipes
Love this mushroom makhani recipe? Check out more curry recipes on Holy Cow Vegan!
Mushroom Makhani (Mushroom Butter Masala)
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion (roughly chopped)
- 2 large tomatoes (roughly chopped)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter (can substitute avocado oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil and refined coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (or paprika or Kashmiri chilli powder. You can use 1 teaspoon paprika in addition to the cayenne for a spicy sauce with a richer color. Or skip the cayenne altogether if sensitive to heat and use only the paprika).
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves. Crush the leaves between the palms of your hands before adding them to the wok).
- 2 medium green bell peppers (cut in a 1-inch dice)
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms (halve smaller mushrooms and cut larger ones into quarters. You can also use button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms or any wild mushrooms, or a combination.)
- 2 tablespoons raw cashews (use pumpkin seeds if nut-free)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Place tomatoes, onions and ginger garlic paste in blender. Blend into a smooth paste.
- Heat oil in a wok or skillet. Add the blended tomato onion sauce and mix.
- Add paprika/cayenne, ground coriander, ground cumin and kasuri methi to the wok. Stir them in along with ½ cup water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. When the sauce is cooked, you should see the oil separate and float to the top.
- Add mushrooms and bell peppers to the sauce. Stir them in and continue to cook 5-10 minutes or until the veggies are as tender as you want them to be. I like to stop when they are slightly tender but still have a good bite. You can cook them longer, if that's your preference.
- Stir in garam masala and sugar.
- Blend cashews with ½ cup water. Stir the cashew cream into the sauce. The cream will be a bit thin, but that's okay, it will thicken up as it heats.
- Let the curry come back to a boil. Check salt and add more if needed. Turn off heat. Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Recipe notes
- Cut the mushrooms and bell peppers in large chunks. Halve or quarter the mushrooms depending on their size, and cut bell peppers in 1-inch cubes.
- Stop cooking when the veggies still have a bite to them. This adds a lot of wonderful texture and mushrooms and bell peppers taste way better when they are not overcooked.
- Make sure the sauce is thoroughly cooked before adding the veggies. See photo above -- specks of oil should float to the top of the sauce to indicate it is done.
- There's just a tiny bit of sugar in this recipe but it, along with the kasuri methi and spices, adds complex notes into this mushroom makhani recipe. Don't skip it. You can substitute it with maple syrup.
- Serve the mushroom butter masala with roti, paratha or vegan naan, or with steamed basmati rice.
- Serve with a potato side, like Bombay Potatoes or this Indian-style vegan potato salad with turmeric and green peas.
- You can also serve a vegan raita with the mushroom makhani.
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate the mushroom butter masala in an airtight container for up to four days.
- Freeze: Freeze curry in a freezer-safe container for up to four months.
- Reheat: Thaw and reheat in a pan on the stovetop. Or use a microwave-safe container to heat in the microwave. Add water if necessary and check for salt.
Anonymous
I was making this dish, exactly following the recipe, but I believe you might have some of the steps listed backwards. You say to add the mushrooms and green pepper before adding the tomato puree. The problem with this is that then the tomato puree would never be able to leave the oil because the veg. have already expressed so much water by that time. That was my experience, anyways. Could you please double check if the recipe steps are listed in correct order? Other than that, the recipe idea was fabulous and had rave reviews from the family.
Veg-In-Training
I must make this! It sounds so incredible.
Mihl
Your recipes always look so amazing! You should write a cookbook.
Sushma Mallya
Looks rich and delicious...loved with mushrooms too
radha
Yummi! since we got a nut pastes maker (a juicer with this function) at home now, i m starting to try all of them and use in the recipes,so your blog will be the perfect guide for it~
Skay
mushrooms! wonderful idea, vaishali, i absolutely need to try this one.
Soma
This is making my tongue go drip drip drip. I rarely use butter when I do any kinda makhani & it still tastes awesome. Mushroom I will make for me next time. cashews (or almonds which i usually use) sound way better than cream.
Tiffany C.
I love the idea of using a nut paste instead of cream! The recipe sounds great--I'll certainly have to try this sometime.
Arundhuti S. Rama
Lovely clicks Vaishali! and great recipe too!
Shri
It looks delicious, Vaishali!Dal Makhani is one of my absolute favs..
Curry Leaf
I knew about cashew paste as a cream sub but never tried pine or pistas.Its a great idea Vaishali.Love the Makhni
Sharmila
It is lunchtime now .. no lunch at hand ... and this snap and recipe of yours here ... feel like tearing off a peice of hot naan and dipping in. 🙂
Wonderful recipe Vaishali! 🙂
zengirl
Vaishali,
I never got used to Mushrooms, but this sure looks yummy. Maybe I should get out of my comfort zone and try it one of these days.
How do you come up with such a great recipes?
Jaya Wagle
The mushroon Makhani sounds good right now, Vaishali since I ate a veggie burger for dinner. 🙂
I grind roasted, crushed peanuts with my onions for a creamier gravy and use the cashews for special occasions.
Love your garam masala spice combo. Have been using Sanjeev Kapoor brand for almost a year now and it is pretty good. But I think I'll make some of yours as well for those special occasions.
Uj
Looks yummy..I too use cashew paste instead of cream as I am not very fond of cream..Looks delicious.. wish I had phulka's to go with it right now
Pavani
I love nut pastes in dishes too. Your vegan "makhani" looks very delicious.
Preeti Kashyap
wow! Great recipe. Shd try it soon
Priya
Wow mushroom makhani really sounds yummyilicious..
Cham
Mush is a great subst to meat. I imagine eating this luxurious dish without guilt 🙂
The Voracious Vegan
I make dahl makhani all the time and it is one of my favorite dishes. I can't wait to try your version, I bet mushrooms will be just delicious prepared like this. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!