A delicious Indian curry with mushrooms and simple spices
A Mushroom Masala Curry that's simple, delicious, and will leave you licking your fingers. Serve with some coconut rice for a healthy and tasty meal. A vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free recipe.
I return home from India each time with my tummy full and my head bursting with ideas for what to make next. Not cooking for three weeks can be refreshing and freeing, no doubt, but as someone who enjoys cooking, it is a great feeling to be back in my kitchen, slapping the saucepan on the stove, chopping vegetables, soaking beans and stirring the pot.
One of the food memories that stuck with me this time was my aunt Vilas Maushi's mushroom curry. Vilas Maushi is an extraordinary cook, and an adventurous one, and she decided that since I wouldn't eat meat or fish -- a staple in her Goan home -- I must have some mushrooms. Because mushrooms are one of my favorite veggies, I was more than happy.
I have a few versions of mushroom curries on the blog, including Chettinad Mushroom Masala, Railway Mushroom Curry and my favorite, My Dad's Not-Mutton Mushroom Curry, among many others. But this curry made by Vilas Maushi was different. For one, it used tamarind, which I had never before thought of adding to a mushroom curry. For another, it was incredibly simple.
I asked her for the recipe and this is how she described it, in a manner that any cook of her generation in India would do: Use button mushrooms. You just need to fry some onions, then add ginger and garlic, and some garam masala. Let it simmer away with some tamarind. And don't forget to chop the mushrooms fine.
With those precious words firmly lodged in my brain, I set out this week to recreate Vilas Maushi's delicious mushroom curry.
The result was really good. The curry was flavorful and full-bodied, and the tamarind added a slight tang and complexity without overwhelming the curry. I added some coconut milk -- a very small amount -- because I wanted some sweetness to round out the flavors and it worked really well.
I'll leave you now with this delicious recipe. I served it with some coconut rice and I'll share that with you soon, but this recipe would work really great too. Some of you requested my sauerkraut recipe after my last post and I will start a new batch next week so I can share it with you. Happy Friday, and here's to a great weekend, everyone!
Looking for more vegan curries?
Mushroom Masala Curry
Masala Mushroom Curry
Ingredients
- 12 oz button mushrooms (or crimini mushrooms, finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil (any vegetable oil is fine)
- 2 shallots (finely chopped-- can use onions instead)
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ inch piece ginger
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 small jalapeno ( or other hot pepper, seeded and chopped. Adjust the amount of heat to your liking by using more or less)
- 2 tablespoon cilantro
- ½ teaspoon tamarind paste
- 2 tablespoon coconut milk
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the ginger, garlic and chili pepper in a mortar and pestle and crush into a coarse paste. You can also do this in a food processor.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the shallots. Add some salt to draw out the moisture and saute until the onions turn golden-brown.
- Add the coriander leaves and ginger-garlic-pepper paste and saute for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Then add the turmeric and garam masala along with the tamarind and the mushrooms. Add a cup of water (vegetable stock, if you have it, is even better) and let the curry come to a boil.
- Place a lid on the saucepan and let the mushrooms simmer away for 10 minutes. If the curry looks dry, add more water or vegetable stock.
- Add the coconut milk, add more salt if needed, and turn off the heat. Serve hot with rice.
Mary
O.k...... This looks delicious! ?
I’m going to go get what I need and make it tonight ,
Thank you and thanks to Auntie Vilas ?
Ruth Eisenbud
Even though I am not a fan of mushrooms, I will try this recipe with the hope that the right spice combination will blend with & conceal their moldy flavor.