Mushroom Matar, or mushrooms and peas in a creamy onion, tomato and cashew sauce, is a staple of Indian restaurant menus. But this creamy, spicy, saucy dish is just as easy to put together quickly in your own kitchen. Serve it hot with basmati rice or roti. Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free recipe, free of added oils. Can be nut-free.
If you've read this blog before, you probably know of my weakness for saucy mushroom dishes. It's a love that was kindled way back in childhood, when my father would bring wild mushrooms back with him from trips to his birthplace in south India, and my stepmother would cook them in a delicious sauce whose taste is impossible for me to forget.
Not that I want to. In fact, I've since made different versions of saucy mushroom curries and I've loved each one of them, like this velvety mushroom makhani, railway mushroom curry, and an unforgettable mushroom curry based off a mutton curry my dad would cook in my childhood home.
This Mushroom Matar is my latest foray into making a delicious curry to soak up with a roti or even a crusty bread. Rice is great too!
While my mom's Mushroom Curry would have taken hours to make, with the careful grinding of spices and slow cooking that made her recipes so special, my much quicker version takes only 30 minutes, and it's delicious too. Better still it's free of all added oils, with the only fat in this recipe coming from a handful of cashew nuts.
The sauce for this Mushroom Matar is dreamy: it is not just creamy and smooth, it has complex notes from the cayenne, garam masala, onions, and tomatoes. One bite and you'll be begging for more.
More delicious mushroom recipes
Mushroom Matar, Mushrooms and Peas in a Creamy Sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ lb crimini mushrooms, sliced. (If you have wild mushrooms, feel free to use those-- they'll be delicious here)
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (or any red chili powder)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves) Optional, but nice
- ¼ cup cashews (If you want to make this nut-free, use ¼ cup canned coconut milk)
- 1 heaping tsp garam masala
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- Ground black pepper and salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a saucepan and add the onion and garlic to it. Add 2 tablespoon water and saute the onion and garlic over medium heat until the onions soften and start to change color, about five minutes.
- Add the tomatoes along with the coriander powder, cumin powder, cayenne, turmeric and kasoori methi. Stir well, cover, and cook for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are very soft and mushy. Stir in the cashew nuts and turn off the heat.
- Let the onions and tomatoes cool slightly, then add a cup of cold water and use an immersion blender to blend to a smooth consistency or transfer to a blender and blend into a very smooth paste. Use caution. When blending hot liquids, I fill the blender only halfway, remove the blender's center insert and hold a kitchen towel over the top, and then blend. This keeps steam from building up inside the blender which could blow the lid off.
- Rinse the saucepan and place over the stove over medium heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan along with a little salt and pepper. Stir-fry the mushrooms in the dry pan until they begin to caramelize, about three to four minutes. Add the peas and cover until peas are cooked, which should take no more than two to three minutes.
- Add the blended sauce to the pan and give it a good stir. Add the garam masala and check if more salt is needed. Add water if the sauce looks too dry. Stir in the sugar.
- Heat through and once the mixture comes to a boil, turn it off. Garnish with coriander, if you wish, or serve as is.
Grace
Wow! Thanks! Just made this and its amazing. I used tomato sauce and cashew milk to be super lazy and avoid blending, added some leftover diced potatoes, and skipped cayenne since I am a spice wimp. This is first time I have made an Indian inspired dinner that didn’t involve a jar of sauce (cringe, I know!). Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!!!!
Vaishali
Hi Grace, that's so great to hear!
Swetha Subramanian
Hi Vaishali,
This was a great recipe. I have never stir fried mushrooms on a dry pan before. Looking forward to trying the recipe again l with methi leaves and fewer cashews. Do u recommend using fenugreek seeds in this recipe? I didn’t but just curious since I never have methi leaves but always have the seeds on hand.
Regards,
Swetha
Vaishali
Hi Swetha, I prob wouldn't sub fenugreek seeds as they are much more bitter than the leaves.
AP
I was on the hunt for a recipe similar to my favorite dish at an Indian restaurant down the street from my house...all I can say is WOW WOW WOW!!! This is was so good!! I will definitely be trying more of your recipes, thanks so much! I thoroughly enjoyed the heat but I will add, for those that do not, it is a bit spicy. So if you'd prefer less, I'd start with 1/4 tsp cayenne and then go from there depending on what heat level you'd prefer. Thanks again, Vaishali!
Vaishali
AP so great to hear! And yes, spice like salt is a personal preference, so good to adjust to your taste. Thanks for adding that tip.
AKHILESH PANDEY
Please give me nice Indian North Indian style mushroom recipe.
Whatever you are giving it is not up to date and I tried your recipe, it was like a experimental for bachelor like me.
Phoebe
Hi when you say 2 tomatoes is that just two tomatoes or two tins of tomatoes?
Not sure where all the liquid comes from 🙂
Vaishali
You add a cup of water, see step 3. If you want it to be saucier, add more.
Sandhya
I made it and it came out very well. Thanks.
Vaishali
Happy you liked it Sandhya.
Jennifer
Excellent!
Vaishali
Awesome!
fatema
I made this last night and it was delish. However mine was more a beige/Brown colour compared to your red/orange colour. Mine also looked like it had split coz of the blended cashews. Any help in these issues. still tasted great.
Vaishali
Hi Fatema, it could just be the color of the spices you used.
Shanti
I tried this tonight and it was an amazing curry, very balanced with both delicate and spicy flavors.. I added more chilli as I like it spicy but it's a must!! 🙂 Thank you
Vaishali
So happy you tried it!
Joseph Stewart
Excellent. I have to agree that the fenugreek leaves were awesome in this. Very spicy, otherwise my wife loved the flavor (just not the heat). This was my first recipe from your blog and I will definitely be trying others.
Vaishali
So happy your wife and you liked it!
Nicolette Chartier
Hi Vaishali, I will be making this for the upcoming Columbia MD Forks Over Knives meetup on Sunday. I have never tried it but I know it will be a hit. I may also cook up some Brown Basmati rice to complement it. I love indian spices but am new at how to combine them, thanks for the guidance! My favorite sauce is the type that Rushi restaurant (in Kansas) uses to make its Butter Chicken, I hope this sauce is similar. Of course I will not be putting chicken in it.
Vaishali
It is somewhat similar, although for a more butter-chicken-like sauce, try my tofu makhani sauce. https://holycowvegan.net/tofu-makhani/
Kim
Your site is my favorite for vegan recipes 🙂 Made this last night and it was amazing and so easy, I will be making it again soon.
Vaishali
So happy to hear that Kim!
Elisa
Hi Vaishali,
Are the cashews processed or left whole?
This looks so good!
Elisa
Hi Vaishali,
I made this for dinner and it was wonderful. I just soaked the cashews for 30 min and then processed them in the blender with some of the water the recipe called for. Thank you so much for posting this recipe, its a little spicy with a hint of sweetness, so awesome 🙂
Austin Goheen
The recipe says use an immersion blender or blender for the tomato, onion, cashew purée.
Vani
Hi I just made this and wow so good! Made a double batch of the curry sauce to freeze and just add veggies later. Thank you for an awesome recipe!
Vaishali
So glad you liked it, Vani!
Adrienne
Wow! Just whipped this up tonight, haven't even had dinner yet, just waiting for the family to come sit down, but man, it tastes amazing! I threw in some spinach that I had in the fridge. Will definitely keep this recipe!
Vaishali
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know. Nice idea adding spinach.
Namrata
Heyy so cool to see an oil-free recipe 🙂 !! Looks gorgeous. Will definitely try!!
Vaishali
Thanks, Namrata! Hope you try.
DG
How the yellow colour comes ?
Anonymous
Turmeric