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    Home > Indian Vegan Recipes > Tamil Recipes

    Spicy Mushroom Chettinad

    Posted: Nov 16, 2011 ยท Updated: Nov 29, 2021

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    A fiery Mushroom Chettinad, a south Indian dish from a region known for its vibrant, spicy cuisine.

    Photo of mushroom chettinad in a white bowl.

    Chettinad, a region in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, brims over with opulent wealth, beautiful temples, and fiery cuisine that can make your eyes, nose, and mouth water simultaneously. And if you think that sounds like most Indian food, you've got another think coming

    Chettinad cuisine and its unique fieriness come from a liberal use of black pepper. While black pepper is part of nearly every garam masala or spicy curry ever cooked up in India, its heat and flavor usually mingles and merges with the heat and flavors of other spices during the cooking process. But in Chettinad cuisine the black pepper is usually added to dishes at the tail end, separating out its fieriness from that of other spices.

    The first Chettinad dish I ever ate was at a restaurant in Chennai (then Madras), and it was a chicken curry. A Chettinad chicken curry was also one of the first dishes I learned how to cook. As my own food preferences have changed over the years, I have tried to translate those well-remembered flavors into plant-based dishes, like the Spicy Mushroom Chettinad I have for you today.

    This is a supremely healthy dish that's quite easy to make, but do adjust the pepper and chilies per your taste and tolerance. I usually tone down the heat in my own recipes because of Desi's sensitivity to spicy food-- were my dad cooking this dish, he'd probably add four times as much and still find the recipe not spicy enough. Still, this curry, when I made it this past weekend, brought tears to my eyes.

    This dish tastes best with an Indian flatbread, like an Aloo Paratha, which balances the heat perfectly. It's also great over some boiled white rice.

    Here's the recipe, all. Enjoy!

    More vegan curry recipes

    • Mushroom Spinach Curry
    • Vegan Goan Beef Curry
    • South Indian Chickpea Curry
    • Kashmiri Dum Aloo
    Closeup of mushroom chettinad in white bowl.

    Spicy Mushroom Chettinad

    A fiery Mushroom Chettinad, a south Indian dish from a region known for its vibrant, spicy cuisine.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe
    Course: Side
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Chettinad Mushrooms, Mushroom Chettinad
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 25 mins
    Total Time: 40 mins
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 49kcal
    Author: Vaishali ยท Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

    Ingredients 

    • 1 pound cremini mushrooms (or button mushrooms, halved or quartered if large)
    • 1 green bell pepper (cut into fairly large chunks, about 1-inch square)
    • 1 medium onion (finely minced)
    • 2 large tomatoes (diced)
    • 4 cloves
    • 4 green cardamom pods , whole
    • 2 inch piece cinnamon
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
    • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ยฝ teaspoon turmeric
    • ยฝ teaspoon cayenne
    • 2 green chili peppers (minced)
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
    • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper (use less for less heat)
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped, for garnish)
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    Instructions

    • Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and let them sputter.
    • Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves and stir for a minute. Add the onions, curry leaves, and green chillies.
    • Sprinkle some salt and saute the onions until they start to brown.
    • Add the ginger and garlic and saute for another minute.
    • Add the turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Stir to coat with the oil and toast for a minute.
    • Add the tomatoes and saute, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes begin to express the oil.
    • Add the mushrooms, green peppers, and salt to taste.
    • Stir everything together, lower the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and have expressed some liquid.
    • Finish by adding the black pepper and coriander leaves. Turn off the heat.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 49kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Potassium: 458mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 517IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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    About Vaishali


    Hi! I am so happy you're here. I'm Vaishali, and I've been sharing recipes for delicious vegan food at Holy Cow Vegan since 2007. Every one of the more than 1,000 recipes on this blog has been tried and tested -- and loved -- by my family and I. I hope you will find something here to share with your loved ones. Thanks for stopping by!
    Read more about me here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Smanders

      September 16, 2014 at 3:15 pm

      5 stars
      Hello and thank you! I obsessed with this dish; I have made it 3 times so far. Each time the only thing I add is some broiled eggplant. The heat is perfect and the large chunks of mushroom and green pepper really make it hearty. My only question- Is there a trick to removing the whole spice pieces and pods? I have been trying to sort through before I dig in but invariably I get big bite of cardamon or cloveโ€ฆ That in no way stops my from chowing down of course!

      Reply
      • Vaishali Honawar

        September 17, 2014 at 1:54 am

        Hi Smanders, eggplant is a great addition. You can add ground garam masala instead of the whole spices, but add no more than a teaspoon. Or just fish out the whole spices before serving. So happy you liked the dish, and thanks for letting me know! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. Hannah

      December 04, 2011 at 9:10 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner on Friday and it was delicious! Chucked a tin of chickpeas in and it worked wonderfully. And was lovely for a quick lunch on Saturday too. Many thanks! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    3. Vaishali

      December 02, 2011 at 3:24 pm

      I used crimini or small portabella mushrooms here. But you could try shiitake or button mushrooms-- they would be great. And this dish would actually taste better the next day because the flavors have had time to percolate into each other.

      Reply
    4. Hannah

      December 01, 2011 at 10:47 pm

      I can't wait to make this but just a quick question what variety of mushroom do you prefer? O and do you think this would keep and reheat well/work cold the next day or is it best fresh? Thanks!

      Reply
    5. Vaishali

      December 01, 2011 at 2:39 pm

      Dear Hannah, thanks for breaking the silence, and for your kind words. The tomato masial is Desi's favorite dish, and I'm happy to hear you love it too.
      My recipes would typically feed about six people, although that can of course vary. I would serve this curry with rice and parathas, and some chickpeas or tofu would actually work quite well in here. Good suggestions. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    6. Hannah

      November 30, 2011 at 10:40 pm

      Hi Vaishali I've been reading your blog and making and enjoying your recipes for ages so I feel the need to break the silence and say Thank You!!! I've made many of your dal recipes (my mum and I LOVE your green tomato masial and green tomatoes are surprisingly easy to get year round from the Turkish shops in London). This looks absolutely delicious do you think it would be good with some chickpeas or cubed tofu or would you serve it as a side dish? Also how many people are your recipes for?
      Thanks again! ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
    7. Poornima Nair

      November 18, 2011 at 3:39 pm

      Love spicy chettinad dishes....this looks amazing!

      Reply
    8. Vaishali

      November 17, 2011 at 2:18 pm

      Anthony, thank you: you are kind. This is a great dish for a black-pepper-lover. Hope you enjoy it! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Rashmi, Sanjeeta, Priya, thanks!

      Reply
    9. Priya

      November 17, 2011 at 2:15 pm

      Super delicious mushroom chettinad..

      Reply
    10. Rashmi

      November 17, 2011 at 5:48 am

      Looks yummy and beautiful.It must be spicy,I will try it.

      Reply
    11. anthony stemke

      November 17, 2011 at 4:14 am

      Yeah what they said, all your recipes are superb. I adore black pepper and all the ingreds here,going to make it soon.
      Thank You.

      Reply
    12. Vaishali

      November 17, 2011 at 4:08 am

      Sharmilee, Divya, Thanks!

      Priyanka, welcome to the blog, and thanks!

      Elena, yes, but as I say in the post, adjust the pepper and chilies down to your taste.

      Reply
    13. Sanjeeta kk

      November 17, 2011 at 8:51 am

      Perfect dinner recipe!

      Reply
    14. Elena

      November 17, 2011 at 4:00 am

      Is that really one TABLESPOON of black pepper? O my. It looks delish, tho, and really, you had me at indian flatbread.

      Reply
    15. divya

      November 16, 2011 at 9:59 pm

      Wow.. that looks delicious.!! Amazing clicks

      Reply
    16. Priyanka

      November 17, 2011 at 12:10 am

      First, I love all your recipes. Mushrooms are my favorite and this chettinad looks so good!

      Reply
    17. Sharmilee! :)

      November 16, 2011 at 5:00 pm

      Looks flavourful n yummy

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

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    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

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