John Miller
Matar mushroom is a delicious, healthy, vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free North Indian curry dish. It is made with mushrooms, green peas, onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, herbs, and spices. The mushrooms and peas are cooked in a creamy, spicy, and tangy onion-tomato masala flavoured with Indian spices. This dish can be prepared in under 30 minutes, making it a great weeknight dinner option. It goes well with rice, roti, naan, or bread.
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What You'll Learn
Ingredients and preparation
Matar mushroom is a simple, healthy, vegan, gluten-free, and delicious Indian dish. It is a curry made with mushrooms and peas, and can be served with plain rice, roti, naan, bread, or paratha.
To prepare matar mushroom, start by rinsing and slicing the mushrooms, and washing and chopping the onions, green chillies, and tomatoes or pureeing them. Heat oil in a pan, and add cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add the onions and fry until golden. Next, add ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw flavours disappear. Then, add the tomatoes and salt, and fry until mushy.
Add the spices: turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and if you like, a little cayenne. Saute until aromatic and thick. Now, add the mushrooms and peas, and simmer on low heat so that the mushrooms absorb the flavours from the spices. You can also add some water and deglaze the bottom of the pan, ensuring nothing sticks.
Finally, add lemon juice, crushed kasuri methi, and coriander leaves. Taste and adjust salt if needed, and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot or warm.
You can also make a gravy version of this dish by blending the onion-tomato masala into a smooth paste, and simmering it with water until thick. Saute the mushrooms separately and add them to the curry along with the peas. Lastly, add some coconut milk or cream.
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Cooking the mushrooms
Mushrooms are the star ingredient of matar mushroom, so it's important to cook them right.
Start by rinsing the mushrooms and drying them in the sun for two hours. Tap them dry and chop them in half or as desired. Place a heavy-bottomed pan or kadai over high heat and heat mustard oil in it. Let the smoke come out for two to three minutes. This process ensures that the mustard oil is not used in its raw form. The colour will change from dark yellow to light yellow.
When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms. You should hear a sizzle. If the oil isn't hot enough, the mushrooms will start to steam and water out instead of sautéing. Fry the mushrooms for four to five minutes or until they are tender, lightly browned, and slightly caramelised. If the mushrooms aren't leaving any water, don't panic. Take a small bowl of water and place it over the lid. The water will create steam inside, helping the mushrooms cook nicely.
Next, add the peas and cover until the peas are cooked, which should take no more than two to three minutes. If you are making a dry mushroom matar, cook until the water dries off to your liking. Finally, add the blended sauce to the pan and give it a good stir.
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Making the sauce
Then, add chopped tomatoes and green chillies. You can replace fresh tomatoes with half a cup of bottled tomato puree. Fry this mixture until it becomes mushy. For a richer sauce, you can add cashew paste. To prepare the cashew paste, soak 10 cashews in a quarter cup of warm water for 15 minutes and then blend until smooth.
Now, add the spices: turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. Saute this mixture until it becomes aromatic and thick. If the sauce appears too dry, you can add some water. You can also add a pinch of sugar to balance the flavours.
Finally, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed. If you prefer a creamier sauce, you can add a few tablespoons of cream or coconut milk. However, this step is optional and can be skipped for a vegan or dairy-free option. Your sauce is now ready to be served with your favourite bread or rice!
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Combining the dish
Now, it's time to combine the dish. First, add the mushrooms to the pan. Stir-fry them in a dry pan until they begin to caramelize, which should take around three to four minutes. If you are making a dry mushroom matar, cook until the water dries off to your liking. Mushrooms tend to release moisture and shrink in size, so keep that in mind. If the mushrooms are not leaving water, don't panic. Simply place a small bowl of water over the lid to create steam and help cook the vegetables.
Next, add the peas and cover the pan until the peas are cooked, which should take no more than two to three minutes. If you are using fresh peas, it is recommended to boil them first, especially if they are not tender. Now, add the blended sauce to the pan and give it a good stir. Check if you need to add more salt. If the sauce looks too dry, add some water.
Finally, sprinkle some garam masala powder and stir. Your Matar Mushroom is now ready to be served!
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Serving suggestions
Matar mushroom is a flavoursome and delicious curry that can be served in many ways. It is a great side dish and can be served with plain rice, flavoured rice, roti, plain paratha, naan, kulcha, or your favourite bread.
For a more indulgent meal, serve it with crispy paratha, poori, or jeera rice with a side of kachumber (salad). It also goes well with plain steamed rice, or plain paratha, roti, or naan.
If you are serving this dish to guests, you can add a few tablespoons of cream or coconut milk to make it richer and creamier. You can also add some soft paneer cubes to boost the protein content.
Matar mushroom is a versatile dish that can be adapted to your taste preferences. It can be made as a semi-dry curry or a gravy with more sauce. You can also adjust the consistency of the gravy to your liking.
Finally, don't forget to garnish with coriander leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice.
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