Kadhai Mushroom Recipe | Learn how to make Kadhai Mushroom
Kadhai Mushrooms a popular North Indian, semi-dry spicy dish of mushrooms and bell peppers cooked in onion-tomato masala flavoured with a special spice blend--Kadhai Masala.
If you love mushrooms then it should be a must try dish in your to have a list. The meaty,buttery mushrooms paired with colored bell peppers makes the dish so vibrant and appealing to eyes and taste buds. It goes well with Chapatis, Naan bread or rice (steamed or jeera). The dish can be had for lunch, dinner and can be served to your mushroom loving friends at your party.
I am a mushroom lover and love to have mushrooms in my chinese style stir-frys, soups and fried rice or pastas. My hubby and kids are not very fond of mushrooms and prefer to have these finely chopped in dishes. Kadhai Mushroom is one of my favourite dish and I make it specially when I want to have something special and easy also. We love it having with fresh hot Chapatis and the curry goes well with Naan bread or Laccha Paratha. The consistency of the gravy for this dish varies as per one's preference, some like it dry, some like it semi-dry and many like to make it in thick gravy.I usually make the semi-dry form. I make the drier version of the dish to make Kadhai Mushroom Wraps. Kids enjoy this version of kadhai mushroom than the semi dry curry form.
Why the name Kadhai Mushroom??
Kadhai is a special utensil used in Indian cooking for deep-frying or cooking dry veggies. The dish got its name probably it is cooked in kadhai and gets its flavour from special Kadhai Masala , a spice blend that is used in preparing various Kadhai dishes like Kadhai Paneer, Kadhai mixed vegetables, Kadhai Chicken etc. The spice blend is a mix of coriander seeds and dry red chillies. The no. of chillies added to the blend depends on the how much heat level you want in the dish. This spice mix can be used in a no. of dishes like Kadhai Paneer,Kadhai Chicken or stir-fry veggies etc. It is always best to make a fresh small batch of this masala while making the dish as it gives the maximum flavour to dish when fresh. The blend can be stored in an air-tight container and used when required.
Benefits of having Mushrooms
Mushroom dishes make a lovely vegetarian meal and can be enjoyed in lot of variations!! Mushrooms contain around 90% water, are a the rich sources of Vit.D, and fibres and the best thing is that these contain no fat!! These are also the valuable source of selenium that boasts the immune system, important for the functioning of the thyroid gland, and reduces the risk of heart disease.
Many people I know, avoid mushroom in their diets, but I think it is a versatile veggie with so many varieties that it can be added to gravies,stir-fried, grilled or baked, added to soups and stews. The best way to cook these is to sauté in a pan before adding to the gravies to extract the full flavour. Also it is always best to have cooked mushroom then having it raw to avoid any allergic reactions. Those who are already allergic to mushrooms can replace ,this with Tofu, Paneer or mix veggies.
Adding bell peppers to the dish gives a unique flavour and the crunchiness to the dish. Do not fry the bell peppers and onions for a long time, just few seconds so that these remain crunchy.
Saute Mushrooms till light brown and on high heat so that the water evaporates quickly. You can sauté bell peppers and onions separately or along with mushrooms after the water from mushrooms has dried up.
Kadhai Mushroom is one of the most ordered dishes in Indian restaurants by Mushroom lovers!!
Let's see how I made this flavourful Kadhai Mushroom!!
Kadhai Mushroom
Ingredients
- 2 Cup Mushrooms(Button) Sliced
- 1 Cup Bell Peppers(Mixed or any color) Cubed
- 2 Onions(Medium Sized)
- 3 Tomatoes(Medium Sized)
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds/Jeera
- 1/4 tsp Sugar
- 1-2 tbsp Fresh Cream
- Salt to taste
- 2-3 tbsp Oil
- 1" Ginger piece
- 4-5 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Bay Leaf optional
- 4-5 Peppercorns
- 4-5 Cloves
- 1 Cinnamon Stick(small) optional
- 1/4 tsp Dry Fenugreek Leaves/Kasuri Methi
Kadhai Masala
- 2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2-3 Dry Red Chillies
Instructions
- Make Kadhai Masala, dry roast coriander seeds and dry red chillies in a pan till it starts giving the aroma. Transfer in a bowl and keep aside to cool.
- Grind to fine powder or you can crush finely in mortar pestle.
- Finely chop one onion, tomatoes. Cube the other onion and bell peppers.
- Slice mushroom, and saute lightly on high heat in a pan, once done, take out from the pan and keep aside to cool. In the same pan some add tsp of oil, add cubed onions, saute for a few seconds then add cubed bell peppers.Saute for few minutes. The veggies should remain crunchy.
- Crush ginger and garlic coarsely in a mortar pestle or you can use ginger garlic paste.
- In a pan heat oil, when the oil is hot enough add cumin seeds and other whole spices. Add ginger garlic paste, saute till the smell of raw garlic goes away.
- Add chopped onions and saute till light pink and add chopped tomatoes, fry till soft, take off the flame, cool a bit and then blend to a fine paste. Remember to take out the cinnamon stick and bay leaf before grinding the masala.
- In the same pan transfer the onion tomato paste, add 2-3 tsp of kadhai masala, sugar and mix well.
- Cook till the masala is thick and well done. Add cream and mix well.
- Dry roast some dry fenugreek leaves on a tawa or girdle, crush and add to the gravy.
- Add 1/2 cup of water to adjust the consistency of the curry, if you want semi dry curry. Cook for a minute then add sauteed mushroom, onions and bell peppers . Add salt to taste and mix gently into the onion tomato masala.
- Serve hot with chapatis or steamed or jeera rice.
Notes
- For Vegan option, replace cream with 1 tbsp of almond meal or 1/4 cup of Almond Milk or cashew paste.
- For cashew paste, soak 3-4 cashew nuts in warm water 10 minutes before making the gravy, blend with onion and tomato paste, while making the masala for gravy.
- Dry Fenugreek leaves/Kasuri Methi is optional, for me it enhances the flavour of the curry when added.
- I use Mustard Oil for making the masala of Indian gravies , use any flavourless oil of your choice.
- For short method of making Kadhai Mushroom, use Bhuna Masala instead of making the masala from scratch to shorten the time of cooking.
So next time when you get mushrooms do try it my way and enjoy with the bread or rice preparation of your choice. It is a gluten-free dish and can be made suitable for vegans by substituting the dairy used in the recipe with non-dairy substitutes. Pls see the recipe notes.
Linking to Angie's #259Friday Fiesta co-hosted by Ai @ Ai Made It For You and Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook
Check the recipe for No onion No Garlic Kadhai Paneer Pulao
Some of the Mushroom based dishes on the blog-- Broccoli and Mushroom Pulao, Broccoli and Mushroom Stir fry, Thupka Gyathuk
Other curries that you will love to try from the blog-- Matar Paneer, Paneer Makhani, Aloo Matar, Mix. Vegetable Curry, Lauki Ke Kofte
Do make this gluten-free Kadhai Mushroom and whenever you make it, do give me your feedback in comments. You can post your feedback with the pic on my FB page or tag me on Instagram(#foodtrails25). Pin the recipe for later use.
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chefmireille
what a wonderful looking dish. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
My boys have developed a liking to mushroom and since we don’t eat mushrooms, I am clueless about what to make with it. This is something my boys would love and I am going to try this soon.
Suma Gandlur
That is one colorful and flavorful dish.
srividhya
Flavorful recipe... Perfect for vegans too. Love it with both rice and roti. So yum
Srivalli Jetti
Love the masala thats gone into making this dish. I love it with paneer!
harini
Wow! This is a very flavorful version. I am sure my family will love this.
ParsiCuisine.com
Swati, mushrooms are so delightful here. Thanks for the excellent instructions.
Ai
Kadhai mushroom looks delicious!! I would love to have some with naan! Drool... any chance you know a good gluten-free naan recipe? haha. Happy Fiesta Friday 🙂
Swati
Thanks Ai!I do have a Whole Wheat Naan recipe but sorry right no gluten-free.. this makes me think that I shall soon do a gluten-free Naan post?!!
Ai
Yes please!!
mayurisjikoni
Kadhai mushroom looks so tempting. Love how creamy the sauce is and also adding colored pepper is a wonderful idea.
Priya Suresh
Can smell the flavor of this ultimate kadai mushroom rite from my lappy screen, how gorgeous and delicious this dish looks. Inviting.
KFord
What a lovely looking dish, really authentic and the step by step photos are so helpful when trying something new like this. Yum!
Gayathri Kumar
Mushroom is such a great alternative to meat in dishes. The padhai mushroom looks awesome and is so colourful because of the peppers. Perfect side for rotis.
Mina Joshi
Love the colourful dish which can also be made for vegans. This would be great with any Indian bread.
Swati
Thanks Mina!!
Jhuls
This dish sounds so tasty. I love mushrooms and I love dishes that are full of amazing flavors. Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday party.
Swati
Thanks Jhuls!!Mushroom are so versatile I just love to use these in so many ways.. soups, stir-fries, curries and wraps or pizza!!
deirdrethefieryvegetariancom
And yet another beautiful recipe from Swaty! You never disappoint, every one of your recipes is a tastebud discovery!
Swati
Thanks Gilna!!thank you for your lovely words!! Happy that you like my work!!?
Jayeeta
One of my favourite dishes.........looks so colourful and delicious......... 🙂
Varada
Very colorful dish and I am sure it is very flavorful too.
FoodTrails
Thanks Vaishali!!
vaishalisabnani
Very flavourful dish to go with rotis and one of the most exotic dishes of a restaurant . You have done a good job with it , the curry looks fantastic .