MUSHROOM MATAR MASALA

Mushroom is one of the favourite of my younger daughter. So tried this recipe specially for her only. It came out so delightful. It is very popular and healthy Punjabi amin-course recipe which is available in every Punjabi dhabas or restuarants. You can cook mushrooms in so many ways from stir-fries with some other veggies or make it in Indian style either in dry style or with curries. You can combine it with anything like methi, spinach, capsicum, paneer or green peas. Here in my recipe there is combination of mushrooms and green peas which cooked in onion and tomato based gravy. You can serve this curry with naan, chapatti, rice, etc. As Punjabi cuisines, curries are fully creamy and buttery, you can add fresh cream to this gravy at the last when you garnish it with chopped coriander. I don’t have cream so there is no cream in my recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Button Mushrooms, fresh and halves

1 Cup Green Peas [fresh or frozen]

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 Onions, chopped coarsely

2-3 Green Chillies

1 tablespoon Garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Ginger, minced

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

10-12 Cashews

¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder

2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

1 teaspoon Kasoori Methi

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon Sugar

1 tablespoon Chopped Coriander

1 tablespoon Fresh Cream

4 tablespoon Vegetable Oil for curry + 1 tablespoon for roasting onion and tossing Mushrooms

METHOD:

STEP 1 - Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a wide pan.

Add roughly chopped onion, green chilli and chopped garlic in it.

STEP 2 – Cook it well till the onion becomes translucent and the raw smell disappears.

STEP 3 – Then add roughly chopped tomato, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder in it

and mix it well by giving a nice stir

and cook further until the oil starts separating from the sides.

STEP 4 – Now remove it in another bowl or plate and let it cool.

STEP 5 – Wash the mushrooms well and cut them into halves. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan

and add mushrooms and lightly toss them on high flame.

Remove and keep them aside.

STEP 6 - Blend the onion-tomato mixture in a blender and make a smooth paste with it.

Keep it aside.

STEP 7 – In the same mixer pot make a smooth fine paste with cashews and little water and keep aside.

STEP 8 - Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let them crackle.

STEP 9 – Then add the smooth onion-tomato paste in it. After that add cashew paste and cook it well till you can see the oil separating from the sides.

Cover it and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add cashew paste in it and mix well.

Cover it and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add some water on the lid and further you can add this water to your gravy.

STEP 10 – Now here time to add green peas and season the gravy with salt and sugar.

Mix it well and again cover it with a lid and cook for few minutes.

STEP 11- Add tossed button mushrooms in it and give a nice stir.

STEP 12 – Add water according to liking consistency and let the gravy simmer.

STEP 13 – Finally add garam masala

and kasuri methi [see notes] in the mushroom gravy and combine everything well by giving a nice stir.

Cook it for next 2 minutes and then switch off the flame. 

STEP 14 – Garnish with chopped coriander and your dish is ready to serve.

Serve this yummy mushroom matar masala with any Indian bread like butter naan, roti, parantha or chapatti or simply serve it with steamed rice.

NOTES:  *Whenever you add kasuri methi to any of your dish, just crush it in between your palms and then add. It will help to enrich the aroma of the dish.