Mushroom Masala is an easy and delicious restaurant-style Indian curry recipe made with onions, tomato, mushrooms, peas (matar), and spices cooked in an Instant Pot pressure cooker with pot-in-pot rice. This mushroom curry is vegan, gluten-free, low carb, and keto.
I have used white button mushrooms for this recipe, however, you can also use brown button mushrooms — more mushroom recipes from my blog Mushroom Fried Rice, Mushroom Biryani, and Mushroom Soup.
If you are on a Keto or Low Carb Diet, Checkout Keto Indian Food Recipes Collection.
Health benefits of Mushrooms?
Mushrooms are loaded with vitamins and minerals [copper, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, potassium, phosphorus, and iron] and have very few calories, so they make the perfect diet food.
How to clean Mushrooms?
Use a damp cloth/paper towel or a soft mushroom brush to wipe each mushroom, to remove any dirt or black spots—clean one mushroom at a time.
If you don't have time to clean them one by one, lightly rinse them for a few seconds with cold water, drain the water and pat them dry with a clean towel. Then, mushrooms are ready for use. Always ensure to use organic mushrooms.
Mushroom Masala Ingredients
- Mushrooms: I have used organic white button mushrooms. You can also use Baby Bella or Shiitake Mushrooms.
- Green Peas: It's optional, used frozen green peas.
- Ginger and Garlic: minced or paste.
- Green chili: I have used one green Thai chili, you can skip it if you like.
- Onion: roughly diced.
- Tomatoes: I have used roughly diced Roma tomatoes to make the base for this curry.
- Oil: Used coconut oil. You can use your choice of cooking oil.
- Herbs & Spices: I have used freshly chopped coriander leaves for herbs and cumin seeds, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala as spices. You can increase or decrease the spices according to your choice.
- Cream: I have used cashew cream. It is prepared by soaking 10-12 cashews in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes and then blended to a smooth paste with ¼ cup water. You can also use fresh cream.
- Lemon juice: use fresh lemon juice whenever possible or use amchur powder (dry mango powder) for tartness.
How to Make Mushroom Masala in Instant Pot
Making Cashew Paste: Soak 10-12 cashews in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Then puree in a blender to a smooth paste along with ¼ cup water. Keep it aside.
Add diced onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and green chili in a blender and blend without adding water to make a smooth puree. Keep it aside.
Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add oil. Once hot, add cumin seeds, let them splutter.
Next, add the pureed onion-tomato mixture, cook for around 3-4 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
Then add all the dry spices coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Scrape the bottom and deglaze the pot. This step is crucial to ensure you don't get the burn notice when you pressure cook.
Add in the sliced mushrooms, peas, and water. Combine gently with the masala. Place the trivet and then the bowl of rice with water.
NOTE: Since this curry takes only 3 minutes to cook on High. Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes to cook faster, i.e., in 3 minutes (same time as mushroom masala).
Place the trivet and then the bowl of rice with water.
This way, they will both cook together. The significant advantage of the Instant Pot is the option to do Pot-in-Pot Cooking or PIP. It means you can cook multiple things at the same time. See the pictures below for reference.
Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 3 minutes.
When the pot beeps, Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then do a quick pressure release. Open the lid.
Then add cashew cream, crushed Kasuri methi, coriander leaves, lemon juice, and mix well. Simmer the curry for 2 to 3 minutes, and the curry will thicken.
Instant pot Mushroom Masala is ready.
Accessories needed for this Mushroom Masala and Rice Pot-in-Pot
- Tall Trivet
- Stackable Steamer Insert Pans, or any oven-safe bowl
Stovetop Method
- Follow the same instructions till step 5 in a stovetop pot/pan and cook covered on medium-low heat till mushrooms are tender. Stir 2-3 times in between to avoid burning. Note: when you are sauting onion-tomato puree, cook until the raw smell disappears and oil oozes out.
- Once the mushrooms are tender, add cashew cream, crushed kasuri methi, coriander leaves, lemon juice, and mix well. Simmer the curry for 2 to 3 minutes, the curry will thicken. Mushroom Peas Masala is ready, serve with Naan, chapatis, roti, or hot basmati rice.
What to serve with Mushroom Curry?
Serve Mushroom Matar masala with naan, roti, chapati, jeera rice, steamed rice, or cauliflower rice.
Variations
You can make a simple mushroom curry in many ways, such as
- KETO: You can replace peas with bell pepper or use just mushroom for the keto diet. You can also use almond paste or coconut cream or heavy cream instead of cashew cream.
- PROTEIN: Add some paneer (cottage cheese), chickpeas to the mushroom mutter masala curry.
- GREEN: You can also stir in some spinach leaves towards the end of the cooking time.
- OIL: You can also use olive oil or any cooking oil for this mushroom recipe.
FAQs
Yes, you can also freeze this Mushroom Peas Curry in a freezer-safe container for up to a month.
More Instant Pot Curry Recipes
Explore more Curry recipes for your next family gathering.
Mushroom Masala (Instant Pot & Stovetop)
Equipment
Ingredients
Measuring cup used 1 cup = 250 ml
- 10-12 cashews soaked in hot water for 10-15 minutes and then blended to a smooth paste with ¼ cup water
- 8 oz organic white mushrooms sliced (about 3 cups)
- ½ cup green peas (optional)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 medium red onion roughly diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 inch ginger chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1 green chili
- 2 large tomatoes roughly diced (about 1.5 cups)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera seeds)
- salt to taste
- ½ cup water
- 1.5 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) crushed (optional)
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- juice of ½ lemon
For Rice:
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1.5 cups water
- a pinch salt (optional)
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Making Cashew Paste: Soak 10-12 cashews in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Then puree in a blender to a smooth paste along with ¼ cup water. Keep it aside.
- Add diced onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and green chili in a blender and blend without adding water to make a smooth puree. Keep it aside.
- Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add oil. Once hot, add cumin seeds, let them splutter.Next, add the pureed onion-tomato mixture, cook for around 3-4 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
- Then add all the dry spices coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Scrape the bottom and deglaze the pot. This step is crucial to ensure you don't get the burn notice when you pressure cook.
- Add in the sliced mushrooms, peas, and water. Combine gently with the masala. Place the trivet and then the bowl of rice with water.NOTE: Since this curry takes only 3 minutes to cook on High. Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes to cook faster, i.e., in 3 minutes (same time as mushroom masala).
- Place the trivet and then the bowl of rice with water. This way, they will both cook together. The significant advantage of the Instant Pot is the option to do Pot-in-Pot Cooking or PIP. It means you can cook multiple things at the same time. See pictures below for reference.
- Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 3 minutes.
- When the pot beeps, Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then do a quick pressure release. Open the lid.
- Then add cashew cream, crushed Kasuri methi, coriander leaves, lemon juice, and mix well. Simmer the curry for 2 to 3 minutes, and curry will thicken.
- Mushroom Masala is ready, serve with naan, chapatis, roti or hot basmati rice.
Stovetop Method:
- Follow the same instructions till step 5 in a stovetop pot/pan and cook covered on medium-low heat till mushrooms are tender. Stir 2-3 times in between to avoid burning. Note: when you are sauting onion-tomato puree, cook until the raw smell disappears and oil oozes out.
- Once the mushrooms are tender, add cashew cream, crushed kasuri methi, coriander leaves, lemon juice, and mix well. Simmer the curry for 2 to 3 minutes, the curry will thicken. Mushroom Peas Masala is ready, serve with Naan, chapatis, roti, or hot basmati rice.
Notes
Variations
You can make a simple mushroom curry in many ways, such as- KETO: You can replace peas with bell pepper or use just mushroom for the keto diet. You can also use almond paste or coconut cream or heavy cream instead of cashew cream.
- PROTEIN: Add some paneer (cottage cheese), chickpeas to the mushroom mutter masala curry.
- GREEN: You can also stir in some spinach leaves towards the end of the cooking time.
- OIL: You can also use olive oil or any cooking oil for this mushroom recipe.
Nutrition
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Wendy S. says
I made this last night and loved it! So easy and I was thrilled to have everything on hand to make it. I love that it is so fresh. I did leave out the peas because I didn't have those and added some paneer and spinach because I did have those ingredients! Thanks for sharing!
bhavana says
Thank you so much Wendy for trying out the recipe & sharing such honest feedback ? I just loved your improvisation, making great use of the ingredients you had ? Love to hear more from you, when you try other recipes on the blog ? Happy cooking - Naveen/Bhavana ?
Ritika says
Want to make this. But any suggestions to what to eat this (other than roti )with as rice is high carbs. Many thanks.
Bhavana Patil says
Hi Ritika, You can eat with How To Make Cauliflower Rice (2 Ways) or all make low carb roti using almond flour or coconut flour. If you are not on Keto diet, you can also eat with quinoa. Hope this helps