Mushrooms are something I somehow always manage to have in my refrigerator. What’s not to like about them? They are worth devouring, cook in minutes, are low in calories and high in nutrition! And let’s not forget how versatile they are. Mushrooms go with pasta, eggs, pizza toppings, lasagnas,…the list is endless. Perhaps this is why most of my veg recipes, irrespective of cuisine has mushrooms in it.
But using mushroom might get tricky when it comes to Indian food. The options most of us are open to are also very limited, with the usual masala mushroom, mushroom do-piaza etc. Honestly, I am not a very big fan of mushroom in Indian gravies. Except for this semi gravy of malai matar mushroom which I am about to share here.
The secret to this veg recipe is that it is not as heavy as one might imagine it to be. This version is in fact very light, as it involves the addition of coconut milk which gives it a creamy texture. The other masalas are the usual onions, ginger, garlic, chilies, lots of tomatoes and the standard spices that go into Indian gravies. The prep time is also very less, and it makes for a great and quick dinner recipe, served hot with some flaky parathas.
The peas I have used here are fresh. I do not champion using frozen peas (or anything frozen for that matter). Because the peas are fresh and raw, I add them first and cook them through before adding the mushroom. This is because if you add the peas and mushrooms together, the latter will actually start melting since it takes just about ten minutes to cook. It is also important to use big chunks of mushroom into the gravy as it will anyways shrink down to half its size after cooking. I always use button mushrooms in Indian cooking. It is easily available and it has its own crunch that I feel goes well in Indian cooking.
Preparation time – 15 minutes
Cooking time – 30 minutes
Serves – 3
Ingredients
- 250 g button mushrooms, each cut in half
- 200 g fresh peas
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2 green chilies, slit in half
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
- 100 ml thick coconut milk
- 1 tsp fresh garam masala
- Freshly chopped coriander leaves for garnish
- Salt to taste
Directions
- Heat oil in a kadhai. Add the bay leaves, followed by the finely chopped onions. Saute the onions till they turn brown.
- Add the sugar to the onions. The sugar will help the onions cook faster, add a caramelized taste and also give a dazzling brown color to the recipe. Add the slit green chilies into this and saute for another two to three minutes in medium flame.
- Next, add 1 tsp of fresh ginger garlic paste. Fry this till the raw aroma of the ginger and garlic disappears.
- Season with salt, turmeric powder, black pepper powder and cumin powder. Cook the mixture thoroughly till all the spices and condiments come together and there is no rawness left.
- Finely chop two medium tomatoes and add them once the onions are cooked and assimilated well with the spices. Cook the tomatoes for another five minutes till they merge into perfect harmony with the onions. Add a splash of water if required.
- Wash the peas thoroughly and add it to this onion and tomato mixture. Since the peas are raw, we need to cook them through before adding the rest of the ingredients. Saute the peas for a few minutes with the onions and tomatoes. The tomatoes will release more water of its own, which can be a base for the peas to cook in.
- Once the peas are 70 percent cooked, add the button mushrooms. Gently saute the mushrooms into the rest of the mixture. Make sure each mushroom gets coated in the masalas in the kadhai.
- After a while, the oil will start to separate from the mixture in the kadhai. This is when you need to add the coconut milk. Give it a gentle stir. Cover and cook this on low heat for ten minutes.
- Remove lid after ten minutes, and give it a light stir. Season with some fresh garam masala and coriander before taking it off the heat. Enjoy with some hot parathas or rotis.
This is a semi gravy version. Based on the consistency you’d like, you can add some water to get a gravy version as well. But in my experience, this subzi tastes best when slightly dry.
I hope you like this preparation and add it to your collection of Indian veg recipes. Do let me know how it turns out for you. I will be happy to answer any questions you might have about this or any other recipe. Just drop in a comment or write to me at slurrpilicious@gmail.com
I hope you try out this malai matar mushroom recipe soon.If you do, let me know how it turned out for you.
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Happy cooking!
