Kadai Mushroom Recipe

Ingredients

For kadai masala

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 3 to 4 dry red chilies – broken and deseeded if preferred
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ inch cinnamon
• 1 green cardamom
• 2 cloves
• 3 to 4 black peppercorns
• 1 thin single strand of mace – optional

Other ingredients

• 200 to 250 grams button mushrooms – sliced
• ½ cup capsicum – thinly sliced (red or green or yellow bell pepper)
• 1 cup tomatoes – chopped
• ½ cup onions – finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or 1 inch ginger + 3 to 4 small to medium-sized garlic, crushed in a mortar-pestle
• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi – crushed, (dry fenugreek leaves)
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder – optional
• ½ cup water or add as required
• 3 tablespoons oil – sunflower oil or any neutral vegetable oil
• salt as required

For garnishing

• 1 to 2 tablespoon coriander leaves – chopped (cilantro)
• 1 inch ginger – julienne

Variations

• 1 or 2 tablespoons light cream or low fat cream – can be added right at the end and mixed with the gravy
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala – garam masala powder can be added when you add the kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)

Steps

Making kadai masala

1. Dry-roast or toast all the kadai-masala spices over low heat in a kadai, wok or frying pan until fragrant, taking care not to burn them.
2. Keep the spices only lightly browned; do not let them brown excessively or burn.
3. Let the spices cool before putting them in a mixer-grinder or spice grinder.
4. Grind to a semi-fine powder, or to a fine powder if preferred, and leave the ground kadai masala aside.
5. Put the chopped tomatoes in the same jar and blend to a fine, smooth purée. Leave aside.
6. Rinse and wipe the mushrooms, then slice them. Trim the stalk bases slightly and discard the very bottom part. Thinly slice the bell pepper and chop the onions as well, then leave the vegetables aside.

Sautéing mushrooms

1. Heat the oil in a kadai, wok or frying pan; keep it over medium heat and put in the sliced mushrooms.
2. Stir and sauté over medium to medium-high heat. The mushrooms will initially give off plenty of water.
3. As sautéing continues, that water will start evaporating. Continue until the mushrooms' edges are browned or golden.
4. Lift the sautéed mushrooms out of the kadai and leave aside.

Making kadai mushroom

1. Using the same oil, sauté the finely chopped onions until soft and translucent or light golden.
2. Briefly sauté the ginger-garlic paste for a few seconds, until its raw aroma disappears.
3. Put in the tomato purée and stir, mix and sauté until some oil releases at the sides and the mixture looks glossy.
4. Add the sliced capsicum, then stir and sauté over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Put in the prepared ground kadai masala. At this stage, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder may also be added; it is optional.
6. Pour in ½ cup water and season with salt.
7. Stir and bring the gravy to a simmer over low or medium-low heat, continuing until a few oil specks appear on top.
8. Mix the sautéed mushrooms in thoroughly. Add some more water if the gravy looks too thick to you.
9. Finish by adding the crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) and mixing well, then turn the heat off.
10. Taste the gravy and add more salt only if needed.
11. Serve the Kadai Mushroom hot or warm with roti, paratha or naan. When serving, ginger julienne and chopped coriander leaves may be used as garnish.