Methi mushroom is a delicious vegetarian curry made with button mushrooms, fenugreek leaves, curd, aromatics, tomatoes, herbs and spices. Serve with roti, rice or naan for a hearty meal.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 70 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Ingredients

  • 200 to 250 grams button mushrooms
  • ¼ cup curd ((yogurt), fresh and full-fat or made with whole milk)
  • 1 cup fenugreek leaves ((methi leaves) or 1 to 2 tablespoons dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi))
  • 3 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
  • ½ cup chopped onions (or 1 medium-sized onion)
  • 1 or 2 green chili (- sliced or chopped or 1 teaspoon chopped)
  • ½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • 3 tomatoes (- medium-sized, chopped or 1.25 to 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder ((ground coriander))
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder (or cayenne pepper)
  • salt (as required)
  • ¼ to ½ cup water (or add as required)
  • 2 to 3 green cardamoms
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 1 tej patta ((Indian bay leaf))
  • 2 to 3 cloves
  • 1 to 2 single strands of mace (- optional)

Method

Preparation

  1. Rinse the mushrooms in running water a few times and get rid of the mud from them. Drain all the water very well.
  2. Chop them and keep aside.
  3. In a bowl take ¼ cup curd and a pinch of salt to it. Beat the curd with a small wired whisk till smooth. Use full fat fresh curd so that the curd does not split while cooking.
  4. Add the mushrooms to the curd and marinate for 30 to 40 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile pluck the fenugreek leaves from their stems.
  6. In a bowl soak the leaves in water for 4 to 5 minutes so that the mud etc from the leaves settles down at the bottom.
  7. Throw the water and again soak the leaves for 1 to 2 minutes.
  8. Now rinse the methi leaves well under running water till the leaves are clean and the mud particles are not there.
  9. Drain them in a colander. Chop the methi leaves finely.

Making methi mushroom

  1. Heat oil or ghee in a pan or kadai (wok).
  2. Add the whole spices - black cardamom, cinnamon, green cardamoms, cloves, tej patta and mace.
  3. Fry the spices till the oil becomes fragrant and the spices splutter. Don't burn them. Fry spices on a low heat.
  4. Add onions and stirring often sauté them on low to medium-low heat till they begin to get golden.
  5. Be patient as onions do take time to get browned. Keep stirring the onions in between.
  6. Once the onions begin to get golden brown, add chopped green chilies and ginger-garlic paste. Sauté for a minute on low heat.
  7. Now add the tomatoes. Sauté them on low to medium-low heat till they become soft and mushy. Keep on stirring the masala base.
  8. Add all the dry spice powders - turmeric, coriander and red chili powder. Mix well.
  9. Then sauté stirring often till oil leaves from the sides of the whole masala mixture.
  10. Lower the heat and add the marinated mushrooms.
  11. Also add the chopped methi leaves or dry methi leaves (kasuri methi). Mix again.
  12. Add about ¼ to ½ cup of water. Also add salt as per taste. Do keep in mind that some salt has been added to the marination.
  13. Stir, cover the pan or kadai and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes on low heat till the mushrooms are tender and cooked.
  14. Do check in between and if the consistency looks dry then add some more water.
  15. Once the mushrooms are cooked and the curry has a medium consistency then check the taste and add salt if required.
  16. Garnish methi mushroom with some chopped coriander leaves.
  17. Serve methi mushroom hot or warm with roti or naan.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.