Recipe Mushroom Masala

[Morning Glory]

Earthy mushrooms work so well with spices and will absorb the deep flavours. For this recipe use chunky mushrooms such as chestnut or basic white button mushrooms. Delicate chanterelles will wilt with disappointment if you try to introduce them to a robust curry.

Ingredients (serves 2)
250g chestnut mushrooms cut into quarters.
1/2 red onion chopped
3 fat cloves of garlic, chopped
1 inch of fresh ginger root, grated
1 tbsp ghee or oil
1 tsp hot chilli
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
12 coriander seeds
4 cloves
Seeds from 4 green cardamom pods
1 stick of cinnamon, broken into pieces
1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Method

• Blend the onion, garlic and ginger with a little water to make a paste.
• Heat the ghee in a pan and cook the onion paste slowly for 15 minutes, adding water as required. You want to end up with a thick sauce.
• Grind all the spices together to make a fine powder and add to the onion paste with the vinegar.
• If you wish you can blend the mixture again at this point to achieve a smoother sauce.
• Add salt, to taste.
• Add the mushrooms and cook for 15 minutes.
• Serve with fresh coriander and chopped red chillies scattered on top.

 

[jennyb]

That looks great. Thanks for the recipe.

 

[Elawin]

Looks lovely. I will have to try it.

 

[Elawin]

Earthy mushrooms work so well with spices and will absorb the deep flavours. For this recipe use chunky mushrooms such as chestnut or basic white button mushrooms. Delicate chanterelles will wilt with disappointment if you try to introduce them to a robust curry

I did give it a try with some nice chestnut mushrooms, but have to say I was a bit disappointed with the result. I don't know whether I did something wrong, but it seemed very "grainy". I ended up adding some more water and giving it a good whisk so it was more like a very spicy mushroom soup.

 

[Morning Glory]

I did give it a try with some nice chestnut mushrooms, but have to say I was a bit disappointed with the result. I don't know whether I did something wrong, but it seemed very "grainy". I ended up adding some more water and giving it a good whisk so it was more like a very spicy mushroom soup.

Oh - do you mean that the spices making it grainy? Did you blend the sauce? And did you use a spice grinder to grind the spices?

 

[Elawin]

Oh - do you mean that the spices making it grainy? Did you blend the sauce? And did you use a spice grinder to grind the spices?

I whisked the sauce, the spice grinder is an electric one I use to grind spices all the time, and the mushrooms were well-rinsed. Can't understand it at all.

 

[Morning Glory]

I whisked the sauce, the spice grinder is an electric one I use to grind spices all the time, and the mushrooms were well-rinsed. Can't understand it at all.

I used a hand blender. It sounds like you have a spice grinder similar to mine. Did you blend in the first step?

 

[Elawin]

I used a hand blender. It sounds like you have a spice grinder similar to mine. Did you blend in the first step?

I used a wooden spoon - the garlic and onion were well crushed first though. Perhaps it didn't mix right, and I should try it again.

 

[Morning Glory]

I used a wooden spoon - the garlic and onion were well crushed first though. Perhaps it didn't mix right, and I should try it again.

PerhapsI will also try it again. I tend to scribble recipes as I make them and its always possible I scribbled something incorrectly! The method of blending the onion/ginger/garlic to a paste with a little water first is based on several Indian recipes I've been reading - thought the rest is my invention. Normally for curries, I cook the onion first until caramelised then add ginger/garlic, spices and liquid. Then blend.

But if it was 'grainy' do you think it was bits of spices?

If you are brave enough to try it again could you try to photograph it perhaps?