Mushroom kurma recipe with step by step photos. This is a delicious one pot recipe of South Indian style mushroom kurma curry made with white button mushrooms in a coconut-cashew base and Indian spices-herbs. Gluten-free and vegan recipe.
Veggie based kurma is made at times at home. While we like to have korma with chapatis or pooris, I also serve it with steamed rice. Till now I have only posted the South Indian varieties of kurma. I do plan to add the North Indian varieties too.
The mushroom kurma recipe is adapted from the Mushroom peas curry, I had posted four years back. The mushroom peas curry recipe is adapted from Jigg’s Kalra book “Prashad – cooking with masters”. From the first time I tried this recipe till today, on occasions I make this kurma with mushroom & peas and at times with potatoes & peas.
The recipe uses coconut and cashew as base ingredients. Try adding fresh coconut. It gives a very good flavor. If you live in a city where fresh coconut is not available, then use desiccated coconut.
This mildly flavored and yet delicious Mushroom kurma can be savored with chapatis, pooris or with plain steamed rice or cumin rice. You won’t need any other accompaniment.
How to make Mushroom Kurma
1. Soak 10 to 12 cashews in ⅓ cup hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Soaking cashews helps to grind them better, especially if you have a blender or mixer-grinder, which has difficulty grinding nuts and seeds. But if you do not have time to soak the cashews, then just chop them and grind them with coconut.
2. Once the cashews are soaked, add them to the grinder or blender along with ½ cup grated coconut or ⅓ cup desiccated coconut.
3. Add ⅓ cup fresh water and grind or blend to a smooth paste. If using desiccated coconut, then use warm water while grinding. Keep the coconut-cashew paste aside.
4. Now heat 2 tablespoons of oil. You can use peanut oil or sunflower oil. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. On a low to medium heat saute till they begin to crackle.
5. Once they begin crackling, then add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 8 to 10 fenugreek seeds and ½ teaspoon urad dal. If you do not have fenugreek seeds, then skip them.
6. Saute till the urad dal turns a maroonish red. Cook on a low heat, so that the urad dal, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds do not burn.
7. Then add ⅓ cup chopped onions.
8. Begin to saute the onions on a low to medium heat stirring often.
9. Saute till the onions begin to get light brown.
10. Then add 1 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste. Stir and saute for a few seconds or till the aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
11. Next add 1 cup of chopped tomatoes.
12. Mix well and begin to saute the tomatoes.
13. Saute till the tomatoes soften.
14. Then add the following ground spices:
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (you can also use regular red chili powder)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
15. Mix the spice powders very well with the onion tomato masala.
16. Now add the sliced or chopped mushrooms. 200 to 250 grams of white button mushrooms, which have been rinsed and then sliced.
17. Mix well and saute the mushrooms on a low to medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
18. Then add the coconut-cashew paste and 10 to 12 curry leaves.
19. Stir and mix very well.
20. Stir and saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low heat.
21. When the masala is getting sauteed, add 2 cups water in the blender jar. Swirl and rotate the jar gently so that the remaining coconut-cashew paste gets mixed with water.
22. Now add this water to the masala mixture.
23. Stir and mix well again.
24. Season with salt as per taste.
25. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 14 to 15 minutes.
26. When the mushroom kurma is done, you will see specks of oil floating on top and the curry will also thicken a bit.
27. Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves and Serve mushroom kurma hot with steamed rice, chapatis or poori or paratha or tandoori roti.
It will also go well with jeera rice or saffron rice or ghee rice.
For more delicious mushroom recipes, you can check this collection of Mushroom recipes.
If you like korma, then you can have a look at these Kurma varieties:
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it in the recipe card or leave a comment below – I’d love to hear your feedback. For more vegetarian inspiration, sign up for my email updates or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or X.
Mushroom Kurma
Ingredients
for coconut-cashew paste
- ½ cup grated coconut or ⅓ cup desiccated coconut
- 10 to 12 cashews (kaju)
- ⅓ cup water for soaking cashews
- ⅓ cup water for grinding coconut and cashews
other ingredients
- 51 grams onion or 1 medium onion chopped or ⅓ cup chopped onions
- 105 grams tomatoes or 1 large tomato chopped or 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 200 to 250 grams mushrooms, sliced or chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste or 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves and ½ inch ginger crushed to a paste in mortar pestle
- 2 tablespoon oil (can use peanut oil or sunflower oil)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon urad dal (split husked black gram)
- 8 to 10 fenugreek seeds (methi dana) – optional
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder or red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 10 to 12 curry leaves or 1 sprig of curry leaf (kadi patta)
- 2 cups water or add as required
- salt as required
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
Preparation
- Soak cashews in hot water for 15 minutes. Soaking cashews helps to grind them better, especially if you have a blender or mixer-grinder which has difficulty grinding nuts and seeds.
- But if you do not have time to soak, then just chop them and grind with coconut.
- Once the cashews are soaked, add them to the grinder along with 1/2 cup grated coconut or 1/3 cup desiccated coconut.
- Add 1/3 cup fresh water and grind to a smooth paste. If using desiccated coconut, then use warm water while grinding. Keep the coconut-cashew paste aside.
- When the cashews are soaking, rinse or wipe the mushrooms and slice or chop them.
- Also chop the onions and tomatoes. Keep aside.
making mushroom kurma
- Heat 2 tablespoon oil. You can use peanut oil or sunflower oil. Add teaspoon mustard seeds. On a low to medium flame saute till they begin to crackle.
- Once they begin crackling, then add teaspoon cumin seeds, 8 to 10 fenugreek seeds and 1/2 teaspoon urad dal. If you do not have fenugreek seeds, then skip them.
- Saute till the urad dal turns a maroonish red. Cook on a low flame, so that the urad dal, fenugreek seeds and cumin do not burn.
- Then add 1/3 cup chopped onions. Begin to saute the onions on a low to medium flame, till the onions begin to get light brown.
- Then add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste. Saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Next add 1 cup chopped tomatoes. Mix well and begin to saute the tomatoes, till they soften.
- Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder
- Mix the spice powders very well with the onion tomato masala.
- Now add the sliced or chopped mushrooms.
- Mix well and saute the mushroom on a low to medium flame for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Then add the coconut-cashew paste and 10 to 12 curry leaves. Mix very well and saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.
- When the masala is getting sauteed, add 2 cups water in the blender jar. Swirl and rotate the jar gently so that the remaining coconut-cashew paste gets mixed with water.
- Now add this water to the masala mixture. Mix well.
- Season with salt as per taste.
- Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 14 to 15 minutes.
- When the mushroom kurma is done, you will see specks of oil floating on top and the curry will also thicken a bit.
- Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves and serve mushroom kurma hot with steamed rice, chapatis or pooris or paratha. It will also go well with cumin rice or saffron rice.
Notes
- You can use white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Mushroom Kurma post from the blog archives first published in June 2016 has been updated and republished on December 2022.
Superb recipe, Dassana. Easy to make, not too heavy as well. Can we use the same recipe for veg kurma?
thanks priyadarshini. yes you can use the same recipe for veg kurma as well.
Made it tonight Dassana and as always with all your recipes, it turned out amazing! Thanks for such a wonderful job with the website.
thank you bhanu. nice to know. happy cooking.
Made it tonight Dassana and as always with all your recipes, it turned out amazing! Thanks for such a wonderful job with the website.
This recipe is great! Thank you. My grinder isn’t very good so the coconut was rough and gave the curry an odd texture – could it be replaced with coconut cream?
you can use coconut milk, instead of cream. you can add about 1/3rd coconut milk. in case you use coconut cream, then add 1/4 cup.
I am from Kerala, now a great fan of yours. Tried it, very tasty!
thanks again elizabeth. glad you liked the recipe.
My son loves egg curry made from your recipe. It used to be there long time back in your website. After you took it out I tried the recipe with different ways (I forgot the actual ingradients I used from your list :-(.
Is it possible to send me that recipe in the email?
Even though I have passion to cook for my children, I didnt know how to cook. When I follow people’s recipe, it never came properly. After coming across your website, I stopped searching for recipes elsewhere. I follow the exact instructions and it turns out very good. We love your recipes. Thank you for posting.
thanks a lot aparna. i will send you the recipe by email. with great difficulty i managed to retrieve the recipe. even i had forgotten a few of the ingredients. i will email you in a day or two.
Turned out great.
thanks for positive feedback devaki 🙂
Can we serve this to guest along with paneer pasanda??
yes anjani you could do that thanks.
Just a small suggestion I would like to share. Try using shiitake mushrooms next time in korma. It totally makes a wonderful taste!!!! Because my mom really makes an awesome korma curry!
thanks simi. difficult to get shiitake mushrooms in india. the only variety we get is white button mushrooms, portobello, morel and oyster mushrooms. if ever i get them, will surely try.
what type of grinder are you using to make the coconut-cashew paste ???
this is preethi mixer grinder. link here from india amazon- https://www.amazon.in/Preethi-Blue-Leaf-Platinum-750-Watt/dp/B008LN5D4G/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=vegrecofind-21&linkCode=w00&linkId=&creativeASIN=B008LN5D4G
Yum!! This looks so good! I don’t usually like mushrooms but I think I will love this korma.
thankyou preeti surely try and let us know how it was?
super kuruma
thanks.