Mushroom Tikka Masala
This Mushroom tikka masala is a flavorful, rich, creamy and delicious restaurant style curry made with marinated grilled/sauteed mushrooms in a smooth, silken gravy base of onions, tomatoes and cashews. Make it for special occasions for a luxurious meal with a side of roti, naan, paratha or cumin rice.
Sharing one more Restaurant-style gravy of mushroom tikka masala. I had got a few requests to post this gravy recipe. this tikka masala gravy is different than the usual one I make with paneer or grilled veggies. Here I have not added fresh curd and used cashew paste. Thus the gravy is creamy and slightly sweet.
Preparing any tikka masala gravy takes time. So you can divide the prep work like marinating the tikkas a night before and then grilling & preparing gravy, the next day.
Mushroom tikka can be made both in the oven or on stovetop. i have listed both the methods in the step by step pics below. So choose one which suits you.
Serve mushroom tikka masala hot with tandoori roti, butter naan, lachedar paratha, chapati or Phulka. The gravy also goes well with jeera rice, saffron rice or veg pulao.
How to make Mushroom Tikka Masala
Preparing tikka marinade:
1. We will need hung curd/yogurt or thick yogurt for this recipe. I used ½ cup fresh curd and strained it in a muslin cloth with a light weight kept on it, overnight in the fridge.
From ½ cup fresh curd, I got 4 tablespoons hung curd. If using thick curd, then also use 4 tbsp of it.
2. Now add 4 tablespoons of the hung curd or thick curd in a bowl along with the following ingredients:
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder or 2 to 3 pinches of turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala powder
- 1 to 1.5 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- Add black salt as required. You can also use rock salt or regular salt instead of black salt.
3. Mix the marinade mixture very well.
4. Then add ½ tablespoon of besan or gram flour.
5. Stir and mix again very well. You can also add ½ tablespoons oil if grilling the mushroom tikka in the oven or a tandoor grill. If pan-frying or sauteing, then no need to add oil.
6. Now add mushrooms to the marinade mixture. The mushrooms can be rinsed and then wiped if too many mud particles on them or just lightly wiped with a moist cloth, if they are clean.
Slice the stalks a little bit and keep them ready before adding to the marinade.
7. With your hands, gently mix and coat the mushrooms with the marinade. Cover the bowl with a lid and allow the mushrooms to get marinated for 30 minutes at room temperature or in the fridge. You can also keep for a couple of hours in the fridge or overnight.
8. Meanwhile add 2 large tomatoes and 8 to 10 cashews in a bowl containing hot water. Cover and keep aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
The tomatoes will get blanched and the cashews will soften. You can heat the water on a stovetop, in a microwave or in an electric heater. Use almonds or a mix of almonds and melon seeds (magaz) if you don’t want to use cashews.
9. After 20 to 30 minutes, chop the blanched tomatoes. You can also remove the peels if you want.
10. Add the tomatoes along with its juices and the cashews to a grinder or blender jar. Without adding any water grind to a smooth paste.
11. These are the marinated mushrooms after 40 minutes.
Baking method:
1. Line the pan with an aluminium foil. Thread the mushrooms on a skewer and bake/grill for 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated oven at 200 degrees celsius.
Since oven temperatures vary, do keep a check. The time taken to grill the mushrooms can be less or more.
2. The oven grilled mushrooms below. You can also brush oil on the mushrooms before baking and its optional.
Sauteing method:
1. Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil in a pan. You can use any neutral flavored oil.
2. Add the marinated mushrooms.
3. Let each side of the mushrooms get cooked a bit and then turn over. Use a well-seasoned pan or non-stick pan for sauteing the mushrooms, otherwise, the marinade sticks to the pan.
3. Saute the mushrooms on a low to medium heat.
4. Turn over and saute so that each side gets browned and cooked well. A time will come when the mushrooms will begin to release water and the oil will begin to splutter. Just cover the pan with a lid half way and continue to cook the mushrooms.
5. Saute till the marinade coating on the mushrooms is nicely golden and crisp. Remove the sauteed mushrooms with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
Making mushroom tikka masala gravy
6. In the same oil, add ½ cup finely chopped onions. If you have grilled all the mushrooms, then just heat 2 tablespoons of oil.
7. Stir and mix very well. Begin to saute onions on a low to medium heat stirring often.
9. Saute till the onions start turning golden.
10. Next add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away or for a few seconds.
11. Now add ⅓ cup chopped capsicum (green bell pepper) and 1 to 2 slit green chilies. Green chilies give the dish some heat. Skip if making for kids or if you or family members cannot tolerate heat.
12. Stir and saute for a minute.
13. Now add all the dry spice powders mentioned below:
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
14. Stir the dry spice powders very well with the rest of the mixture.
15. Add the tomato-cashew paste.
16. Stir and mix again.
17. Also add leftover marinade. I just had about 1.5 teaspoons of the leftover marinade.
18. Stir and saute for 4 to 5 minutes.
19. Now add 1 cup water.
20. Stir and mix again so that the water gets evenly mixed with the rest of the masala.
21. Add salt as required.
22. Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar or as required.
23. Bring the curry or gravy to a simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
24. Add the sauteed or grilled mushrooms. If you want, you can prepare the gravy first. Then while serving, pour the gravy in the serving bowl. Place the mushroom tikkas on the gravy.
25. Add ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, a pinch or two of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder and 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (crushed).
26. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of low fat cream or whipping cream.
Substitute for fresh cream is 1 tablespoon milk powder or 1 tablespoon grated Khoya. if using either, then add them after you add the tomato-cashew paste and saute.
27. Stir very well and then switch off the heat. Check the taste and add more salt or sugar if required.
28. Lastly add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves and ½ inch ginger, julienne.
29. Stir and serve mushroom tikka masala hot or warm with tandoori rotis, butter naan, pudina paratha or chapatis or phulkas.
You can also serve it with rice based dishes like jeera rice, veg pulao, biryani rice or even with steamed basmati rice.
Few more tasty curry recipes for you!
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
for mushroom marinade
- 200 to 250 grams buttton mushrooms
- 4 tablespoon Hung Curd (thick curd) or hung curd made from ½ cup fresh curd (yogurt)
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder or 2 to 3 pinches of turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder or deghi mirch
- ½ teaspoon Chaat Masala Powder
- 1 to 1.5 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste or 3 to 4 garlic cloves and ½ inch ginger – crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
- ½ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon oil, to be used only if grilling or baking the mushrooms in the oven
- ½ tablespoon besan (gram flour)
- 3 to 4 tablespoon oil for sauteing mushrooms
- black salt or rock salt or regular salt as required
- some oil for brushing while grilling (optional)
for tomato-cashew paste
- 200 grams tomatoes or 3 medium to large tomatoes
- 8 to 10 cashews
- hot water as required
for mushroom tikka masala gravy
- 80 to 100 grams onion or 1 medium to large onion or about ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste or 2 to 3 garlic cloves and ½ inch ginger – crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
- 1 small to medium capsicum (green bell pepper) or about 1/3 cup chopped capsicum
- 1 or 2 green chilies – slit
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 to 2 pinch grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) – crushed
- 2 to 3 tablespoon low fat cream or whipping cream
- 1 to 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
marinating mushrooms
- We will need hung curd/yogurt or thick yogurt for this recipe.
- I used 1/2 cup fresh curd and strained it in a muslin cloth with a light weight kept on it, overnight in the fridge. From 1/2 cup fresh curd, I got 4 tbsp hung curd. If using thick curd, then also use 4 tbsp of it.
- Now add 4 tbsp of the hung curd or thick curd in a bowl along with 1/8 tsp turmeric powder or 2 to 3 pinches of turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder, 1/2 tsp chaat masala powder, 1 to 1.5 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 tsp carom seeds/ajwain, 1/4 tsp lemon juice and 1/2 tbsp besan or gram flour.
- Mix the marinade mixture very well.
- You can also add 1/2 tbsp oil if grilling the mushroom tikka in oven or a tandoor grill. If pan frying or sauteing, then no need to add oil.
- Now add mushrooms to the marinade mixture.
- With your hands, gently mix and coat the mushrooms with the marinade.
- Cover the bowl with a lid & allow the mushrooms to get marinated for 30 minutes at room temperature or in the fridge. You can also keep for a couple of hours in the fridge.
preparation for mushroom tikka masala gravy
- Meanwhile add 2 large tomatoes and 8 to 10 cashews in a bowl containing hot water. Cover and keep aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
- The tomatoes will get blanched and the cashews will soften. You can heat the water on a stove top, in a microwave or in an electric heater.
- After 20 to 30 minutes, chop the blanched tomatoes. You can also remove the peels if you want.
- Add the tomatoes along with its juices and the cashews to a grinder or blender jar. Without adding any water grind to a smooth paste.
- Chop the onions and capsicum too. Crush the ginger-garlic to a paste in mortar-pestle. Slit the green chilies.
method 1 – for baking mushroom tikka
- Line the pan with an aluminium foil. Thread the mushrooms on a skewer and bake/grill for 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated oven at 200 degrees celsius.
- You can also brush oil on the mushrooms before baking and its optional.
method 2 – for pan frying mushroom tikka
- Heat 3 to 4 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the marinated mushrooms.
- Let each side of the mushrooms get cooked a bit and then turn over.
- Use a well seasoned pan or non stick pan for sauteing the mushrooms, otherwise the marinade sticks to the pan. Saute the mushrooms on a low to medium flame.
- Turn over and saute so that each side gets browned and cooked well.
- A time will come when the mushrooms will begin to release water and the oil will begin to splutter.
- Just cover the pan with a lid half way and continue to cook the mushrooms.
- Saute till mushrooms are nice golden and crisp.
- Remove them with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
making mushroom tikka masala gravy
- In the same oil, add 1/2 cup finely chopped onions. If you have grilled all the mushrooms, then just heat 2 tbsp oil.
- Stir very well and begin to saute the onions on a low to medium flame.
- Saute till the onions start turning golden.
- Next add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Now add 1/3 cup chopped capsicum (green bell pepper) and slit 1 to 2 green chilies. Green chilies give the dish some heat. Skip if making for kids and if you cannot tolerate heat.
- Stir and saute for a minute.
- Now add all the dry spice powders – 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder.
- Stir the dry spice powders very well with the rest of the mixture.
- Add the tomato-cashew paste. Stir again.
- Also add the leftover marinade. Stir and saute for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Now add 1 cup water. Stir so that the water gets evenly mixed with the rest of the masala.
- Add salt as required. Add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp sugar or as required.
- Bring the curry or gravy to a simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the sauteed or grilled mushrooms.
- Add 1/4 tsp garam masala powder, a pinch or two of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder and 1 tsp kasuri methi (crushed).
- Add 2 to 3 tbsp low fat cream or whipping cream. Substitute for fresh cream is 1 tbsp milk powder or 1 tbsp grated khoya. If using either, then add them after you add the tomato-cashew paste and saute.
- Stir very well and then switch off the flame.
- Check the taste of gravy and add more salt or sugar if required.
- Lastly add 1 to 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves.
- Stir and Serve mushroom tikka masala hot with tandoori rotis, butter naan or chapatis or phulkas.
This Mushroom Tikka Masala post from the archives first published in May 2015 has been republished and updated on 26 June 2022.
Hi!
I made this yesterday and it was amazing! Thank you for the recipe and for posting the photos!
Welcome Aastha
Thanks a lot for sharing thz yummy recipe!!!
Welcome Nayer
I tried this recipe and it really turned out well. Thank you so much for making it easy.
Welcome Nivedita
I make recipes from this site on a regular basis. I made this for the first time a week ago and ever since, my wife could not have an Indian meal soon enough. And it had to include this recipe …
thankyou philippe for trying so many recipes and glad you follow us thankyou so much 🙂
Tasty yummy
thankyou shumaila 🙂
If I cannot use cashew due to nut allergy, is there anything else I can use
just skip them then.
I made this for my dad for father’s day and oh my… this is crazy good. We’re vegan so I just made this thick cashew yogurt with some bio-k (cashew + water + bio-k, cultured in a yogurt maker for 9 hrs) and used that for the yogurt at the beginning and the cream at the end, but followed everything else exactly… So so good. Did the pan-fried version and it worked great. Will be making this again. I did this recipe x4 and it filled up my 4-quart crockpot perfectly if anyone is making this for a crowd.
thanks for the feedback gwen. in most indian recipes, especially the tikka recipes cashew yogurt works very well. also nice to know that the recipe worked even after increasing the proportions. will help the readers for sure.
can you substitute the curd for something else?
cannot be substituted. but you can just skip and add 1 to 1.5 tbsp more of the besan. add more lemon juice if required.
This recipe looks very complicated but looks yummy.
Hi. Dasana. My computer screen never looked so appetising with all your fabulous images! I am looking for a good vegetarian schwarma recipe. Can you assist. Thanks Khushi
welcome khushi. thanks for your positive comment. i will try to post one vegetarian schwarma recipe.
Lovely recipe! Turned out really yummy and striked the right balance in taste. My son thought it was his favourite non veg item. Keep up the good work.
I just want to request you to try and share some newer recipes in dosa. Look forward to it.
thank you sonal. good to know. i do plan to add various dosa & idli varieties and slowly steadily, i will add them.
I have tried this recipe today, it came out great. It was so yummy.:)
thanks sruthi
I tried this recipe today.
It was yumm…couldn’t stop eating.my 3 year old also kept asking for more.
Thank u so much for such great recipes.
welcome diya. glad to know this.
Excellent recipes
thanks kailash
I particularly like the tomato/cashew step. It is applicable in many sauces/gravies where one wants a creamy dairy richness but cannot use actual dairy due to allergies or religious restrictions.
thanks luis. even almonds can be used instead of cashews to give a creaminess in the gravy.
Thanks a lot for this recipe, I will try it, looks very yummy.
welcome rabeela
Very well described, in details, excellent photos. Thanks. I/we shall surely try.
welcome sudeep
I really like the mushroom tikka masala receipe. i will try toda. thank u for sharing. pl send me some more veg receipe.
welcome pragna