Vindaloo Recipe With Mushrooms
Vindaloo or Vindalho is a quintessential Portuguese Goan recipe that is usually made with chicken or pork. So, for me, it was absolutely essential to develop a lovely vegetarian version with my favorite Mushrooms. Here is my homestyle Vindaloo recipe with Mushrooms that is equally delish and will transport you to the beautiful and scenic Goan territory at once. This recipe is also vegan-friendly.
About Vindaloo
The Portuguese Goan cuisine offers some really delectable recipes like Xacuti, ambotik, cafrael, bafad, sorpotel, etc. But all these are classically made with a variety of meats, pork being the most preferred.
Thus, mix vegetables, unripe jackfruit and mushrooms are a preferred choice for vegetarians and eggetarians can make the same recipes with eggs. This Mushroom Vindaloo is one such plant based version that I have created.
You can use button, cremini, portobello, oyster or shiitake mushrooms here. If you want to know more about these varieties, see my Types of Mushrooms post.
For this dish, usually, meats are marinated in the vindaloo paste that is made first. However, for vegetables you don’t need to do this, as while cooking, the veggies absorb the flavors of the vindaloo paste.
The same happens in this Mushroom Vindaloo recipe too. You really don’t have to marinate the mushrooms.
Ingredients that are essential for an authentic vindaloo paste are some dried red chilies, the usual Indian whole spices and vinegar, preferably malt vinegar. Using Kashmiri red chilies gives a nice red color to the vindaloo curry.
This recipe of Mushroom Vindaloo is strongly flavored with the spices and is a fiery, hot and very spicy recipe. Reduce the quantity of red chilies, ginger, garlic and spices, if you want a less spicy vindaloo preparation.
Adding fried potatoes is optional and you can skip this part, if you do not want potatoes in the vindaloo. But let me tell you, potatoes do taste fabulous in the vindaloo curry.
Vindaloo is best had with plain boiled rice or the Goan bread or pav. You can also have it with the regular dinner rolls or Pav. The mushrooms in this version have the meaty texture. So, I would really say that it can be a hit with non-vegetarians too.
How to make Vindaloo With Mushrooms
Make Vindaloo Masala
1. Soak 7 to 8 dried Kashmiri red chilies in ⅓ cup hot water for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. In the picture below, you see all the ingredients for making the vindaloo paste. In the center are soaked Kashmiri chilies.
Clockwise from left are:
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- ½ tablespoon cumin seeds
- 2 cinnamon sticks of 1 inch each
- 4 to 5 cloves
- 8 to 10 black peppercorns
- 1 inch ginger, peeled & chopped
- 6 to 7 small garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
3. Take all of the above from the plate to a grinder or blender. Also, add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder.
4. Next, add 1½ tablespoons white vinegar or malt vinegar and 5 to 6 tablespoons water.
You can also use coconut vinegar. I have used malt vinegar.
5. Grind to a smooth and fine paste.
Fry Potatoes
6. In a pan, heat 2 to 2½ tablespoons oil. Add 1 medium potato, cubed and pan fry them.
7. Fry the potatoes till light brown in color.
8. Keep them aside.
Sauté Onions & Mushrooms
9. In the same pan, add ⅓ cup chopped onions.
You can add some more oil, if required.
10. Sauté until onions turn translucent and are softened.
11. Then, add 200 grams mushrooms, chopped and 1 to 2 chopped green chilies.
12. Sauté the mushrooms on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. The mushrooms will first begin to release water.
13. Keep stirring and sautéing mushrooms until all the water evaporated and the mushroom mixture looks dry.
Sauté Vindaloo Masala Paste
14. Now, add the prepared vindaloo masala paste.
15. Start sautéing the vindaloo paste.
16. Sauté on low heat for about 7 to 8 minutes.
Make Mushroom Vindaloo
17. Then, add 1 to 1½ cups water according to the desired consistency you want. Also, add salt as required.
Feel free to adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding less water or more water.
18. Stir and mix well.
19. Simmer on low to medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. The vindaloo gravy will start to thicken.
20. Then, add the fried potatoes.
21. Simmer for a minute.
22. Garnish with 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves and serve Mushroom Vindaloo hot with steamed Basmati Rice.
More Tasty Goan Recipes To Try
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Vindaloo Recipe With Mushrooms
Ingredients
For the vindaloo masala
- 7 to 8 kashmiri red chilies – deseeded
- ⅓ cup hot water – for soaking red chilies
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- ½ tablespoon cumin seeds
- 4 to 5 cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks – each of 1 inch
- 8 to 10 black peppercorns
- 1 inch ginger – peeled & roughly chopped
- 6 to 7 garlic cloves – small to medium sized, peeled & roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1.5 tablespoon malt vinegar or regular vinegar or balsamic vinegar or coconut vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 5 to 6 tablespoons water – for grinding or add as required
For vindaloo curry
- 200 grams button mushrooms – rinsed and chopped
- 1 potato – peeled & cubed, medium-sized
- 1 onions – chopped, medium-sized
- 1 to 2 green chilies – chopped
- 2 to 2.5 tablespoons oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves – chopped
- 1 to 1.5 cups water – add less or more water if you want a thick or a slightly thin curry
- salt – according to taste
Instructions
Making vindaloo masala paste
- Soak the kashmiri dry red chilies in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Drain the water and set aside the soaked kashmiri red chilies.
- In a grinder or blender, add the soaked kashmiri red chilies.
- Additionally add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns, ginger, garlic, turmeric powder and sugar.
- Add the malt vinegar or white vinegar and 5 to 6 tablespoons of water.
- Grind or blend to a smooth and fine consistency.
- Set the vindaloo masala paste aside.
Making vindaloo with mushrooms
- Heat oil in a pan and fry the potato cubes till golden. Place then on paper towels and set aside.
- Then in the same pan, add the chopped onions & sauté till they become translucent and are softened.
- Add chopped mushrooms and 1 to 2 chopped green chilies.
- Sauté the mushrooms on medium heat. Keep stirring the mushrooms until all the water or liquids in the pan dries up. The entire mixture must look dry and without any water or liquids.
- When this is achieved, add the vindaloo masala paste. Start sautéing the vindaloo paste for some 7 to 8 mins on a low heat.
- Next add 1 to 1.5 cups of water or according to the desired consistency you want. Also add salt as required.
- Cook the vindaloo curry for some more 7 to 8 minutes. Soon the consistency will start to thicken.
- Next add the fried potatoes. Simmer for a minute.
- Garnish Mushroom Vindaloo with coriander leaves.
- Serve Vindaloo hot or warm with steamed rice or roti or bread or paratha.
Notes
- I have cooked the mushrooms while making the vindaloo, but if you have the time and patience, you could also sauté or fry the mushrooms and set aside. Once you have fried the masala paste well, add water and let it simmer. Then you add the fried mushrooms and potatoes and simmer for a few minutes so that the mushrooms absorbs the flavors of the vindaloo paste.
- I have used Kashmiri red chilies, but you could use any kind of red chilies or even a combination of red chilies.
- The vindaloo can also be made with veggies like aubergines, cauliflower, mix veggies and also tofu and paneer. If using tofu or paneer, then marinate the tofu/paneer with the vindaloo paste for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- You could also use unripe jackfruit that has been steamed or boiled or sautéed to make this vindaloo recipe.
- Reduce the number of chilies if you want the vindaloo to be less spicy.
- You could add less water for a slightly thicker consistency in the curry.
Nutrition
This Vindaloo Recipe With Mushrooms from the archives was first published on September 2011. It has been updated and republished on May 2024.
Love, love this vegan Vindaloo recipe. Thanks!
Glad you liked the recipe and thanks for the lovely feedback.
Would it be reasonable to substitute Kashmiri red chili powder for the dried red chilies, and if so, how much? I don’t have easy access to dried red chilies, but I have plenty of chili powder. Looking forward to making this!
The kashmiri red chilli powder can be substituted in place of dried red chillies, but the vindaloo won’t have the same level of smoky flavor and aroma when dried red chillies are used. I would suggest to try with ½ tablespoon of kashmiri red chilli powder. You can add it to the remaining vindaloo paste ingredients and grind or blend to a fine paste.
If needed you can always add some more kashmiri red chilli powder if needed, while sautéing the vindaloo paste.