Various Curries and Kurma gravies are an intrinsic and integral part of Indian cuisine and we love our meals with them. Here’s a deliciously rich South Indian style Mushroom Peas Curry recipe which is also easy to prepare. This Batani Curry packs a punch of flavors with the cashew-coconut paste along with earthy mushrooms and fresh green peas of the season. Perfect for a weekend afternoon supper followed by a siesta.
About Mushroom Peas Curry
This Batani Curry is the South Indian relative of the Matar Mushroom, which is a popular dish with green peas and mushroom in North India. I usually make a simple, semi-dry version of the Matar Mushroom by sautéing onion and tomatoes with spices. This South Indian curry style curry is equally good.
This curry recipe is adapted from Jiggs Kalra’s cookbook ‘Prashad – Cooking with Indian Masters. The dish is referred to as ‘Batani Kaal Kari’ in his book. Batani means green peas in Telugu and Kannada language.
In the Tamil language ‘Pattani’ is green peas. So, this recipe is also called as Pattani Curry. Both mushrooms and green peas are a favorite at my home, and so is this combination in a curry.
This curry falls under the category of korma/kurma curry. You can also call it as Batani Kurma. Thus, goes exceptionally well with plain steamed rice. Other ways to serve the curry is with Chapati or Phulka, Tandoori Roti, Naan, Poori, Parotta and Paratha.
Though I’ve tried the Batani Curry with Jeera Rice too, but this combination doesn’t work that well. The fragrant jeera rice overpowers the subtle flavors of the coconut and cashews in the curry.
How to make Batani Curry
1. Begin by cooking 1 cup shelled fresh peas in water which is covering them, in a pan. In winters, fresh green peas are easily available. Otherwise, you can use frozen green peas.
2. In the meantime, rinse and chop 200 to 250 grams mushrooms. Then, sauté them in 1 tablespoon of oil on medium or medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes or till they are tender and cooked. Transfer the sautéed mushrooms on a plate and set aside.
3. The green peas are still cooking here.
4. Once the green peas are completely cooked and softened, drain the water and set the cooked green peas aside. Reserve the cooked water or stock to be added in the curry later.
If you want to use the stock then use fresh peas. If you are going to use frozen peas, then discard the stock. In this case, add water to the curry later.
5. In a blender or grinder, make a fine paste of 7 to 8 cashews and ½ cup grated fresh coconut with ¼ to ⅓ cup water or as needed.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Keep the flame to a low.
Fry ½ teaspoon mustard seeds till they crackle. Then, fry 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds and 1 teaspoon urad dal (hulled and split black gram) till fragrant and the dal becomes golden.
7. Now, add 1 medium-size chopped onion – about ⅓ cup chopped onions.
8. Sauté chopped onions till lightly browned on medium-low heat. Stir often when sautéing onions.
9. Add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste/or crushed paste made from 1 inch ginger and 3 small to medium garlic cloves.
Sauté for a few seconds till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.
10. Add ½ teaspoon teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and stir to combine.
11. Add 1 medium-sized chopped tomato – about ½ cup chopped tomatoes.
12. Fry the tomato masala till the oil starts to leave the sides of the mixture. The tomatoes would also soften and become mushy.
13. Lower the heat and add the cashew-coconut paste along with 10 to 12 curry leaves.
14. Stir the paste for 2 to 3 minutes.
15. Now, add 2 to 2.5 cups of the green peas stock or water. Adjust water as needed depending on the consistency you prefer.
16. Let the kurma curry come to a boil and thicken slightly.
17. Then, add the sautéed mushrooms and cooked peas to the curry.
18. Add salt as required and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes more.
19. Garnish with 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves and serve Batani Curry hot or warm with chapati, tandoori roti, naan, paratha, steamed rice or jeera rice.
More Curry Recipes To Try!
Paneer Recipes
Mushroom Recipes
Curry Recipes
Potato Recipes
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Mushroom Peas Curry (Batani Curry)
Ingredients
For sauteing mushrooms (kalan)
- 1 tablespoon oil – for sautéing mushrooms
- 200 to 250 grams button mushrooms
For cooking green peas (batani)
- 1 cup green peas – fresh or frozen
- water as required
For coconut cashew paste
- ½ cup fresh grated coconut
- 7 to 8 cashews
- ¼ or ⅓ cup water or as required for blending or grinding
Other Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil – for the curry
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- 1 teaspoon urad dal (split and hulled black gram)
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ⅓ cup chopped onions 1 medium-sized onion
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste or 1 inch ginger and 3 small to medium garlic cloves, crushed into a paste in mortar-pestle
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes or 1 medium-sized tomato
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 10 to 12 curry leaves or 1 sprig of curry leaves
- 2 to 2.5 cup green peas stock or water or both
- salt as required
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves – for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the green peas in enough water. Strain and keep aside. Reserve the stock if using fresh peas.
- Grind or blend the coconut and cashews with water to a fine smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan or skillet. Sauté chopped mushrooms in the oil for 5 to 6 minutes on medium to medium-high heat and then set aside.
- In another pan, add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the mustard seeds and let them crackle.
- Then add the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and urad dal.
- Fry till the oil becomes aromatic and the dal gets golden. Don't over brown or burn the dal. Do this on a low or medium-low heat.
- Now, add chopped onions. Sauté the onions stirring often till light golden.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste or crushed ginger-garlic.
- Fry till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.
- Now, add all the spice powders – coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder. Mix to combine.
- Add chopped tomatoes. Sauté the mixture stirring often till the oil starts to leave its sides
- Add the cashewnut-coconut paste and the curry leaves.
- Mix and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add about 2 to 2.5 cups of the reserved green peas stock or water. You can add water less or more depending on the consistency you prefer.
- Let the curry come to a boil and thicken slightly. Now, add the sautéed mushrooms and cooked green peas.
- Add salt, stir and let the batani curry simmer further for 3 to 4 minutes more.
- Serve the curry hot, garnished with some chopped coriander leaves.
Notes
- Use fresh button mushrooms. Green peas can be fresh or frozen.
- Adjust the ground spices as needed.
Nutrition Info (Approximate values)
This Batani Curry post from the archives first published in December 2012 has been republished and updated on 1 May 2022.
Is this will be sweet in taste?
no this mushroom curry is not sweet.