I bought a punnet of button mushrooms for pasta, then found them still in the fridge two nights later, looking a little tired. The freezer had the usual bag of peas. I did not want another block of paneer curry, and I did not want to hunt for khoya (mawa, dried evaporated milk).
That is how this mushroom matar curry started. Matar (also spelled mutter) is green peas. The mushrooms stay juicy. The peas stay sweet. The gravy is a North Indian onion-tomato masala you can swipe with roti.
The first pan I made, I tipped the raw mushrooms straight into the masala. They flooded the kadhai. The gravy went thin and grey. Now I sauté the mushrooms first until the pan is almost dry, then stir them back in at the end. Let’s make it together.
What is mushroom matar?
Mushroom matar, also called matar mushroom or mushroom matar masala, is a North Indian curry of mushrooms and green peas in an onion-tomato gravy. Home versions often stay semi-dry, more sabzi than sauce. Restaurant bowls are smoother and a little creamy.
This mushroom matar recipe is the gravy version. Onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and a small cashew paste. A splash of cream at the end. You may also see it searched as mutter mushroom or mushroom mutter masala. Same peas, same mushrooms.
It is not mushroom masala with the peas forgotten. The peas are half the dish. It is also not the khoya bowl. If you want that richer party finish, keep the mawa for a separate night.
This is not a fasting curry. Onion and garlic are in the pan. Jain swaps are in the notes.
How to keep the mushrooms juicy
Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Do not soak them. Trim the woody stem ends and cut them in halves or quarters so they stay meaty, not thin slivers that collapse.
Test note: Heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high. Add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring, until they release their water, the pan looks almost dry, and the cut edges brown. Tip them onto a plate. If you add them raw to the masala, that same water thins the gravy and the mushrooms turn grey. Stir them back in for 3 to 4 minutes only, after the peas are tender.
Button mushrooms are the default. Cremini (brown button) work the same way. Skip morels and wild mushrooms here. They belong in a different curry.
Nutrition highlights
- Mushrooms add savory depth and a little plant protein without turning the bowl into paneer
- Green peas add fiber and a sweet pop against the tomato
- Cashews thicken the gravy so you need only a spoon of cream
- Naturally gluten-free. Vegetarian as written. Vegan if you swap the dairy
For a vegetarian table that already has dal and roti, this is an easy way to get mushrooms and peas into one kadhai.
Why you’ll love this
- Weeknight gravy. About 35 minutes, no khoya
- Frozen peas work. No shelling required
- Mushrooms stay juicy if you sauté them first
- Naturally gluten-free
- Feels restaurant-rich without another block of paneer
Perfect for
- A Tuesday dinner with roti and raita
- Using a punnet of mushrooms that did not make it into pasta
- When you want something fuller than carrot peas sabzi and lighter than paneer
- Jain nights, if you use the onion-garlic swap in the notes
Mushroom Matar Curry
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai Indian wok
- Blender
- Small bowl for soaking cashews
Ingredients
For the mushrooms
- 250 g button or cremini mushrooms about 9 oz, halved or quartered
- 1 tablespoon oil
- pinch salt
For the cashew paste
- 10 cashews
- 1/4 cup hot water for soaking
For the gravy
- 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves minced, or 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 to 2 green chillies slit
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped, about 1 cup
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3/4 cup warm water plus more as needed
For the peas and finish
- 1 cup green peas frozen or fresh
- 3 tablespoons fresh cream
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar optional, if the tomatoes taste sharp
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed between your palms
To garnish
- fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon cream optional
Instructions
Soak and sauté
- Soak the cashews in 1/4 cup hot water for 15 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the kadhai over medium-high. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring, until they release their water and the edges brown. Tip them onto a plate.
Build the gravy
- In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil or ghee over medium. Add cumin seeds. Let them sizzle 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook 6 to 8 minutes until soft and light gold, not burnt.
- Add ginger, garlic, and green chillies. Cook 1 minute until the raw smell goes.
- Add the tomatoes, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli, coriander powder, cumin powder, and salt. Cook 5 to 6 minutes until the tomatoes collapse and oil collects at the edges.
- Tip the masala into the blender with the soaked cashews and their water. Blend until completely smooth. Return it to the pan.
- Add 3/4 cup warm water and stir until it loosens into a gravy that coats a spoon.
Add peas, then mushrooms
- Add the peas. Frozen peas can go in straight. Fresh peas need 4 to 5 minutes until tender. Add a splash of water if the gravy is catching.
- Stir in cream, sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp, garam masala, and crushed kasuri methi. Taste for salt. The gravy should taste a little sweet from the peas and savory from the mushrooms.
- Add the sautéed mushrooms. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes on low so they take on gravy but stay juicy. Do not walk away.
- Garnish with cilantro and a spoon of cream if you want. Serve hot.
Notes
Tips from my kitchen
- Brown the mushrooms, then take them out. That one step keeps the gravy thick and the mushrooms juicy.
- Peas first, mushrooms last. The peas need a few minutes. The mushrooms only need to warm through in the sauce.
- Soak the cashews in hot water. Cold water needs a longer soak, and the gravy turns grainy if you rush the blend.
- Mistake I made: I added raw mushrooms with the peas and kept the pan on medium while I rolled roti. The gravy went watery and the mushrooms turned grey. High heat first, then 3 to 4 minutes at the end.
What to serve with mushroom matar
This wants a swipe and one cooling bowl. The curry is already rich, so keep the rest of the table lighter.
- Roti, phulka, or naan
- Instant Pot jeera rice
- Cucumber raita
- Palak dal if you want a thinner, greener dal on the same table
A kachumber (cucumber, onion, tomato, lime) is enough if the curry is the only rich thing. If you want a dry pea sabzi on the same thali, make cauliflower peas sabzi.
FAQs
Q1. What is mushroom matar curry?
A North Indian curry of mushrooms and green peas in an onion-tomato gravy. It is the same dish as matar mushroom or mutter mushroom. This version is a restaurant-style gravy, not a dry sabzi.
Q2. How do I stop the mushrooms from getting soggy?
Sauté them first until they release their water and the edges brown. Add them back for 3 to 4 minutes only. Do not soak the mushrooms before cooking, and do not simmer them a long time after the gravy is ready.
Q3. Can I use frozen peas? Do I need cream or khoya?
Yes to frozen peas. Add them straight from the freezer. No, you do not need khoya. Cashew paste gives the gravy body. Cream is a finish, not a requirement.
Q4. Can I make this as a dry sabzi?
Yes. Skip the blender, skip the cashews, and use little or no extra water. Keep sautéing until the masala clings to the mushrooms and peas. That is the home-style mushroom matar sabzi.
Q5. What mushrooms should I use?
White button or cremini. Cut them in halves or quarters. Thin slices shrink too much. Skip morels and mixed wild mushrooms for this curry.
Q6. Can I make this vegan or Jain?
Vegan: oil and cashew cream or thin coconut milk. Jain: skip onion and garlic, bloom hing, use extra tomato and cashews.
Q7. How do I store leftovers?
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on low with a splash of water. The mushrooms will soften on day two. Do not freeze.
Ready for a weeknight kadhai?
Once the cashews are soaking and the mushrooms are browned, this mushroom matar curry is mostly one pan: onion-tomato, peas, then the mushrooms at the end. The gravy should coat a spoon. The mushrooms should still feel juicy when you bite one.
If you try this mushroom matar, tell me in the comments: did you keep it as a gravy, or did you cook it down to a sabzi?
Made this? Share a photo and tag @petitepaprika on Instagram. I love seeing your kitchen creations!
