Some weeknights I want a mushroom curry that tastes like we ordered in, without waiting for delivery. Regular matar mushroom is already comforting. The version that stuck in our house is the one finished with crumbled mawa (khoya), the same soft milk solids I usually save for sweets.
Mushroom Mawa Matar is a creamy mushroom matar recipe: button mushrooms and green peas in a lightly spiced onion-tomato gravy, rounded with mawa at the end. It is richer than a quick dry mushroom sabzi and silkier than a thin tomato curry. Think roti-night restaurant gravy, not festival-level heat.
The first time I tried this, I stirred the mawa into a watery mushroom pan and it turned pasty with little lumps. Now I cook the mushrooms until their liquid mostly evaporates and the edges look lightly browned, then add grated mawa off a hard boil so it melts into the gravy. That one change fixed the texture. Let’s make it together.
What Is Mushroom Mawa Matar?
Matar mushroom (also called mutter mushroom or mushroom matar masala) is a North Indian-style curry of mushrooms and green peas. Most home versions use an onion-tomato base, warm spices, and sometimes cashew or cream for body.
This mushroom mawa matar leans restaurant-rich by finishing with mawa / khoya. Mawa is cooked-down milk solids. A few tablespoons melt into the gravy and give it a soft, milky richness that cream alone does not quite match. You may also see mawa matar made with peas and khoya without mushrooms. Here the mushrooms do the savory work, and the peas bring sweetness.
Mushrooms add savory depth and a bit of plant protein, while peas bring fiber and natural sweetness. Together they make a vegetarian main that feels filling without needing paneer. It is related to matar paneer, but mushrooms drink up the gravy and keep the bowl lighter on dairy. If you already like creamy pea curries or a tomato-cashew gravy like paneer butter masala, this is a nice change of pace for mushroom nights.
Why You’ll Love This Curry
- Restaurant-style mushroom matar with a clear mawa finish
- Weeknight-friendly: about 45 minutes start to finish
- Vegetarian main that looks glossy in a shallow bowl
- Mild enough for kids if you keep Kashmiri chili gentle
- Easy swaps for cream, cashew, or vegan finishes
- Perfect for roti night, guest thalis, or make-ahead gravy
- Leftovers reheat well once the gravy settles overnight
Tips for a Silky Mushroom Matar Recipe
Test note: Mushrooms release a lot of water. If I dump them straight into the gravy, the sauce thins and the mawa never melts cleanly. I sauté the sliced mushrooms in a wide pan for 6 to 8 minutes until most of the liquid cooks off and the edges look lightly browned. Then they go into the gravy. For mawa, grate it cold and stir it in on low heat. Hard boiling after adding mawa can make the gravy look grainy.
- Wipe mushrooms, do not soak them. Extra water makes the pan steamy instead of browned.
- Bhuna the paste. Cook the onion-tomato base until it thickens and the raw smell goes. A rushed paste tastes sharp under the mawa.
- Use grated or crumbled mawa. Soften store-bought blocks at room temperature, then grate. Lumps dissolve faster than big chunks.
- Frozen peas are fine. Add them near the end so they stay bright green. Fresh peas need a couple of extra minutes.
- Loosen with hot water. The gravy thickens as the mawa settles. A splash of hot water brings it back when reheating.
Mushroom Mawa Matar
Equipment
- Wide pan or kadhai
- Blender
Ingredients
For the mushrooms and peas
- 300-350 g white button or cremini mushrooms wiped clean and sliced
- 1 cup green peas fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon oil for sautéing the mushrooms
- 1/4 teaspoon salt for the mushrooms
For the gravy
- 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste or 1 inch ginger + 4 garlic cloves
- 2 medium tomatoes roughly chopped
- 8-10 cashews soaked in warm water 15 minutes, optional for extra body
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder mild heat and color
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3/4-1 cup water as needed
- 1 green chili slit, optional
To finish
- 1/4 cup grated mawa / khoya about 40 to 50 g, plus more if you like it richer
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro for garnish
- 1 teaspoon butter optional, restaurant-style finish
Instructions
Prep the gravy paste
- If using cashews, drain them. Blend onion, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, and cashews (if using) with 2 to 3 tbsp water into a smooth paste.
Sauté the mushrooms
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan on medium-high. Add the sliced mushrooms and 1/4 tsp salt. Sauté 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until most of the released water evaporates and the edges look lightly browned. Transfer to a plate.
Cook the gravy
- In the same pan, heat 2 tbsp oil or ghee on medium. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add the slit green chili if using.
- Pour in the blended paste. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the paste thickens, darkens slightly, and no longer smells raw. Splash a little water if it sticks.
- Add turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, coriander powder, and salt. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add 3/4 cup water and bring to a gentle simmer. The gravy should look pourable but not watery.
Finish with peas and mawa
- Add the sautéed mushrooms and the green peas. Simmer on low 5 to 7 minutes so the peas cook through and the mushrooms pick up the gravy.
- Turn the heat to low. Stir in grated mawa until it melts into the gravy, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not boil hard after adding mawa. Add butter if using.
- Crush kasuri methi between your palms and stir in. Taste for salt. Finish with garam masala and cilantro. Loosen with a splash of hot water if the gravy got too thick.
Notes
Variations
- No mawa on hand: Finish with 2 to 3 tbsp fresh cream or 2 tbsp cashew cream. The flavor will be softer and less milky-sweet than true mawa.
- Extra rich: Add 1 tbsp cream with the mawa, or a little more grated khoya.
- Dairy-light: Use a smaller spoon of mawa and rely more on the optional cashew paste for body.
- Vegan: Skip mawa and ghee. Finish with thick cashew cream or coconut milk, and keep the mushroom sauté in oil. For a fully vegan cashew-tomato gravy, make vegan butter chicken with tofu.
- No onion, no garlic (Jain-style): Blend tomato and soaked cashews with a pinch of hing in the tempering. Add ginger only if your practice allows. Finish with mawa as usual.
- Spicier: Add an extra green chili or a pinch of hotter red chili powder with the spices.
- Add paneer: Tuck in soft paneer cubes for the last 3 minutes if you want a heartier bowl closer to matar paneer.
What to Serve With Mushroom Mawa Matar
- Soft roti, naan, or methi thepla
- Plain steamed rice or Instant Pot jeera rice
- A simple dal for a fuller thali, such as palak dal or mag ni chutti dal
- Cooling cucumber raita on the side
- For another creamy vegetarian gravy night, try methi malai paneer
FAQs
Q1. Can I make this mushroom matar recipe without mawa?
Yes. Finish with cream or blended cashews. You will still get a good mushroom matar masala, just without the milky khoya note that makes this version special.
Q2. Why is my gravy watery?
Usually the mushrooms were not cooked dry enough before they went into the sauce. Sauté them until the pan looks mostly dry, then simmer. If it is still thin, cook uncovered a few more minutes before adding mawa.
Q3. Store-bought or homemade mawa?
Either works. Soften store-bought mawa at room temperature and grate it. Homemade khoya should be soft enough to crumble. Avoid dry, crumbly blocks that will not melt.
Q4. Can I make mushroom mawa matar ahead?
Yes. Make the gravy and mushrooms up to a day ahead and refrigerate. Warm gently, loosen with hot water, then refresh with a little grated mawa and kasuri methi before serving.
Q5. Is this the same as matar paneer?
No. Matar paneer uses paneer cubes. This is a mushroom matar curry finished with mawa. You can add paneer as a variation if you want both.
Q6. 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 hot water. The gravy thickens overnight as the mawa settles.
Closing
This mushroom matar recipe is the one I reach for when I want soft homemade roti with something a little richer than everyday sabzi. The mawa finish makes it feel special without turning dinner into a long project.
If you try this mushroom mawa matar, tell me in the comments: do you finish yours with store-bought khoya, homemade mawa, or a cream swap?
Made this? Share a photo and tag @petitepaprika on Instagram. I love seeing your kitchen creations!
