Kadai Mushroom curry is an Indian sauce/curry made using very little, or more often, no water. When mushrooms are cooked in a “kadai” in a tomato-based sauce with a savory mixture of garlic and other assorted spices it is called Kadai Mushroom curry.
‘Kadai’ is a thick and heavy bottomed traditional iron wok, used in Indian cooking.
‘Kadai’ or traditional Indian wok is deeper and narrower than the familiar Japanese or Chinese woks. The ingredients cook in their natural juices as they are stirred, which adds to the flavor of the dish.
Over time & repeated use, a ‘Kadai‘ becomes well seasoned and is an asset to any kitchen, simply because of the ease of cooking any dish in it, because it spreads the flavor at the same time the ingredients are well coated with the spices.It’s no wonder that ‘Kadhai’ cooking is quickly catching on as a new trend in the culinary world.
Its the first day of Summer, so off to the Farmer’s market I went early this morning to get the fresh produce grown in the local farms around here.Needless to say, the colors, the smell, the sounds of the Farmer’s market brought all of Summer rushing by , and armed with a bagful of goodies, I returned home a satisfied person.
The ‘organic sigh’ escaped me when it came to arranging all the veggies , the fruits & the greens in the refrigerator, my hunger pangs grew louder as I finished the chore.
What could I do in a jiffy, which was still yummy & still took little time to prepare, off course the ever friendly mushrooms! …thus ‘Kadai’ Mushroom curry was born in my kitchen
It took me 20 minutes from start to finish & before I knew it , we were having a hearty meal.It goes very well with flat breads like chapatis or naan.Enjoy!
KADHAI MUSHROOM CURRY/ STIR FRY
Ingredients
2 tbsp 2 Oil
1 1 ′ Ginger (fresh)
5 5 -6 Garlic cloves (crushed)
1 1 Onions ( finely sliced)
2 2 Tomatoes (cubed)
1 1 Mushrooms small basket ( 15-20 button mushrooms)
2 2 Green Bell pepper
5 5 -6 Dry red chilies
1 1/2 tbsp 1 1/2 Coriander seeds
1/4 tsp 1/4 Turmeric powder
1 tsp 1 Garam masala powder
Salt- to taste
A few A few Cilantro/Coriander leaves
Directions
- Heat oil in a ‘kadhai’,add the sliced ginger & crushed garlic & sauté it till a nice aroma begins.
- Now add the finely sliced onions to the above & sauté it till light brown, add the turmeric powder and then add the tomatoes to it & stir well & keep it covered with lid to cook in its own steam for a few minutes.
- When the tomatoes turn soft, add the blended powder of dry red chillies & coriander seeds( you can powder the two in a blender after dry roasting them ) and stir the mixture well
- Now add the sliced bell peppers to it & sauté for a few minutes, before adding the sliced mushrooms.
- Stir all of them together, after adding garam masala & salt to taste.Keep covered with a lid, since it cooks on its own steam,there is no need to add any water since this preparation is more like a thick gravy, so the water released from the mushrooms & the green peppers would be sufficient to cook.
- Garnish it with cilantro on top & serve hot with flat breads .A quick & easy yummy recipe,guaranteed to calm your hunger pangs in no time.
- Enjoy!
Do you enjoy mushrooms? how have you used them in your dishes. Give this simple Kadai Mushroom curry a try, you will come back for more!