Mushroom Stew Recipe

Recipe for South Indian style Mushroom Stew. Perfect side dish for appam and idiyappam. Recipe with step by step pictures.

I adapted my vegetable stew recipe and made this Mushroom stew. My father in law loves Mushrooms in any form. So I tweaked my veg stew recipe and it was such a hit at home. The home made masala paste makes for the base flavour of this curry. I do not add coconut milk which is traditional for a stew. I instead made a paste of cashew-poppy-coconut and added it to the stew. It adds an unctuous richness and also gives the body to the stew. While cashew-poppy-coconut paste is the base of many traditional kurmas, it totally works for this recipe. Do try it at home. Its easy to put together for a weeknight lunch or dinner.

Here is how to do Mushroom Stew. First, we will make a spice masala paste for the stew. Grind together green chillies, garlic, ginger, fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon with half a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Green chillies is the only spice used for the heat in this recipe. So if you want a very spicy stew, add more green chillies to your liking and vice versa.

Heat coconut oil in a pan until hot. I love the flavour of coconut oil for this stew. Any vegeteable oil would work perfectly well too. Add in the finely chopped onions and curry leaves. Saute till the onions are soft.

Add in the tomatoes and the spice paste. Add in the salt.

Saute for 5-7 minutes on a medium flame till the masalas are well cooked and the tomatoes are juiced down and the mixture is relatively dry. Add in the chopped mushrooms. I have used button mushrooms today for this recipe.

Add in a cup of water and let the curry simmer for 10 minutes. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for the said time.

Mean while soak the cashews, white poppy seeds (khus khus) and fresh shredded coconut in half a cup of water for 10 minutes. Grind to a smooth paste. If you cannot source poppy seeds in a country where you live, just omit it.

Add in the paste and half a cup of water to the curry.

Let the curry simmer for five minutes.

Mushroom stew is ready. Serve with appam , idiyappam . It even goes really well with some ghee chapati .

For the spice paste

• 10 cloves garlic
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 3 - 4 green chillies
• 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 1 cardamom
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Cashew-poppy-coconut paste

• 10 cashews
• 1/3 cup fresh shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds (khus khus)

Other Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 200 grams button mushrooms , diced

1. Grind together green chillies, garlic, ginger, fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon with half a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Heat coconut oil in a pan until hot. Add in the finely chopped onions and curry leaves. Saute till the onions are soft.
3. Add in the tomatoes and the spice paste. Add in the salt.
4. Saute for 5-7 minutes on a medium flame till the masalas are well cooked and the tomatoes are juiced down and the mixture is relatively dry. Add in the diced mushrooms.
5. Add in a cup of water and let the curry simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Mean while soak the cashews, white poppy seeds (khus khus) and fresh shredded coconut in half a cup of water for 10 minutes. Grind to a smooth paste.
7. Add in the paste and half a cup of water to the curry.
8. Let the curry simmer for five minutes.
9. Mushroom stew is ready. Serve with appam, idiyappam. It even goes really well with some ghee chapati.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: curry
• Cuisine: South Indian

For the spice paste

• 10 cloves garlic
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 3 - 4 green chillies
• 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 1 cardamom
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Cashew-poppy-coconut paste

• 10 cashews
• 1/3 cup fresh shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds (khus khus)

Other Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 200 grams button mushrooms , diced

1. Grind together green chillies, garlic, ginger, fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon with half a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Heat coconut oil in a pan until hot. Add in the finely chopped onions and curry leaves. Saute till the onions are soft.
3. Add in the tomatoes and the spice paste. Add in the salt.
4. Saute for 5-7 minutes on a medium flame till the masalas are well cooked and the tomatoes are juiced down and the mixture is relatively dry. Add in the diced mushrooms.
5. Add in a cup of water and let the curry simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Mean while soak the cashews, white poppy seeds (khus khus) and fresh shredded coconut in half a cup of water for 10 minutes. Grind to a smooth paste.
7. Add in the paste and half a cup of water to the curry.
8. Let the curry simmer for five minutes.
9. Mushroom stew is ready. Serve with appam, idiyappam. It even goes really well with some ghee chapati.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: curry
• Cuisine: South Indian

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/mushroom-stew-recipe/

Recipe for spicy, tangy Pulicha Keerai Thokku. Gongura Thokku Recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures.

This recipe is from my neighbor Vidya. We had shared some Sorrel leaves that we harvested in the farm and in return we got this wonderful thokku. It was so tasty that I pestered her for the recipe. She was really sweet to share the recipe immediately. This dish goes really well with rice. Here is how to do it.

Here are other recipes from the site using greens, spinach etc..

Here is the video of how to make Pulicha Keerai Thokku, Gongura Thokku Recipe

Clean the Sorrel Leaves and get rid off the stems. Wash the leaves and dry them. Set aside. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves and the Sorrel leaves.

Saute for a few minutes till the Sorrel leaves are wilted and slightly changes color. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate to cool.

Heat half a teaspoon of oil in a kadai and add in the urad dal, chana dal and toor dal. Roast the lentils on a low flame. Saute continuously to avoid the lentils from burning. Once the lentils are slightly brown and fragrant, remove from the kadai and set aside on a plate to cool.

In the same kadai, heat half a teaspoon of oil, add in in the coriander seeds, black pepper and methi seeds. Saute for a few seconds on a low flame until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate to cool.

In the same kadai, heat half a teaspoon of oil, add in the dry red chillies (preferably guntur chillies), and tamarind. Saute till the red chillies plump up. Saute on a low flame at all times to avoid burning the spices. Once the chillies are plump, remove from heat and set aside on a plate to cool. Note: I have used around 15 dried red chillies today. Adjust the quantity of the red chillies according to your taste.

Take in all the roasted and cooled lentils / spices except the greens and grind to a coarse powder without adding any water. Make sure that the powders are coarse. Do not grind to a fine paste.

In the same mixie, add in the cooked curry leaves and sorrel leaves mixture. Sprinkle little water and pulse for a couple of times. Make sure not to add a lot of water while grinding and also make sure that the ingredients are still coarse. Set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoon of sesame oil (Indian gingely oil) in a pan and when the oil is hot, add in the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the asafoetida. Add in the ground paste.

Add in the jaggery and the salt.

Saute for a good five minutes till the mixture is dry and streaks of oil starts to appear from the mixture. The thokku is ready.

Store the thokku in a glass / ceramic jar for 10 – 15 days in the fridge. Serve with rice and ghee.

• 4 tablespoon gingely oil (Indian sesame oil)
• 1/4 cup curry leaves
• 3 cups cleaned sorrel leaves (pulicha keerai / gongura)
• 1 tablespoon white urad dal
• 1 tablespoon chana dal
• 1 tablespoon toor dal
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 7 - 8 black peppercorn
• 1/2 teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek)
• 15 dried red chillies
• goose berry size tamarind (1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
• 2 tablespoon jaggery
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Clean the Sorrel Leaves and get rid off the stems. Wash the leaves and dry them. Set aside. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves and the Sorrel leaves. Saute for a few minutes till the Sorrel leaves are wilted and slightly changes color. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate to cool.
2. Heat half a teaspoon of oil in a kadai and add in the urad dal, chana dal and toor dal. Roast the lentils on a low flame. Saute continuously to avoid the lentils from burning. Once the lentils are slightly brown and fragrant, remove from the kadai and set aside on a plate to cool.
3. In the same kadai, heat half a teaspoon of oil, add in in the coriander seeds, black pepper and methi seeds. Saute for a few seconds on a low flame until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate to cool.
4. In the same kadai, heat half a teaspoon of oil, add in the dry red chillies (preferably guntur chillies), and tamarind. Saute till the red chillies plump up. Saute on a low flame at all times to avoid burning the spices. Once the chillies are plump, remove from heat and set aside on a plate to cool.
5. Take in all the roasted and cooled lentils / spices except the greens and grind to a coarse powder without adding any water. Make sure that the powders are coarse. Do not grind to a fine paste.
6. In the same mixie, add in the cooked curry leaves and sorrel leaves mixture. Sprinkle little water and pulse for a couple of times. Make sure not to add a lot of water while grinding and also make sure that the ingredients are still coarse. Set aside.
7. Heat 3 tablespoon of sesame oil (Indian gingely oil) in a pan and when the oil is hot, add in the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the asafoetida. Add in the ground paste.
8. Add in the jaggery and the salt.
9. Saute for a good five minutes till the mixture is dry and streaks of oil starts to appear from the mixture. The thokku is ready.
10. Store the thokku in a glass / ceramic jar for 10 – 15 days in the fridge. Serve with rice and ghee.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Category: Chutney
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu