Khumb Matar Malai

Khumb Matar Malai

Khumb Matar Malai (Mushroom Curry with Cardamom, Cashews, and Peas)

Cooking Indian cuisine is not for beginners. The more I delve into regional Indian cooking, the more I’ve learned the complexity of how to properly prepare these dishes. Their cuisine has significantly more ingredients than any other ethnicity I’m finding. Some of the ingredients are fairly expensive(nuts, saffron, etc.) There is a very specific order in which you add the ingredients. If you don’t the recipe won’t turn out right. But…The end results have been nothing but amazing, and this recipe is nothing short of that.
Mushrooms aren’t typically used in a lot of Indian cuisine. Khumb Matar Malai translates to mushroom curry with cardamom, cashews, and peas. What you get out of this curry is a creamy mushroom gravy thickened with a cashew paste and aromtically spiced with cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and Kashmiri chili powder. This dish is vegetarian, but can be made vegan by substituting non-dairy yogurt and almond or cashew milk. Serve with steamed basmati rice and paratha.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: indain, main course, South Asian, vegetarian
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • Spice Grinder or mortar and pestle
  • Food processor or immersion blender

Ingredients

Spice Powder

  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1” cinnamon stick
  • 5 green cardamom seeds

Khumb Matar Malai

  • 8 oz button mushrooms sliced
  • 1/3 cup cashews soaked in warm water for 20 minutes
  • 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 small white onion finely chopped
  • 1 birds eye green chili finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Garnish

  • 3 tbsp cilantro chopped

Instructions

  • Soak cashews in hot water for 20 minutes.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Purée the cashews in a blender along with the Greek yogurt and 1/4 cup of the water the cashews soaked in until a smooth paste is formed. Set aside.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • In the same blender, add the onions and purée into a paste. Set aside.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Grind the cloves, cinnamon stick, and cardamom seeds in a spice grinder. Set aside.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium. Sauté the green chili for 1 minute.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Add in the onion paste. Sauté for 8 minutes.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Add in the ginger garlic paste. Sauté for 1 minute.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Add in the Kashmiri chili powder and spice powder. Sauté for 30 seconds.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Add in the cashew yogurt paste. Sauté for 2 minutes.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Pour in the milk. Simmer for 2 minutes.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Add in the mushrooms, sugar, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, covered.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Add in the green peas and continue simmering for 5 minutes.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
Indian, main course, vegetarian
Serve with steamed basmati rice and paratha.