This gluten free vegan mushroom masala recipe is a rich and satisfying curry with a creamy cashew sauce, green peas, and exotic spices.
I’m an Indian food junkie. I can never satiate my cravings for the exotic spices and complex layers of flavor in a good Indian dish!
I make a lot of different Indian recipes: Biryani, Lamb Tikka Masala, Naan, Butter Lentils, and even Indian-inspired fusion foods like Easy Turkey or Chicken Masala Wraps. But when I’m looking for comfort food, aromatic Indian spices enrobed in a velvety sauce always hits the spot. (Which is why I love Butter Chicken so much!)
Creamy mushroom masala is pure healthy comfort food. I’d wager a guess that if someone tasting it didn’t already know it was vegan, it would come as quite a surprise! And it's also naturally gluten free.
If you like Indian flavors and you want to eat more meatless meals, try this mushroom based curry!
What Makes Vegan Mushroom Masala Recipe Special
For this curry, cashews give the sauce body and creamy texture, and also bump up the protein. Savory mushrooms mimic the heartiness of meat with their texture and umami flavor.
Garam masala spice mix is the main spice blend used in this recipe. It’s pretty easy to source at specialty spice shops, Indian grocery stores, and even many regular grocery stores. I enhance the spice mix with just a couple other additions: cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. These are all likely found in well-stocked pantries. However, the most interesting addition is fenugreek, a classic spice added to many Indian curries.
If you’ve never experienced fenugreek, you’re in for a treat. It has an intense aroma that’s similar to maple syrup, with a sort of complex bittersweet burnt sugar flavor. It’s such a unique spice I haven’t found a good single substitute that will hit all the same bells and whistles. But it’s worth tracking down if you make a lot of Indian recipes at home. Just a little bit adds so much flavor to a dish.
And as an interesting side note, fenugreek is often used by lactating mothers to build their milk supply. (No joke; Google it and you’ll get a ton of articles on the topic!)
Ingredients in Vegan Masala Mushroom Curry
Cashew Cream Ingredients:
- Raw unsalted cashews - for this vegan curry, we soak cashews in water and then blend them to make a velvety "cream" to thicken the curry
- Cold filtered water - to soak the cashews
Masala Mushroom Curry Ingredients:
- Coconut oil - to sauté the aromatics
- Onion - adds complexity and depth of flavor
- Garlic and ginger - for aroma and complex flavor
- Salt - to elevate and enhance the flavors
- Coconut sugar - to balance the flavor profile; if keeping this paleo isn't a concern, you can use brown sugar instead
- Garam masala spice mix, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, ground cayenne pepper, and ground fenugreek - this is the spice blend for our curry
- Canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes - to add sweet/tart flavor and body to the curry
- Water or vegetable stock - use vegetable stock for richer flavor
- Button mushrooms - you can use brown or white button mushrooms
- Frozen green peas - these add little pops of green color and boost the protein in this vegan meal
How to Make Mushroom Masala - It's Easy!
Step 1: Make the Cashew Cream:
Add the cashews to a medium-sized bowl and cover by 3 inches with cold filtered water. Cover the bowl and soak for 8 hours or overnight.
Rinse and drain the cashews, and then puree them with 6 tablespoons cold filtered water until smooth and creamy.
Step 2: Start the Curry:
Add 2 tablespoons coconut oil to a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook until starting to caramelize, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, and then add the salt, coconut sugar, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and fenugreek and cook 30 seconds more, continuing to stir constantly.
Add 1 can of tomatoes and the water, and bring up to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to simmer, and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Cook the Mushrooms:
Meanwhile, add the remaining 2 tablespoons coconut oil to a large, deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until they’re soft and the water they release evaporates off, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside for now.
Step 4: Finishing Touches:
When the curry has simmered for 20 minutes, turn off the heat, let it cool slightly, and then carefully puree it using an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender. Pour the curry back into the pot along with the remaining 1 can of tomatoes, mushrooms, green peas, and cashew cream.
Heat over medium-low heat until hot, stirring frequently.
Step 5: Serve:
Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and fresh lemon wedges to squeeze on top, along with prepared basmati rice, cauliflower rice, or flatbread.
How Long Does Mushroom Curry Last in the Fridge?
You can store leftover mushroom masala in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Paleo Friendly Mushroom Masala
This dish is an easy one to keep paleo. The only ingredient that isn’t completely paleo-friendly are the peas.
This is due to the fact that there is some debate in the paleo community as to whether peas are part of a paleo diet. Although peas are thought to be quite benign compared to other legumes and are also nutritious, so many paleo folks enjoy them in moderation.
You can read more about peas and whether they’re paleo on The Paleo Mom, and read about peas and whether they’re primal on Mark’s Daily Apple.
Skip the peas or not in this recipe, it’s totally your call.
What to Serve with Mushroom Masala Curry
To keep this meal vegan and gluten free, you can serve it along with basmati rice or Cauliflower Rice.
Naan or other Indian flatbread for dipping is a also a good accompaniment for this curry. To keep this paleo-friendly, you can serve it with Paleo Flatbread for dipping.
I made my Paleo Flatbread batter, thinned it out with about ½ cup water, and cooked the batter the same way I would cook crepes. These flatbread cook up nice and crispy this way and are perfect for dipping in curry!
More Vegan Mushroom Recipes to Try
- Glazed King Oyster Mushroom Recipe Served with Kale Salad and Maple Tahini Dressing
- Simple Garlic Roasted Mushrooms Recipe
Let's Connect
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Gluten Free Vegan Mushroom Masala Curry Recipe
Ingredients
Cashew Cream:
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
- 6 tablespoons cold filtered water plus more for soaking
Mushroom Masala Curry:
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil divided (see Note)
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh-grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala spice mix
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground fenugreek
- 28 ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with juices (or two 14.5-ounce cans)
- 1 cup water or low-sodium vegetable stock
- 24 ounces button mushrooms quartered
- 1 cup frozen green peas thawed, rinsed, and drained
Optional Garnishes and Serving Ideas:
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
- Fresh lemon wedges for serving
- Prepared basmati rice cauliflower rice, or flatbread, for serving (see Note)
Instructions
- For the cashew cream, add the cashews to a medium-sized bowl and cover by 3 inches with cold filtered water. Cover the bowl and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Rinse and drain the cashews, and then puree them with 6 tablespoons cold filtered water until smooth and creamy.
- For the curry, add 2 tablespoons coconut oil to a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until starting to caramelize, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, and then add the salt, coconut sugar, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and fenugreek and cook 30 seconds more, continuing to stir constantly.
- Add 1 can of tomatoes and the water, and bring up to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to simmer, and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, add the remaining 2 tablespoons coconut oil to a large, deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until they’re soft and the water they release evaporates off, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside for now.
- When the curry has simmered for 20 minutes, turn off the heat, let it cool slightly, and then carefully puree it using an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender. Pour the curry back into the pot along with the remaining 1 can of tomatoes, mushrooms, green peas, and cashew cream.
- Heat over medium-low heat until hot, stirring frequently.
- Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and fresh lemon wedges to squeeze on top, along with prepared basmati rice, cauliflower rice, or flatbread.
Faith's Tips
- Nutritional Information: The nutrition information for this recipe was calculated without the optional garnishes and serving ideas.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Coconut Oil: If keeping this dish vegan isn’t a concern, you can use clarified butter (ghee) instead of coconut oil.
- To Thin Out the Curry: This makes a super thick, creamy curry. If you want to it out (which I usually do, just a bit), just add water or vegetable stock until it reaches your desired consistency. Also note that it will thicken in the fridge so you might want to add a splash of water if you have to reheat it.
- Paleo-Friendly: I made my Paleo Flatbread to serve with this curry, as shown in the pictures in this post. I thinned out the batter with about ½ cup water and cooked the batter like I would crepe batter; they turned out great – nice and crispy and perfect for dipping!
Nutrition
Kevin | Keviniscooking says
You had me flashing back to our trip to Indi a where I discovered dosas for the first time and your crepes look wonderful as does this creamy masala dish. Lovely!
Rosa says
That looks delicious and comforting!
Cheers,
Rosa