Name: Mushroom Ghee Roast
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1-2 teaspoons of cooking oil (or you can use ghee too); 1 tablespoon coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera; ½ teaspoon mustard seeds; ½ teaspoon pepper corns; ½ teaspoon fennel seeds/saunf; 10-12 Kashmiri red chilies or Byadgi chilies; 10 large garlic cloves (peeled); 200 gm button mushrooms; 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder; 1 cup chopped onions; 6 tablespoons ghee/clarified butter (or as needed); Salt to taste; A dash of jaggery or any sweetener; Chopped coriander leaves/cilantro for garnish

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Mushroom Ghee Roast – a south Indian special…spicy, lip smacking, mouthwatering mushroom deliciousness.

Ghee roasted fresh button mushrooms are enveloped with the flavors and aromas of a freshly made fiery red, aromatic masala which has been slow roasted in again more ghee until the aroma wafts through the house and flavors hit your palate in a delightful way!

One taste and my husband was literally helping himself to spoonfuls of this along with my 88 year old mother who literally did the thumbs up sign!

Although you can eat it with anything, it is best enjoyed with any Indian flat bread be it roti, paratha, poori, naan, soft or toasted bread slices or even as a filler for sandwiches!

In the place where it was created (Karnataka, a southern state in India), this delicious curry is enjoyed using another south Indian breakfast crepe like dosa called Neer Dosa/dosai which is basically a watery (aka "neer") rice batter poured onto a hot griddle to produce a lacey, soft and super delicious crepe like dosai!

Why, you can enjoy this with some hot steaming rice or just curd rice or yogurt rice too which I love!

No more takeout to enjoy this dish!

Do try this ever in demand, droolicious and south Indian culinary gem mushroom ghee roast in the warm comforts of your own kitchen!

Made super easy and super delicious.

MUSHROOM GHEE ROAST

As the name suggests, mushrooms are roasted in a significant amount of ghee and a fiery, lip smacking homemade spice paste for some time until the flavors just emanate and the mushroom ghee roast begs to be devoured!

This traditional curry is actually from the by lanes of Karnataka (a south Indian state) but now has become the favorite restaurant pick of most spice loving foodies world over!

The more popular ones are chicken ghee roast and prawns ghee roast but I prefer to make it vegetarian using mushrooms. You could use paneer or tofu too.

The main elements of ghee roast are a fiery red spice paste using dry red chilies and some spices and of course ghee, that too more than you would use in any curry.

In my version, mushrooms are first roasted with some Kashmiri red chili powder in ghee then simmered in again ghee roasted masala paste along with caramelized onions.

It comes out so delicious; my family insisted I make it back to back twice in a week! That finger licking good!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE MUSHROOM GHEE ROAST

(Detailed amounts and step wise instructions as well as printable Recipe Card are below)

Mushrooms – It is best to use button mushrooms here.

Spices – Mainly for the quintessential ghee roast spice paste….coriander seeds, jeera/cumin seeds, mustard seeds, black pepper corns, saunf/fennel seeds and some store bought Kashmiri red chili powder.

Dry Red Chilies – Preferably use Kashmiri red chilies or Byadgi whole chilies (easily available in the southern part of India or even online) for that fiery red color without adding too much heat.

Tamarind – use fresh tamarind or even tamarind paste. This is needed to add a bit of tang to the curry and offset the spicy heat of the curry!

Aromatics – basics like onions and garlic.

Ghee – now this you cannot avoid. Try and use homemade ghee or if not possible, store bought ghee is good too. But make sure you buy good quality ghee and don’t feel shy to use significant quantities.

Finally of course, a dash of cooking oil (or again ghee) to roast the spices for the ghee roast spice paste as well as mushroom.

Other basics are salt and a dash of jaggery if needed.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Like mentioned in my post earlier, it is best enjoyed with rotis, parathas, bread and the traditional neer dosais.

But it tastes amazing in sandwiches or even some rice mixed etc. too!

We thoroughly enjoyed a sumptuous, delicious and lip smacking meal of Mushroom Ghee Roast, Chapatis, Beetroot Curd/Yogurt Rice, Mixed dal and a seasonal favorite Ambe Upkari/Mango Curry.

Do make this soon!

So easy, so delicious and will definitely be a repeat in your home again and again as is in mine.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Eating!

Check these out for more mushroom deliciousness:

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Mushroom Ghee Roast

A south Indian special…spicy, lip smacking, mouthwatering mushroom deliciousness.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Author Vanitha Bhat

Ingredients

For the ghee roast paste:

1-2 teaspoons of cooking oil or you can use ghee too
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon pepper corns
½ teaspoon fennel seeds/saunf
10-12 Kashmiri red chilies or Byadgi chilies
10 large garlic cloves peeled

OTHER INGREDIENTS

200 gm button mushrooms
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
1 cup chopped onions
6 tablespoons ghee/clarified butter or as needed
Salt to taste
A dash of jaggery or any sweetener
Chopped coriander leaves/cilantro for garnish

Instructions

Wash, scrub and cut in half 200 gm mushrooms. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE GHEE ROAST PASTE:

Soak 10-12 byadgi red chilies in hot water for 30 minutes. You can use Kashmiri red chilies too. We just need the color more than the heat of the chili.
In a small saucepan, roast 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds, ½ tsp each mustard seeds, pepper and saunf/fennel seeds in 1-2 tsp oil/ghee on low until roasted and light brown.
Mustard seeds will start popping when it is almost ready to be removed from heat.
Remove to a plate to cool.
In the same saucepan, fry 10 large peeled garlic cloves in a teaspoon of oil/ghee until lightly browned.
Blend the above roasted ingredients along with the soaked and drained red chilies and a marble sized tamarind (or 1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste) in a blender jar to a smooth paste.
(Blend chilies first and then the rest; makes it easier to get a smooth paste. Cut up the chilies for easier blending).
In a large, deep saucepan, heat 2 tbsp ghee.
Add chopped/thickly sliced or halved mushrooms and 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder.
Sauté on high for 3-4 minutes until mushrooms are starting to wilt.
Remove to a plate and set aside.
In the same pan, add 4 tbsp ghee and let melt.
When hot, add 1 cup chopped onions and sauté on medium high, stirring often until starting to brown.
Add the smooth ghee roast paste along with water (just rinse the blender jar) and cook on medium low to low, stirring in between until ghee starts to separate.
Roast gently for about 15 minutes at the least, stirring often.
When you see ghee starting to separate, add salt to taste, the set aside ghee roasted mushrooms, a tad bit of jaggery and mix well.
(Adding jaggery sort of balances the flavors beautifully).
Cook again on medium heat until oil starts to separate again; may take a few more minutes.
Remove from heat, garnish with freshly chopped cilantro/coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis, parathas, chapattis, ghee rice, plain rice, bread, curd or yogurt rice etc.
Happy Cooking/Eating!

Recipe Notes

Adjust the amount of spices according to personal preference.
Try not to reduce the amount of ghee. Ghee is the key flavor enhancer in this curry besides of course the masala paste.
Same dish can be made with paneer/tofu, chicken or even prawns or shrimp!
Enjoy!

STEP-WISE INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE MUSHROOM GHEE ROAST

Wash, scrub and cut in half or thickly slice 200 gm mushrooms.

To make the ghee roast masala paste:

Soak 10-12 byadgi in hot water for 30 minutes. You can use Kashmiri red chilies too. We just need the color more than the heat of the chili.

Fry 10 large garlic cloves in a bit of oil/ghee in a small saucepan until lightly browned.

Remove and set aside.

In the same saucepan, roast 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds, ½ tsp each mustard seeds, pepper and saunf/fennel seeds in 1 tsp oil/ghee on low until roasted and light brown.

When mustard seeds start popping it is almost ready to be removed from heat.

Blend the above roasted ingredients along with soaked red chilies, roasted garlic and a marble sized piece of tamarind (or 1/2 tsp tamarind paste) to a smooth paste.

Blend chilies first and then the rest; makes it easier to get a smooth paste. Cut up the chilies for easier blending.

TO MAKE MUSHROOM GHEE ROAST:

In a large deep saucepan/kadai, heat 2 tbsp ghee; add chopped/thickly sliced mushrooms and 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder.

Sauté on high for 3-4 minutes until mushrooms are starting to wilt.

Remove and set aside.

Add 4 tbsp ghee in the same pan again and let melt.

When hot, add 1 cup chopped onions and sauté on high, stirring often until starting to brown.

Add the smooth ghee roast paste along with water (just rinse the blender jar) and cook on medium low to low, stirring often in between until ghee starts to separate.

Roast for about 15 minutes at the least.

Add salt to taste, ghee roasted mushrooms, a tad bit of jaggery and mix well.

(Adding jaggery sort of balances the flavors beautifully).

Cook again on medium heat until oil starts to separate again. May take a few more minutes.

Remove from heat, garnish with freshly chopped cilantro/coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis, parathas, chapattis, ghee rice, plain rice, bread, curd or yogurt rice etc.