What is Kadai mushroom made of?

Kadai Mushroom is a hot, spicy, flavorful and delicious North Indian dish made primarily with button mushrooms, bell peppers and fresh ground spice blend known as Kadai Masala . Other basic ingredients like onions, tomatoes and herbs also are used.

What is the healthiest way to cook a mushroom?

The researchers concluded that the best way to cook mushrooms while still preserving their nutritional properties is to grill or microwave them , as the fried and boiled mushrooms showed significantly less antioxidant activity.

What is veg Kadai made of?

This delicious and vibrant Veg Kadai gravy is filled with rich flavors, aromatic spices and vegetables. Made in a kadai (Indian wok) this dish has a medley of onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and various assorted veggies together with spices and cream for a finger-licking restaurant style gravy!

Is mushroom a veg or non veg?

Vegetarians do not eat animals or substances derived from them. Mushrooms are not in the animal kingdom - they are fungi. They can be considered vegetarian because they are not animal or animal-derived.

What is the healthiest mushroom in the world?

Some of the mushrooms considered best for human health include chaga, lion's mane, reishi, turkey tail, shiitake, cordyceps and maitake . Often considered vegetables, mushrooms are neither plants nor animals. They belong to a unique kingdom of fungi.

What we should not do before cooking mushroom?

Never salt the mushrooms before cooking. Salt draws out moisture and will therefore make them extremely mushy.

What are the 4 types of mushroom?

There are four types of mushrooms: saprotrophic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, and endophytic . While there are many different types of mushrooms within these categories, not all of them are edible. Since some may be poisonous or hallucinogenic, it's important to be careful if you ever try to pick mushrooms in the wild.

Which mushroom is a super food?

Reishi. Revered in Traditional Medicine as the "mushroom of immortality," Reishi is one of the most popular whole food functional mushrooms because of its wide range of health benefits. Reishi contains powerful, natural beta glucans that support immune system functionality.

What is the most flavorful mushroom?

Maitake . Also called Hen-of-the-wood, this is pound-for-pound the most flavorful mushroom around.

Is mycelium food safe?

Mushroom mycelium is considered suitable for food use when grown in acceptable media . However, mushroom mycelium has an identity different from mushrooms, and food products in which it is used should be labeled to clearly indicate that they contain mushroom mycelium.

Is mushroom mycelium good for you?

Both the fruiting body and the mycelium contain beneficial bioactive compounds. In some cases, like with the lion's mane mushroom, these compounds are exclusive to either the fruiting body or the mycelium, so getting the full benefit requires the consumption of both parts.

What is mushroom material made of?

Mushroom Packaging® is a customizable packaging system made of mycelium, the vegetative part of a mushroom, and cellulosic agricultural byproducts, such as corn stalks, hemp hurds, and wood chips . Because mycelium can strongly bond materials together it is therefore an effective alternative for molded packaging.

Is mushroom mycelium safe?

While we would never recommend eating anything moldy or eating mushrooms without knowing that they are safe for human consumption, most mycelium is safe to eat and totally edible . In fact, mycelium can also be grown in controlled environments outside of nature specifically for human consumption.

Kadai Mushroom Recipe (3 Ways) (2024)

Kadai Mushroom is such a super easy and delicious dish of sautéed button mushrooms, onions, bell peppers (capsicum) in a spiced, tangy tomato sauce. The recipe comes together in 30 minutes and so delish with naan, roti and even bread rolls.

Mushrooms, spices, onions, tomatoes and bell peppers – their combination never goes wrong.

Here I shared three variations of making this dish:

Semi-dry recipe: Stove-top recipe made in the kadai (wok).
Instant Pot version: Quick method in the Instant Pot.
Stove-top method: Gravy recipe of kadai mushroom made on stove-top

You can make either of them as per your preference or the gadgets you have. All the three recipes are easy and taste good.

Table of Contents

What is Kadai Mushroom
How to make Kadai Mushroom (Stepwise Photos)
Recipe Card for Kadai Mushroom
Step by Step Instant Pot Kadai Mushroom (Stepwise Photos)
Recipe Card for Instant Pot Kadai Mushroom
Stovetop gravy recipe

What is Kadai Mushroom

Kadai Mushroom as the name implies is made of two words Kadai and Mushroom. In Hindi language the word “Kadai” or “Kadhai” refers to a dish resembling the Chinese wok.

The Indian kadai does look like the Chinese wok but is much deeper than the wok. As the entire mushroom dish is made in the kadai and hence the name Kadai Mushroom.

In India the kadai (kadhai, karahi) is used for sautéing veggies, for making Indian sweets and also for deep frying. It is one multi purpose pan which is found in every Indian kitchen.

Additional ingredients like onions, tomatoes and green bell peppers are also added in the dish.

A special and unique spice blend called as “kadai masala” is also added. The kadai masala is freshly pounded and added in the dish.

Whenever you make any kadai recipe from any veggie or paneer or tofu, then always always freshly pound or powder the spices.

They add such an aroma and flavor to the food that is not possible when you use readymade or store-brought spice powders.

About this recipe

The semi-dry version of Kadai Mushroom tastes so good. As mentioned above, freshly roasted and pounded spices called as kadai masala is added.

The spices that I add in the kadai masala are coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, black pepper and mace (optional).

The lemony citrus notes of ground coriander seeds is distinctly felt in the dish. The red chillies impart a bright orange-red color as well as some heat and spice. The acidity and tang comes from the tomatoes.

Generally kadai mushroom is not a hot or spicy dish as the dried red chillies added to it are not of the pungent kind.

I have used dried byadagi chillies in the recipe which are less hot and give a deep color. Byadagi chillies are an Indian variety of red chillies that are grown in Karnataka.

You can also easily add dried kashmiri red chillies. Dried kashmiri red chillis give a good color and spice to the dish without making it too hot or pungent.

This Kadai Mushroom recipe can be made spicy and hot depending on the kind of dried red chillies you add. So if you use hot chilies, the curry will be hot. If you use less hot and pungent chilies, the gravy will not be hot.

So depending on the heat in the chilies, you can decrease or increase their amount.

This delicious Kadai Mushroom has been adapted from the popular restaurant style Kadai Paneer Recipe on the blog.

To make this dish satvik & onion-garlic free, you can easily skip onion and garlic. It will still taste delicious.

You can serve it with some roti or naan or paratha and accompanied by a salad.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Kadai Mushroom

Making Kadai Masala

1. First dry roast all the spices for the kadai masala on a low flame in a kadai or pan till fragrant.

The spices are – 1 tbsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 3 to 4 dry red chilies, 2 cloves, ½ inch cinnamon, 1 green cardamom, 3 to 4 black pepper and 1 single strand of mace (optional).

2. Once the spices cool down, add them to a grinder jar.

3. Grind to a semi fine powder. You can also grind to a fine powder.

4. Keep the ground kadai masala aside.

5. In the same jar, add chopped tomatoes (2 medium to large tomatoes, pureed, about ¾ cup tomato puree. Use tomatoes which are ripe, red and not too tangy).

6. Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree. Keep aside. No need to add water while making the puree.

7. Slice 200-250 grams button mushrooms. Slice 1 medium to large capsicum (bell pepper) thinly. Chop the onions (1 medium onion, about ½ cup finely chopped onion). Keep aside.

Sauteing mushrooms

8. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a kadai/wok or pan. Add the sliced mushrooms.

9. Stir & saute the sliced mushrooms. First you will see the mushrooms releasing a lot of water.

10. After some minutes, the water evaporates. Saute till the mushrooms get browned from the edges.

11. Remove the mushrooms and keep aside.

Making kadai mushroom dry

12. In the same oil, add finely chopped onions.

13. Saute the onions till they turn translucent or light golden.

14. Add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste (1 inch ginger + 3 to 4 small to medium-szied garlic, crushed in a mortar-pestle). Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.

15. Add the tomato puree (about ¾ cup).

16. Stir and saute.

17. Saute till you see some oil releasing from the sides.

18. Add the sliced capsicum/bell pepper (1 medium to large capsicum). You can even green bell pepper or red or yellow bell pepper.

19. Mix and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes on a low flame.

20. Add the ground kadai masala which we made. You can also add¼ tsp turmeric powder at this step. Adding turmeric powder is optional though.

21. Mix very well.

22. Then add ½ cup of water.

23. Season with salt.

24. Bring the gravy to a simmer on a low flame till you see a few specks of oil floating on top.

25. Add the sauteed mushrooms (200-250 grams).

26. Mix again.

27. Lastly add 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) to kadai mushroom. Switch off the stove. If you want you can also add 1 or 2 tbsp cream to tone down the tang. You can also add about ¼ tsp of garam masala powder.

28. Mix and then serve Kadai Mushroom hot with roti, paratha or naan. While serving you can garnish with ginger julienne and chopped coriander leaves (cilantro).

Tips & Substitutes for Best Kadai Mushroom

Roasting spices: The spices are roasted till they are aromatic. Do not brown them too much or burn them.
Mushrooms: I have used white button mushrooms, but you can use any variety of fresh edible mushrooms.
Dried red chillies: The color, spice, pungency and heat factor in the dish depends on the type of red chilies used. Thus use chillies which have a low heatquotient like Kashmiri chillies or Byadagi chillies. These chillies are low in heat and also give a deep orange color to the dish. But if you like a spicy dish you can use medium-hot red chilies – just reduce their quantity.
Bell pepper: Apart from dry red chilies, the recipe also uses capsicum or green bell pepper, which is a must and an essential ingredient. You can even use red or yellow bell peppers.
Tomatoes: Use tomatoes which are not very tart or sour. You can even use packaged tomato puree. When using packaged tomato puree, add some more water as they have a thick consistency.

More Tasty Mushroom Recipes

45 minutes mins

Kadai Mushroom

By Dassana Amit

Kadai mushroom is a delicious dish of sautéed button mushrooms, onions and bell peppers in a semi-dry gravy of spiced and tangy tomato sauce.

4.79 from 82 votes

Print Pin Save

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Cuisine North Indian, Punjabi

Course Main Course

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Difficulty Level Easy

Servings 3

Units

Ingredients

for kadai masala

▢ 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
▢ 3 to 4 dry red chilies – broken and deseeded if preferred
▢ ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
▢ ½ inch cinnamon
▢ 1 green cardamom
▢ 2 cloves
▢ 3 to 4 whole black pepper
▢ 1 single strand of mace – optional

other ingredients

▢ 200 to 250 grams button mushrooms – sliced
▢ ½ cup thinly sliced capsicum – or 1 medium-sized capsicum (red or green or yellow bell pepper)
▢ 1 cup chopped tomatoes – pureed or about ¾ cup tomato puree or 2 medium-sized tomatoes (use tomatoes which are ripe, red and not too tangy)
▢ ½ cup finely chopped onions or 1 medium-sized onion
▢ 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste or 1 inch ginger + 3 to 4 small to medium-sized garlic, crushed in a mortar-pestle
▢ 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder – optional
▢ ½ cup water or 125 ml water
▢ 3 tablespoons oil – sunflower oil or any neutral vegetable oil
▢ salt as required

for garnishing

▢ 1 to 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
▢ 1 inch ginger – julienne

variations

▢ 1 or 2 tablespoons cream – low fat 25 to 35 % cream can be added right at the end and mixed with the gravy
▢ ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala or punjabi garam masala- garam masala powder can be added when you add the kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)

Instructions

Making kadai masala

First dry roast all the spices mentioned above for the kadai masala, on a low flame in a kadai or wok or a pan till fragrant. Don't burn them.
Once the spices cool down, add them to a grinder jar.
Grind to a semi fine powder. You can also grind to a fine powder. Keep the ground kadai masala aside.
In the same jar, add chopped tomatoes. Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree. Keep aside.
Rinse, wipe and then slice the mushrooms. Also thinly slice the bell pepper & chop the onions etc. Keep the veggies aside.

Sautéing mushrooms

Heat oil in a kadai or pan. Add the sliced mushrooms.
Stir & sauté the sliced mushrooms. First you will see the mushrooms releasing a lot of water.
Then later the water evaporates. Saute till the mushrooms get browned from the edges.
Remove the mushrooms and keep aside.

Making dry kadai mushroom

In the same oil, add finely chopped onions. Saute the onions till translucent or light golden.
Now add the ginger-garlic paste and saute till their raw aroma disappears.
Add the tomato puree. Stir and saute till you see some oil releasing from the sides.
Then add the sliced capsicum (bell pepper). Stir and saute for 5 to 6 minutes on a low flame
Add the ground kadai masala which we made. You can also add ¼ tsp turmeric powder at this step. Adding turmeric powder is optional though.
Then add ½ cup water. Season with salt.
Stir & bring thegravy to a simmer on a low flame till you see a few specks of oil on top.
Add the sautéed mushrooms and mix very well. You can add some more water if the gravy looks very dry.
Lastly add crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and mix well. Switch off the heat.
Serve kadai mushroom dry hot with roti, paratha or naan. While serving you can garnish with ginger julienne and chopped coriander leaves.

Video

Notes

Spices: Use fresh spices which are in their shelf-life. The spices are roasted till they are aromatic. Do not brown them too much or burn them.
Mushrooms: Other varieties of mushrooms can also be used instead of button mushrooms.
Dried red chillies: The color, spice, pungency and heat factor in the dish depends on the type of red chilies used. So you can increase or decrease the amount of red chilies as per their heat & pungency. Chillies which are not spicy like Kashmiri chillies or Byadagi chillies can be used and they also give a deep orange color to the dish.
Bell pepper: You can use a mix of red or green or yellow bell peppers or just one colored bell pepper.
Tomatoes:Use tomatoes which are not very tart or sour. You can even use packaged tomato puree. When using packaged tomato puree, add some more water as they have a thick consistency.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts

Kadai Mushroom

Amount Per Serving

Calories 197Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 7mg2%

Sodium 402mg17%

Potassium 433mg12%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 712IU14%

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 3mg15%

Vitamin B6 1mg50%

About Instant Pot Kadai Mushroom

In this recipe, the kadai is replaced with the instant pot. Hence the recipe gets done in less time and quickly.

Even though I have used an instant pot, I have kept the name as Instant pot kadai mushroom, just so that readers can identify the recipe easily.

In this recipe too, the unique blend of ground spices called kadai masala is made and added. This kadai masala gives a distinct taste, aroma and flavor to the dish.

I have kept this recipe and the cooking process really simple so that the recipes take less time.

The recipe tastes exceptionally good if you add fried or sautéed mushrooms to the gravy. But sautéing mushrooms till golden takes quite some time, so I have sautéed them for a few minutes and then pressure cooked in the instant pot.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step by Step Instant Pot Kadai Mushroom

Making kadai masala

1. First we need to make the kadai masala. Heat a small kadai or a pan. Add the whole spices – 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1-inch cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 3 to 4 Kashmiri red chilies or 2 to 3 dry red chillies.

2. Dry roast all the whole spices on a low flame till they become aromatic. Stir them often while roasting.

Roasting the masala takes about 1 to 2 minutes. In a thick bottomed kadai or pan, roasting takes about 2 minutes on a low flame.

3. Once they cool down, add them to a grinder jar or a spice or coffee grinder.

4. Grind to a semi-fine or a slightly coarse powder.

5. Remove in a plate and keep the kadai masala aside.

Sautéing

1. Switch on the instant pot. Press the sauté button for 15 to 20 minutes on the normal mode.

2. Add 3 tablespoons oil in the steel insert of the instant pot. When the oil becomes hot, add ⅓ cup chopped onions. The oil should just be hot and not sizzling hot or smoking hot.

3. Sauté stirring often, till the onions soften and become translucent.

4. Then add ½ teaspoon garlic paste, 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger, 1 slit green chilli or serrano pepper.

5. Mix and sauté for 3 to 4 seconds.

6. Add 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes.

7. Sauté till tomatoes soften and become pulpy.

8. Add sliced button mushrooms (200 to 250 grams).

9. Mix very well and deglaze the pot. Scrap any stuck bits of ingredients from the bottom of the pot. The moisture from the mushrooms helps in deglazing.

10. Sauté for a couple of minutes.

11. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and salt as required. Mix again well.

12. Add ½ cup of water. Deglaze if required.

Pressure cooking

13. Press cancel and press the pressure cook or manual button. Set the timer to pressure cook for 3 minutes on high pressure.

14. Then do a quick pressure release by lifting the valve. Open the lid.

15. Then add capsicum and ground kadai masala and 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (crushed).

You can reserve ½ teaspoon of kadai masala for garnish. Kasuri methi is dried fenugreek leaves. If you do not have kasuri methi then skip it.

16. Mix very well.

17. Press the sauté button for 5 to 6 minutes on normal mode.

18. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir often. You can reduce to the low setting if the masala sticks to the pan or heat becomes too much.

19. Sauté till the capsicum is half-cooked. There should be some crunch in the capsicum. If the consistency looks very dry, then you can add some hot water.

20. Add 1 to 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.

21. Serve the Instant Pot Kadai Mushroom gravy garnished with few coriander leaves and ginger julienne (optional). Serve with chapati, tandoori roti, naan or dinner rolls or bread. Also sprinkle the kadai masala, if you have reserved it while serving.

Instant Pot Kadai Mushroom