Mushroom Makhani (Mushroom Butter Masala)

When my friends had come home for New Year’s Party, I wanted to make a Mushroom dish for the vegetarians. I am not at all good in selecting vegetarian recipes and I had to ponder for a while before deciding on Mushroom Makhani. Most of us would have tasted the ever fascinating Panner Makhani. Well, Mushroom Makhani or Mushroom Butter Masala is similar. It is made by simmering Mushrooms in a paste of Tomatoes and rich Cream. This sweet and mild dish goes well with Rotis.

Mushroom Makhani (Mushroom Butter Masala)

Ingredients

1. Mushrooms (Peeled and quartered) – 3 cups
2. Diced Potatoes – 1 medium (optional)
3. Finely Diced onions – 1 medium
4. Crushed Ripe Tomatoes – 3 medium (You can alternatively use 1 can of store bought Canned Crushed Tomatoes or 1 cup of Tomato Puree)
5. Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
6. Kashmiri Red Chilly/Paprika Powder – 1 tbsp
7. Garam Masala Powder – 1 tsp
8. Coriander Powder – 2 tsp
9. Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
10. Whipping Cream – 1 cup
11. Butter/Oil – 2 tbsp
12. Sugar – 1 to 2 tsp
13. Salt – to taste
14. Water – 1 cup
15. Coriander Leaves (Cilantro) – for garnishing

Preparation Method

1. Peel the mushrooms and quarter it or dice it into bite sized pieces.
2. Meanwhile, remove the stem from the tomatoes make an X (cross) slit with a knife on the rear of each tomato and add it to boiling water for a few minutes.
3. When the skin starts peeling off from the tomatoes, remove it from the boiling water and add it to a bowl full of ice .
4. Allow it to cool completely and then peel off the skin.
5. Crush the tomatoes thoroughly using your hands. You can also put the tomatoes in a blender and then strain to remove the seeds. Keep the crushed/blended tomatoes aside.
6. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a non stick pan and saute onions until translucent. Allow it to cool and grind it to taste.
7. Heat 1 more tablespoon of butter in the same pan. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes.
8. Reduce heat and add garam masala powder, red chilly powder, turmeric and coriander powder.
9. Add the onion paste and saute for a few minutes.
10. Next, add the mushroom and potato pieces along with salt and saute for 2 minutes.
11. Throw in the crushed tomatoes or tomato puree and allow it to cook thoroughly till oil begins to show.
12. Add 1 cup of water along with sugar and mix well. Cover and cook on medium heat until the mushrooms and potatoes are cooked.
13. When the veggies are cooked, reduce heat and add whipping cream.
14. Allow it to come to a slow boil and remove from heat.
15. Garnish with cilantro.

Note

1. You can use store bought Crushed Tomatoes or Tomato Puree for this recipe.
2. Tomato Paste and Tomato Sauce should not be used instead of Tomato Puree or Crushed Tomatoes as the taste will change. Tomato Paste contains highly concentrated cooked tomatoes and Tomato Sauce contains lot of seasonings. Crushed Tomatoes and Tomato Puree generally contain uncooked tomatoes and we need uncooked tomatoes for this recipe.