Instant Pot Mughlai Mushroom / Instant Pot Creamy Mushroom Curry
What is Mughlai food?Mughlai food consists of recipes / food developed in Medieval India during the Mughal Empire. Mughlai food is very popular in the Northern part of India. Mughlai cuisine is flavorful, rich, and creamy.What is Mughlai mushroom?Mughlai mushroom is a creamy mushroom dish made with whole spices and cashew nuts. Yogurt and heavy whipping cream are added to the mushrooms once they are cooked. The yogurt adds a tangy flavor and the heavy whipping cream and cashews make the curry thick, rich, and creamy. The mushrooms are then garnished with saffron to give the dish a Mughlai touch.Mughlai mushrooms are a very popular North Indian dish and are found in restaurants all over India. I have created a one pot Mughlai mushroom recipe in the Instant Pot. Quick, fast, and easy. #fastcurriesCashew nuts: You can use any brand of roasted, skinless, salted cashew nuts. I typically use nuts from Costco, planters, or fancy nuts from Braums.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 red onion finely chopped (1 and ¼ cup chopped)
- 1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste
(freshly minced or packaged) - 1 tomato diced (3/4 cups chopped)
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
(kaali mirch) - 1.5 tsp ground coriander
(dhaniya powder) - 1 tsp ground cumin
(jeera powder) - 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
(ground cayenne pepper) - 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup roasted and salted cashews
nuts (I used fancy jumbo cashews from Braums) - 2 dried bay leaf
(tej patta) - 1 mace
crushed (javitri) - 2 whole cloves
crushed (laung) - 2 whole black cardamom pods
(kali elachi) - 1 whole green cardamom pods
(hari elaichi) - 1 cinnamon stick
about 2 inches (dalchini) - 1/4 cup plain yogurt whisked with a spoon
- 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
(kasoori methi) - 7 saffron strands
soaked in 1 tbsp water (kesar) - 1 pack of whole white button mushrooms (8 oz)
- 2 tbsp fresh finely chopped cilantro for garnish (optional) (dhaniya ke patte)
Instructions
Prep
- Crush the mace and cloves in a mortar and pestle.
- Wash and finely chop the onion, cilantro, and dice the tomatoes.
- Whisk the yogurt with a fork and keep it in a bowl at room temperature.
- Soak the saffron strands in 1 tablespoon water.
- Wash the mushrooms and cut them into two halves.
Cook
- Select sauté on the instant pot and adjust to normal.
- Add 2 tbsp ghee to the pot.
- When the ghee is hot add the chopped onions. Stir occasionally in order to prevent the onions from burning.
- When the onions turn golden in about 2 to 4 minutes add the ginger garlic paste. Stir.
- Then add the diced tomatoes and let them sauté until they get mushy, for 3 to 4 minutes. Keep stirring.
- Then add the black pepper, coriander, cumin, garam masala, red chili powder, salt, and ¼ cup water. Stir.
- Press cancel.
- Let the mix cool for about 5 minutes and grind the sautéd mixed ingredients along with the cashews into a fine paste in a coffee blender. Transfer in a bowl.
- Wash the inner pot and dry it with a napkin.
- Select sauté on the instant pot and adjust to normal.
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp ghee to the pot.
- When the ghee is hot add the bay leaves, crushed mace and cloves, cardamoms, and cinnamon stick. Sauté for a minute.
- Add the crushed spice and cashew mix. Stir.
- Then add the mushrooms and stir. Add the remaining ¼ cup water. Make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot well.
- Press cancel.
- Secure the lid on the pot and close the pressure-release valve.
- Select manual and cook at high pressure for 7 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, use quick pressure release to depressurize.
- Open the lid.
- Select sauté and add the whisked yogurt slowly (one spoon at a time) to the pot mixing it continuously.
- Then add the heavy whipping cream and keep mixing.
- Add dried fenugreek leaves and stir. If you like less gravy, let some gravy evaporate. I personally like some gravy in mushrooms.
- Press cancel when the desired consistency is reached.
- Transfer the cooked mughlai mushroom in a serving bowl and discard the bay leaves.
Serve
- Garnish with saffron water and cilantro.
- Serve with naan (Indian flat-bread), steamed rice, or roti.
Notes
- This recipe has been tried on a 6-quart instant pot. The proportions may vary depending on the size of the instant pot you choose to use.
- Ground cayenne pepper and red chili powder can be used interchangeably as both of them make the dish spicy. So if you don’t have red chili powder you can use cayenne pepper instead.