I always enjoy a good alliteration, especially when I find one as tasty as this Methi Mushroom. This deliciously creamy methi curry is made using button mushrooms, fenugreek leaves, curd, herbs & spices for a lovely vegetarian take on a North Indian classic.
Table of Contents
About This Methi Mushroom
My methi mushroom is a classic adaptation of the famous North Indian chicken dish known as methi murgh masala. The recipe is inspired from Jiggs Kalra’s book “Prashad – Cooking With Indian Masters.”
This finger licking curry is perfect for putting on party menus or for celebrating special occasions. It tastes incredible and is a real crowd pleaser, even for our omnivorous friends! It can also be made vegan friendly by swapping in a plant-based curd.
This restaurant style dish is very easy to make, requiring only patience and time rather than a defined set of kitchen skills. All the same, you should note that this is definitely not a curry in a hurry.
To make this methi curry recipe, the mushrooms are first marinated in yogurt and then cooked in the aromatic masala. The methi (fenugreek leaves) gives a beautiful aroma to the dish.
Instead of fresh methi, you can also make this dish with dry fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi). The ratios are given in the recipe card below.
This mushroom methi curry goes very well with any kind of flatbread or carb-y side to soak it up; Roti, Naan, Paratha, or even Jeera Rice are all excellent accompaniments that are similarly easy to execute.
So if you’re still a kitchen novice but want to make something really impressive for your loved ones, give this methi mushroom curry a try (and let us know how it turns out in the comments below)!
How To Make Methi Mushroom
Marinate Mushrooms
1. Rinse 200 to 250 gram mushrooms under running water to rid them of any mud, then drain the water very well.
2. Chop the mushrooms into quarters and keep aside.
3. In a bowl, mix together ¼ cup of curd (yogurt) and a pinch of salt; beat the curd till smooth.
NOTE: Please use full fat fresh curd or homemade curd made from whole milk so that it does not split or separate while cooking.
4. Add the curd to the chopped mushrooms.
5. Coat the mushrooms very well with the beaten curd. Cover and marinate for 30 to 40 minutes at room temperature.
Prep Methi
6. Meanwhile, pick the fenugreek leaves from their stems. If using fresh methi leaves, you’ll need around 1 cup, or you can also use 1 to 2 tablespoons of dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi).
7. Soak in water for a minute or so, so that any dirt clinging to the leaves settles down at the bottom.
NOTE: This is not necessary if using kasuri methi.
8. Drain and discard the water.
9. Soak the methi leaves for a second time.
10. Now drain and rinse the methi leaves well under running water till the leaves are clean.
11. Drain them in a colander.
12. Chop methi leaves finely. Keep aside.
13. Measure and keep all the ingredients ready.
Make Curry Base
14. Heat 3 tablespoons neutral flavored oil or ghee in a pan or kadai.
15. Add the whole garam masala or spices as listed below:
- 2 to 3 green cardamom pods
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 1 to 2 single strands of mace
16. Fry the spices on low heat till the oil becomes fragrant and the spices splutter, being careful not to burn them.
17. Then add ½ cup chopped onions.
18. Mix very well and begin to sauté the onions on a low heat.
19. Stir at intervals as needed. Be patient as onions take time to get browned.
20. Sauté until the onions begin to turn golden.
21. Immediately add 1 to 2 chopped green chilies or about 1 teaspoon chopped green chillies and ½ tablespoon ginger-garlic paste.
22. Mix very well and sauté for a minute.
23. Then add 3 medium-sized chopped tomatoes or about 1.25 to 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes.
24. Mix well and sauté till the tomatoes become soft and mushy.
25. Keep on stirring the masala.
26. Add all the dry spice powders as listed below
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
27. Stir and mix very well.
28. Sauté the tomatoes until they soften and oil leaves the sides of the chunky masala mixture.
Make Mushroom Methi Curry
29. Lower the heat and add the marinated mushrooms with the yogurt.
30. Next add the chopped methi leaves (or dry methi leaves).
31. Mix well.
32. Add about ¼ to ½ cup of water.
33. Also add salt to taste, keeping in mind that some salt has been added during the marination process.
34. Stir and mix well.
35. Cover the pan or kadai and simmer till the mushrooms are cooked. This can take about 8 to 10 minutes on a low to medium-low heat.
36. Check occasionally; if the consistency looks dry then add some more water.
37. Once the mushrooms are cooked and the curry has a medium consistency, then check the taste and season as needed.
38. Garnish methi mushroom with some coriander leaves.
39. Serve methi mushroom hot with any Indian flatbread of your choice, or cumin rice if you are gluten-free.
FAQs
Absolutely! Button mushrooms are widely available, but feel free to substitute quartered baby bella/cremini mushrooms, shiitakes, or portobellos. Please note that some varieties of mushrooms should have their stems removed before chopping, as they are stiff and woody.
Absolutely. Use either drained diced tomatoes, or use whole tomatoes that you chop yourself.
You can tell that the mushrooms are done when you see oil specks floating on the top of the gravy; this takes about 8 to 10 minutes after adding the mushrooms to the masala base.
When adding yogurt or curd to any dish, be sure to lower the flame and stir briskly while adding. Also, be sure that you are using fresh, full-fat curd – if the yogurt is a bit old or is a low-fat variety, it is more likely to split.
Sure! I suggest steaming the peas separately and stirring them in at the end, as peas and mushrooms cook at different rates.
Sometimes methi can be bitter, but where I live this is not the norm. Next time you make the recipe, sprinkle some salt on the methi leaves and let them sit for about 15 to 20 minutes. After letting them rest, squeeze the leaves and the bitterness will be released.
Nope! Simply skip that step and proceed with the recipe as written.
More Tasty Curry Recipes
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Methi Mushroom | Mushroom Methi Curry
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 200 to 250 grams button mushrooms
- ¼ cup Curd (yogurt), fresh and full-fat or made with whole milk
- 1 cup fenugreek leaves (methi leaves) or 1 to 2 tablespoons dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
- 3 tablespoons oil or ghee
- ½ cup chopped onions or 1 medium-sized onion
- 1 or 2 green chili – sliced or chopped or 1 teaspoon chopped
- ½ tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 3 tomatoes – medium-sized, chopped or 1.25 to 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- salt as required
- ¼ to ½ cup water or add as required
Whole spices
- 2 to 3 green cardamoms
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 1 to 2 single strands of mace – optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse the mushrooms in running water a few times and get rid of the mud from them. Drain all the water very well.
- Chop them and keep aside.
- In a bowl take ¼ cup curd and a pinch of salt to it. Beat the curd with a small wired whisk till smooth. Use full fat fresh curd so that the curd does not split while cooking.
- Add the mushrooms to the curd and marinate for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile pluck the fenugreek leaves from their stems.
- In a bowl soak the leaves in water for 4 to 5 minutes so that the mud etc from the leaves settles down at the bottom.
- Throw the water and again soak the leaves for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Now rinse the methi leaves well under running water till the leaves are clean and the mud particles are not there.
- Drain them in a colander. Chop the methi leaves finely.
Making methi mushroom
- Heat oil or ghee in a pan or kadai (wok).
- Add the whole spices – black cardamom, cinnamon, green cardamoms, cloves, tej patta and mace.
- Fry the spices till the oil becomes fragrant and the spices splutter. Don't burn them. Fry spices on a low heat.
- Add onions and stirring often sauté them on low to medium-low heat till they begin to get golden.
- Be patient as onions do take time to get browned. Keep stirring the onions in between.
- Once the onions begin to get golden brown, add chopped green chilies and ginger-garlic paste. Sauté for a minute on low heat.
- Now add the tomatoes. Sauté them on low to medium-low heat till they become soft and mushy. Keep on stirring the masala base.
- Add all the dry spice powders – turmeric, coriander and red chili powder. Mix well.
- Then sauté stirring often till oil leaves from the sides of the whole masala mixture.
- Lower the heat and add the marinated mushrooms.
- Also add the chopped methi leaves or dry methi leaves (kasuri methi). Mix again.
- Add about ¼ to ½ cup of water. Also add salt as per taste. Do keep in mind that some salt has been added to the marination.
- Stir, cover the pan or kadai and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes on low heat till the mushrooms are tender and cooked.
- Do check in between and if the consistency looks dry then add some more water.
- Once the mushrooms are cooked and the curry has a medium consistency then check the taste and add salt if required.
- Garnish methi mushroom with some chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve methi mushroom hot or warm with roti or naan.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Methi Mushroom post from the blog archives first published in August 2012 has been republished and updated on 21 January 2022.
Hi Dassana, keen to try this recipe, can I use Gobi or any other vegetable instead of mushroom ? Also, no matter how hard I try to whisk in the yogurt, it always splits 🙁 so looks-wise not so nice BUT taste-wise A+. Your recipes always turn out fabulous, no complaints from the family but compliments….I always point anyone who asks about the recipe to your website, even strangers whom I meet at the supermarket lol ! You are a star ⭐️my dear !
yes you can. go ahead and prepare the recipe. for mixing yogurt, keep the flame on low or keep the pan down. add the yogurt. when you are adding the yogurt, start mixing it. be brisk and quick. once all the yogurt has been mixed uniformly, then you can keep the pan on stove top.
thanks a lot dimpi. its because of readers like you that i am adding recipes. its your encouragement and motivation that keeps me going.
Thanks a lot for these wonderful recipes…I’ve been following your recipes for a couple of years….and they’re the best. Sometimes when I don’t find recipe of something I want to cook in your site, I feel sad….coz I am confident and trust your recipes….they always turns out well…awesome work …pls keep up the good work.
your appreciation and compliment means a lot to us 🙂 thankyou for your kind and generous words. god bless you dhanya.
Hi….
how much time the mushrooms take to be cooked perfectly??
i did not cook mushroom before… eager to try this receipe… collected all the ingredients…!!!! hope it comes out well….!!
thanks a ton!!
thanks devjani. when you see oil specks floating on the top, it means the mushrooms as well as the gravy is done. mushrooms take 8 to 10 minutes to cook.
Hello ma’am…. Thank you sooooo much sharing these delicious recipes with us…..i’ve been following you past 4-5 month….. N its been a yummy n mouth watering experience??? i jst love cooking n learning food…n your recipes have made it easier n more fun….Everyone jst loved d food I cook for them…..not only family but my also my friend and relatives……..Thanks for making me a cooking star!!!??
Lots of love and wishes….keep up the good work….
thats so good to know aanchal. thanks for sharing your experience and also thanks for this lovely comment. wish you all the best for your future.
Deliciously awesome recipe is it… Just tried it.. The marination added more flavor.. Thanks for sharing the recipe… I have been following you since few months… 🙂 you share the simple yet delicious recipes..
pleased to know trupti you liked our blog recipes thankyou so much for your kind words.
I was very eager to make this recipe from the day i hav seen it….I had methi at my home but was unable to get mushrooms from past few days……finally i got mushrooms but methi got spoiled 🙁 ……Today i made mushroom with kasuri methi….I just cant believe…The curry is just like in Restaurant…. I loved it !!!!!!
thanks arunasree for sharing positive feedback. good to know this.
Hey Dassana, this is the second time I m writing to u. Thanx for the lovely recipe. I m a confirmed non vegetarian. But, I hv been cooking a lot of veg recipes since I came across your website. My family relishes them. God bless.
thanks manali for your positive feedback and for your wishes. glad to know that you are cooking more veg food at home.
Amazing recipe..cooked mashroom for the first time today.. Everyone loved it. Paneer tikka and methi mashroom was the menu..awesome dinner!
Thank you
thnaks shruti for this feedback. paneer tikka and methi mushrooms is a good combination in a menu.
Love the taste. I added some agave nectar as I used canned tomatoes and Greek yogurt which are both super tangy. I can tell you put a lot of effort into your recipes!!
thanks deepa for your kind words and for sharing your tip.
i tried out a number of recipes from your post, they were excellent. in fact, my strictly non-veg family is relishing your veg recipes on par with chicken or mutton items. Thanks. In fact, we have almost stopped going to expensive restaurants , as your recipes taste better. Thanks again. God bless you. May i request you to post a recipe of paneer pasanda?
welcome radha. thats good to know. thanks for your kind words and blessings. even we avoid going to restaurants now. i have noted down the paneer pasanda recipe request.
I tried this recipe and it turn out to be fabulous and tasty. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe with us. This is the best site for veg recipes and also for food lovers
welcome rashmi. thanks for sharing your sweet feedback.
Hi Dassana,
I am a big fan ! I just love the way you write – simple, open, detailed, weaving a background into each of your recipes. I have tried many recipes and specially trust your healthy cake recipes ! You are one of the reasons why I have developed a love for cooking and are the first site I check with for any recipe. 🙂
I want to try methi mushroom today. Will this recipe work if I were to include (cooked) green peas in it ? I could add them at the stage where mushroom is added to the gravy. Or would you recommend marinating the peas along with the mushrooms? Could you also suggest a remedy so that the curd doesnt split….would adding a tbsp of besan to the curd help in not splitting?
Thanks for the inspiration and the great blog !
thanks a lot suman for the kind words. i would suggest to steam the peas before and then add toward the end. peas will take more time to cook than mushrooms. secondly when adding the yogurt/curd is any dish, lower the flame and while adding stir briskly. this method does help the yogurt not to split. adding besan will help, but the taste will change. i would suggest to roast the besan first separately, till it becomes aromatic and then add. this would give a different flavor then adding besan directly.
Hi! M a huge fan of your recipes. Would have tried more than 20 of them! I want to try this dish as we unexpectedly have mushroom in kitchen but I dont have curd. Can I use any substitute?
thanks rajshree. curd is required to marinate. so yes essential in this recipe.
Thanks Dassana! I made kadhai mushrooms that day but this recipe was so tempting that I am trying it today with all the essential ingredients!
welcome rajshree. happy cooking.
hi I tried this recipe and it came out fab, it was like restaurant dish so rich and tasty. I have tried most of your recipes and all were superb. Awesome keep up the good work.
welcome navya. glad to know that you are liking the recipes.
It came out superb. Didn’t have time to marinate, so added sour cream towards the end.
Thanks for all your awesome recipes.
Muchos Gracias.
Deepta.
welcome deepta. nice to know this. do try more recipes.