Mushroom bhaji is a popular Indian recipe made with mushrooms and spices. It is often served as a side dish in Indian restaurants but can also be served as a vegan or vegetarian main course.
This mushroom bhaji recipe is simple to follow and only takes about 30 minutes to prepare.
Serve this delicious mushroom bhaji with rice or naan bread for a hearty and satisfying meal!
Check out our quick video to see how super easy it is to make this Mushroom curry recipe at home.
Jump straight to the recipe card or continue to read for more advice on the ingredients and cooking tips.
We also have a fantastic saag bhaji recipe you might want to try.
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Mushroom Bhaji Ingredients
Mushroom bhaji only needs a few simple ingredients I will go into more detail and suitable substitutes below.
Mushrooms
You can use any type of mushroom in curry; in this post, we have used white closed cup mushrooms.
The best mushrooms to use for a meatier flavour are chestnut mushrooms and cremini mushrooms.
Did you know, that brown mushroom varieties (such as chestnut mushrooms) are simply just white mushrooms that have been allowed to mature for longer?
Chop mushrooms into quarters or half if using baby button mushrooms.
Or cheat and buy a pack of sliced mushrooms (reduce the cooking time accordingly).
Oil
Use any neutral-tasting oil for cooking the mushrooms, you could use ghee, olive oil or vegetable oil.
This prevents them from sticking to the frying pan and helps make them soft and tasty when cooked.
Prefer a healthy mushroom curry, you can use spray oil or a small drizzle of oil instead.
Onion
You will need one large onion or two small onions for this recipe. For a sweeter curry, try using shallots.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms and cook for about 15 minutes until they are brown and softened. Stirring them often.
Herbs
Fresh coriander (cilantro) is fantastic for adding flavour to Indian food. If you don't have any, use a small amount of ground coriander or dried coriander leaf during cooking.
Remove the fresh coriander leaves from the stalks and save them for garnish.
Finely chop the stem ends for use during cooking, stir fry with the garlic and chilli.
Garlic & Chilli
If you love garlic, add in a couple of cloves (minced or finely chopped). If you don't like it, omit it.
Want a bit of heat? Add in some finely chopped green chilli or red chilli.
Deseed it to keep the spice levels down, or keep them in if you like the extra spicy kick.
You can add some fresh ginger for extra taste.
Curry Powder
Make your own curry powder by combining spices ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, ginger and chilli powder.
Or use a shop-bought curry powder and choose how spicy you like it from mild to hot?
I like to use garam masala, a spice blend of cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, and cumin to add an extra depth of flavour to the dish.
Start by adding a tablespoon of curry powder and add more to taste later if needed.
Mustard
Add a teaspoon or two of mustard for a bit of extra flavour to your mushroom curry.
We use English mustard but feel free to try dijon or wholegrain. Or you could use mustard seeds?
White Wine Vinegar
White wine vinegar adds a bit of acidity.
You could substitute with cider vinegar, white balsamic vinegar or even lemon juice.
Tomato Puree
Tomato paste or puree helps to thicken the mushroom bhaji sauce and add a rich tomato flavour.
Salt & Pepper
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Alternative Ingredients
Experiment with different types of mushrooms you like, including portobello mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms or oyster mushrooms.
Add other vegetables to the mushroom curry, such as cauliflower, peas or aubergine.
Coconut milk added at the end of cooking makes a thin, rich and creamy mushroom curry.
Add some chopped tomatoes or a sprinkle of sugar for extra sweetness.
Stir in a handful of spinach leaves for extra health.
Mushroom Bhaji Texture
The texture you like for the mushroom curry can be altered to suit your taste. I personally love the thick and dry texture I create.
Dry Sauce
Allow the mushroom bhaji to cook for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
If the sauce is too runny, mix a teaspoon of cornflour with water and add it to the pan over medium-high heat, then lower to a simmer.
Thin Sauce
If the mushroom bhaji sauce is too thick for your liking, add vegetable stock to thin it out, until at desired thickness. Or, as suggested above, some coconut milk or chopped tomatoes.
Before serving, add a sprinkle of the coriander leaves.
Serve immediately whilst still hot.
Serving suggestions
Mushroom bhaji goes great served with basmati rice or pilau rice. With mango chutney and cucumber raita on the side.
Add naan bread and onion bhaji on the side for a complete meal.
Here is the recipe card to make this mushroom bhaji at home today.
๐ Step by Step Recipe
Mushroom Bhaji (Indian Mushroom Curry)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion - finely chopped
- 400 grams Mushrooms - closed cup, baby button or chestnut
- 2 cloves Garlic Cloves - finely chopped
- 1 Red Chilli - finely chopped - adjust amount and type used to your taste.
- 1 Handful Fresh Coriander (Cilantro) - Separate stems for Cooking / Leaves for Garnish
- 1 tablespoon Curry Powder - or garam masala
- 2 teaspoon English Mustard
- 1 teaspoon White Wine Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- Salt and Black Pepper - season to test
Instructions
- Prepare ingredients:Chop 400 grams Mushrooms into quarters.Finely chop 1 Onion, 2 cloves Garlic Cloves and 1 Red Chilli.
- Remove the 1 Handful Fresh Coriander (Cilantro) from the stalks and save them for garnish. Finely chop the stem ends for use in cooking.
- Heat 2 tablespoon Olive Oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add chopped onions.
- Next, add the chopped mushrooms. Cook until onions and mushrooms have softened, stirring occasionally. (about 15 minutes)
- Then add the garlic, chilli and coriander stalks. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the 1 tablespoon Curry Powder.
- Add 2 teaspoon English Mustard and 1 teaspoon White Wine Vinegar
- Next, add 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- Stir through, and add Salt and Black Pepper to taste.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes uncovered until sauce is thick.
- Serve as a main or side dish with coriander leaves sprinkled on top.
Video
Nutrition
Storage
If you have any mushroom bhaji leftovers, they can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Reheating
Reheat in a saucepan or the microwave until hot through.
More Indian Side Dishes
Using this mushroom bhaji recipe for a homemade curry night? Here are a few more you might like.
More Mushroom Recipes
If you are only here for your love of mushrooms, here are more of our fabulous mushroom recipes.
Dont forget to rate this recipe and leave me a comment below if you made this Indian Mushroom Bhaji recipe and how it turned out! I love to hear from my readers.
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Happy Cooking!
Marcy says
Delicious! Quick and easy.
Delilah says
Needed to find a quick recipe that used things I already had and came across this. It was delicious! Very easy to make and well worth it. I will absolutely be making this again.
Luke and Kay says
Delilah, we are so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed making our Mushroom Bhaji dish! Thank you for taking the time to let us know. Weโre delighted that you found the recipe was easy to make and tasty - we think so too! Weโre glad it worked with ingredients you already had and hope that it becomes a go-to recipe for those times when you need something fast and delicious. We hope that your next experience with our dish is as great as the first! ๐
Damian says
Iโve never managed a good one before this.
Luke and Kay says
Thank you for the kind words, Damian! We are excited to read that our Mushroom Bhaji dish was able to satisfy your taste buds and create a positive experience. ๐
Alison says
Best Mushroom Bhaji recipe that we've come across - and we've tried a lot. Thank you!!
Luke and Kay says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Alison! We're delighted to hear that you've had such a fantastic experience with our Mushroom Bhaji recipe, and we appreciate all of your feedback. We take great pride in working hard to bring you delicious recipes and we're thrilled to hear that this is one of your favourites! ๐
Janet Pender says
Made this tonight but added 3 cups of baby spinach and a small tub of vegan yogurt a few minutes before serving.
Wowzers everyone agreed this was restaurant quality!
Luke says
Thank you for your lovely comment Janet, if you love this mushroom curry, you should try the aubergine curry recipe we do too. I have a delicious mushroom rice coming soon too!
Janet says
I have now made this dish another couple of times and we all love it.
I havenโt tried the aubergine recipe yet as we are addicted to mushrooms and spinach but it is on my radar for when we want a change.
Thank you again!
Kay says
Thank you for trying our Mushroom Bhaji recipe, Janet! We're so happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed it. The aubergine recipe is delicious, let us know your thoughts.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us; we appreciate it. ๐
Ann says
I have never heard of this dish before, but it sounds delicious! I love mushrooms - excited to give this recipe a try!
Kay says
Thank you, Ann ๐
I hope you enjoy our Mushroom bhaji recipe; let us know what you think.