A meatier curry than you might expect with a veg option, this mushroom curry is made with well-seared mushrooms to get the best texture and flavour. Lentils add protein and extra texture, and the gravy is finished with yogurt to add creaminess. It’s made with a mix of individual spices but you can use a blended curry powder if you’d rather – more on this below.

Can’t get enough of mushrooms? Try this vegan mushroom stroganoff or veg-packed mushroom fajitas. If you want to put a bit more time into it make a batch of mushroom kroppkakor (Swedish filled dumplings).

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Mushrooms: plain button mushrooms are good and what I always use here. If you want to get fancy, go for it, and use a mix of different mushrooms or a special variety.
• Lentils: use any type of lentils here, even red. A simple brown lentil is pictured but black are particularly good. Red lentils will make for a softer texture.
• Spices: the list isn’t too long (garam masala, cumin, cinnamon, coriander seed, and cardamom) and all are common ingredients to add to curry dishes. If you want to try this but aren’t sure you want to have several different spices on hand, you could try subbing in a pre-mixed curry powder along with the garam masala.
• Yogurt: any unsweetened, unflavoured variety. Pictured is soya but coconut is good, if less neutral. I haven’t tested this with a dairy yogurt but don’t see why it wouldn’t work.

Step by Step

Step 1: cook the mushrooms over medium heat for about six minutes.

Step 2: add the onions and cook for another 6-8 minutes.

Step 3: cook the garlic for a couple of minutes, then stir in the spices and toast.

Step 4: add the tomato puree and water (or broth).

Step 5: cook for about 20 minutes.

Step 6: stir in the yogurt, season to taste, and serve.

Recipe Notes

The mushrooms are cooked first to cook out most of the water. This gives the best meaty texture, not chewy, and I follow the same rule almost any time I cook mushrooms. Sear, don’t simmer!

This is a rather thick stew and can be thinned out with extra yogurt or some kind of cream if you’d like. It’s an excellent curry to have without rice or bread but, of course, also tastes good with both.

Water is perfectly fine to use here as long as you season properly. If preferred, you can use vegetable broth, or try mushroom stock if you want to boost the mushroom flavour.

How to Store

Storage: keep leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat gently over low heat.

Freezing: this freezes fairly well but some brands of yogurt tend to get a bit grainy when thawed. It’s unpredictable but if you’re sure you’re going to freeze some of the curry, I suggest taking it out of the pot before mixing in the yogurt, and then adding yogurt after reheating the frozen portion. To freeze, transfer cooled curry to airtight containers and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat as usual.

Expert Tips

• Use fresh spices: the fresher the spices, the better they’ll taste. If you find that your spiced dishes are often tasting a bit bland or boring despite plenty being added, it’s probably due to old or poor-quality spices. If it’s been sitting open (and even worse, in a warm spot like above the stove) for ages, it’s not going to taste like anything.
• Think about acidity: some tinned tomatoes are very acidic. If you know that yours are, or the curry tastes too acidic, you can balance it out by adding a bit of sweetener. Do this after adding the yogurt.
• Cook longer if needed: old lentils will need more time to cook. You can’t know in advance if they’re old right from a package, but give yourself a little leeway in case you need to cook for a few more minutes. On the same note, I never pick over my lentils but if the quality is uncertain, pour them onto a shallow plate and check for rocks before adding.

More Curry-Style Recipes

Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry
Chickpea Pumpkin Curry
Curry Carrot Potato Soup
Yellow Curry Noodle Soup