Vegan mushroom masala

Hobbychef
3 days ago
9 min read

This vegan mushroom masala from Durban has become a go-to weekday curry, easy and fairly quick to make. If you love mushrooms and a bit of spice, this should definitely be in your repertoire. It's also easily adapted for non-vegans.

Not mushroom inside

I was taught this vegan mushroom masala curry in Durban many years ago by one of my "curry mentors", Mrs Panday.

I learned it through happenstance. During a conversation with Mrs Panday, one of those people who could hold my attention for hours with her knowledge of spices and ingredients, I shared my observation that mushrooms weren't used much in South African Indian Diasporan curries (nor, indeed in India) except as bahjia, side dishes. She smiled, "Well then I will have to teach you one." And here it is.

Mrs Panday told me she had been taught it by a Hindu friend and it came from the Hindu vegan/vegetarian tradition. She also showed me that it was a highly adaptable dish that she often cooked when catering for diverse dietary observances. In South Africa, with its diverse communities of Asian descent and equally diverse food cultures based on differing religious dietary observance, there developed a strong tradition of curries that are baseline vegan or vegetarian to which the protein of choice can be added later. This is one of them.

If you're interested in that kind of thing, uniquely South African Asian Diaspora cooking and the food histories and the stories behind food, you can learn more about it here.

Mushroom for manoeuvre

As with many Indian Diasporan dishes arising from KwaZulu-Natal, this recipe involves a set of core ingredients that would always be used (onions, green chillies, tomatoes, mushrooms) but the other ingredients would be varied according to availability which wasn't necessarily seasonal—let's face it, with its humid subtropical climate "seasons" are barely noticeable on South Africa's eastern seaboard, unless you count rain. Basically, it grows throughout the year or rots in the ground from the humidity unless up in the mountains...

Potatoes are often used, though I'm substituting baby sweetcorn for them because of "carb overkill", and pieces of butternut squash or Zulu pumpkin would equally be used to fulfil the "chunky" vegetable role. I'm using European baby spinach, not the more commonly used local version. What often gets called "spinach" in Durban is a kind of chard, resilient in the humid climate in the way that European spinach is not...

Similarly, I'm using tinned chopped tomatoes, because this is how I make it as a quick weekday meal, though tinned tomatoes are seldom used in Durban curries. But, if you have the equivalent in very fresh tomatoes, chopped, almost puréed in their juice and skin, that's actually the original I was taught.

This dish relies on a kind of sweet-'n-sour thing that is hard to describe. And, certainly, in the earlier stages of cooking, it tastes a little sweet (the cinnamon) but rather bland. Bear with it, everything changes later on.

This version serves 2 to 3 people, depending on the your appetites, side dishes and condiments. I've used images from cooking it on two different occasions, once as vegan and once with chicken. It should be easy to tell.

3 top tips to get this recipe right:

The original version uses small, skin-on potatoes where I am using baby sweetcorn, an ingredient not used much in South African cooking (SAFAs prefer their mielies full-grown). But, if you prefer more carbs, by all means use potatoes. Add them roughly where you add the baby sweetcorn in this recipe.

There is a special, truly notable change that happens in the flavour of this dish after you add the sugar and vinegar and cook it in for a few minutes. Do not rush it, and never serve it until this has transformed the dish. It's the flavour that brings it home.

I would describe this dish as "medium spicy". If you think it will prove too spicy for you, there are two things you can do: use only one green chilli; and/or slightly reduce the quantity of mother-in-law masala, replacing it with more Madras-style mild curry powder.

DIY mother-in-law masala

If you are making your own mother-in-law masala, which I strongly recommend, then below are the ingredients you will need to make it.

I always make it in larger batches because I use it a lot, and I prefer to use it roughly ground, not sieved. Like all curry powders, it stores well. I find the the benefits of making your own masala mix is that is remains pungent and fragrant for at least 3 to 4 months if it is stored in a cool, dry place. So, for me, this is a "convenient" spice, always at hand. But perhaps not so much if you'd rather work with store-bought spices.

You can buy readymade Durban mother-in-law masala spice mix in many supermarkets in South Africa and order it online from specialist vendors in many parts of the world. Alternatively, use a Tandoori Masala mix, available from many mainstream supermarkets. It's not the same, but it's a workable ersatz option.

for the Durban Mother-in-law Masala spice mix

3 tbsns cayenne pepper
1 tbspn smoked paprika powder e.g. pimentón
7 tbspns Kashmiri chilli powder (mild)
1 tspn dried chilli flakes (hot)
2 tbspsns coriander seeds
1 tbspn fennel seeds
1 tbspn green cardamom pods
1 tspn black mustard seeds
1 tspn cumin seeds
1 tspn fenugreek seeds
1 tspn garlic powder
1 tspn ground mace
1 tspn ginger powder
1 tspn black peppercorns
½ tspn grated nutmeg
3 dried bay leaves
3 tbspns dried curry leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cassia bark stick ("Chinese cinnamon")
2 star anise
4 cloves

Preparation method

Toast all of the whole spices (i.e. seeds, pods, peppercorns, sticks etc.) in a large dry pan on a medium heat, moving them about frequently to prevent burning
You don't need to time it: it's ready when the mustard seeds start to pop. You'll notice! Remove from the heat and allow to cool fully
Place all of your toasted elements in the spice grinder first and grind down. Gradually add the finer powders and chilli flakes and blend it all together
If you want a much finer powder (which is more traditional with Durban curries), pass it through a sieve. But, I often prefer cooking with the "chunky bits" in; up to you
Store in a sealed jar and use until it's gone. It's safe to store in a cool place for years (think about how long those store-bought masalas sit in warehouses) but the immediacy of ground whole spices starts to reduce after about four months

Shopping list

for the vegan mushroom masala

Approx. 350g large chestnut mushrooms; thickly sliced
3 medium onions, (red or brown), sliced thickly
1 tin 400g chopped tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes and juice, chopped)
2 red sweet peppers; sliced (or equivalent in red bell peppers)
Approx. 150g baby sweetcorn; cut into approx. thirds
Approx. 70g fresh baby spinach (or frozen equivalent)
2 hot green chillies; sliced vertically and deseeded
2 tspns garlic & ginger paste
Approx. 150ml coconut milk (or equivalent creamed coconut diluted in boiling water)
5 to 6 tbspns sunflower oil
4 or 5 whole green cardamom pods; bruised
½ tspn yellow mustard seeds
½ tspn good quality whole black peppercorns
½ a cinnamon stick
2 tbspns mother-in-law masala (see above)
5 whole cloves
5 or 6 fresh curry leaves
1 tspn mild Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tspn garam masala
1 tspn mild (Madras-style) curry powder
2 tbspns demerara sugar (or other coarse brown sugar)
2 tbspns white wine vinegar
A few fresh coriander leaves; washed and drained
Water, as needed
Salt, to taste

sides and condiments

Pick and choose from the following:

Durban yellow rice — the version here uses only a small amount of grated fresh turmeric
Roti (aka chapati), oven-warmed. I'm currently in love with Riya's Premium Methi Roti, but plain roti work just as well
Poppadoms - with condiments such as sliced raw onion and chopped coriander or pickles or achars of choice
"sambal" — in this case chopped hot red chillies, cucumber and very ripe tomatoes
Chutney - something fairly simple such as onion or mango chutney

To give some guidance, this is a rather intense dish, not necessarily in terms of spiciness so much as complex, "perfumed" flavours. If you want to go for that intensity head-on, opt for roti (and one of the things I like about the methi roti is that their slight bitterness balances out the sweeter notes). If you want to experience it in a more mellow way, opt for the rice. I also noticed, having it with rice when I made the chicken option (using the same base vegan mushroom masala). it tasted notably less spicy. This isn't always the case, and not sure why, but the rice might work better for people who prefer curries on the milder side.

Cooking method

the vegan mushroom masala

In a pot or kadai with a lid, heat the oil on a medium heat. Add all of the whole spices, green chillies, garam masala, mother-in-law masala and mild curry powder and stir into the oil. As soon as the aromas release, add the onions and stir in. Sauté until fully soft and starting to brown. NB, you may need to add a little hot water to prevent sticking while cooking. Repeat this to deglaze the pot until the onions are soft and golden at the very least
Add the sweet peppers and stir in. Add a dash of additional oil to ensure they are coated and then, as they sauté, add little dashes of water to deglaze, ensuring the spices do not stick to the pot. Add the garlic & ginger paste and stir in. Sauté for about a minute or so. Before it burns, add all of the mushrooms and stir in
Cook down the mushrooms until brown and becoming soft NB: "browned", not fully cooked. Add the tomatoes and all their juice and stir in. Reduce the heat slightly until at a healthy simmer. Cover and simmer for 10mins, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking
Add the coconut milk and stir in. Stir, re-cover and simmer for another 5mins
Add the baby sweetcorn (or potatoes). Re-cover and simmer for a further 10mins
Add the demerara sugar and stir in. Once you're confident it has dissolved, add the vinegar and stir in. Re-cover and simmer for a further 5mins. If your sauce has notably thickened and you can taste the shift in flavours, add the spinach (if not, simmer for an additional few minutes)
When the spinach has cooked into the now thickened sauce, add the fresh curry leaves. Leave them on the surface of the dish until their aromas are released. Then, stir in
Reduce the heat to low and barely simmer for another 5mins or so. Remove from the heat and allow to rest briefly
Plate or take to table in a serving dish, garnishing with a little fresh coriander or a few seedless sultanas. Serve with your side dishes and condiments of choice.

Alternatives

This dish is vegan but can also adapted to non-vegan diets, even when serving diverse dietary needs at the same table. And, indeed, all of the condiments and side dishes most commonly served with it are vegan, reflecting its Hindu cuisine roots.

This dish is readily turned pescatarian. After decanting portions for the vegans, add raw, peeled prawns or king prawns to the pot and simmer until cooked. This should only take a few minutes before it is ready to serve.

The main carnivore variant of this curry is chicken. Sauté bite-sized pieces of chicken in a little oil with 1tspn of garlic & ginger paste and a very light sprinkling of garam masala until browned, but not fully cooked. As above, once you have removed the vegan portions, simmer gently in the pot until the chicken is cooked through.

Pairings

I usually have this dish with iced sparkling water with slices of lemon. As with many curries, this dish works brilliantly with beer, lagers to be precise, as known by curry fans all around the world. If you want the whole SAFA experience, go for Castle Lager or Carling Black Label. But, any clean, cold lager works, though I would avoid any of the hipster lagers that have strong spice or fruit notes: there's enough complex spice in the dish.

On the wine front, I'm a lifelong advocate of Chenin Blanc as my go-to "curry wine", particularly South African wines with strong peppery notes. I have equally found numerous numbers from New Zealand that have this same quality.

And, when the weather is warm, it can work wonderfully with rosé wines, not those delicate French numbers but the butch Spanish Navarra rosados capable of rugby tackling the complex spices in this dish.

Any specific ones? No, not really. This remains a delicious quotidian dish for me and, as such, the wines with which I have had it are not those pivotal decisions to which I have paid much attention. Just go on gut instinct once you've cooked the dish.