This Chettinad mushroom pepper fry from its namesake Southern Indian region of Chettinad is a flavorful and an easy to make weeknight dish. I have tried multiple versions of this popular dish in restaurants in India. It always tasted good but I could not help coming away thinking it was too greasy. Also more than once, I felt the vegetables have been over powered by all the spices. Now don’t get me wrong! I love my spices but there are also times when I want to be able to have a lighter version with fresh spices marrying in with the flavors of the produce.
That’s why I set out to create my own version of this delectable dish. The flavors of the Chettinad area are bold and vibrant. I have tried to keep it true to the original while putting my own twist on the dish.This dish is loaded with black pepper that wonderfully amalgamates with the beautiful earthy flavors of mushrooms. I have used green peppers but you could also add tomatoes or even some greens to the dish. If you are looking for more chettinad mushroom recipes, try this Mushroom Biriyani.
What you need to get cooking
This mushroom curry is best cooked with either button, chestnut or baby bellas but you could use other mushrooms as well.Also using fresh curry leaves and freshly ground black pepper makes a big difference in adding to the flavors of the dish. Another tip is you are not vegan, try cooking the dish with ghee which adds a fantastic aroma to the dish. Also it all comes together in one pan which means less cleaning up afterwards.
The ingredients you would need are
- Mushrooms
- Green pepper
- Onion
- Ginger and garlic
- Whole Spices – cumin, fennel and mustard seeds
- Curry leaves
- Ground spices – Black pepper, Coriander and chile powder
- Cooking oil and salt
Making the mushroom pepper fry
We initially start off by roasting the whole spices in the oil to release the flavors. At this time, you add the curry leaves, chopped onions and other aromatics like the chopped ginger, garlic. You also add other vegetables like green pepper and tomatoes at this point.
Now we add powdered spices like chile powder and coriander powder. Finally we add in the mushrooms and let it cook for a few minutes .We then add the freshly ground pepper to finish it off. All of this takes less than 20 minutes + 10 minutes of prep time. I would say that’s dinner or lunch sorted. I love having this mushroom curry with plain steam rice or even pulao but this would also go great with flatbreads like chapati or naan.
If you tried out this recipe, please consider tagging me on Instagram with the hashtag #dillandthyme and leave a comment or question below!
Chettinad Mushroom Pepper Fry
Ingredients
- 6 cups White button or Chestnut mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
- 2 Bell pepper(medium) (diced)
- 1 Onion (large) (finely chopped)
- 5 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 inch Ginger (grated or chopped)
- 1 tbsp Red chile Powder (adjust according to taste)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Coriander powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp Black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 tsp Black Mustard
- 6-7 Fresh curry leaves (chopped)
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Fennel seeds
- 2 tbsp Avacado Oil
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
- Add the mustard, cumin and fennel seeds to the heated oil. It should start spluttering in a few seconds. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds. Add the chopped onions and cook for a few minutes.
- Now add the ginger and garlic. Mix and let it cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the green pepper. Season with salt, coriander and chile powder. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Mix in the mushrooms and let it cook for a 4-5 minutes until done. Add the ground pepper and more salt if required.
- Serve hot with rice or chapati/naan.
Notes
- You can add tomatoes as well to the recipe to add volume and more flavor.
- Adjust the chile powder and black pepper amount according to your personal taste.
- I highly recommend enjoying this dish fresh but it can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days or frozen for up to 2 weeks.