Especially in the cooler months, I absolutely love a good curry, so I’m always dreaming up new recipes – and that’s where this mushroom curry came from!
I wanted to keep it plant-based but was keen to develop a recipe without coconut milk that was still thick, creamy and hearty.
This recipe is also make-ahead friendly, freezes perfectly and reheats just as well as if it were made fresh!
How to Make Mushroom Curry Without Using Coconut Milk
Like many of my curry recipes, this one has a few ingredients, but it’s not all that difficult to make. A lot of time is inactive, and the whole dish will be done in under an hour, so don’t let it intimidate you.
Start by browning your mushrooms, which is done quickly and easily in the oven. Simply tear your mushrooms into bite-sized pieces (I like the unevenness of tearing rather than cutting, as I think it gives more interesting texture at the end of cooking).
Place the mushrooms on a tray and roast in a 200°C/400°F oven until they’re very browned and reduced significantly in size. This will take about 20-25 minutes and I like to give them a toss halfway through.
While the mushrooms are roasting, let’s make the coconut milk (or dairy cream) substitute, which is simply just some pureed cannellini beans! This is the same method I use in my sweet potato soup recipe.
All you need to do is drain and rinse a can of beans and add them to a blender with a splash of water. Blend on high until creamy and pourable and set aside.
Now it’s time to get the curry together. In a large pot, add some neutral oil along with some whole cumin, fennel and black mustard seeds.
Set it over medium heat and gently toast the spices until they’re fragrant and the mustard seeds are beginning to pop.
Add a diced onion along with a generous pinch of salt and cook until it’s softened and beginning to brown – about 10 minutes.
Now, add win some minced ginger, garlic, green chilies, and tomato paste. Cook until the tomato paste darkens before adding in some white miso paste, curry powder, ground cumin, turmeric, coriander seed and cardamom.
Cook until everything is very fragrant – only about 30 seconds.
Next, add in some diced fresh tomatoes along with a bit more salt. Cook this until the tomatoes begin to break down, release some of their moisture and are jammy in texture – about 5 minutes.
This is the time to add your roasted mushrooms along with the bean puree. Stir in a bit of veggie stock, soy sauce, some maple syrup and a splash of apple cider vinegar.
Bring everything to a simmer and allow to bubble away for 10-15 minutes, just until the sauce thickens slightly, the flavour becomes homogenous and everything coats the mushrooms nicely.
After that, you’re ready to serve! I like serving this on top of some basmati rice or alongside some warm naan.
Mushroom Curry without Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 700 g (24 oz) mixed mushrooms such as cremini and shiitake, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 (400g/14oz) can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
- ½ tsp whole fennel seeds
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 15 g (2 tbsp) fresh ginger grated or minced
- 2 green chilies minced, seeds removed if desired
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp white miso paste
- 1 tbsp hot madras curry powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- 120 ml (½ cup) vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Place the mushrooms on a parchment-lined baking tray, spreading into an even layer (use two trays if needed to avoid overcrowding). Roast for 20–25 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until well browned and reduced.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, add the beans to a blender along with 60ml (¼ cup) of water. Blend until completely smooth and pourable, adding a splash more water if needed. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the cumin, fennel and mustard seeds and cook until the mustard seeds begin to pop and the spices are fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and beginning to brown – about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger, chilies and tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and the tomato paste darkens – 1-2 minutes longer. Add the miso paste, curry powder, ground cumin, turmeric, coriander and cardamom. Cook for another 30 seconds, stirring to ensure the miso is evenly incorporated.
- Stir in the tomatoes along with another generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften, release their moisture and become jammy in texture – about 5 minutes.
- Add the roasted mushrooms and the pureed beans along with the vegetable stock, soy sauce, maple syrup and vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the mushrooms. Taste to adjust for seasoning, adding more salt or a splash of vinegar if necessary to balance flavours. Serve alongside rice or warm naan.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This plant-based mushroom curry swaps pureed beans for coconut milk, resulting in a creamy, hearty meal perfect for colder nights.
Are you after a great mushroom curry? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
