Kashmiri Mushrooms

Name: Kashmiri Mushrooms (Instant pot mushrooms in Sun-dried tomato sauce)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato (dried or olive-oil soaked, drained); 1 cup water (for blending); 1 teaspoon oil (to sauté); 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 black cardamom pod (partially open, or use more green cardamom pods); 3 green cardamom pods (partially open); 2 whole cloves; 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or use paprika); 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri garam masala (or regular garam masala. Use more to taste as needed); 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, (You can also use 1 tablespoon ginger paste or ginger garlic paste instead.); 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi ((dried fenugreek leaves)); 8-10 ounces mushrooms (quartered – baby portobello or white or similar-sized mushrooms); 1/2 teaspoon salt; cilantro, lemon juice

This is an amazing recipe from the state of Kashmir in India. It’s usually made with meat (tamater hatche te maaz- mutton with sundried tomato sauce), but I use mushrooms in this delicious sauce, which is made with spices and sun-dried tomatoes (tamater hatche in kashmiri).

Most of the Kashmir region is on high altitude, so depending on the season, fresh veggies like tomatoes and onion are not easily available. So Kashmiri cuisine often uses things like ground ginger instead of fresh ginger, sun-dried tomato instead of tomato , and lots of whole and dried spices to make their sauces, meat curries or bean curries.

Mushrooms cook up in a simple sauce with some whole spices, ground spices, and sun-dried tomatoes blended up into a puree.

I make it an Instant Pot by adding everything to the pot and pressure cooking so that you don’t have to sauté the sauce for a long time. It still gets nicely roasted under pressure with the mushrooms, and it’s pretty quick recipe. You don’t have to stand around sweating while the mushrooms get done, either.

close-up of a bowl of Kashmiri mushrooms, garnished with cilantro

Why You’ll Love Kashmiri Mushrooms

flavor-packed, easy dinner
cooking in the Instant Pot means no standing over the hot stove
allergy-friendly: soy-, nut-, and gluten-free.

More Instant Pot Indian Recipes

mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and seasonings in bowls on a marble tabletop

Ingredients and Substitutions

sun-dried tomatoes – Use dry or oil-packed. If you do use oil-packed tomatoes, drain them before soaking.
oil – To sauté the spices.
whole spices – Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and cumin seeds roasted in a little bit of oil bring the first layer of flavor to the Kashmiri mushrooms.
ground spices – The second layer of flavor comes from Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, fennel seeds, coriander, ground ginger, and dried fenugreek leaves( Kasuri methi). I use both dried fenugreek leaves and Kashmiri chili powder often in my recipes, so do get these as you will use them if you try more of my Indian recipes. They have a specific flavor!
mushrooms – Use button, baby bella, or other, similar-sized mushrooms, washed sliced into quarters.
garnish – Cilantro and lemon juice add brightness to balance the rich flavors of all of those spices!

Tips

When blending the tomato mixture, you want it totally smooth.
When roasting the whole spices, be sure to stir constantly, so they don’t burn.
For the pressure release in this recipe, let the pressure come down naturally for 5 minutes, then do a quick release. Carefully open the lid when the pressure gauge drops.

How to Make Kashmiri Mushrooms in the Instant Pot

Soak the sun-dried tomato in one cup of hot water, if you haven’t already, for at least 10 minutes. Then add all of this to a blender and blend until you get a smooth mixture. Blend for a minute, then let it sit for two minutes and blend again.

soaking sun-dried tomatoes in hot water in the blender canister

Start the Instant Pot on sauté mode.

Add the oil to the Instant Pot. Once the oil is hot, add all of the whole spices and mix, then continue to cook until the cumin seeds start to change color and get very fragrant.

Mix in the pureed tomato mixture, then mix in the ground spices.

adding the tomato mixture and ginger paste to the Instant Pot

sun dried tomato sauce with dried spices added

Continue to cook for one to two minutes to bring the mixture to a boil, then add the mushrooms and salt. Stir that in, and one to two tablespoons of water.

adding mushrooms to the Instant Pot with the sun-dried tomato sauce in it

mushrooms mixed with the sun-dried tomato sauce

Switch off the sauté, close the lid, and press pressure cook at high pressure for 14 minutes.

If you want to cook your rice at the same time, in the same pot, add a cup of soaked for 5 mins and drained rice and one and a quarter cups of water to an Instant-Pot safe inner pan(steel or ceramic), and place it on a tall trivet over the mushrooms before closing the pot.

Instant Pot with pan of rice in it, before cooking

Once the pressure cooking is done, let the pot sit for 5 minutes then Quick release carefully and then open the lid

Kashmiri mushrooms in the Instant Pot, after cooking

Kashmiri mushrooms in the Instant Pot, garnished with cilantro

Fluff the rice and remove the pan. Carefully mix and taste, adjusting the flavor and salt as needed. You can add in a quarter teaspoon or more of maple syrup to balance out the flavor, if you like. You can also add more heat, if you like, by adding some cayenne.

Serve over rice, flatbread, or naan along with some spiced beans, or my Kashmiri dal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is this allergy friendly?

Kashmiri mushrooms are naturally soy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free.

Where is Kashmir?

Jammu and Kashmir state are part of northern India that includes part of the Himalayan mountain range.

Can I cook this on stove top?

Yes, follow steps 1 and most of 2 on stove top over medium heat. Add the blended sundried tomato sauce and sauté for another 2 mins after it comes to a boil, then add the mushroom, salt, 1/2 cup water and cook covered for 15-20 mins or until mushrooms are cooked to preference. Continue to cook uncovered for a few mins, to thicken the sauce if needed.