This Mushroom Pepper Fry is one of those recipes that you need in your back pocket. It's fresh, spicy, garlick-y - a total medley of quintessential South Indian flavors. Super simple and ready in 30 minutes, this one makes for a quick and tasty dinner or an evening snack!
I can never have enough of mushrooms! And this Mushroom Pepper Fry is extra special because it combines two of my biggest loves - mushrooms and South Indian flavours. Made with lots of pepper, tomato paste, curry leaves, this South Indian style mushroom pepper fry is a flavor bomb with each bite. Plus, it comes together so fast! It literally takes about 15 minutes before we’re in mushroomy umami paradise. Here’s how to make a south Indian style mushroom pepper roast that you can eat for lunch, snack, and dinner! Or breakfast - pepper mushrooms on toast?
Quick Walk Through: Mushroom Pepper Fry
The South Indian Touch
In south India, pepper roast chicken and other meat is supremely popular. We recreate those flavors in this recipe with two main ingredients - pepper and curry leaves. Generous amounts of pepper give this dish heat, while a handful of fresh curry leaves or kari patta added that distinct earthiness. Both these ingredients are really important to create balance.
Tip: Try this recipe with chicken or any other red meat of choice, and you’ll see that the pepper and the curry leaves are what make this dish YUM-MAZING.
Frequently Asked Questions
I hate soggy mushrooms; the texture is not very appetising. Mushrooms should remain plump and juicy at the end of the cooking process. And for the longest time, I hadn’t realised that this was a heat control thingy. You have to cook the mushrooms on high flame until they’re done so that they caramelise and retain their juiciness.
Freshly ground pepper vs pepper powder
There is no bland version of this recipe, LOL. We love adding generous amounts of freshly ground pepper, even if it means our tongues are on fire. The heat comes from the pepper, not from the chillies that are added to the tempering. I recommend using freshly ground pepper for this recipe because pre-ground pepper powder invariably loses it’s freshness and hit of spice.
Sometimes, I add a generously amount of lemon juice at the very end. It's another variation of this same recipe that's just perfect for a rainy day snack! Try this mushroom recipe as is, or with the meat of your choice. I love serving it with Malabar Parottas or rasam and rice depending on what we're in the mood for. Either way, it's always a huge it!
Watch Mushroom Pepper Fry Recipe Video
South Indian Mushroom Pepper Fry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1.5 teaspoons chopped Ginger
- 1.5 teaspoons chopped Garlic
- 8-10 Curry Leaves
- 2-3 dried Red Chillies
- 1 medium Onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ½ teaspoon Chilli Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ¾ teaspoon ground Black Pepper freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 600 grams (6.25 cups) Mushrooms washed and cut in half, refer note 1
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large kadhai or wok. Add mustard seeds, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, dried red chillies and stir fry for two minutes till you can start smelling all the aromatics.
- Add onions and cook till translucent. Add tomato paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder and garam masala and cook the tomato paste for 2-3 minutes on high heat till you can see oil droplets around the sides.
- Add the mushrooms, pepper and salt and cook on high heat, tossing regularly for a few minutes till the mushrooms leave water and reduce slightly in size. Cooking on high heat prevents them from becoming soggy. Once the mushrooms are cooked, turn off the heat and serve.
Video
Notes
- Use fresh mushrooms, I used button mushrooms. Make sure you thoroughly clean the mushrooms. If necessary, soak the mushrooms in water along with 1-2 teaspoons of vinegar. Rinse, cut and use.
- Do not cut the mushrooms well in advance as they will start to lose moisture. Cut and use immediately. If the mushrooms are very big, then cut it in quarters. If it is very small, use them whole.
- Use freshly ground black pepper in place of store bought pepper powder. You can also dry roast the black pepper for 1-2 minutes before grinding, this will give it an extra kick.
- Prepare this dish ready to serve as mushrooms will start to leave water when stored for long time. It tastes best when freshly made and the mushrooms still have a certain crunch.
Kirthi says
Such a simple and quick recipe. Love it!
Richa says
Thanks Kirthi, glad you enjoyed it
Shiveta says
I love mushrooms and this recipe seems super yummy, I'm surely going to try this out. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Rajan says
Very innovative. The mushrooms aren’t soggy or slimy, and they retain the juices.
I would go a bit easy on ginger because I put too much and it gave a bitter flavor. Also I would prefer a substitute to tomato purée- perhaps just fresh garden tomatoes. But fabulous taste nevertheless
Shruti says
Loved this recipe! I tried it and it was also easy to follow😀
Gisele says
Quick, simple and packed with flavour. Delicious!
Hema says
Loved this recipe Richa. Since I didn’t have enough mushrooms I added a capsicum and it tasted fantastic anyway. Thanks so much for giving me one more recipe for mushrooms. This one was easy to make too. 👌
Deepti says
Tried this recipe out last week and absolutely loved it! Loved the spice and flavor. Thanks for sharing it, I will definitely be making it again and looking forward to trying out more of your recipes!
Biji says
Hi, searching for some good mushroom recipes I landed on your page n trued this mushroom pepper fry n it was mind blowing tasty!!! Simple but amazing.. I think all recipes should be like this! Simple n super tasty! I made it for lunch with vegetable kootu n rice. Thus will be a keeper recipe! Now I’m gonna try more recipes from ur site!
Nandini says
The best recipe out there ! Just the way I like it! Going to try this today!
indiandesitadka.com says
Indian food in Calgary
Coimbatore Catering Services says
Thanks for the recipe
I will try this in my birthday party
Ashu says
Very easy n tasty recipes as you says and i,m very thankful to you.
BIKRAMJIT LAHIRI says
This recipe looks amazing, definitely gonna try it. I love the recipes which are both tasty and healthy. It is sure falls on that category.
Vikrant Singh says
I would love to cook and eat this tomorrow morning I am going to make that for my parents