Mushroom Pepper Fry

Mushrooms and pepper are a match made in heaven. A sprinkle of freshly ground pepper is all that it takes to make these Umami packed nutrition powerhouses, a flavor bomb.

This semi dry dish is packed with flavors and is heaven with just about anything. Needless to say, I love anything mushrooms.

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Even as a kid, I was hooked to mushrooms. Their umami always appealed to my taste buds. My standard order in any Indian restaurant used to be Chili Mushroom and fried rice. 

It was a no brainer for me to incorporate them into my routine meals when I started cooking on my own. Unfortunately for me, the husband is not a big fan.

While I do not make mushrooms that often, when I do, I make sure that they are nothing short of amazing. Which brings me back to this amazing recipe.

My school bestie taught me how to make this dish and I have not changed even a single thing in her recipe. She is my first culinary Guru. I will always be grateful to her for teaching me this and several other gems.

Ingredients

For making this recipe, you will need basic ingredients. Chances are that they are already in your pantry, especially if you are into South Indian food. 

• Oil – Peanut oil is what I recommend here but you can also use any neutral flavored vegetable oil.
• Whole spices for tempering- Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and dry red chilies.
• Curry leaves – make this dish exemplary and are an absolute must.
• Garlic and onions- for flavor, aroma and volume.
• Ground spices- turmeric, red paprika, ground coriander, ground pepper will be giving this dish heat and flavor.
• Mushrooms- I prefer using white button mushrooms or brown mushrooms or a mix of both for this. Cremini or Baby Bella mushrooms work well here.

Variations

Although this recipe uses mushrooms as its star ingredient, you can also add other vegetables or protein to the dish to make it wholesome.

Here are some ideas-

1. Bell peppers or capsicum- slice them thinly and add them just 5 minutes before the mushrooms will be done cooking.
2. Soy chunks or Textured vegetable protein- these are meaty and pair beautifully with mushrooms.
3. Chickpeas- toss in some cooked chickpeas along with the mushrooms. More protein, more texture!

Use this recipe as a template recipe and recreate it with tofu, paneer or baby corns. All of these versions are so good!

Dietary Specifications

With less than 100 calories in every cup of this easy mushroom Sabzi, this dish is a winner because it checks so many boxes. Apart from being vegan, it is also free from nuts, gluten and soy.

Shelf life and storage

You can store leftovers in an air tight covered container in the fridge for 3 days. If you plan on freezing leftovers, divide into small portions, label and freeze for upto 1 month.

While it is not recommended to freeze raw mushrooms, cooked mushrooms are okay to be frozen. Thaw at room temperature for 1 hour, gently reheat in a skillet and serve.

Please do not refreeze after thawing as it poses health risks.

Recipe Notes

1. For cleaning your mushrooms, place them in a colander. Wash them under running water. Wipe them dry with a tissue paper. When done, allow them to dry completely before cooking.
2. I used a small coffee grinder to grind my pepper corns. You can use white or black pepper here, however, black pepper is recommended.
3. To make this fry, I have used a mix of brown and white button mushrooms. 
4. While I add the mushroom stalks too, you can skip them if you prefer.
5. Slice the mushrooms thinly. This helps in faster cooking.
6. Mushrooms are 90% water. For this reason, allow them to cook fully before adding salt. If you add salt before the mushrooms are cooked, they will become mushy since the salt makes them release more moisture.
7. There are different versions to this recipe. Some involve marinating and deep frying the mushrooms. But I prefer this version since it is low in oil.
8. In the video for this recipe, I have used ground white pepper since that is what I had on the day I shot the video.

Serving suggestions

We love eating this as an appetizer. You can also serve this as a side dish for breads or with rice. Some dishes that taste great with this recipe include

Vegan Naan

Vegetable Pulao

Garlic Kulcha

If you have leftovers, you can use it as a topping on toasts or omelets. It is a great stuffing for sandwiches and dosa too.

More Mushroom Recipes

Method

Prep work

Wash, wipe and dry the mushrooms. While they dry, chop and assemble the other ingredients. When the mushrooms are dry, slice them thinly.

How to make south Indian mushroom pepper fry?

Steps 1 and 2

Heat a pan with peanut oil. When the oil has heated up, add the mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilis and curry leaves.

Steps 3 and 4

Allow the spices to crackle and add the finely chopped garlic. Wait for the garlic to begin to brown. Now, add the finely chopped onions and stir to combine. Saute the onions till they are pink and translucent.

Steps 5 and 6

At this stage, add the ground spices and mix well. Cook this mixture for 20 to 30 seconds on low heat, taking care not to burn it.

Steps 7 and 8

Tip in the sliced mushrooms next and toss well to ensure that spices, garlic and onions are well incorporated with the mushrooms.

Step 9 and 10

As the mushrooms cook, they will begin to release water. Allow them to cook in this water till they are reduced by half in volume. Cook further on medium heat until all the moisture has dried out.

The whole process takes anywhere between 7 to 8 minutes, depending on the pan size and the heat.

Steps 11 and 12

When done, finish with fresh curry leaves. Serve hot.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Mushroom Pepper Fry

This easy and quick mushroom pepper fry is a flavor bomb, replete with black pepper and curry leaves.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Mains

Cuisine: South Indian

Servings: 5

Calories: 67kcal

Equipment

• 1 Frying Pan
• 1 slotted spoon
• 1 chopping board
• 1 set of measuring cups and spoons
• 1 knife

Ingredients

• 2 tsp peanut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 dry red chilies
• 12 curry leaves
• 5 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
• 1 cup onions thinly sliced
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper powder or ground white pepper (refer notes)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 12 oz mushrooms sliced thinly (350g in weight)

For garnish

• 10 curry leaves

Instructions

• Heat a pan with peanut oil. When the oil has heated up, add the mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilis and curry leaves.
• Allow the spices to crackle and add the finely chopped garlic. Wait for the garlic to begin to brown.
• Now, add the finely chopped onions and stir to combine. Saute the onions till they are pink and translucent.
• At this stage, add the ground spices and mix well. Cook this mixture for 20 to 30 seconds on low heat, taking care not to burn it.
• Tip in the sliced mushrooms next and toss well to ensure that spices, garlic and onions are well incorporated with the mushrooms.
• As the mushrooms cook, they will begin to release water. Allow them to cook in this water till they are reduced by half in volume. Cook further on medium heat until all the moisture has dried out.
• The whole process takes anywhere between 7 to 8 minutes, depending on the pan size and the heat.
• When done, finish with fresh curry leaves. Serve hot.

Notes

1. For cleaning your mushrooms, place them in a colander. Wash them under running water. Wipe them dry with a tissue paper. When done, allow them to dry completely before cooking.
2. I used a small coffee grinder to grind my pepper corns. You can use white or black pepper here, however, black pepper is recommended.
3. To make this fry, I have used a mix of brown and white button mushrooms. 
4. While I add the mushroom stalks too, you can skip them if you prefer.
5. Slice the mushrooms thinly. This helps in faster cooking.
6. Mushrooms are 90% water. For this reason, allow them to cook fully before adding salt. If you add salt before the mushrooms are cooked, they will become mushy since the salt makes them release more moisture.
7. There are different versions to this recipe. Some involve marinating and deep frying the mushrooms. But I prefer this version since it is low in oil.
8. In the video for this recipe, I have used ground white pepper since that is what I had on the day I shot the video.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Nutrition

Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 392mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 348IU | Vitamin C: 92mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 9mg

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