Mushroom Mutter

Here's a North Indian mushroom and green pea curry sure to warm you on cold winter days. You can serve this with some cardamom-scented basmati rice or fresh naan.

Because this dish has a few steps, I've listed the ingredients in the order that you'll need them.

Ingredients:

2 medium yellow onions
4+ cloves of garlic
Fresh ginger - about a 2 inch piece
1 TBSP butter - the real stuff, not margarine

Spices (no set proportions...just go with your gut. I usually use about twice as much garam masala and curry powder as coriander and cumin)
Garam Masala
Curry Powder
Coriander Cumin
1 Serrano chili pepper (optional)

1 large can (about 14 oz) crushed tomatoes (you could used diced fresh tomatoes as well)
A large handful of fresh cilantro, chopped finely

Two pints of baby portobello mushrooms (halved or quartered into 1 inch pieces)
1-2 cups of frozen green peas

1 cup cashews (optional)
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

 - Dice the onions and sauté them on medium heat with the butter and a little salt. Once onions are translucent, add the diced (or crushed) garlic and ginger. Let cook on medium/low for a few minutes.

-Add spices to onion mixture, stir constantly for two to three minutes. (Adding the spices at this stage allows them to really cook and develop a nutty flavor.)

-Pour in crushed tomatoes and add chopped cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook for five minutes. -Using either a handheld immersion blender or a stand-up full-size blender, purée the tomato onion mixture until smooth.

-Add mushrooms, peas, and cashews to purée and bring up to low simmer. Cook for twenty to thirty minutes, stirring occasionally. NOTE: As mushrooms cook, they will release a bit of water, so don't worry if the mixture seems too think when you first add the mushrooms and peas. You can add a bit of vegetable or chicken stock later if it's still too thick.

-Before serving, add a bit of heavy cream to give the dish a decadent mouth-feel. Salt to taste. Garnish with a leaf of cilantro.

 Enjoy!