Gucchi Korma (Mushroom and Pea Korma) with Rotis

This recipe is dedicated to my daughter-in-law Snigdha, her parents and all the beautiful friends I have made afar in India. By cooking this meal I have developed an even deeper appreciation of the true art of Indian cooking. It is a skill that I believe would take me an entire lifetime to achieve.

Many years ago I purchased “The Indian Cooking Course” cookbook by Monisha Bharadwaj at Half Price Books. Gosh I miss that store. I was attracted to the cover which had illustrations of very colorful Indian herbs and spices. The inside was filled with vivid photographs of Indian markets, fruits and vegetables, kitchens, tin and copper utensils, landscape and – of course – mouthwatering cuisine. I remember when I first got this book I sat for hours days studying the details of all the pictures. I would imagine what it would be like being in India. I never made a single recipe – but I could tell you about all the spices, regions, climate and geography.

Well last weekend I took that cookbook out and searched exclusively for recipes that were plant based. I found several but the one that caught my eye the most was Gucchi Korma. I also felt this was the one I had the best shot at “pulling off” having never made an Indian meal before. I must say for my first attempt it really was delicious.

Gucchi Korma is a dish whose star ingredient is white mushrooms. Mushrooms have been cultivated in India only for the last 40 years. Early on, foragers gathered only a small amount for consumption. They were not considered a mainstay veggie by any means. In fact, in ayurvedic medicine (a healthy life style system in India) mushrooms are classified as unpalatable, promoting laziness and pessimism. They have apparantly increased in popularity and can now be found in markets and restaurants in India.

White mushrooms are low in calories, high in protein and vitamin D and a source of B12 which is important when following a plant based way of eating. Did you know that white mushrooms are immature fungi and fully grown white mushrooms are portobellos? I just learned that fun little fact today.

Rotis is an unleavened flat bread native to India but consumed in many countries worldwide. Roti is 100% vegan seeing that it is made from whole wheat flour and water. That’s right – just two ingredients. Pretty crazy but it’s true. Now, while I feel I can improve on my future rotis making skills, they didn’t turn out that bad. I gave myself a grade of C+. I think the trick is to knead them very well and roll them super thin. My first few batches were too thick and they didn’t bubble up as they should.

Ingredients for Gucchi Korma

• 1 large onion sliced
• 1 fresh green chili chopped
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 2 cups white button mushrooms sliced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. garam masala (directions for making this mix of spices is at the end of this post)
• 1 tsp. ground tumeric
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 3 tsps. ginger-garlic paste

Ginger-garlic Paste: Ratio of 1 part ginger (peeled and chopped) to 2 parts garlic (chopped). Blitz the ginger and garlic in a blender along with enough water to turn the blades and make a smooth puree.

Directions

1. Put the onion, chili pepper and cashews in a pan with just enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the onion is soft then transfer to a blender and blitz to a smooth paste. Set aside.

2. Place a little extra virgin olive oil in a deep sauce pan over high heat. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 30 seconds then add the mushrooms and peas. Stir in the ground spices. Cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms release their juices and the spices cook then add the onion and cashew paste. Note: I made an exception to the “no oil” here because I am a newby to Indian cooking and didn’t want to mess things up.

3. Stir for 7-8 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked through. Adjust the seasonings to your liking. Sprinkle a pinch of garam masala and serve hot with the rotis.

Ingredients for Rotis

• 2 cups stoneground whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup slightly warm water

Directions

1. Place flour in a bowl. Add a little bit of water and knead with your hands until you have a pliable dough. If not pliable enough add more water. The maximum you would add is 3/4 cup. I used the entire amount of water.
2. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes. The more you knead the softer the rotis. This is very important. I stopped at the 5 minute mark (fingers got tired) but think that extra three minutes would have made them just about perfect.
3. Leave the dough ball to rest for 10 minutes in the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel over it.
4. Divide the dough into 10 equal portions the size of a lime. Coat with a light dusting of flour, shape into a ball with your palms and flatten a bit.
5. Roll each ball into thin, flat disks with a rolling pin about 5″ in diameter.
6. Heat a grill pan (cast iron would be ideal) on high heat. Cook the disks one at a time until the surface appears bubbly. Flip and press the edges down with a spatula to cook evenly. When the rotis is opaque and flecked with brown they are done. The recipe says to brush the rotis with oil – this is optional.

How to Make Garam Masala Spice Mix

• 1 tsp. black peppercorn
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 3/4″ cinnamon stick
• 10 cardimon pods (seeded and husks disgarded)
• 10 cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 blades mace
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds
• 2 tsp. coriander seeds

1. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat, add the spices and dry toast until they start to darken and become aromatic. Remove from heat and let cool before grinding to a fine powder with spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
2. Store in airtight container in a cool, dark place and use within 6 months. You can also put the whole toasted spices in a peppermill and use when needed.

If you are not interested in making your own garam masala it is sold in the spice section of most supermarkets.