Spinach (saag) and mushroom curry is one of my favourite vegan curries to cook if I am in a rush in the kitchen and need an easy Indian fix.
This recipe comfortably cooks in around 20 minutes, and the preparation takes around another 10, making this a proper curry in a hurry recipe!
Quick and Easy Mushroom Saag
You are never far from curry recipes here on my website and Indian Curries in particular.
I love them all, from the mild chicken pasanda through to fiery lamb madras and especially this recipe's meaty brethren, the chicken saag curry.
In fact, you could call this recipe a mushroom saag if you wanted!
I'm equally delighted with the less meaty offerings like vegetable karahi, saag aloo, matar paneer, palak paneer, mushroom biryani, vegan mushroom rendang or my more left-field sweet potato curry or carrot and chickpea curry.
This mushroom and spinach curry recipe features those vegetarian and vegan leanings that Indian food does so well.
As with most of my recipes, these curried mushrooms go nowhere near curry powder and rely on whole spices instead.
Do not get intimidated, this is easy and quick cooking, taking just 30 minutes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use chestnut mushrooms?
No, you can use anything from button mushrooms to portobello mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms to king oyster mushrooms and any combination of them.
I like to keep my mushrooms quite large in this recipe, so you may wish to bear that in mind.
Can I use onions instead of shallots?
You could, but they will need to be cooked a little longer. I often use shallots because they are easier to dice very finely, and as a result, you can cook them very quickly.
Can I cook this in advance?
Mushrooms and spinach are two ingredients that I am personally not fond of reheating. This is because I find that mushrooms become slimy and spinach can become bitter.
How hot is this mushroom curry?
A question that is often asked is very difficult to answer. I personally find that this curry is moderately hot, with all of the heat being up front and in your face, and it does not have a long, slow afterburn.
However, you should be mindful that we all experience the heat of chilli very differently; one person's mild tingle is another person's raging inferno!
Trust your own experience to increase or decrease the chilli as required.
What is Kashmiri chilli powder?
Kashmiri chilli powder is a relatively mild chilli powder that allows you to add loads without turning the heat up to 11.
It adds a beautiful colour and wonderful flavour to a dish! You should endeavour to find some if at all possible.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this mushroom and spinach curry with flatbread... who am I kidding, I think that all Indian-inspired curry needs to be served with flatbread.
I have served this with a tandoori-style naan bread, but some rotis or chapatis would work equally well. If you are not sticking to vegan eating, then don't forget lashings of ghee!
Rice is another dish with a great affinity with curry, and this is also wonderful served with something like pilau rice or even British-Indian restaurant style onion fried rice.
If you wanted something a little different, how about some potatoes?
Both my aloo methi and roast Bombay potatoes are fab as a side to this dish!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 30cm or 12" frying pan with a lid.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Quick and Easy Mushroom and Spinach Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g Chestnut Mushrooms 3-4 Cups (choose large mushrooms)
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 2 Small-Medium Echalion or Banana Shallots 70g
- 1 Medium Tomato 125g
- 3 Green Chilli Peppers
- 175 g Baby Spinach Leaves 4-5 Cups
- 3 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Brown Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Dried Fenugreek Leaves
Instructions
- Clean the mushrooms and then cut them in half.
- Mash the garlic cloves into a paste.
- Cut the shallots in half, peel them and then dice them as finely as you can.
- Cut the tomato into a rough 1cm (½") dice.
- Cut the chilli peppers in half lengthways.
- Pick any tough stems from the spinach leaves.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 30cm or 12" frying pan or skillet over a high heat, and when it is hot, add the chilli peppers and cook until they begin to darken at the edges. This will take a minute or two.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes, the chillies will blacken and blister, do not worry, this adds a smokiness to the dish.
- Sprinkle over the salt, Kashmiri chilli pepper, garam masala, turmeric and add the mashed garlic, then cook for another minute, transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and return the pan to the heat.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, then add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fennel seeds and cook for 30-60 seconds.
- Throw in the shallots and cook until golden, this will take around 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato puree and cook for 1 minute mashing it to cook out any raw taste.
- Add the diced tomato, then cook until the tomato begins to break down. This will take 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the water and add the sugar, then stir to form a thick sauce.
- Crush and stir in the fenugreek.
- Return the mushrooms to the sauce and toss them to coat in the sauce.
- Add the spinach (it will be a tight fit), pop on a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the spinach wilts, then stir and serve.
Lesley
Tuesday 26th of August 2025
Made this again for the soup kitchen that I run in Birmingham. Got lots of food feedback. Even the meat eaters enjoyed it.
Lesley
Wednesday 1st of November 2023
Hiya, when does the garam masala go in and how much water is added. Also looking bar the other comments I don't see asafoetida in the ingredients but I'm sure it was before as I bought some for the recipe. I use this recipe to cook for my service users at a soup kitchen in Birmingham.
Brian Jones
Monday 13th of November 2023
Hi Lesley, sorry it has taken a while to get back to you... this recipe has undergone a revamp in recent weeks, as I often do on occasion with recipes, particularly when they date back to the very early days of my website as this one does.
If you want a copy of the original recipe feel free to ping me an email at [email protected] and I will happily send it over to you. I will even put in some leg work to scale it up if you like, just let me know roughly what size of pan you use and what sort of stove you cook on and I will do my best to help out.
All the best.
Brian
Fattycathy
Monday 8th of June 2020
Lovely recipe. Unfortunately our veggie won’t eat mushrooms so I used your sauce base to add all sorts of other vegetables. It was delicious and very well received. Thank you.
Brian Jones
Monday 15th of June 2020
Good stuff, I have another fairly new curry recipe that plays around with whatever mixed vegetables that you have lying around at home in the form of this vegetable karahi that is a real winner too :)
Eddie
Sunday 13th of October 2019
When to add the 1/4 Tsp Asafoetida? Recipe omits this.
Brian Jones
Monday 14th of October 2019
Sorry Eddie, I have updated the recipe, it goes in when the ground chilli and turmeric goes, it is correctly shown in the instructional video further up the page.
Susan
Wednesday 10th of April 2019
What amazing flavors! Saving this for our meatless Friday menu!
Brian Jones
Thursday 11th of April 2019
Thanks Susan