Tawa Mushroom
At home, I make a lot of Mushroom Recipes, very often. Among these, a perennial favorite is Tawa Mushroom, a delectable mushroom dish in which button mushrooms are cooked in a spiced onion, tomato and capsicum gravy. With just your regular spices and ingredients, you can easily make this dish that can be paired with roti, naan, paratha, bread or even with dal-rice.
About Tawa Mushroom
‘Tawa’ in Hindi refers to a concave-shaped flat pan. Food cooked on a tawa has a distinct flavor compared to food cooked in a kadai (wok) or handi (pot).
The vegetables caramelize and cook faster on a tawa, imparting a unique caramelized taste to the dish. The same goes with this recipe of Tawa Mushroom.
North Indian cuisine is renowned for its rich and aromatic flavors, and Tawa Mushroom is a perfect example of this culinary tradition.
Cooked on a flat griddle or tawa, this dish showcases the earthiness of mushrooms enhanced by a blend of robust spices and a tangy onion-tomato base. The result is a savory, mouthwatering dish that’s delightful to eat.
The key to a great Tawa Mushroom lies in the quality of the ingredients. Fresh button mushrooms are the star of this dish, chosen for their firm texture and ability to absorb flavors.
These mushrooms are complemented by a medley of onions, tomatoes, and capsicum (green bell pepper), which add sweetness, tanginess, and a slight crunch. The spices are essential in creating the deep, layered flavors characteristic of North Indian cuisine.
The recipe I follow for this Tawa Mushroom is the same as that of my recipe of Tawa Paneer. Beyond chopping mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes, there is no additional preparation required for this recipe.
Make sure to use a medium or large tawa, so that the food does not spill from the sides while cooking.
It is quick and easy to make, serving as an excellent side dish with chapati, bread, or dal and rice. It is also convenient to pack in a tiffin box.
What to do if you don’t have a tawa
If you do not have a tawa, then the next best option is to use a shallow frying pan to make this Tawa Mushroom.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make Tawa Mushroom
Sauté Aromatics
1. Place a heavy medium or large tawa on the stovetop. First, heat it on medium flame. When the tawa gets hot, reduce the heat to low.
2. Add 2 tablespoons salted butter.
You can also use oil instead of butter.
3. Add ¼ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain) and ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds.
Ajwain gives a good aroma in the dish. If you do not have carom seeds, then skip them.
4. Next, add ⅓ heaped cup chopped onions.
5. Stir and begin to sauté on low to medium heat.
6. Sauté until the onions soften and turn translucent.
7. Next, add ½ teaspoon ginger-garlic paste.
8. Sauté until the raw aroma of ginger-garlic fades away.
Sauté Tomatoes
9. Now, add 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes and 1 to 2 chopped green chilies.
10. Mix well and lower the heat.
11. Cover the onion-tomato mixture with a lid and cook on low heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
Check once or twice, just to make sure that the mixture is not sticking on the tawa.
12. After 4 to 5 minutes, the tomatoes will soften.
13. Using a potato masher, mash the tomatoes once they have softened.
14. You don’t need to make a smooth mush of the tomatoes. Just roughly mash the tomatoes.
Sauté Further
15. Next, add ½ cup finely chopped capsicum.
16. Mix very well.
17. Sauté the capsicum on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
18. Then, add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder and 1 teaspoon pav bhaji masala.
If you do not have pav bhaji masala, add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and ¼ teaspoon dried mango powder (amchur powder) instead.
19. Mix the spice powders very well.
Make Tawa Mushroom
20. Now, add 2 cups sliced or chopped white button mushrooms.
You can also use cremini or portobello mushrooms.
21. Stir, mix the mushrooms with the onion, capsicum, tomato mixture and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
22. Then, season with salt as per taste.
23. Mix again very well.
24. Add ½ cup water.
25. Mix well.
26. Cover with a lid, and on low heat, simmer till the mushrooms are tender and cooked well. It will take about 10 to 12 minutes for the mushrooms to cook.
27. Check a couple of times and if the water looks dried up, add some more water.
In the picture below, the mushrooms are cooked and the gravy is almost reduced. If there is too much of water in the dish, then cook till all of the water evaporates.
This Tawa Mushroom is dry to semi-dry with no gravy.
28. Lastly, add ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves and ¼ teaspoon crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi).
Skip kasuri methi, if you do not have it.
29. Mix very well and sauté for a minute. Turn off the heat.
30. Serve Tawa Mushroom with chapati or tandoori roti or naan or pudina paratha or bread or as a side dish with dal-rice.
More Mushroom Recipes To Try!
Mushroom Recipes
Peas Recipes
Mushroom Recipes
Mushroom Recipes
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Tawa Mushroom
Tawa Mushroom is a delectable mushroom preparation in which button mushrooms are cooked in a spiced onion, tomato and capsicum gravy. With just your regular spices and ingredients, you can easily make this dish that can be paired with roti or paratha or naan or dinner rolls.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Place a heavy medium or large tawa or griddle on the stovetop. First heat it on a medium flame. When the tawa gets hot, reduce the heat to a low.
Add 2 tablespoons butter. You can also use oil instead of butter.
Add ajwain (carom seeds) and cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. Ajwain gives a good aroma in the dish.
Next add the finely chopped onions.
Stir and begin sauté on a low to medium heat, till the onions are softened and turn translucent.
Then add ginger-garlic paste. Sauté until the raw aroma of ginger-garlic dissipates.
Now add the finely chopped tomatoes and chopped green chillies. Mix well and then lower the heat.
- Cover the onion-tomato mixture with a lid and cook on a low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Do check once or twice when the tomatoes are cooking, just to make sure that the mixture is not sticking on the tawa.
After 4 to 5 minutes, the tomatoes would have softened.
Using a veggie or potato masher, mash the tomatoes once they have softened.
You don’t need to make a smooth mush of the tomatoes. Just roughly mash the tomatoes.
Next add the finely chopped capsicum. Mix very well.
Sauté the capsicum for 2 to 3 minutes on a low heat.
- Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, kashmiri red chilli powder and pav bhaji masala. If you do not have pav bhaji masala, then add ½ teaspoon garam masala and ¼ teaspoon dry mango powder.
Mix the spice powders very well with the onion, tomato and capsicum mixture.
Next add the sliced or chopped white button mushrooms.
Stir and mix the mushrooms. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
Season with salt as per taste. Mix again very well.
Add ½ cup water and mix again.
Cover the mushroom mixture with a lid. On a low heat simmer until the mushrooms are tender and cooked well.
It will take about 10 to 12 minutes for the mushrooms to cook. Do check a couple of times and if the water looks dried up, you can add some more water.
- If there is too much of gravy or water in the dish, then cook until all of the water evaporates. This tawa mushroom masala is dry to semi-dry dish with no gravy.
Next step is to add coriander leaves and kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves).
Mix very well and saute for a minute. Turn off the heat.
Serve with roti or bread or as a side dish with dal-rice.
- You can add the ground spice powders less or more according to your preferences.
- Skip carom seeds and kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), if you do not have them.
- Substitute pav bhaji masala with ½ teaspoon garam masala and ¼ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder).
- Instead of tawa, you can also cook the dish in a shallow frying pan or a kadai (wok).
- You can also use cremini or portobello mushrooms instead of button mushrooms.
- Instead of butter, use oil in the recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Tawa Mushroom
Amount Per Serving
Calories 117 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 521mg23%
Potassium 447mg13%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 1003IU20%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 3mg15%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin B12 1µg17%
Vitamin C 33mg40%
Vitamin D 1µg7%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin K 12µg11%
Calcium 23mg2%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 28µg7%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 19mg5%
Phosphorus 87mg9%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Tawa Mushroom recipe from the blog archives was first published on October 2016. It has been updated and republished on May 2024.
