A "curry" is not any one thing. There are as many ways to make a curry as there are towns in South Asia!
The term usually means a sauce or gravy that includes spices. This will often be a mix of ground dried spices, along with some whole spices.
This particular curry has, of course, both types of spices, but also a good amount of mushroom flavour running through it. It also has a good bit of allium flavour, as we managed to harvest some spring onions that had survived through the mild winter.
Ingredients:
2 small red onions, sliced
150g spring onions, sliced into 2cm lengths
2 birdseye chillis (or 2 tsp chilli flakes)
1 clove garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp corriander seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
3 cloves
1/2 small stick cinnamon
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp fenugreek powder
2 tbsp tomato purée
Prepare the mushrooms by slicing across them to remove the top from the bottom. Cut the top into even chunks and set aside. Chop the bottom bits roughly and add to a food processor.
Add the chillis, garlic, cumin seeds, corriander seed, mustard seeds, cardamom seeds, fennel seeds, cloves and cinnamon into the processor. Add in about 100ml water and a teaspoon of salt. Process until reasonably smooth, although a few chunks of spices is good.
Put some oil into a pan over medium-high heat and add in the sliced onions. Fry for a couple of minutes until translucent and then stir in the mushroom chunks. Stir frequently until the mushrooms give up their water and start to brown. Add in the spring onions and give them a minute or two the come up to temperature.
Add in the dried spices and stir to mix well. Fry for a couple of minutes, stiring, so the dried spices toast a bit. Make a space in the middle of the pan and add in the tomato purée. Stir for a few minutes and then pour in the mushroom and spice blend and stir everything together well.
Make some rice as you like it. A few minutes before serving check the curry's seasoning and add salt if needed. You might also need to add a small teaspoon of sugar if there is any acidity from the tomato.