This might sound a bit strange, but having a food blog, I often cook things that I’m not sure I’ll like. If I only ever cooked things I knew I’d love, this blog would soon turn into a macaroni cheese fest.

(which sounds amazing, by the way)

These tikka mushrooms were one of the recipes that I wasn’t entirely sure about. The mushrooms are marinated in yogurt and plenty of spice, and then roasted… and, roasted yogurt? Yeah, that sounds pretty terrible.

But! It works! It works so, so well! The yogurt almost goes slightly crispy round the edges (I know, crispy yogurt sounds about as appetising as roasted yogurt, but bear with me), and the juicy mushrooms go perfectly with the Indian spices.

Now – are these tikka mushrooms authentic? Almost certainly not – unless I’ve become a master of Indian cooking overnight with absolutely no effort (which I think is probably fairly unlikely). But, what they are is a really easy recipe that can be made with only a few minutes of effort. Just leave the mushrooms to marinate for a little while, then stick them in the oven, and you’re done.

My favourite thing about these tikka mushrooms is how versatile they are! As you can see, I served them for lunch with some salad and a suitably inauthentic pitta bread (naan would have been much better). But, they’d also be great as a canapé (on cocktail sticks, of course), or as a side dish alongside an Indian curry feast. I used big mushrooms and chopped them into chunks, but using some little button mushrooms whole would be good too.

Feel free to adjust the spices depending on your personal preferences, by the way. Add more chilli powder if you like things really hot, or less if you’d prefer a milder flavour. Oh, and I would definitely recommend doubling or tripling the recipe. As written, it will only serve one (or two if you’re a bit stingy), and believe me you’ll be wishing you made more.

Print 5 from 1 vote Tikka mushrooms Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Total Time: 50 mins Servings: 1 -2 Ingredients 2 tbsp Greek yogurt heaped

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp hot chilli powder

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

Salt

Black pepper

300 g mushrooms ~ 5 medium, diced

2 tbsp fresh coriander cilantro, chopped Instructions In a large bowl, combine the yogurt with the oil, lemon juice and spices. Season generously and mix well.

Add the diced mushrooms, and mix until they’re completely coated in the yogurt mixture. Leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4 / 350°F).

Lightly grease a baking tray, and spread the mushrooms out in a single layer. Roast for around 25 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft.

Serve warm with the fresh coriander. Author: Becca Heyes

Like Indian side dishes? Try my roasted potato tikka masala: