These Tandoori Portobellos Bring On The Spice!

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Award-winning food blogger Laura Wright has a new collection of vegan recipes out that will reinvigorate your entire cooking game, like these hearty tandoori portobellos. Imagine a vibrant plant-based diet that satisfies and delights, then whip up her healthy, imaginative and flavor-packed fare at home. 

This main looks deceptively meaty on the plate, and it satisfies on the same level. I buy a tandoori spice mixture from a local company, and the intense spicy flavor of it meets its match with rich, unctuous portobello mushrooms cooked on the grill. The cool cilantro sauce offers a creamy counterpoint and is entirely sunflower-seed based. Cashews tend to be the go-to for creamy vegan sauces, but I find sunflower seeds to be just as effective, and as a bonus, they're typically more affordable.

If you don't have access to a grill, you can certainly roast the marinated mushrooms in a 400°F oven for 20 minutes and then finish them under the broiler for 1 minute per side for a similar effect.

Reprinted with permission from The First Mess Cookbook

These Tandoori Portobellos Bring On The Spice!
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Food blogger Laura Wright has a new collection of vegan recipes out that will reinvigorate your entire cooking game, like these hearty tandoori portobellos.
Prep Time
20
minutes
Cook Time
10
minutes
Servings
0
servings
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons filtered water
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 green onion
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 large portobello mushroom caps
  • 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon tandoori spice blend
  • 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Salt and pepper
  • Warm cooked brown rice
  • chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
  1. :::sauce:::
  2. Drain the sunflower seeds and transfer them to a blender. Add the filtered water, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil. Whiz the mixture on high until you have a mostly smooth puree. Stop to scrape down the sides or add another tablespoon of water if necessary.
  3. Scrape the sauce base out of the blender into a small bowl. Stir in the cilantro, green onions, salt, and pepper. Cover and place in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
  4. :::mushrooms:::
  5. Preheat a grill to high.
  6. Take the portobello mushroom caps and, using a spoon, scrape out the gills — the dark brown strips that line the underside of the mushroom. Transfer the scraped mushrooms to a plate.
  7. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, tandoori spice, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub this wet spice mixture on both sides of the portobello mushrooms.
  8. Lightly rub some oil on the grill with a wad of paper towel. Place the spice-rubbed portobello caps on the grill and close the lid. Let the portobellos cook for 4 minutes, then flip them over. Cook for another 4 minutes. The mushrooms should be tender, be lightly glistening, and have char marks on both sides. Remove from the grill.
  9. Slice the grilled portobellos and serve with cool cilantro sauce, warm rice, and extra chopped cilantro.
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