MUSHROOM PEPPER FRY MASALA

 MUSHROOM PEPPER FRY MASALA

There was a time years ago in India when mushrooms were available only during the monsoon season. These days, however, button mushrooms are available all through the year in supermarkets as they have become much more popular than before.

Mushrooms are good for health as they have immune-supporting nutrients. I therefore make mushroom dishes fairly often at home. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with mushrooms such as :-

• Khumb Masala
• Mushroom Bhuthi
• Mushroom Pepper Fry
• Mushroom Chettinad

Today's recipe is for an easy to make  Mushroom Pepper Fry Masala which goes great with chappatis and rotis or with fried rice.  I have adapted this from the YouTube video for  Easy Mushroom Pepper Fry Masala from Padhu's Kitchen.  

Pepper is the star ingredient in this recipe. It adds a lot of zing to the dish. You can tweak the recipe to suit your taste especially as regards the spice level. 

I tried this out recently and we enjoyed it for lunch with chappatis.

Ingredients:-

• Button Mushrooms, 200 gms, 
• Peppercorns, (Kali Mirch), 1 tsp ( to be dry roasted and ground) 
• Fennel Seeds, (Saunf), 1 tsp ( to be dry roasted and ground) 
• Oil,  2 tbsp
• Fennel Seeds, (Saunf) , 1 tsp
• Onion, 1
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp
• Small sized Tomato, 1
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 2 tsp
• Salt, to taste

Method:-

Wash the button mushrooms and pat them dry. Cut/slice the mushrooms into two/four pieces.

Chop the onion and tomato

In a kadhai, dry roast 1 tsp of peppercorns and 1 tsp of  fennel seeds on medium heat till the fennel seeds change colour

Transfer to a small mixer jar and grind these roasted ingredients to a powder. Keep aside. 

In the same kadhai, heat 2 tbsp of oil and when it is hot add 1 tsp of fennel seeds and when they sizzle add the chopped onion and a few curry leaves and saute till the onion become translucent

Mix in a little salt and add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes and the onions turn slightly golden

Now add the chopped tomato, turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder and mix well 

Saute till the tomato becomes soft and mushy

To this add the chopped mushrooms and salt to taste

Cook covered on medium heat for a couple of minutes stirring from time to time till the mushrooms get done. There is no need to add any water as the mushrooms themselves will release their juices.

Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the roasted pepper-fennel powder prepared earlier 

Mix well so that the mushrooms get well blended with the spices

Switch off the gas and transfer to a serving bowl

Serve the Mushroom Pepper Fry Masala with fried rice or chappatis 

MUSHROOM KURMA

MUSHROOM KURMA

There was a time years ago when mushrooms were considered seasonal in India. But these days they are available all through the year. They have also increasingly become more popular than before.

Mushrooms are good for health as they have immune-supporting nutrients. I therefore make mushroom dishes fairly often at home. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with mushrooms such as :-

• Khumb Masala
• Mushroom Bhuthi
• Mushroom Pepper Fry
• Mushroom Chettinad

Today's recipe is for  Mushroom Kurma which goes great with both rice and rotis. I have adapted this from Mushroom Kurma in Ambika Shetty's Kitchen. 

This tasted great with hot rotis. 

Ingredients:-

• Button Mushrooms, 1 packet of 200 gms, 
• Cinnamon, 1 stick
• Cloves, 2-3
• Bay Leaf, 1
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig
• Medium-sized Onions, 2
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1/2 tsp
• Green Chillies, 2
• Medium-sized Tomatoes,  2
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 3/4 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Kitchen King Masala, or Garam Masala, 1/4 tsp
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, for garnish, 1 tbsp 
• Oil, 3 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

To Be Ground To A Paste :_

• Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Cashewnuts, 10 
• Poppy Seeds, 2 tsp

Method:- 

Wash the button mushrooms and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel 

Slice the button mushrooms into quarters and keep aside

Wash the tomatoes and finely chop them

Thinly slice the onions and slit the green chillies

Soak the cashew nuts and poppy seeds in 1/4 cup of warm water for about 10-15 minutes

In a small mixer jar, grind together the coconut gratings, cashew nuts and poppy seeds to a fine paste with  the water used to soak the cashew nuts and poppy seeds . Add a little more water if required for grinding.

Keep this ground paste aside. 

In a thick-bottomed kadhai, heat the oil and on medium heat add the cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, cumin seeds, and curry leaves 

Wen the cumin seeds sizzle and the spices give off a good aroma, add the sliced onions and sauté  till they become translucent 

To this add the ginger garlic paste, slit green chillies, finely chopped tomatoes and a little salt and turmeric powder. Mix well 

Cover and cook on medium heat till the tomatoes become soft and mushy

Next add the chilli powder and coriander powder and mix well

Now add the quartered button mushrooms and mix well

Cover and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes as mushrooms get cooked very soon

Mix in the freshly prepared ground paste and add Kitchen King Masala and salt to taste

Adjust the consistency by adding the required amount of water and bring to a boil

Let it simmer for 2 minutes, switch off the gas and lastly garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves 

Transfer the Mushroom Kurma to a serving bowl

Serve hot with rotis or ghee rice 

MUSHROOM CURRY ANDHRA STYLE

MUSHROOM CURRY ANDHRA STYLE

I use Button Mushrooms in dishes made for lunch or dinner from time to time as they have numerous health benefits. This article in the website of Livestrong , "The Health Benefits of Button Mushrooms" lists these in some detail.

We make dishes from different parts of India with button mushrooms. For example, elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for Chilli Mushroom, Matar Mushroom,  and Mushroom Chettinad.

Today's recipe is from Andhra Pradesh and is adapted from a YouTube video "Andhra Style Mushrooms" from Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana.

The original recipe called for the use of Dried Coconut Strips but I have used the regular coconut gratings. I have also not garnished the dish with dried coconut strips.

Ingredients:-

• Button Mushrooms, 200 grams
• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Garlic Cloves, finely chopped, 7
• Medium-sized Onion, finely chopped, 1
• Curry Leaves, 7-8
• Crushed Black Peppercorns, 1/4 tsp
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 and 1/2 tsp

To Grind To A Paste:-

• Coconut Gratings, 1/3 cup 
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 4
• Bay Leaf, 1
• Cinnamon, 1 "
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tsp
• Split Black Gram, (Urad Dal), 1 tsp
• Green Cardamoms, 2-3
• Cumin Seeds, 1 and 1/2 tsp

Method:-

Wash and clean the mushrooms by dabbing them with a wet cloth and patting them dry

Quarter or slice the mushrooms into halves depending on their size

Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a non-stick pan and when it gets hot add the coconut gratings, red chillies, bay leaf, cinnamon, coriander seeds, split black gram, green cardamoms, and cumin seeds and roast till  it gives off a good aroma 

Switch off the gas and allow it to cool
Transfer to small mixer jar and grind into a fine paste adding just the required amount of water

In the same non-stick pan, heat the remaining 1 tsp of oil and on moderate heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the finely chopped garlic and saute till if turns golden
To this add the finely chopped onion and curry leaves and saute till the onions get slightly browned
Add the prepared ground paste and saute till the raw smell goes
Now add the mushrooms and salt to taste, mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium flame
Next add the freshly crushed peppercorns and chopped coriander leaves and mix well
Lastly, add very little water to adjust the consistency and cook for 1 minute
Transfer to serving bowl and serve hot with rice or rotis