Mushroom masala

About the food:

Mushroom is not a very common dish in India and it is not widely available. It is true that many supermarkets and some specialist shops sell them, but the demand is not huge, as it appeals to those with an acquired taste.

It is very strange, but I did not know about mushroom until I passed my primary school. How I came to know, can well be worth mentioning. I went to my uncles' place for the summer vacation, which is a countryside, off from Kolkata. My auntie took me to the woods and began to pluck something which I did not know. That was my first exposure to mushroom. She made a wonderful dish from it, which still I can smell, and my love for mushroom so began. But then I knew, wild mushrooms could be extremely poisonous and fatal, and was horrified to think how plucking them could have gone wrong! I have however, warned my auntie about it, and I am glad to know that now she can buy them in the market.

Hope you like the dish, though it is not typically Indian!



Ingredients (serves 4)

400 gm button mushroom
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp red chilli powder (optional)
1 big onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic paste
2 whole green chilli, split through the centre
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves, chopped for garnishing
1 pinch of turmeric
salt to taste

Method:

1. Thinly slice the mushrooms and wash well. Drain them till dry.If needed, dry them with a kitchen tissue.

2. Heat pan. Pour the oil, and when it smoulders, put the cumin powder,coriander powder and green chillis and saute a little. Add the garlic paste and the tomato puree, continue cooking on low flame for about 2mins.

3. Add the dried mushrooms and mix the ingrediants well. Add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric. Cover the pan and let it cook on low flame for 5mins. uncover, and continue cooking, by tossing and turning until the oil separates out. You might sprinkle a little water, if the gravy becomes very dry.

4. Put the lime juice in the pan, and mix it well.

4. Pour the curry to a serving tray and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

5. Serve hot.

Accompaniment: Best served with basmati rice/ Pulao