Stuffed Mushrooms

Button mushrooms - 200 gms
Butter - 2 Tbsp
Minced onion - ¼ cup
Corriander leaves - 1 Tbsp, chopped
Mint leaves - 1 Tbsp, chopped
Pav bhaji masala * - 2 tsp or to taste
Cooked mashed potato - ¼ cup
Salt to taste

Separate the stalks from mushrooms and chop them finely. Heat butter and fry onions till light brown. Add the mushroom stalks and fry for 1 minute. Add corriander and mint leaves and pav bhaji masala. Stir well. Add the mashed potato and salt. Mix well and remove from fire. Stuff the mushroom caps with the potato filling. The stuffed mushrooms can be baked in a preheated hot oven ( 400 degrees F ) for 10 minutes

* If pav bhaji masala is not available, use ¾ tsp chilli powder combined with ¼ tsp turmeric powder and 1 tsp garam masala powder. Variatios for filling

1. Use 2 Tbsp of cooked and shredded chicken and 3 Tbsp of fresh bread crumbs instead of potato.
2. Use 2 Tbsp of crushed almonds or peanuts, 2 Tbsp of grated paneer and 3 Tbsp of fresh bread crumbsinstead of potato.

Note : If the filling ingredients are at hand, this delicious snack can be prepared in a jiffy. Use mushrooms with large caps which can take in generous amounts of filling.

Mushroom Curry

Button or Oyster mushrooms - 200 gms
Corriander seeds - 1 Tbsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Fennel - 1 Tbsp
Grated coconut - 1/3 cup
Red chillies - 5-6
Garlic - 6 flakes
Ginger - small piece
Oil - 4 Tbsp
Cinnamon - 2 pieces, 2 cm each
Onions - 1 cup, chopped
Tomatoes - 1 cup, chopped
Salt to taste

Clean and cut mushrooms into quarters. Roast all the ingredients from coriander to ginger in a little oil and grind to a smooth paste. Heat oil, add cinnamon and onion. When onions are brown and ground masala tomatoes, fry well. Add mushrooms and salt. Cover and cook on a slow flame for about 10 miutes, till the mushrooms are tender. Serve with rice or chapathis.

Easy version: 1. To simplify the preparation replace corriander, pepper , fennel and chillies with ½ the quantities of respective powders.
2. Mix them together with 2 Tbsp of water to a paste.
3. Use 2 tsps of packaged ginger-garlic paste instead of ginger and garlic, 2 Tbsp of coconut cream instead of grated coconut and ¼ cup of tomato puree instead of chopped tomatoes.
4. Heat oil, fry cinnamon and onions, add the spice paste, fry for 1 minute.
5. Add ginger garlic paste, fry till fragrant.
6. Add mushrooms, tomato puree and coconut cream.
7. Add salt to taste and simmer till mushrooms are tender.

Butter Mushroom

Butter - 4 Tbsp
Onion - ½ cup, grated
Button mushrooms - 100 gms, sliced
Chilli powder * - 1 tsp
Garam masala - ½ tsp
Kasoori Methi * * - 2 tsp
Flour ( maida) - 1 Tbsp
Tomato puree - ½ cup
Fresh cream - ½ cup
Tinned Sweet corn kernels - 1 cup, drained
Salt to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp

Melt butter, fry onions till light brown. Add mushrooms, fry till soft. Add Chilli powder, garam masala and kasoori methi. Stir for few seconds. Add flour, fry for ½ minute. Add tomato puree, fresh cream, corn, salt and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot on toasts.

Mushroom pulao
Basmathi rice - 2 cups
Mint leaves - 1 cup, firmly packed
Fennel - 1 Tbsp
Ghee or oil - 5 Tbsp
Sliced onions - 1 cup
Cashew nuts - 2 Tbsp
Raisins - 2 Tbsp
Cloves - 4
Cardamoms - 4
Cinnamon - 2 pieces
Shah jeera - ¼ tsp
Sliced button mushrooms -2 cups
Salt - 1 ½ tsp or to taste

Wash the rice well, drain and keep aside. Combine mint and fennel with 4 cups of water. Heat till it begins to boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from fire. Keep covered for 15 minutes. Strain and measure the liquid. Add water if necessary to make it 4 cups. Heat oil or ghee in a strong pan. Fry ¼ of the onions till golden brown. Drain and reserve. Fry cashew nuts and raisins, drain and reserve. To the remaining fat in the pan, add cloves, cardamoms , cinnamon and shah jeers, fry for a few seconds. Add remaining onions and fry till they are pale brown. Add mushrooms and ½ tsp salt. Fry till the liquid from mushrooms is evaporated. Add the mint liquid and rice. Add salt to taste. Cover the pan and cook on slow flame till the rice is done and the liquid is absorbed. Serve hot garnished with reserved onion, cashew nuts and raisins.

Mushroom Soup

Button Mushrooms - 200 gms, sliced
Celery - 2 Stalks, chopped
Spring onions - ½ cup, chopped
Garlic - 2 tsp, finely chopped
Water or chicken stock - 750 ml
Milk - 250 ml
Salt & pepper - to taste
Dried Shitake mushrooms 2-3, optional
Spring onion greens - to garnish
Combine all the ingredients from mushrooms to water or stock. Heat till it begins to boil. Lower the flame and gently simmer for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, if using dried mushrooms,soak them in ½ cup of boiling water. Cool the cooked vegetables and blend till smooth. Add milk, salt and pepper to taste. Drain the optional mushrooms from water, discard the stalks and chop the caps and add to the soup. Heat thoroughly and serve garnished with chopped spring onion greens.

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