Simple and Spicy Mushroom Masala - Quick and Easy!

The news that sugar and simple carbohydrates are the culprits is all around us. We know that the the foods we eat also affects our moods. I do not deny the fact that sweets of all colors and stripes make me happy, at least while I am eating them but I am not so sure after the fact though.

I wanted to prove to myself that I do have self control and can go without eating sugar for a week. I thought it was going to be extremely difficult for a sugar addict like me to avoid eating well yes sugary stuff. As of Monday I was successfully sugar free for a week and even after that I have not succumbed to unnecessary(?!)sugary temptations and have not eaten too many sweets. The cycle I usually get caught up in - eat something spicy, want to eat something sweet and to get rid of the sweet after taste eat something spicy again and the cycle continued till the end of the day :( Once I cut out the sugar the junk binge also went away. Win-Win. Now to the hard part - moderation. It is going to be hard to be away from sugar altogether. I have a few sweet recipes that I want to try out as well. But moderation I will try.

What is your relationship with sugar dear readers and how do you control the temptation?

Now on to the recipe,

Dice the shallots and garlic, grate the ginger. Wash and cut the mushrooms in half.
Let the mushrooms drain completely. Meanwhile heat oil in a pan add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds followed by the green chilies and onions and saute till the onions are translucent.
Add in the masala powders, mix and then add the coriander leaves, let wilt and add the tomatoes and salt. Let cook till tomatoes get mushy.
Add the mushrooms and cook for about 4-5 minutes till done.
Quick and easy mushroom masala is done.

Mushrooms are versatile and they are just the thing for a quick meal. Doesn't hurt that the family loves it prepared in any form. The only problem though is cooking them as soon as they are bought. I end up buying baby bella mushrooms instead of the white button mushrooms. The blemishes on these brown ones are not as visible after a week in the refrigerator as they are on the white ones. But either kind will work in this recipe. The only thing to remember, the white ones have a lot more water content in them than the brown one. Oyster mushrooms will be great in this recipe too.

Simple and Spicy Mushroom Masala - Quick and Easy!
Preparation Time:5 minutes
Cooking Time:15-20 minutes
Ingredients

1. 3 cups of Baby Bella or small button mushrooms washed and dried
2. 1 inch piece of ginger grated + 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
3. 1 cup of chopped shallots (see note:)
4. 1 ripe tomato finely diced
5. 4 green chilies slit and the seeds tapped out
6. 1 tsp turmeric powder
7. 1/2 tsp pepper powder
8. 2 tsp curry powder or (1 tsp coriander powder + 1/4 tsp cumin powder + 1/2 tsp red chili powder)
9. 1 tbsp lemon juice
10. handful of chopped coriander leaves
11. salt to taste
12. 1 tsp oil
13. Seasonings: mustard seeds and cumin seeds

Method

1. Cut the mushrooms in half if needed. Heat oil in a wide mouthed pan(kadai), add the cumin seeds followed by the mustard seeds and when they pop add the green chilies followed by the shallots and saute till they get translucent.
2. Add the ginger and garlic and saute for a minute more.
3. Add the turmeric, pepper and masala powder, give a good mix and the coriander leaves and let it get wilted (about 1/2 minute).
4. Add the chopped tomatoes. Add salt and if required a tbsp of water. Let it cook till the tomatoes become mushy and you can mash it with the back of a spoon. (about 3-4 minutes). Squeeze in the lemon juice and let simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the mushrooms and mix it in the masala and let cook till the mushrooms are done. About 4-5 minutes. The mushrooms will release moisture and if you want a dry curry saute for another 3-4 minutes till all the moisture is evaporated. (I left it with a slight gravy).
6. Note: Shallots are preferred because they do not release as much water as the regular onions but any onion you have on hand is fine.
Serve with rice, or as a side for dosai or roti.

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