Quick Dry Mushroom Masala (Baby Bella and Oyster Mushrooms)

Mushrooms are a favorite of DD2. I like to cook it since it is quick, easy and tasty in whichever way you cook it. It is easy to good mushrooms almost throughout the year in our local grocery store. Besides the usual baby Bella and white button mushrooms there is this king oyster mushrooms. The chewy texture of the oyster mushroom mixed in the baby bellas.

I wash the mushrooms and drain the water completely and dry it out before cooking with it. As mushrooms tend to leave a lot of water while it is being cooked, there is no need to add any more if you are making a dry sort of masala.


Here is the recipe in pictures,

Chop the onions, green chilies and coriander leaves. Prepare the mushrooms.
In a wide mouthed pan, heat oil add the seasonings followed by the onions, saute the onions and then add the spice powders and tomatoes.
When the tomatoes are mushy add the chopped mushroom, salt and coriander leaves.
Saute till the desired texture is reached and the moisture is evaporated.

Serve with rice or some soft chapathis.

Quick Dry Mushroom Masala
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1lb of Baby Bella mushrooms
2. 7oz Sliced King Oyster Mushrooms
3. 1/2 cup of finely chopped red onions
4. a handful of chopped coriander leaves
5. 4 green chilies chopped
6. 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes
7. 2 tsp of turmeric powder
8. 1 tsp of Kitchen King Masala or coriander powder
9. salt to taste
10. 2 tsp of oil
11. seasonings: cumin seeds and curry leaves

Method

1. Wash the baby Bella mushrooms, dry them completely and cut them into 4s. Cut the oyster mushrooms into 1/2 inch cubes.
2. In a wide mouthed pan or kadai heat oil and add the cumin seeds and curry leaves followed by the onions and green chilies.
   
3. Once the onions are starting to turn brown add in the chopped tomatoes and masala powders and saute till the tomatoes are mushy.


4. Add in the chopped mushrooms, salt, coriander leaves and saute till the masala is well coated and saute for a few more minutes till the moisture has evaporated.

Goes well with rice or chapathi.

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Button Mushrooms Fry

These white button mushrooms were my first introduction to mushrooms. We started seeing mushrooms in my corner of India when I was perhaps in middle school. These tiny button mushrooms were fresh and cooked with just minimal of spices and the taste was earthy and hearty like eating succulent chicken. That is the taste that comes to my mind when I think of mushrooms. But mushrooms were not an every day affair. Occasionally you got them in the markets.

Fast forward to life here in the US. There are umpteen varieties of mushroom but for some reason I kept away from the white button mushrooms perhaps this thing that anything white is bad was perhaps playing in the back of head when I was passing by these white button mushrooms?

These cute white fresh button mushrooms came home with me on one of my grocery runs and they have several times since. We are all glad they did. Cooked this way the mushrooms are a treat.

Button Mushrooms Fry
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1/2 - 1 lb small white button mushrooms
2. 1/2 cup of chopped shallots (Red onion can be used but it is preferable to use shallots)
3. 2 tsp chili powder or 1/2 tbsp sambhar powder
4. salt to taste
5. seasonings: mustard, curry leaves
   
6. 2 tsp oil

Method

1. Wash the mushrooms and let the water drain completely and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Leave them whole, no need to chop.
2. In a kadai or a wide mouthed pan, heat oil and add the seasonings.
3. Add the onions and saute till they are nice and brown.
4. Turn the heat to high and add in the mushrooms, saute for a couple of minutes.
5. Add in the spice powder and salt and saute for 4-5 minutes more and turn off the heat.

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Portobello Mushroom Pizza

Ever since the gluten free and carb free craze hit, everyone is finding alternatives to do away with those pesky carbohydrate and gluten grains. We all are winners in this. There are very creative alternatives to any number of those gluten filled foods. For people with gluten allergy what if a pizza craving hits? Not to worry.

Last week I dragged along DD2 to the grocery store. I don't risk doing that because I might end up buying half the store. As expected she walked towards the lady offering something hot out of her oven for tasting and then comes running over to me saying we got to buy some Portobello mushrooms since the pizza made with them tasted really good. Initially I thought the portobello mushrooms were added on to the pizza as topping. Nope! The broad and flat portobello mushroom was the base and then you top it. Excellent I thought especially for the girl who loves mushrooms. Helpfully she also brought me a pack of 4 portobello mushrooms.

So if you want to go gluten free on your pizza here is what you need to do. Grab some portobello mushrooms. No sticky dough to deal, no pulling and tossing to deal with. All you need is a toaster oven for a quick treat. A cast iron or a flat griddle will work as well.

I used the cool method described in this post. Make a quick stand so the mushroom does not rest in its juices and get soggy. Use aluminum foil to make a ring that the mushroom can sit on. The process is well explained in the link above.

Get the ring ready with aluminum foil. Prepare and get the mushroom ready.
Place the cheese, tomatoes and basil leaves on the mushroom.
Roast in preheated 400F oven for 20-25 minutes.

Delicious and gluten free pizza ready. Need I say DD2 was thrilled.

Portobello Mushroom Pizza
Preparation Time:15 minutes
Cooking Time:25 minutes
Ingredients

1. 4 portobello mushrooms washed and stem trimmed
2. 1 cup or more of cheese of choice (I used Pepper Jack Cheese)
3. 2 tomatoes thinly sliced
4. a handful of basil leaves
5. pickled jalapeno peppers (optional)

Method

1. Clean, dry and trim the stems of the mushroom. Flip the mushroom so the smooth side is on the bottom.
2. Place thinly sliced cheese on the mushroom, tomatoes and basil leaves.
3. Add the jalapeno peppers on top.
4. Place the foil ring and the mushroom on top and into the toaster oven heated to 400F. Bake for about 20-25 minutes till the cheese melts and the mushroom softens.
5. Note: If using a regular oven make 4 rings and preheat the oven and place all 4 mushrooms at the same time.

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Mushroom Masala Gravy (with Pressure cooker)

You must be wondering how a political junkie like me has not talked about the election once this election season. The thing is, the political circus is a little too much fun even for me. I can't stand any of them and it is better not to watch it compared to watching and screaming at the idiot box. In the words of Joseph de Maistre, lawyer, diplomat, writer and philosopher in French "Toute nation a le gouvernement qu'elle mérite" which roughly translates - Every nation gets the government it deserves.

Let's move on to the recipe,

Mushrooms are versatile and come in handy for a quick simple or grand meal. It is big favorite of DD2 and so I buy it at least every other week. While a dry mushroom pepper fry is the most quickest and easy way to prepare mushrooms and is by far her favorite, making a spicy creamy gravy as a side dish for some Indian flat breads is my favorite.

I was looking for a recipe for mushrooms gravy when I came across this recipe I had seen on Sindhi Rasoi. I especially like the no grinding part and using the pressure cooker. You can cook the mushrooms in no time.

In a pressure cooker, saute the onions, tomatoes and green chilies along with the ginger, add a cup of water and let it pressure cook for 3 -4 whistles.
Chop the mushrooms into desired shape and soak the cashews in water.
Once the pressure is released mash the onion - tomato mixture and add in the spice powders.
Add in the chopped mushrooms and mix it. Let it cook for about 6-8 minutes.
Blend the cashews to a smooth paste and mix it not the mushroom gravy, add salt and cook till the desired consistency is reached. Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves.

Serve the creamy and also spicy gravy with any kid of Indian flat breads or rice or even toasted bread.

Mushroom Masala Gravy
Preparation Time:15 minutes
Cooking Time:30 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1 lb of Cremini Mushrooms (cut into 4)
2. 1 1/2 red onions chopped fine (about 2 cups of chopped onions)
3. 5-6 green chilies chopped
4. 1 1/2 cups of chopped tomato
5. 1/2 tbsp of grated ginger
6. 1/2 tbsp of kuzhambu thool or any curry powder
7. 2 tsp turmeric powder
8. 1/2 tbsp of red chili powder or (1/2 tbsp of Kashmiri Chili powder + 2 tsp of red chili powder)
9. 2 tbsp of cashews
10. salt to taste
11. handful of coriander leaves
12. 2 tsp of oil
13. seasonings: cumin seeds

Method

1. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and when hot add cumin seeds.
2. Add in the chopped onions and green onions and saute till the onions starts to brown. Add in the ginger and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Add in the chopped tomatoes and saute for a minute, add a cup of water and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.
Let the pressure release and use a masher to gently mash the onions and tomatoes.
4. Add in the turmeric powder, chili powder and the kuzhambu thool and mix it in.
5. Turn the heat to medium and add in the chopped mushrooms and mix it in and let it cook for about 8-10 minutes. The mushroom will release enough so there is no need to add any extra water.
6. Add in the blended cashew paste and salt and mix it in and let it boil for another 5 minutes or so or till the desired consistency is reached.
7. Add the coriander leaves and turn off the heat.

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Dry Mushroom Masala

DD2 loves mushrooms and when my mother was here visiting she made a mushroom masala which seems to have become her favorite preparation. She called my mom got the recipe and decided to cook it herself and it did come out well.

The part that you have to be watchful about when making a dry masala dish with mushrooms is the moisture it releases once it starts to cook. You can add the masala after the water from the mushrooms has completely evaporated or add the masala in the beginning and then cook till most of the moisture is evaporated.

Wash and dry the mushrooms and cut into quarters.
Get the ingredients for the masala ready.
In a saute pan heat oil and saute the spices and when they start to turn color transfer to a blender.
In the same add more oil if required and saute the onions,garlic and ginger, transfer to the blender and blend to a fairly smooth paste.
In a wide mouthed pan heat oil add the seasonings and when the mustard starts to pop add the mushroo, and saute.
Add the blended masala and continue to cook till the water is evaporated and the masala is well coated .

Dry Mushroom Masala
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cooking Time:25 minutes
Ingredients

1. 2 lbs of mushrooms washed and cut 4s
2. seasoning: mustard seeds and curry leaves
3. salt to taste
4. 1-2 tsp of oil
For the masala
5. a little less than 1/4 cup of onions chopped (use more if you want more masala)
6. 2 cloves of garlic
7. 1 inch of fresh ginger
8. 1/2 tbsp of coriander seeds
9. 1 tsp of cumin seeds
10. 5-6 red chilies
11. small piece of cinnamon stick
12. few cloves

Method

1. In wide mouthed pan heat oil, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add in the cut mushrooms and let it cook. While the mushrooms are cooking get te masala paste ready.
2. In a saute pan, heat oil and saute the coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves and red chilies till they start to turn color and give a good aroma.
3. Transfer to a blender and in the same pan saute the onions, garlic and ginger till the onions become translucent and start to turn brown on the edges. Transfer to the blender and let cool and blend the onions along with the spices to a fairly smooth paste.
4. AS the mushroom cooks it will release a lot of water. Let it cook for about 5-10 minutes and add in the masala paste and salt. Continue to cook till all the water is absorbed and the mushrooms are coated with the masala.

Serve with steamed rice or as a side.

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