The Friendly Fungi !!!! ~ Mushroom Thoran Nadan Recipe

Is it a vegetable? a herb? Of all the options it happens to be a “large fleshy fungus” which is yummy too. There is a bit of mystery attached to the mushroom with all its unusual combination of qualities. Mushrooms are a fascinating life forms which seem to appear overnight and disappear just as mysteriously. Their variety of colour and shape is equally as unpredictable as when and where they will appear.

When i think of mushrooms what comes to mind are the "oyster mushroom" which was the only largely available variety in India, atleast till India opened its doors to globalisation in early 90s. My life in US has made me more familiar with various varieties of these friendly fungi where the most commonly found mushroom varieties on the supermarket shelves are the button mushrooms a.k.a white mushrooms. Now it has happened that I simply love mushrooms of all types and really appreciates how much the flavor differ between each variety of mushroom.

Low in calories... No cholesterol.... and are virtually free of fat & sodium. Oh ya, that quiet a bit of reasons to get you searching out for recipes to incorporate more of this healthy ingredient to your daily meals. And I can't tell you how many times I have gone to the supermarket with mushrooms on my mind.

Culinary Tips: Bought fresh, mushrooms should be used within a couple of days, even if stored in a refrigerator. Most fungi are 90 percent moisture so do not soak them in water as they would soak up the water which causes it to be mushy to cook & also lose its delicate flavors. The best way to clean mushrooms is to wipe them free of any obvious dirt with a clean wet cloth or paper towel. And cutting then into uniform pieces will help in the even cooking.

Ingredients:

Button Mushrooms, diced... 1 bunch
Shallots, finely chopped.... ½ cup
Green Chilies, finely chopped.... 4-5 no:s
Turmeric Powder.... ½ tsp
Pepper Powder.... ½ tsp
Grated Coconut.... 1/4 cup
Curry leaves... 2 sprig
Mustard Seeds.. 2 tsp
Oil... as required
Salt... to taste.

Here Is How :

Heat oil in a bottom heavy Sauté Pan on medium heat. Sputter mustard seeds and add diced shallots & green chillies and fry till tender. Now add turmeric powder, grated coconut and stir for a minute. Stir in the diced mushroom pieces. Close the pan with a lid and let it cook, stirring every 3-4 minutes. Mushrooms release a good deal of liquid when heated. The mushroom squares will be fully cooked just as the liquids are finishing off. Now sprinkle pepper powder and the curry leaves and sprinkle salt to taste. Remove from heat and best served with rice.

Recipe Source : Sonya Chechi