Making room for Mushrooms! – Perfect pick for weight watchers…

CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF DR KAVIRAJ KHIALANI

The versatile nature of mushroom makes it easy to fit into Indian recipes like a mattar mushroom ki subzi, stuffed mushrooms, methi malai mushrooms, to a dum ka makkai mushroom pulao as well. For me, mushrooms have always held a special place in my kitchens since creating new recipes and thoughts with mushrooms has been a real pleasure from marinating them in a dense herbed marinate for a grill or sautéing them in a honey mustard chili sauce for an appetizer.

Working with fresh button mushrooms is indeed fun but we must ensure we check on its quality and I usually rub them with a little refined flour with finger tips and then rinse them under running water to ensure complete safety. While we also get other varieties of mushrooms like Shitake, Oyster, Portobello and the like, the tinned or canned varieties have also been with us since a long time and they turn out good too, I prefer to use them in stews and add them to baked dishes.

Here are a few health benefits of fresh button mushrooms:

• Mushrooms are good immunity boosting food.
• Mushrooms are heart healthy and also prevent anaemia.
• Mushrooms help lower cholesterol levels in our body.
• Mushrooms help increase absorption of iron in our body.
• Mushrooms assist in preventing inflammation as well

Here are a few easy Recipes with Mushrooms to try out!

DILKHUSH KADAI MUSHROOMS

Ingredients

Fresh button mushrooms- 200 gms, cut into slices, 1 x 4

Oil- 1 tsp

Butter-1 tsp

Garlic-1 tsp chopped

Ginger-1 tsp chopped

Slit green chilies-1-2 no

Slit red chilies-1-2 no

Onion-1 small chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Green/red capsicums-1/2 cup cubes

Soy sauce- 2 tsp

Red chili sauce-2 tsp

Tomato ketchup-2 tsp

White vinegar-1 tsp

Chaat masala-1/4 tsp

Water- ¼ cup

Roasted crushed peanuts-2-3 tsp

Corn flour water solution- 2 tsp

Coriander leaves- 2 tsp chopped

Lime juice-1 tsp add and serve

Method

• Assemble all the ingredients for the mushroom recipe.
• Heat oil and butt and add in the ginger, garlic, chilies and saute for a few seconds. Add in the onions and saute add in the mushrooms and capsicums stir fry for 1-2 mins.
• Add in the salt, pepper, sauces and little water and allow it to cook for 3-4 mins on a medium flame, add little cornflour water solution to thicken a little.
• Add in the garam masala, chaat masala, roasted crushed peanuts and coriander leaves and a little lime juice mix well and serve hot as a starter.

MUSHROOM MYSTIQ SOUP

Ingredients

Fresh button mushrooms- 120 gms cut into small pieces.

Oil- 1 tsp

Butter-1 tsp

Garlic-1/2 tsp chopped

Onion-1/2 no chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Maida-1 tsp

Water/stock- 1 cup

Milk-1/4 cup

Fresh cream-1 tsp

Cashew/almonds paste- 2 tsp

Mixed herbs-1/4 tsp

Greens/herbs/nuts/seeds for garnish.

Method

• Prepare all the ingredients for the soup recipe.
• Heat oil and butter in a pan add in the garlic, onions and saute for a minute.
• Add in the mushrooms and saute, add salt, pepper, mixed herbs and maida cook it all for a minute then add in the stock/water and simmer for 8-10 mins.
• Cool and puree the soup and bring it back to a boil, add cashew/almond paste, some milk and cream and simmer for 3-4 mins.
• Serve hot garnished with fresh herbs, assorted seeds like flax seeds or melon seeds, parsley etc.

MUSHROOM – EGG GARLIC FRIED RICE

Ingredients

Basmati rice- 2 cups cooked, boiled.

Fresh button mushrooms- 150 gms sliced.

Oil-2 tsp

Garlic- 1 tsp chopped

Spring onions- 3-4 chopped

Green capsicum-1/2 chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Egg- 2-3 no

Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp

Chili flakes-1/2 tsp

Soy sauce-2 tsp

Boiled chopped chicken/sliced chicken sausages- ¼ cup

Grated cheese- 2-3 tbsp.

Spring onion greens-2-3 tbsp.

Method

• Prepare all the ingredients for the fried rice recipe.
• Heat oil in a wok or kadai and saute the garlic, onions, capsicums for a minute.
• Break in the eggs and scramble them on a medium flame, add salt, pepper, mixed herbs, chili flakes and little soy sauce, chili sauce and add in the sliced mushrooms as well, mix and cook for 4-5 mins.
• Add in the cooked rice and add in chicken cubes or sausages as desired and cook for 3-5 mins and serve hot garnished with grated cheese and spring onion greens.

MUSHROOM PASTA DUET

Ingredients

Fresh button Mushrooms- 200 gms sliced

Pasta of your choice-2 cups boiled for example- farfalle pasta.

Olive oil/ oil- 2 tsp

Butter- 1 tsp

Garlic- 1 tsp chopped

Green chilies-1 tsp chopped

Onion-1/2 no chopped

Celery-2 tbsp. chopped

Maida- 1 tsp

White sauce-1 and a half cup

Water/stock-2 cups

Cheese- ½ cup grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Herbs and chili flakes to taste

Stock-1/2 cup if needed.

Olives/ cherry tomatoes/basil etc for garnish.

Method

• Assemble and pre-prepare all the basic ingredients for the pasta recipe.
• Heat oil and butter in a pan and in the garlic, chilies, onions, celery and saute for 1 min.
• Add in the sliced mushrooms and saute for 1 min, add maida, salt, pepper, herbs and chili flakes and cook for 2 mins.
• Add in little water and white sauce and using a whisk mix it well in the pan and allow mushrooms to cook for 3-4 mins.
• Now add in the boiled pasta and mix well, simmer for 2 mins. Add in the cheese and olives etc to decorate and serve hot.

ASIAN STYLE STIR FRIED MUSHROOMS

Ingredients

Fresh button mushrooms- 150 gms sliced

Olive oil/ oil- 2 tsp

Butter-1 tsp

Ginger-1 tsp chopped

Garlic-1 tsp sliced

Green chilies-1 tsp chopped

Lemon grass- 3-4 pieces

Basil leaves- 5-6 no

Onion-1 small chopped

Red/green/yellow capsicums-1/2 cup cubes

Salt and pepper to taste

Mixed herbs and chili flakes to taste

Water/ stock-  1 cup

Coconut milk- ½ cup

Thai curry paste- 1 tsp red/green.

Roasted crushed peanuts- 2 tsp

Water chestnuts- 2-3 sliced

Cornflour water-2 tsp solution to thicken.

Spring onion greens- 2 tsp chopped

Water chestnuts- 3-4 no sliced.

Method

• Prepare all the ingredients for the recipe and keep aside.
• Heat oil and butter in a pan or wok add in the garlic, ginger, chilies, lemongrass, basil leaves and onions and saute for 1 min.
• Add in the sliced mushrooms and capsicums, salt, pepper, herbs, chili flakes add a little white wine as well as an option.
• Add in the thai curry paste and little water and allow to cook for 3-4 mins, add in the coconut milk simmer for 3-4 mins, add water chestnuts and peanuts, cornflour water solution and thicken up a little as a starter recipe.
• Serve hot garnished with greens/herbs etc.

HERBED CHEESY STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Ingredients

Fresh button mushrooms- 200 gms, cleaned, washed

For the stuffing

Oil- 2 tsp

Garlic- 1 tsp chopped

Onion- 1 small chopped

Green capsicum-1/2 chopped

Boiled crushed sweet corn-1/2 cup

Grated cheese-2- 3 tbsp.

Salt and pepper to taste

Mixed herbs-1/4 tsp

Chili flakes- ¼ tsp

Breadcrumbs-2-3 tbsp. dried

Tomato ketchup-2-3 tbsp.

Tabasco/Capsico sauce- 2-3 tsp

For non-veg options

Boiled chopped chicken- ¼ cup

Chicken sausages/ salami- 50 gms, chopped

Saute prawns in hot garlic sauce- 150 gms, sliced

Boiled chopped eggs mixed with mayonnaise and chili sauce- ¼ cup

For garnishing

Fresh herbs/ chili flakes/ olives/ jalapeno peppers/ mint/ pomegranate seeds.

Method

• Prepare all the ingredients for the stuffed mushroom recipe.
• To start with prepare the mushroom cups, remove the stalks, slice them use them back in the filling of the same.
• Marinate the mushrooms with little oil, salt, pepper, herbs, chili flakes, chili sauce and keep aside for 3-4 mins.
• Heat oil and saute the garlic, onions for 2-3 mins, add in the veggies one by one and add seasonings, chili, herbs and cook for 2-3 mins.
• Turn off the flame add in bread crumbs, cheese and coriander/parsley etc and mix well.
• Stuff the filling into the mushroom cups, and top with little cheese and place them on a baking tray and bake for 10-12 mins at 180 degrees celsius or using a non-stick pan for 4-5 mins, using a few drops of oil. Serve hot with dips/sauces/chutneys etc as a snack.

Celebrity Master Chef Dr Kaviraj Khialani is a Mumbai-based hotel-restaurant and food consultant. He is specialised in over 33 international cuisines and has quality experience with hotels and airlines as a part of his long journey of over two decades in his chosen field. Chef Kaviraj is a renowned author, academician, food designer, writer and has also been awarded several national awards and global recognitions for his talent & outstanding achievements. Besides having been featured on several food shows on ColorsTV and Star Plus he is a mentor, coach and guide to aspiring to be future chefs and hoteliers of tomorrow.

He can be contacted at twitter: @kaviraj_chef  Mobile: 91 9820939336.