Currying Up for Comfort – Mushroom Toss-up

The convenience of finding triple-washed, trimmed, pruned, organic produce within an arm’s reach at the local markets makes even the laziest of home cooks perk up and kindles a fire in their bellies, so to speak,  for pulling on their aprons and whisking up nutritious and comforting meals for their families. One such item that never ceases to lure us is the pack of, well, triple-washed, organic portobello mushrooms. We’ve long realized the merits of kicking ample spice and heat into these things, since the days of our Masala Mushroom Medley experiment, and one of our preferred newer recipes is this curious, curried blend that can be eaten at lunch along with pulao, jeera rice, or dal-chawal..at dinner with rotis, naans, paranthas, kulchas..or sandwiched between warm toasts the morning after. And it’s not just the versatility that we marvel at and often – it’s the vim and vigor of the spices, the fierceness of the chilli powder and the tang of the tomatoey flavor that runs deep into this creation..that leaves even our little ones licking their fingers.

Curried Mushrooms
(Serves 3-4)

• 1 – 1 1/2 Tablespoons oil (we used Grapeseed Oil)
• 1 Teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 Teaspoon turmeric
• 1 Large onion, sliced thin and long
• 2-3 Pods of garlic, grated
• 1/2 Teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon garam masala
• A dash of dry-roasted, powdered curry leaves or curry leaf chutney powder*
• About 6 stems of organic Kale – midribs removed, leafy portions chopped up roughly
• 1 Potato, diced
• A pack of 8 oz organic portobello mushrooms (about 250 gms), cleaned and cut into strips
• 1 Tomato, chopped**
• Salt according to taste
• A dash of brown sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon vinegar and/ or Red Hot Pepper Jelly (optional)
• Cilantro for garnish

Warm the oil in a pan/ kadhai and add the cumin, turmeric. Throw in the onions and garlic, fry until light brown, and add all the dry masala powders. Add the Kale, potato cubes and mushrooms and let cook on a low flame until done – approximately 8 minutes. The mushrooms will give out water, so be sure not to add salt before they cook down. Add the tomato and let cook for another 3-4 minutes, then add salt and sugar according to taste, mix well. Just before turning off the heat, add the vinegar and/ or Tadka Pepper Jelly and stir well. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with any Indian breads of your choice – rotis, naan, kulchas or paranthas.

Notes:

* The curry leaf chutney powder or dry chutney can usually be found at an Indian grocer’s. You could also dry roast a bunch of curry leaves and powder them when cooled. Store this powder in an airtight container in the refrigerator, to last upto 2 weeks.

** For a tangier version, add 2 pureed tomatoes in the place of one chopped tomato. Adjust the spices according to preference – this recipe makes a fairly spicy and hot version.

Find more Mushroom-y goodness here – Cute as a button – Mushroom Toasties