Mushy mushrooms, tangy tomatoes : The Tribune India

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Pushpesh Pant

Memory is yet green when we were first treated to 'mushrooms on toast' more than half a century back at the IIC in the Capital. Chopped tomatoes lent the dish its appealing colour and onions lightly cooked a crunchy pungency. The recipe had no inhibition about eschewing green chillies either. Alas, they have stopped serving this but no damage done, one can easily rustle it up in a few minutes at home. Even egg bhujiya takes more time and dare we say skill? The only caution you must follow is not to overcook the mushrooms and at the same time ensure that the tomatoes shouldn't taste raw. Place the mushroom masala mix on the crisp toast buttered lightly just before serving to enhance the enjoyment otherwise the bread base will become soggy. Feel free to use preferred sprinkler spices but our advice is to keep that bottle of ketchup at an arm’s length!

Ingredients

200g Button mushrooms (wiped clean with moist cloth and sliced,including stems)

2 Tomatoes (medium-sized)

1 Onion (medium-sized, peeled and chopped)

2 Green chillies (deseeded and chopped not too fine)

1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste

(optional)

½ tsp Black peppercorn (freshly powdered)

1 large pinch of mixed dried herbs of choice

½ tsp each of cumin and coriander powder for a desi flavour

1 tbsp Oil or butter

Salt to taste

Method: Heat oil/butter in a skillet/shallow pan. Put the tomatoes in it first and when these are a little mushy add onions and garlic-ginger paste, if using. Stir-fry for 30 seconds then add the mushrooms along with dried herbs/powdered spices. Let the mushrooms sweat and cook in their own juice uncovered. Stir constantly on medium flame till mushroom are cooked to taste retaining a ‘bite.’ The mushrooms wrapped in masala should remain moist. Garnish with green chillies. By the way you can forget the toast and enjoy this stuff with hot phulka, parantha at room temperature, even stale pooris! A heaped spoonful with steamed rice and dal also tastes good.