Mushroom recipes are delightful food that we can enjoy all the year round. It has attracted the attention of man from very ancient times. They constitute very delicious and choicest food stuff besides a source of high quality vegetable protein. They very high nutritive values of edible mushrooms rank them above all the vegetables, fruits, legumes and meat. Mushrooms have a lot of medicinal properties and are considered as a healthy diet.
Mushrooms do not create any undesirable features at all. They grow easily, are available all the year round. Make few environmental demands, are nutritionally above reproach and they taste great. So here’s to healthy and happy eating with Fresh Mushrooms.
Considering Indian culture some methods of mushroom cooking are given:
(1) Mushroom Vegetable Curry:
Fresh mushroom 250g, Peas 500g, Cauliflower 100g, Tomato 100g, Onion 1 (Big), garlic cloves 4, ghee 1 teaspoon. Salt, chili powder according to the requirement.
Wash the mushroom and cut it to pieces. Heat the ghee in a sauce pan. Add garlic and onion and fry it to get a golden color. Now add the peas and mushroom pieces and fry. Then add cauliflower and tomato and allow it to boil for 5-10 minutes.
(2) Mushroom Curry:
Fresh mushroom 200 g, Onion 2 nos., Garlic cloves small pieces, tomato 2 nos. Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon, cumin 1/2 teaspoon milk/curd 1 cup, ghee 1 teaspoon, chili, salt powder to taste.
Wash the mushroom and tomatoes. Cut the mushroom, tomato and onion into pieces. Grind the garlic and ginger to a paste. Heat the ghee in a sauce pan. Fry the cumin, garlic, ginger
and onion to get a golden color. Add required quantity of chili powder and salt. Add milk/curd and boil mushroom pieces. Add water as per the requirements.
(3) Mushroom Pulav:
Fresh mushroom 100 g, Peas (Peeled) 50 g, Onion 2 nos., Green chili 1, Aniseed 1 teaspoon. Ghee 1 teaspoon. Salt, pepper according to requirement. Basmati rice 350 g.
Use basmati Rice. Wash and soak in water for 1 hour. Cut the onion to pieces and deep fry it. Fry aniseed to golden yellow color. Add the mushrooms, peeled peas, green chilies, salt and pepper and fry. Now add the soaked rice and allow it to boil for 5-10 minutes.
(4) Mushroom Fry:
Fresh mushroom 200 g, Green chilies 6 nos., Garlic cloves 6 nos., Bengal gram flour 2 teaspoon, Ghee to fry, Curd 1 cup, Vinegar 1 teaspoon. Red dye according to requirement. Salt to taste.
Wash the mushrooms and add a required amount of salt and keep it for 2 hours. Dip the mushroom in the mixture of curd, vinegar, dye and keep in the fridge for 2 days. Make the Bengal gram flour to a paste. Add the ground green chilies and garlic cloves to the above paste. Dip the mushrooms in the above paste and fry it.
(5) Mushroom Chips:
Fresh mushroom 250 g, Groundnut oil 300 ml. Salt, pepper/chili powder required quantity.
Wash the mushrooms and dry it in the sun. Fry it after removing the excess water. Remove the excess oil, add the required quantity of pepper/chili powder and mix well. This is now ready for serving.
(6) Mushroom Pickle:
Fresh mushroom 1 kg, Tamarind 1 lime size, Chili powder 50 g, Asafoetida small qty., Cumin 1 teaspoon, Fenugreek 2 teaspoon, Gingerly oil 300 ml. Turmeric powder as required. Curry leaf, mustard, black gram as required. Salt to taste. Sodium benzoate small qty.
Fry the cumin, fenugreek, asafoetida mixture without using oil to golden colour. Grind it. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add mustard, black gram and curry leaf to the saucepan. Now add the cut mushrooms, chili powder, turmeric powder, sodium benzoate, fenugreek powder and asafoetida powder. Boil it for few minutes. Add salt to taste.
(7) Mushroom Cutlet:
Fresh mushroom 250 g, Potatoes 100 g, Bellary onion 100 g, Peeled green Peas 50 g, Bengal gram flour 150 g, Green chilies 5 nos. Coriander leaves, small quantity, ginger, small quantity chili powder, Salt according to requirement. Turmeric powder and small quantity of oil as required.
Wash and cut the mushroom into small pieces. Boil the peeled green peas. Boil the potatoes and peel off skin and make it into a paste. Cut the onion, green chilies and coriander leaves into small pieces. Grind the ginger into a paste. Mix the boiled green peas, onion, green chilies, coriander leaves and potato paste. Add turmeric powder, salt to taste and chili powder. Make the above mixture into a ball. Dip the ball in the bengal gram flour paste. Fry it in oil and the cutlet is ready to be served.
(8) Mushroom-Vegetable Pickle:
Fresh Mushroom 5 Kg, Carrot 5 Kg, Turnip 5 Kg, Cauliflower 5 Kg, Green Peas 5 Kg, Ginger 100 gms, Garlic 20 gms, Chili powder 100 gms, Black Gram 100 gms, Jaggery 1 Kg. Acetic acid 5 teaspoon. Gingerly Oil 1½ litres, Salt to taste.
Cut all the above said vegetables to pieces. Boil it for 3-5 minutes. Fry Mushroom separately. Fry ginger and garlic separately and mix the vegetables, mushroom, ginger and garlic. Add the powdered black gram to the above mixture and stir it. Transfer the above contents to air tight bottles. Keep for 2-3 days in the Sun and use it.
(9) Canning of Mushroom:
Button mushrooms can be canned either whole, sliced or in smaller pieces. Canners prefer mushrooms to be picked at an early stage. Immediately before canning, the stalks are cut close to the button and the mushrooms showing any blemishes are rejected. Mushrooms used for canning purposes should be small buttons and of the same size, with 0.4 to 1.0 cm long stalk attached to the cap.
Later mushrooms are washed gently to remove any adhering soil. Blanching is necessary to control discoloration as this causes shrinkage up to 30 to 35 per cent may be allowed. Rough handling of blanched mushrooms also causes increase in the shrinkage percentage.
Fresh mushrooms are dipped in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes and put in cold water to prevent leaching losses which are sometimes as high as 25 per cent or by immersing mushrooms in a boiling solution of 0.1 to 0.2 per cent citric acid for about 5 minutes and cooled immediately in cold water.
Blanched and cooled mushrooms are filled in cans leaving 1.25 cm space. Approximately 195 g mushrooms are filled in 1 lb jam cans. Brine solution consisting of 2 per cent common salt, 2 per cent sugar and o.3 per cent citric acid is boiled, filtered through muslin cloth and added into the can of boiling hot water to fill just up the brim (125 ml solution for 1 lb jam can).
After placing the lid on the can the mushrooms are exhausted by keeping them in boiling water till the centre temperature reaches 80 to 85°C. After placing the lids they are on a steamer to get an airtight steam. The 1 lb is later steamed at 115°C (101 b/sq inch) for 25 to 30 minutes. This time should be increased or decreased depending on the larger or smaller size of the can soon after sterilization, the cans are kept in fresh water for cooling.
Later they are wiped dry and kept in a cool dry place. According to Dang and Singh (1978), canning of mushrooms can be improved if the fresh mushrooms are exposed to vacuum treatment by immersing in plain water or in a 2 per cent brine solution in a vacuum even before blanching.
Before evacuation or breaking of vacuum, it is essential to press the floating mushroom below water level to achieve desired results. Grading practices can be employed by physical means to give a better look to the product.
The main problem in the canning of mushroom is its browning. In Europe, to improve the colour of the product, blanching of mushrooms is often done in a citric acid solution. Ascorbic acid and EDTA (Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic acid) in the ratio of 1:10 is also sometimes used in covering has also reported to improve the colour of the product.
An increase of 19 per cent in the weight of the canned product has been reported when the fresh mushrooms were stored for 72 hours at 12°C and 95 per cent RH. The increased weight was attributed to the greater water holding capacity of mushrooms that develops during storage. It was observed that an interaction existed between soaking and storage which was effective in increasing the yield of canned mushrooms.
(10) Mushroom Bajji:
Fresh Mushroom 200g, Bengal gram flour 250g, Chili powder 1 teaspoon, Asafoetida powder (as required), Aniseed powder ½ teaspoon, Ground nut oil 250 ml. Salt to taste.
Make the Bengal gram flour into a paste by adding water. Now add salt, aniseed powder, asafoetida powder and chili powder to the paste. Wash the mushrooms and remove the excess water. Now dip each mushroom in the pate and fry it.
(11) Mushroom Soup:
Fresh Mushroom 50 g, Onion 1 nos, Ginger 10 g, Garlic cloves 5 nos, Maida flour 1 teaspoon, Milk 1 Cup, Ghee 1 teaspoon. Salt, pepper according to requirement.
Wash the mushrooms and onion. Cut the same into small pieces. Mix the mushroom pieces. Onion pieces, ginger, garlic cloves, boil the above said mixture in ¾th litre of water. Fry the maida flour in ghee. Add a little milk to it. Mix the above said mixture and maida flour with milk and allow it to boil for 5-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Now the soup is ready to serve.
(12) Mushroom Bonda:
Potatoes 250 g, Fresh Mushroom 250 g, Bengal gram flour 300 g, Green chilies 8 nos, Pepper powder 1 teaspoon, Ginger small piece, Coriander leaves 1 bundle, Dalda/Oil 250 g. Salt to taste.
Boil the potatoes and peel off the skin and add salt and make it to a paste. Grind the green chilies, ginger, coriander leaves to a paste. Slice the mushroom and fry it in oil. Now mix the potato paste, masala, mushroom, pepper powder and salt and make it into small balls. Add water to the Bengal gram flour and make it to a paste. Heat oil in a frying pan. Dip the balls in Bengal gram paste and fry it in oil and when it becomes brown it is ready to be served.
(13) Mushroom Samosa:
Maida Flour 500 g, Bellary onion 300 g, Fresh Mushroom 200 g, Green chilies 5 Nos., Cardamom 4 nos., Cinnamon small quantity, Garlic 1 no, Ginger few pieces, Oil 500 ml. Salt to taste.
Add dalda to the maida flour and mix thoroughly. Cut the mushroom, onion, chilies to small pieces. Grind the garlic, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and make it to a paste. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Fry the mushroom, onion, green chili mixture stirring constantly. Add the masala paste and salt to taste and after it becomes a little hard remove it. Make the maida flour in the shape of a small poori and stuff masala inside and close it. Now fry it in oil and it is ready to be served.
(14) Mushroom and Bread:
Fresh Mushroom 200 g, Onion 2 Nos., Garlic cloves 2 -4 nos., Ginger 10 g, Masala powder 1/2 teaspoon, Green chilies small quantity, Coriander leaves Small quantity, Butter 100 g. Bread slices according to the requirement (1 full bread).
Cut the washed mushroom, onion, chilies and coriander leave into small pieces. Grind garlic cloves and onion separately.
Now fry the entire mixture and serve it by keeping the mixture in between 2 bread slices.
(15) Mushroom Mutton Soup:
Fresh Mushroom 100 g, Mutton 100 g, Milk 2 cups, Maida flour 1 teaspoon, Ghee 20 g, salt, pepper to taste.
Boil the mushroom and mutton or 15-20 minutes. Fry maid flour in ghee. Add to it milk and the mushroom, mutton mixture. Boil the above mixture for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
(16) Mushroom Korma:
Fresh Mushroom 250 gms., Bellary onion 50 g, Tomato 100 g, Green chilies 15 g, Coconut grated 2 table spoons.
Aniseed 1/2 teaspoon, Garlic 1 no, Ginger small piece, Clove 3 nos., Poppy seeds 1 teaspoon, and Cinnamon small quantity. All spice leaf small quantity. Oil according to requirement. Salt to taste.
Wash the Mushrooms. Cut it into pieces. Slice the onions, green chilies and tomato. Fry the aniseed, poppy seeds and coconut mixture. To this add garlic, clove and ginger and make it to a paste. Fry the sliced onions, green chilies, tomato, mushroom, cinnamon, all spice leaf mixture. To this add the garlic, clove, ginger paste. Add required quantity of water and salt and boil it. Add little ghee to better results.
(17) Mushroom Biryani:
Biryani rice 1 Kg, Fresh Mushrooms 250 g, Carrot 100 g, Cabbage 100g, Cauliflower 100 g, Green Peas 50 g, Bellary Onion 150 g, Tomato 150 g, Green Chilies 25 g, Garlic 50 g, Coconut 3 nos., Dalda 250 g, Fennel 2 teaspoon, Ginger Small piece, Mint, Curry leaf, Coriander leaves 1 Bundle. Cinnamon according to requirement. Turmeric powder and salt small quantity to taste.
Cut mushroom and vegetables to pieces. Slice the onion, tomato and green chilies. Take coconut milk from the coconut grates. Grind the fennel, garlic, ginger and turmeric powder together. Fry the cut and sliced ingredients and cinnamon leaf in dalda. Add the cut mint leaves, curry leaf and coriander leaves to this. After the vegetables get fried add the paste made out of garlic, colour, ginger, add turmeric powder, water, salt to taste and allow it to boil. Add the biryani rice after due cleaning to the above mixture. When half boiled, add coconut milk. Cook, stirring constantly in medium heat.
(18) Mushroom Egg and Bread:
Bread 6 slices, Butter 1 cup, Maida flour 1/2 cup, Fresh Mushroom in small pieces 50 g, Green Chilies in small pieces, 1 teaspoon. Coriander Leaves 1 teaspoon, Tomato sauce 1 teaspoon, Egg 1 No, Oil to fry. Salt, pepper to taste.
Mix a little quantity of milk to the above ingredients. Stir it in the mixie. Spread the above mixture on bread loaves. Roast the above said loaves using ghee. Now serve it hot.
(19) Mushroom Omlette:
Fresh Mushroom 100 g, Egg 5 Nos, Small onion 50 g, Green chilies 3 nos., Pepper powder 1 teaspoon. Salt, turmeric powder according to requirement.
Beat the eggs thoroughly. Add the cut mushrooms, onion and green chili mixture to the beaten up egg. Add pepper powder, turmeric powder and salt and mix well. After 10 minutes fry it in a saucepan.
(20) Mushroom and Potato Soup:
Butter 30 g, Potatoes 3 (peeled and cubed), Celery 2 stalks, sliced, Onion 1, chopped, Red Capsicum 1/2, chopped, Chicken stock 2 cups, Milk 2 cups, Thyme 1/2 teaspoon, Fresh Mushrooms – 250 g sliced, Light sour cream 1/2 cup. Salt and pepper to test.
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Saute potatoes, celery, onion and capsicum until onion is tender. Stir in stock, milk, thyme, salt and Pepper. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Blend with remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for further 5-10 minutes. Serve garnished with some sautéed, sliced mushrooms and a little chopped parsley.
(21) Chili Mushrooms:
Olive oil 1/2 cup, Vinegar 2 tablespoon, Chopped chili 2 tea spoon, Chopped parsley 2 teaspoon, Garlic 1 clove, Pepper required quantity. Fresh Mushroom 250 g.
Mix all the above said ingredients except mushrooms. Brush each mushroom liberally all over with chili mixture. Place stalk side up on a foil lined grill tray. Cook under a medium grill for 3-5 minutes, brushing with chili mixture occasionally. Serve with crusty bread.
(22) Crispy Mushrooms:
Plain flour 1 cup, Cayenne Pepper 1/4 teaspoon, finely chopped parsley 1 table spoon, Snipped chives 2 table spoons, Melted butter 30 g, Egg 1, Oil for deep frying. Water 3/4 cup, Fresh Mushrooms 250 g, Chili one, Sauce 1/2 cup, Chili sauce 1 tablespoon, Chopped chili 1/4 teaspoon, Ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon.
Sift flour and cayenne into a bowl. Stir in parsley and chives. Mix together butter, egg yolk and water gradually beat in liquid until smooth. Wait for 15 minutes. Beat egg white until stiff peaks form. Lightly fold into batter. Heat oil in a deep saucepan. Dip mushrooms into batter, allowing excess to drip off. Drop into hot oil a few at a time. Deep fry for 1-2 minutes until golden. Serve with Chili soy sauce.
(23) Mushrooms, Leeks and Tomatoes:
Butter 30 g, Olive Oil 1 Table spoon, Onion (chopped) 1, Garlic clove (crushed) 1, Fresh Mushrooms 150 g (sliced) Leeks (washed and sliced) 3, Tomatoes (peeled and chopped) 2, Cheese 1/2 cup, Dry bread crumbs 2 table spoon, Chopped parsley 1 tablespoon.
Heat butter and oil together in a large frying pan. Saute onion and garlic until onion is tender. Add mushrooms, leeks and tomatoes. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a casserole dish. Top with combined remaining ingredients. Bake in a moderate oven (180°C) for 5-10 minutes or until cheese melts and top bread. Serve as a meal accompaniment or as a main meal with brown rice.
(24) Mushroom Chutney:
Fresh Mushroom 1½ Kg (sliced), green applies 4 (peeled, cored and chopped) onion sliced 2. White vinegar 2 cups, brown sugar 1 ½ cups. Dried apricots ½ cup (chopped), Ground Ginger 1 teaspoon, Cayenne Pepper 1 teaspoon. Mustard powder 1 teaspoon.
Combine all ingredients well in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture is tender and all the liquid has evaporated. Spoon into sterilised jars. Store in a cool place. Serve with lamb, chicken or cheese. Makes about 6 cups.
(25) Mushroom Gravy:
Oil 2 Tablespoon, Fresh Mushrooms 60 g (sliced), Plain Flour 2 table spoons, chicken stock 2 cups. Salt and pepper to taste.
Heat oil in a saucepan. Saute mushrooms for 1 minute. Blend in flour. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Gradually blend in stock. Return to heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until gravy boils and thickens. Simmer for 3 minutes. Serve with roast meals, makes 2 cups.
(26) Mushroom and Cheese Omlette:
Eggs 8, Cheese ½ cup, Snipped chives 2 tablespoons, Butter 60 g, Fresh Mushroom 125 g, (sliced). Salt and pepper to taste.
Mix eggs, cheese, chives, salt and pepper together. Melt ¼th of the butter in a frying pan. Saute ¼th of the mushrooms for 2 minutes. Pour ¼th of the egg mixture over the mushrooms. Cook for 1-2 minute. Fold in half. Remove to serving plate. Serve with salad and crusty bread. Repeat with remaining butter, mushrooms and egg mixture.
(27) Mixed Mushroom Salad:
Lettuce leaves 4 cups, Fresh Mushrooms 125 g, Snow pea sprouts 1 Cup, Asparagus spears 6 (sliced), Tomatoes (sliced) 2, cucumber (sliced) 1 Avocado (peeled and sliced) 1, Shallots (sliced) 4.
Dressing olive oil ¼ cup, white vinegar 2 table spoons, garlic (crushed) 1 clove, Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon, Dried basil ½ teaspoon, curry powder a pinch. Salt and pepper to taste.
Combine all ingredients for salad in a salad bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Keep refrigerated until required. To prepare dressing mix all ingredients together well. Toss dressing through salad just before serving. Serve as a meat accompaniment.
(28) Mushroom and Sweet Corn Soup:
1 litre chicken stock, 1 tablespoon corn flour, 2 tablespoons water, 440g can creamed corn, 125g fresh mushrooms sliced, 8 shallots sliced, 1 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons chili sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
Bring chicken stock to the boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat. Blend corn flour with water to form a smooth paste.
Stir into simmering stock. Continue stirring until stock has thickened slightly. Add all remaining ingredients except sesame oil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in same oil. Serve garnished with a little sliced shallot.
(29) Sesame Pumpkin and Mushroom:
Butter 30 g, Oil 1 tablespoon, Garlic clove 1 (crushed), Butternut Pumpkin 250 g (sliced), Snow peas 125 g, fresh Mushrooms 250 g (sliced), soy sauce 1 tablespoon. Sesame oil ½ teaspoon. Sesame seeds 1 tablespoon.
Heat butter in a frying pan with oil. Fry garlic for 30 seconds. Saute pumpkin, snow peas and mushrooms for 2-3 minutes. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Serve with rice or as a meal accompaniment.