Mushrooms are one of those ingredients that instantly elevate the quality of a dish. They are available in a wide variety and can be used in even more dishes. The popular vegan alternative to meat brings one common question to the minds of amateur cooks: What is the best way to clean the edible fungi?
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Taking to Instagram on April 21, celebrity chef and MasterChef India judge Ranveer Brar answers just that.
“These days, when you buy mushrooms, they are usually not covered in dirt. However, in case you get ones that are, then take those mushrooms and apply some atta (wheat flour) or besan (gram flour) on them. Then dry rub them for a while in the flour, leave for a while and run them under water. This will wash off the dirt along with the flour,” he explained.
The chef also shared why the mushrooms in the markets are usually no longer coated with dirt. “The reason why mushrooms available in the market are usually clean nowadays is that they are no longer grown in the soil, but on newspapers,” he quipped.
He did not stop at explaining how to clean the mushrooms, but also shared an easy recipe to prepare with the food item. Ranveer Brar’s signature kali mirch mushroom takes approximately 40 minutes to make and serves two to four people. The detailed steps are as follows.
Ingredients for kali mirch mushroom
For boiling mushrooms
- Water as required
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp Vinegar
- 600 gms Mushrooms (wash & trim the stems)
For Curd Mixture
- 2 ½ cups Curd, beaten
- 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
For gravy
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- ½ inch Cinnamon stick
- 1 Bay leaf
- Prepared curd mixture
- 10-12 Cashew nuts
- 1 cup Water
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2-3 tsp Butter, cubedन
- 2 Green chillies (less spicy & slit in the middle)
- ¼ inch Ginger (peeled & sliced)
- 1 cup Water
- Cooked mushrooms
- 1 tsp Black peppercorns, crushed
For Garnish
- Coriander sprig
- Black peppercorns, crushed
- Chilli oil
Method of preparation
For boiling mushrooms
- In a handi, add water as required, salt to taste, vinegar, mushrooms and get a quick boil.
- Strain the mushroom and keep it aside for further use.
For gravy
- In a bowl, add curd, ginger-garlic paste and give it a good mix.
- In a handi, add ghee, once it’s hot, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick and let it splutter well.
- Add curd and saute it for three to four minutes until cooked well.
- Add cashew nuts, water, salt to taste, sugar, butter and boil it for four to five minutes until it thickens.
- Take out the whole spice and blend it with the help of a hand blender until smooth.
- Add green chillies, ginger and cook it for a minute.
- Take out the whole spice, green chillies and keep them aside for further use.
- Add boiled mushrooms and cook them well for four to five minutes until cooked well.
- Finish it with crushed black peppercorns and mix it well.
- Transfer it to a serving dish, garnish it with coriander, black peppercorns and chilli oil.
- Serve hot with pulao.
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