8 simple ways to include mushrooms in your diet

Easy and simple ways to prepare mushroom dishes at home.

By: Debjani Arora | | Updated: February 4, 2015 10:57 pm

Mushrooms are a wonder vegetable that have made its place in the Indian household in the recent past. One good thing about mushrooms is that you can be experimental with them, knowing that they won’t disappoint you! The reason being, mushrooms are versatile and can settle in any curry or preparation, alongside other vegetables and spices, enhancing taste and adding a unique flavour to your dish. They are no longer restricted to Chinese or exotic preparations. In fact, mushrooms go well with Punjabi dishes, Goan curries and a variety of other Indian cuisines. Here are a few ways how you can include mushrooms in your diet.

#1 Mushroom stir-fry: This is one of the easiest and best ways to include mushrooms in your diet. Get loads of exotic vegetables to make a healthy mushroom platter.

Try this: In a pan, heat some oil and add cut and chopped vegetables of your choice. You can include a variety of colourful vegetables like red, yellow and green bell peppers; broccoli, carrots, baby corn and beans. Stir fry them for a while and sauté till cooked. Mushrooms cook easily, so add them in the end. To this add salt, oregano or other herbs of your choice. Don’t restrict yourself with just the veggies, tofu or paneer when added to the platter can make the dish even more healthier. Here is another healthy stir-fry recipe for diabetics.

#2 Mushroom and rice: You can never go wrong while adding mushrooms to rice preparation – fried rice, pulav, biriyani, etc. Here is an easy and tasty mushroom-rice preparation which can be done within minutes.

Try this: Heat some oil in a pan and add whole spices like black pepper, cardamom, dalchini and bay leaves to it. Allow them to crackle or sauté till you get a light fragrance. To this, add chopped onions, garlic, ginger and sauté for few minutes. When the colour changes to golden brown, add chopped tomatoes and sauté till it turns tender. Next add the mushrooms, washed and cut into two halves. Mix all the vegetables well with salt and spices of your choice. To this, add rice, previously soaked in water for 15 minutes, mix the rice well with the veggies, then pour little coconut milk and water and cook it. Flavourful mushroom rice is ready in minutes. Beware of these common contaminants in rice.

#3 Mushrooms and peas: This is one combination that acts as a great side dish for any meal. Succulent mushrooms and boiled peas give a texture to the dish that’s unique and healthy.

Try this: In a frying pan, add oil and heat it for a while. To this, add cumin seeds and few spoonfuls of yoghurt. Keep mixing the yoghurt till the oil separates. Then add chopped onions and garlic, and sauté for a while. When it turns golden brown, add chopped tomatoes and sauté. Next, add boiled peas and mushrooms, stir it for a while and then add salt and spices of your choice. Stir fry till the veggies are cooked and mushroom changes its colour. If you wish you can also add boiled potatoes with peas. Sprinkle chopped coriander to garnish. Here are 10 health benefits of green peas.

#4 Stuffed mushrooms: Who wouldn’t like to gorge on stuffed, tasty and healthy mushroom balls? This is an easy to make dish that goes well as a snack or a starter.

Try this: Wash the mushrooms and cut the stalk. Scoop out the cap and set aside. For the filling, heat butter in a pan and add chopped onions and garlic. Sauté for a while and as the colour changes, add chopped tomatoes to it. Remove from flame and allow it to cool. To this, add grated cheese and add the filling to the scooped out mushroom caps. Next, bake them in an oven for four minutes at 220 degrees or go by your microwave settings. Want to have stuffed peppers, get the recipe here.

#5 Mushroom gravy: Mushrooms are a great addition to Indian curries. You can prepare mushroom gravy with rich spices and paneer along with onions and tomatoes. Shahi mushroom, mushroom chettinad, goan mushroom curry, kadai mushroom, mushroom kofta and the list is endless. The best part about mushrooms is that they blend well with Indian spices. You can either make gravy with spices and vegetables or opt for a creamy preparation with dry fruits. Here’s how Sushmita Sen prepared her mushroom methi saag.

#6 Mushroom soup: Soups are a healthy snack and provide you good enough nutrients. Here are 8 reasons why mushrooms are good for health.

Try this: Prepare a vegetable stock and keep aside. Next, in a pan heat some butter and add baby corn, onions, spring onions and mushrooms. Stir fry till the vegetables are partially cooked. To this add the vegetable stock, salt and boil it for few minutes. Remove from flame and add a dash of pepper powder. Garnish it with coriander and slurp in its goodness. Here is a healthy carrot and orange soup for kids to keep them warm this winter.

#7 Mushroom in Chinese preparation: Well, the vegetable has always been the best companion for Chinese dishes. Manchurian or chilli mushroom recipes are easy to make and a hot favourite among the young and old alike.

Try this: To make mushroom manchurian, make the batter first. Mix flour, cornflour of equal quantity with soy sauce, pepper powder, salt and a dash of sugar. Add water to the ingredients and make a batter whose consistency should be smooth and not too thick. Wash and cut the mushrooms in two halves. Next, heat oil in a pan till it sends out smoke. Dip each mushroom in the batter and then put it into the oil to fry. Make sure the mushrooms are fried well and set them aside. Next, in a pan heat oil, add chopped onions, spring onions, green chillies, chopped ginger and garlic, green and yellow peppers and stir fry them till they turn tender. Add soy sauce to it, salt to taste and stir the preparation for a while. To this add the fried mushrooms and mix well. Also, mushroom fried rice makes a great main course to brighten the menu. Also try this shiitake mushroom recipe.

#8 Creamy Mushroom: Mushrooms can be made spicy or creamy. If you don’t want to have a spicy mushroom curry, try a creamy one. Here’s a creamy recipe.

Try this: In a pan, heat some oil and add chopped onions, garlic and ginger and sauté till it turns golden brown. Add to it chopped tomatoes and keep sautéing. When the oil starts to separate, add spices of your choice and little water. To this add mushrooms, peppers, peas and baby corn and allow it to boil for a while. In the end add dollops of cream to make a creamy curry. Sprinkle oregano once you take the dish off the flame and serve hot.

Note: These are some simple preparations to include mushroom in your diet. However, don’t restrict yourself to just these dishes. You can have combinations of mushroom and palak similar to palak paneer, baked mushroom, mushroom buns, mushroom paratha and the list is endless.

Image courtesy: Getty images

Published: January 5, 2015 12:43 pm | Updated:February 4, 2015 10:57 pm

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