Mushroom Capsicum Fry

Mushroom : The cap fruit?? - Mushroom is widely available in India. Also known as the cap fruit or cap vegetable, we have started getting it at even local vendors and at surprisingly affordable costs. Mushroom is not a household vegetable ( i don't remember my mother cooking mushroom ever ), and infact, many of the people in remote places of India would still not know what a mushroom is!!
I started eating mushrooms regularly only from last year. Till then it was only a topping on a pizza or a filling in a sandwich.

There are so many different varieties of edible mushrooms, but the most common ones that we get here in India are the white button mushrooms. Mushrooms stay upto a week in refrigerator, but its always best to have them fresh. Always look for firm mushrooms with a smooth appearance. You can use the stem of the mushroom too, depending on the dish you are making. But never use tough stems. Also, never soak mushrooms in water for cleaning or any other purpose. They easily absorb moisture. The best way to clean mushrooms is to wash them and then pat them dry. Or you can even remove the black stains on it with a wet cloth and then pat them dry with a normal kitchen napkin.

There is an interesting folk story surrounding mushroom ( mushroominfo.com ).The delicious flavour of mushrooms intrigued the Pharaohs of Egypt so much that they decreed mushrooms were food for royalty and that no commoner could ever touch them. This assured them the entire supply of mushrooms. Many believed that mushrooms had properties that could produce super-human strength, help in finding lost objects and lead the soul to the realm of the gods. 
I surely don't know about the super-human strength, but Mushroom does have a lot of nutrients and is full of minerals. Healthiest, because they are a low-calorie food, they are also a great source of B-vitamins.

Here is a quick recipe of mushroom, which can be used as a sabzi, eaten with parathas or rotis or even as a salad ( as all it contains is salt and pepper ). As simple as it may sound, it is one tasty dish and i recommend it to all the mushroom lovers !

Ingredients :

Mushrooms - 5 big 

Onion - 1 medium

Green capsicum - 1 medium

Salt - to taste

Ajwain - 1/2 tsp ( You can even add cumin seeds for a different taste or can add both ajwain and cumin seeds )

And of course our favourite:

Pepper : Use this with a free hand, as this is what adds taste to the dish

Oil - 1 tsp

Recipe :

Slice the onions and capsicum lengthwise. You can even use yellow or red capsicum for a different flavour.

Remove the stems of the mushroom and slice the buttons lengthwise, or in small cubes as you like.

Heat oil in a non stick pan or a kadhai.

Add ajwain seeds, add the onions.

Fry for about 30 seconds and add the capsicum.

Fry for about the minute and then add the mushrooms. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes ( till the mushrooms are half cooked )

Now add the salt and pepper. Now cook uncovered till the water evaporates from the mushroom well.

Tasty- yummy-easy dish is ready :))) Add lemon juice if you like, but i like the taste of pepper. So just salt and pepper as seasoning. You can be as creative and add oregano, cilantro, corriander leaves or mint leaves, or red chilli powder or even green chillies...

Happy Cooking :))