Why did the mushroom go to the party?

Because he was a fungi -One Direction

Been a while since I blogged. I have been vacationing in India for the past month and boy!! It was hectic. But hectic in a good sort of way. Spending time with family, meeting friends and relatives, indulging in seasonal fruits like mangoes and jackfruit, binging on Indian delicacies, wearing crisp line-dried clothes, enjoying the occasional rains, wandering through the crowded Bangalore streets and relaxing in a resort like atmosphere in Kerala – now that I would call happy hectic days 🙂 .

Now that I am back, I am looking forward to spending fun times here, basking in the glorious sunshine, soaking it all up.

From the time I returned, I have been dishing up some simple dishes. These days, I am preparing dishes that can be whipped up in a few minutes. Sauteed mushrooms with fennel seeds is one such flavorful dish which uses fennel seeds in its preparation and is bursting with flavors.

Fennel seeds have a special aroma and flavor that enhances the taste of these sauteed mushrooms well. Did you know that in India, sweetened Fennel seeds are served after a meal and is used as mouth freshener?

These mushrooms are a perfect accompaniment to steamed rice and since this dish can be prepared in a few minutes time, it is perfect for those busy days. If you find really small button mushrooms, there is no hassle of chopping either. Just wash them in running water, drain and the mushrooms are ready to use in the dish.

In the recipe for sauteed mushrooms with fennel seeds, I have mentioned pearl onions. You can definitely use chopped onions as well as small pearl onions. I always have a pack of frozen pearl onions in my freezer. I love the frozen pearl onions because of the ease at which I can use them in dishes like ulli theeyal, without the hassle of peeling them. If you do not like the mild sweetness of caramelized pearl onions, you can always used thinly sliced onions.

The spices used in the sauteed mushrooms recipe are pantry staples and you will find them in almost all grocery stores. The curry leaves definitely add a unique taste and aroma to the sauteed mushrooms. You can find these easily in your nearby Indian store. If you cannot get your hands on a few curry leaves, don’t let that stop you from trying this dish. Go ahead and make some today.

The idea for this dish came to me on a lazy day when I was in no mood to cook. My friend Priya had shared a potato fry recipe in a food group and the lazy me got this wonderful idea of adapting the recipe to use mushrooms instead of potatoes. Potatoes taste good too and you can find that recipe at Sushma Mallya’s Blog.

Sauteed mushrooms with fennel seeds, not only tastes good with steamed rice, it also goes well on top of a buttered slice of bread. See… I told you… this is a perfect dish for busy days or for when you don’t fancy elaborate cooking at all.

You don’t need fancy ingredients to make meals interesting. Cook with fresh ingredients and add a heap of love – I promise you will relish the meals more.

Enjoy!





Continue to Content Sauteed Mushrooms With Fennel Seeds Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Flavor packed sauteed mushrooms with onions, fennel seeds, and black pepper. Ready in minutes, seriously Delicious! Print Ingredients 24 oz (680 gms) Small Button Mushrooms (See Recipe Notes)

125-150 grams(about 1 cup heaped) Small Pearl Onions (See Recipe Notes)

Juice of 1/2 Lemon (small)

1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

1 teaspoon Tomato Ketchup

2 teaspoon Coconut Oil

1 teaspoon Saunf/Fennel Seeds

1 inch Ginger

2-3 Big Garlic Cloves

2 teaspoon Pepper Powder/ Ground Black pepper

a pinch Haldi/Turmeric Powder/Ground Turmeric (optional)

10-12 Curry Leaves

Salt to taste Garnish Roasted Lemon slices (optional) Equipment Required A big saute pan

Spatula

Measuring cups/spoons (optional if you can eyeball the measurements)

Mortar & Pestle

Small Bowl To serve Steamed rice Instructions Preparation Wash and drain the mushrooms. If you want, you can quarter the mushrooms. Peel pearl onions. Or, if you are using onions, peel and slice them thin. Wash and peel ginger and garlic and crush using a mortar & pestle. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, tomato ketchup, turmeric powder and lemon juice. Cooking Heat oil in the saute pan over heat. Add fennel seeds. When they crackle, add the pearl onions and saute till they turn translucent. At this stage, add the crushed ginger and garlic and saute well. When the pearl onions start to caramelize, add the soy sauce mix (that was made in the preparation step) and pepper powder and combine it well with the pearl onions. Add the mushrooms and mix well to coat. Saute for a minute or two. The mushrooms will start to release water and will acquire a shine. Saute for another 5-7 minutes till the mushrooms are cooked to desired level. Add the curry leaves and saute for another minute. Serve hot with steamed rice. Notes 1. If I find small button mushrooms, I use them as a whole. If the mushrooms are big, then you can quarter them before using in the recipe.

2. Time Saving Tip: You can quarter the mushrooms while the onions are being sauteed.

3. The pearl onions, add a slight sweetness to the dish. If you do not like the taste of caramelized pearl onions, use thinly sliced onions.

4. If the pearl onions are big, they might take longer to caramelize than the time indicated in the recipe. How much did you like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for more, use the little Pin button on the top of the card.

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