Quick and easy sauteed mushrooms
ha, this one is interesting. I am 31 years old now. I probably started having shrooms when I was about 5 or 6 years old. I distinctly remember this hotel in Adyar, Chennai.. somewhere in the basement where my dad used to take us out monthly once. Can’t remember if it was a sangeetha or a woodlands. He introduced us to multiple dishes there. Left to my mom, we would have probably just had dosa. Actually, left to my mom we would have probably had dosa in our house (not even in a hotel). My dad was the one who introduced me n Prak (my bro) to shrooms. We used to have a mushroom soup there – the 2/3 way. me, prak & dad. Mom was happy with just her dosa (and oh, forgot to mention – dosa kept on a plate with a banana leaf on top of it, haha). I developed a taste for shrooms from then on. As I write this, I really wish dad was hanging around with us still on planet earth. Considering how experimental I have gone with the cuisines/ dishes, whether it’s something I cook or eat outside, he would have been my perfect perfect (just in case 1 perfect doesn’t cut the point) partner. He was an awesome cook and an awesome eater (if there is such thing a thing as that :)). Anywho, the point I wanted to drive was that I started eating shrooms when I was 5 or 6 and I am now 31. I have had shrooms in multiple forms & have had multiple varieties of them as well. My love for it only grows. However, I had never attempted to make any dish myself using shrooms in all these 31 years. My bestie cutie Jan makes shrooms a lot cos her cutie aka Amit likes it and that’s what pushed me to try it out. I always knew making shrooms was gonna be easy but somehow there was some sort of a drive I got after having a conversation with her one day. Did a quick check with my mil to make sure it’s not on the taboo list of things which are not meant to enter our kitchen and thankfully this was not on it :D. That is exactly how shrooms have entered my life in my kitchen. I have been doing these sauteed shrooms weekly once now and I am realising what a healthy, tasty add on it is. It’s zimbly yummy. You can do so many different things with shrooms but for now I have mastered these sauteed mushrooms :). FYI – Only Adya & I have shrooms at home and he totally loves this one. He snatches the bowl of mushrooms from me and has it all by himself. psst, I always have some extra in the kitchen anticipating this exact situation :).
- 4 cups roughly chopped mushrooms I used wild mushrooms
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic herb seasoning/ oregano
- few fresh basil leaves (roughly torn) optional
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In a wide pan, heat the butter.
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Now add the mushrooms, some salt & let the mixture cook.
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After a few minutes (once the mixture is cooked a bit), add the seasonings - the black pepper powder & oregano.
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Cook for another 7-10 minutes in simmer option stirring in every now and then.
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Tear and fold in the fresh basil leaves and turn off the heat.
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Enjoy warm on the side of some bread or pasta. Simple yet soulful!
- Do not add extra water. The water released by the mushrooms is enough for cooking them.
- You can use even button mushrooms instead of wild mushroom. I like the chewy texture of the wild mushrooms.
- You can cut the mushrooms a bit more chunky if you want to retain more quantity in the end. I love my mushrooms shrink up quite a bit.
Stepwise pictures
In a pan, heat some butter (don’t brown it so much as I have :)). I couldn’t find the camera for a moment and you can see the result 😀
Throw in the roughly choped mushrooms. Add a bit of salt & let the mushrooms cook down.
After a few minutes, add the seasonings in – black pepper powder & garlic herb seasoning. Do not add extra water.
After 7-10 minutes, the mushrooms would have reduced to 1/4 th it’s quantity. Garnish with torn basil leaves & turn off the heat.
Enjoy warm on the side of some bread/ pasta. Yummmm.
