Mushrooms are low cal and ideal for those on a slimming diet
Mushrooms are fleshy umbrella-shaped fungi with a central stalk and a cap called pileus. They are devoid of the plant pigment, chlorophyll. They derive their nutrients from dead and decaying organic matter, so their mode of nutrition is saprophytic.
There are 33,000 species throughout the world with those safe to eat known as ‘table mushrooms’. They are rich sources of protein, so they can be substituted for meat in many preparations. Extremely low in calories, mushrooms are fat free and form a good slimming diet.
Here are some recipes:
Mushroom wraps
For chilli mushroom
Ingredients
Button mushroom: one-and-a-quarter cup (cut into cubes)
Tomato sauce: 1tbsp
Soya sauce: 1tbsp
Chilli sauce: 1tbsp
Big onions: 2, chopped
Green chilli: chopped, one-and-a-quarter tbsp
Capsicum: quarter cup, chopped
Red chilli deseeded, paste: 2 tbsp
Coconut paste: 3 tbsp
For the wrap
Ingredients
Wheat flour: half cup
Soya or ragi flour: half cup
Maida: 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Hot water as required
Oil: 2 tbsp
For the spread
Tomato sauce: quarter cup
Cashew nut: quarter cup (ground to a smooth paste)
Method: Clean, wash and marinate the mushrooms with all the ingredients, except oil, chopped onions, capsicums and green chilli. Keep them aside for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the chopped ingredients and sauté. Then add red chilli paste and sauté till done. To this, add the marinated mushrooms and cook on a high flame for a few minutes, stirring all the time. Then cover it and cook for five minutes on a slow fire. Finally, add coconut paste and stir for another three minutes. Remove from fire and keep aside.
For the wrap, mix all the ingredients, except oil. Add hot water as required and pour oil and knead into a smooth dough. Cover it with a wet muslin cloth and leave it for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into equal portions. Roll it out into a round chapatti. Cook both sides of the chapatti on a tawa and set it aside.
For the mushroom wrap, take each chapatti, spread a layer of cashewnut paste, then tomato sauce and top it with chilli mushroom. Wrap and fold. Arrange them on a serving plate and serve hot.
Mushroom ball
Ingredients
Mushroom minced: 200 gm
Onion chopped: 1
Salt: half tsp
Pepper powder: quarter tsp
Garam masala: half tsp
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
Oil: 1tsp
Bread slices: 10-12(made into crumbs)
Egg: 1
Oil for frying: three-fourth cup
Method: Pour oil in pan and add mushrooms and onion. Stir well for 5-6 minutes on high flame. Add ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, salt and pepper and sauté well. Remove from fire. After it cools a bit, add two tbsp breadcrumbs
, mix well and make small balls. Dip each ball in the beaten egg, coat with the remaining breadcrumbs, and set aside. Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry the mushroom balls. Serve hot with chutney or sauce.
LEENA LEON
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