Mushroom Xacuti

The Mushroom Xacuti needs no introduction. It’s a versatile dish that can be served at any meal. Serve it at breakfast with some kadak pao, at lunch with hot steamed rice or for dinner with chapatis. And when you eat it and at any time of the day you’ll find it very appetizing. So get your hands on some fresh mushrooms and fulfil your day with the mushroom xacuti.

Serves: 6 to 8 Persons

Prep. Time: 25 Mins.

Cooking Time: 30 to 35 Mins.

Ingredients:

• Button Mushrooms – 400 gms.
• Onion (chopped fine) – 1 large
• Lime – ½ medium
• Stock Cubes – 2
• To be Roasted & Ground:
  • Fresh Coconut (grated) – 1 cup
  • Dry Red Chillies [Bedgi] – 4
  • Cloves – 4 to 5
  • Cinnamon – 1 inch
  • Cumin [Jeera] – ¼ tsp.
  • Aniseed [Saunf / Badishep] – ¼ tsp.
  • Poppy Seeds – ½ tsp.
  • Corriander Seeds – 1 tbsp.
  • Black Pepper Corns – 10
  • Mace – 2 Petals
  • Nutmeg – less than ¼
  • Onion – 1 medium
  • Garlic – 6 to 8 cloves
• Oil – 3 tbsp.
• Salt – 1 tsp. or to taste

Step 1:     Heat a pan and dry roast the coconut till light brown on low heat. Transfer to a plate / bowl. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in the same pan and roast the onion and garlic till the onions are light brown. Add the curry leaves and stir fry for a minute. Transfer to the bowl containing the roasted coconut.

Step 2:     Dry roast the red chillies in the same pan till crisp and transfer to the bowl. Now dry roast all the remaining spices except the poppy seeds till fragrant. Transfer to the bowl. Finally roast the poppy seeds till brown and transfer to the bowl (remember to roast on low heat and stir continuously so that the ingredients do not burn out).

Step 3:     When all the roasted ingredients have cooled completely, grind them to a fine paste with the turmeric and a little water.

Step 4:     Wipe the mushrooms with a kitchen towel or tissue paper and cut each into six pieces as you can see in the pictures. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan suitable to make the gravy. Fry the onion till soft on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and the crumbled stock cubes and sauté for 5 minutes. Add 300 ml warm water and cook covered for 15 minutes.

Step 7:     Later, add the ground masala. Check for salt and add if needed. Add a little water if needed. Cook covered for a further 10 minutes.

Step 8:     Finally add the juice of the lime and serve hot.