Mushroom perattal

I've been venturing more into the realm of vegetarian food these days, thanks to the Mr. who is pure veg. Also known as Mushroom fry, this dry curry is just the right vegetarian fix for when chicken varuval cravings hit. in fact I was so deliriously happy at the first taste that I just had to do a little victory dance around the kitchen! And it was mindblowing with a bowl of plain rice and dollop of thick yoghurt. 

Mushroom perattal / Indian-style mushroom fry

Ingredients:

1 pack oyster mushroom - large pieces shredded from stem to bulb by hand to retain its texture. Avoid rinsing mushrooms too.

2 medium-sized onions - thinly sliced

2 tablespoons minced ginger & garlic

2 medium-sized tomatoes - diced

2 dried chillies - cut in halves

1 sprig curry leaves

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

3 cloves

2 cardamom pods

1/2 tsp cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder

1 teaspoon Chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander powder

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wok. Saute the cumin till it crackles. Add in cinnamon, curry leaves, cardamom, star anise, cloves and saute till aromatic.

2. Add in ginger garlic mince, onions, dried chilli and saute. I prefer bringing it to a point slightly past golden brown where the onions caramelises. 

3. Add in chili powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt.  

4. Add in chopped tomatoes and continue sauteing until tomatoes break down and the raw masala smell is gone. The mixture should be thick and a rich brown color by this time. 

5. Add in shredded mushrooms and toss through the mixture. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes and the mushrooms will start releasing its water. If the mushrooms are dry then turn down the heat and cook till tender. They should not be too soggy.

6. Taste and add salt if needed. After cooking, you can spritz in the juice of 1 lime for added kick. 

7. Spoon over a plate of rice, dollop of yoghurt by the side and enjoy! Best served hot.