The Mush-y Story

Mediterranean delights

Tingle your taste buds with Spanish mushroom delicacies like Mushroom Risotto and Mediterranean specialities like Charcoal Roasted Mushrooms available at Hot Paprika,Boat Club Road. The Mushroom Risotto is a rice preparation with a creamy base topped with chilli oil,accompanied with iceberg lettuce and garnished with parmesan cheese. “For the risotto,we use Arborio rice,which is boiled and mixed with button mushrooms and our special wine sauce and cooked to a creamy texture,” says Sheetal of Hot Paprika. “The charcoal roasted mushroom has a strong garlic buttery taste,” she adds. Button mushrooms are marinated and roasted in a clay oven and topped with garlic sauce and this gives the dish its name.

Italian flavours

The Italian Mushroom dish at Copa Cabana,Aundh-Wakad Road,is a top seller this season. “The button mushrooms are diced into four and cooked with white wine. Black pepper,salt and olive oil is added along with garlic and celery,” says Amit Karulkar,sous chef at Copa Cabana. The ready dish is then garnished with lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.

Another delicacy here is the Wok Tossed Mushrooms,which is cooked with black beans. Equal measures of button,shitake and oyster mushrooms are diced into four and fried in refined oil with garlic and celery. Black beans are added with little water and left to cook till it softens. “The shitake variety is very hard and must be soaked in water for about three hours before you can cook it,” says Karulkar.

The Mushroom Pil Pil is another favourite with regulars. It’s similar to the Italian Mushroom but has a more distinct garlic flavour. “It’s like a soup so we serve it in a pasta bowl,” he adds.

Indian Indulgence

A meal at The Great Punjab,Koregoaon Park and Baner Road,almost always includes one of its mushroom dishes. Either stuffed or tossed in Indian spices and masalas,the mushrooms are irresistible. “In fact,many times,we get customers asking for mushroom biryanis,mushroom parathas and even mushroom chilli,” says owner Tejpal Gandhi.

The mushroom lazeez is one of the most popular. “Mushrooms are stuffed with cottage cheese,green peas and mushrooms – all mashed. It’s a delicious,melt-in-the-mouth dish,” Gandhi adds. You can also choose from the tandoori mushroom which will leave your lips smacking and the tawa mushroom which is rich in masalas. “The mushroom chilli is served on request. It ahs capsicum,ginger-garlic,and even soya but it’s still a very Punjabi dish,” he says.

A fast selling dish at Lounge Elevate,Pimpale Saudagar,is the Multani Mushroom. This tandoori dish has button mushrooms stuffed with cheese,chilli and garlic and marinated with yoghurt and cream cheese.

Oriental tastes

For those with a taste for sweet,sour and spicy Oriental cuisine,Dal Chini at Pimpale Saudagar has a platterful of dishes to offer. The Mushroom Salt & Pepper is batter-coated mushroom tossed with ginger,garlic,celery and crushed black peppers. Similar to this is the Stir Fried Mushroom. “We also serve Honey Glazed Mushroom which is quite popular for its sweetish taste. The main ingredients are chilli paste,sauces,ginger-garlic,spring onions and honey,” says Ashwin Shetty of the restaurant.

Continental corner

At 11 East Street Cafe,M G Road,you will find Mushrooms in Love,a unique innovation with oyster mushrooms,bell pepper,cherry tomatoes and herbs topped with hazelnut,wine and pink cheese sauce. ANd to complete the experience,it’s served with buttered rice. “This is one of the fastest selling dishes here,” says Joravar Sachdev,director,11 East Street Cafe. The eatery also has Barbecue Mushrooms on its menu. “Handpicked button mushrooms are generously stuffed with cheese,jalepeno and bell peppers and then crumb fried. This starter is served with our special barbecue sauce,” Sachdev adds.