Stir-Fried Mushrooms and Peppers

Stir-Fried Mushrooms and Peppers

This is likely to become a favourite vegetable dish in our home because it's so simple and takes no time at all to put together. It's composed of pre-sliced mushrooms, onions, red and green peppers, and seasoned simply with some salt, ginger and garlic paste and black peppercorns that are ground to a powder along with mouri/fennel seeds.

A vegetarian couple a while back spent a week with us. Any longer than that would have caused me to eat heads because I was craving non-veg food so badly! But I picked up a few tips and tricks about cooking vegetables, particularly mushrooms. Because they shed so much water, the trick to cooking mushrooms, I was told, is to fry them first in nothing but oil until al dente. More oil is then added to fry the onions and other vegetables and salt should be added at the very end. This produces a dry stir-fry that is delicious served with steamed rice. It can be had with a variety of Indian breads, too.

Ingredients
2 pkgs. sliced white mushrooms
1 large green pepper, sliced
1 large red pepper, sliced
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
2 green chilies, chopped
1 large onion, sliced
2 tsp. ginger paste
2 tsp. garlic paste
2 Tbsp. black peppercorns
2 tsp. fennel seeds
2 Tbsp. cilantro, minced
salt to taste

Directions

1. Grind peppercorns and fennel seeds in a blender to a coarse powder and set aside.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat and fry mushrooms until half-cooked.
3. Make a well in the center of the mushrooms, add a tablespoon of oil and sputter 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds and green chilies.
4. Add onions, red and green peppers, ginger and garlic paste, stir well, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Sprinkle black pepper and fennel powder over top and stir well.
6. When oil resurfaces around the edges of the pan, season with salt and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes more.
7. Garnish with cilantro and transfer to a serving dish.

Serve with steamed rice or chapatis/tortillas.