Fried Rice That Celebrates The Mushroom

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This week we are celebrating the humble but gorgeous mushroom. It grows in the shade of dead and dying trees and takes beautiful colors and forms. Varying in flavor and texture, the versatile mushroom is probably one of the very few edible foods that has so many different varieties.

I wouldn’t be wrong in saying that the mushroom has been very underrated in the modern American diet. Though the USA is one of the top producers of it, not many of us really include mushrooms in our daily diets. Nevertheless, mushrooms have sprung into the main food scene through the vegan style of eating. Vegans really enjoy the umami flavor and the meaty texture the fungi provide. I don’t mean to say non vegans don’t like it, just that vegans, in the search of something to add layers to the texture of food have chanced upon the adaptable and delicious mushroom.

The fungus is unique in the nutrient properties it offers. A powerhouse of vitamin B, riboflavin, vitamin D and low in cholesterol and calories, mushrooms have very little going against their favor, except maybe their textures which some may find funny. But hey! People eat weirder things!

I know it is not really the best way to go about it, but since my kids have announced their absolute dislike for mushrooms, I have learnt to serve them in innovative ways so they get the benefits without really having to coming face to face with one. I will keep that battle for another day!

So today, coming to the rescue of those of you who can’t get themselves to eat a whole mushroom, is my recipe of fried rice (how long does rice last?), a wholesome dish that brings together fragrant basmati rice with seasonal vegetables, some wonderful varieties of mushrooms and a tomato salsa to tie it together.

What You Will Need

• 12 Button mushrooms, sliced roughly ( you can use any other variety too!)

• 6 bulbs of spring onions, chopped

• Red and yellow bell peppers (What wine goes well with bell peppers?), chopped

• Half cup sweet corn, whole

• 14 cashew nuts, split

• 1.5 cups basmati rice (What wine goes well with rice?)

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil (how long does sesame oil last?)

• 2 teaspoons soya sauce or fish sauce (how long does fish sauce last?)

• A teaspoon Salt

• 1 tablespoon Black pepper

• A tablespoon lemon juice

What You Have To Do

1. Soak the basmati rice for about 20 minutes before you cook it with some plain salt. Soaking will allow the grains to activate thus elongating further as they cook. Let the cooked rice (how long does cooked rice last?) cool as you prepare the mix for the dish.

2. In a large wok, split and toast the cashews till they start to get a brownish tinge. Once done, take them off the heat and into a bowl.

3. Put the wok back on and pour into it, sesame oil.

4. Add most of the spring onions, save a few, chopped bell pepper, and cook till the veggies soften.

5. Add the roughly sliced mushrooms.

6. Pour the soy or fish sauce, black pepper, salt and lemon juice and stir fry it all together.

7. Add the cooled rice and keep stirring to evenly mix the rice and vegetables.

8. Add half cup of water and let it cook on low heat for 5 minutes till the rice is heated through.

9. Serve in a dish, with cashews scattered on top along with the spring onions.

For The Tomato Salsa, You Will Need

1. 3 tomatoes, whole

2. A bunch of mint

3. 1 green chilli

4. half a teaspoon salt

5. A knob of ginger

What You Have To Do

1. Put all the ingredients into blender and blitz to a puree.

2. Pour out the contents into a bowl and taste and adjust seasoning.

Useful Tips

Usually, I prefer keeping fried rice elements to a maximum of 3 or 4, but you can really add any and everything you like. Many of my friends add asparagus, french beans, diced carrots, frozen peas, bamboo shoots and even kimchi (how long does kimchi last?)!

I have made egg and mushroom fried rice and it was really the best fried rice I had!

Another useful tip would be to really cool down the rice. Freshly cooked warm rice tends to stick together and break when moved around much. You could even use refrigerated or leftover rice for this.

Remember to use a pot big enough to hold and move about all the rice and vegetables.

Refrigerate the tomato salsa and consume it soon, the mint tends to discolor rapidly if left outside.

So, let the goodness of some wholesome mushroom fried rice and refreshing tomato salsa combine to give you the best fried rice experience ever!

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