Za Recipes

Mushrooms
Recently people are getting more aware of the medicinal properties and health benefits of edible mushrooms. If I try to list out all its values, it will take pages and pages. So I will share with you some of the very valuable properties of mushrooms and its importance in our diet. Mushrooms are valuable health food - low in calories, high in selenium, vegetable proteins, chitin, iron, zinc, fiber, essential amino acids, vitamins & minerals. They are fat free, cholesterol free and low in sodium. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently gave a nod to its disease-fighting capability by stating: “Diets containing foods that are good sources of potassium and low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.” Some mushrooms supply more potassium than foods better known as sources for this mineral.
Selenium rich food will lower the risk of prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. Though foods of animated origin and grains are a good source of selenium but in vegetable only mushrooms is a good source of selenium. This is a good news for vegetarians whose source of selenium are limited.
They have a great effect on promoting good health and vitality. Recent studies show that mushrooms are probiotic i.e., they help our body strengthen itself and fight illness by increasing our natural resistance to diseases.
So let us increase the level of all these vitamins and minerals in our body
1. Riboflovin which gives healthy red blood cells
2. Niacin which gives a healthy skin
3. selanium –act against various diseases
By cooking more mushrooms at home.

Always buy good fresh mushrooms from reputed department stores and don’t pluck any from your garden since some mushrooms are poisonous and we don’t know how to identify the edible ones
Unlike many other vegetable which are good for health are very hard to eat because of its odd taste, mushroom is one which anybody will love to have because of its wonerful taste. They are easy to sauté and add savory flavor, texture, appetite appeal and nutrients to just about anything. The masala added blend with the mushrooms very well.
Mushroom fry and mushroom rice
Considering the health benefits of this wonder vegetable, I regularly cook this. I have tried out different recipes using mushrooms. The most easy and tasty one I have found is the mushroom fry and mushroom rice. If you want mushrooms as a side dish then you can keep it as a fry but if you just want to make variety rice out of it just mix the fry with rice cooked like we cook for fried rice. That will taste some what like a byryani and somewhat like a fried rice., This is why I call it mushroom rice.
Ingredients
Fresh mushrooms-100gms (cut into 4 pieces)
Big onion-1
Tomato-1
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Sambar powder-2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
Coriander leaves –little
Mint leaves-little
For seasoning
Cinnamon-2 small pieces
Brinji leaf-a small one
Clove-2
Cardamom-2
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Green chillies-2 spitted
Mint leaves-little
Mushrooms should not be washed for a long time in water as it will absorb water. First wipe it with a soft dry towel or a tissue paper and then with a wet one. cut into pieces. cut the onions and tomatoes also. split the chilies. Keep the kadai in the stove. Season it with the items given in ‘to season’ in 1 table spoon of oil(If you plan to make mushroom rice add little extra oil).sauté the onions and tomatoes and the chillies.add ginger garlic paste and stir nicely. once the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes add the mushroom pieces,sambar powder and turmeric powder. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. You will find water oozing out of mushrooms. Now add very little water (3 to 4 tablespoons) and the salt required. close the kadai with a lid. Keep the stove in medium fire. The mushrooms will get cooked within 5 minutes. So after 5 minutes open the lid and see. If there is excess water increase the flame and cook till there is not much water content.
Now the fry is ready. Garnish with coriander leaves while serving
If you plan to make mushroom rice, then cook the rice in such a way that you cook for fried rice. The rice should be cooked in such a way that they do not stick to each other.Transffer the rice to a big flat bowl and allow it to cool. Once the rice is cool add the mushroom fry little by little and mix using the backside of the ladle. For the above quantity of fry 1 cup of rice will be perfect. Add little bit of salt for the rice. Garnish with coriander leaves while serving.Children will love this rice .An easy way to give the nutrients to our kids