It is raining incessantly, and all my plans have gone awry for the day. I was supposed to go start gym from today but the Great God of Rain has stopped me effectively. I stayed inside, frowning at the sky and dying for a cup of coffee made by a dear friend who is all too happy to feed me when I want her to. But alas! The rain pestered me the entire day, and now it is evening, and it is still a rainy, frowning day; something I personally detest.
So, as always, I turned to my kitchen for a treat, and found a bag of mushrooms I have picked up a day back from my local greengrocer. The package of 200gms I used was about 22 INR (which is a bargain, because supermarkets sell the same amount for more than twice that price) and I ended up making it into a meal for me and the sister.
Paired with a cup of hot, steaming coffee, this was a wonderful late lunch for the two of us.
Here’s what you need to do.
First, wash and remove all the grits from the mushrooms. I used 200 gms button mushroom, but feel free to substitute with other tasty variations. My major crib was the fact that I had scrub out each individual mushroom and then chop them up in rough, large pieces. This is a rustic dish, so you don’t have to be fancy. Just make sure the pieces are more or less even in shape.
Next, chop half a capsicum (about 100 gms) and mince 4-5 large or 6-7 small cloves of garlic. Now, heat a pan and add a teaspoon of butter to it. Once it starts sizzling, add your garlic and let it get fragrantly acquainted to the rest of the ingredients.
Then, add capsicum and give it a stir. Let it cook over medium high heat, and roll the pan around a few times. Meanwhile, heat a large bowl of water and add some salt to it. The water should be enough to cook about 200 gms of noodles in it. You can add spaghetti, if you want things to be fancy. I don’t bother.
Once the capsicum has cooked up for a couple of minutes, add mushrooms, a hefty pinch of salt (to render out the water) and some grinds of pepper, to taste. Let the mushrooms cook down for about five minutes. By that time your pretty chow would be nearly cooked too. If you like then you can add some coriander leaves (cilantro) or parsley for flavoring at this point too.
Drain off most of the starchy water from the noodles, leaving out a few teaspoons’ worth. This would give the chow a saucy flavor, which I like. Add a small measure of light soy sauce (if not, then dark) to your mushrooms, and a BIG SQUEEZE of lemon juice.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE LEMON JUICE AND GARLIC DON’T MAKE THIS DISH because these two ingredients are the main things with the mushrooms. Add a pinch of sugar to balance things over. YOU DONT WANT THIS TO BE SUGARY, you want the salt to be evenly distributed.
Add chow, mix well and let the sauce cook down till it is mostly absorbed. Serve with a smile.
