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There are plenty of vegetables that we devour on a daily basis. What makes mushroom so unique is the fact that it is not a vegetable but an edible fungus. The delicious texture and taste of mushrooms makes them apt, not only for curries and main course but for snacks too. While snacking is quite common in India, most snacks are fried and crispy. Items like paneer and potatoes are usual suspects in vegetarian snacks but adding mushrooms can actually amp up the taste.
Wondering what all can you make with mushrooms? Right from the deep-fried conical pastry called samosa to deep-fried golden-brown fritters called pakoras, anything and everything can be made with mushrooms. The umami taste of mushrooms lends the snack items a distinct flavour and gives them a soft and chunky edge. Perfect for house parties and ready in a jiffy, these mushrooms snacks are sure to leave you amazed.
1. Mushroom Cutlet
Cutlets, for the unversed, are crispy roundels that are usually shallow-fried snacks. The cutlets can be made with a plethora of ingredients and one of them is mushroom. The mushrooms are sliced and mixed with sliced onions. Simultaneously, baby potatoes are boiled and mashed. This mixture is the seasoned with salt and spices. Besan or chickpea flour is added to it and some chopped mint leaves are thrown in. This is then shaped with the palm of the hand into flat rounds and coated with breadcrumbs to be shallow-fried in hot oil.
2. Mushroom Samosa
Move beyond aloo and paneer samosas because the mushroom samosa is here. Chopped mushrooms, mixed with diced potatoes and boiled peas, are spruced up with spices like jeera, haldi and red chilli powder. The spicy chunky filling is kept aside while the dough for samosa is prepared using maida and water. Small portions of dough are rolled out into small chapatti and stuffed with the filling. Folded from the edges, the snack attains a conical shape and is deep-fried and served with mint chutney.
3. Mushroom 65
While Chicken 65 is a commonly-known appetiser from South India, vegetarian versions of this snack include gobhi and sometimes, even mushrooms. Button mushrooms are used for this recipe and large chunks are sliced. The pieces of mushroom are coated in a dried red chilli water, rice flour and ginger garlic paste. The mushrooms are deep-fried after which they are dunked in a kadhai with spices like garam masala, salt, pepper, soy sauce and vinegar. The curry leaves are added for flavour and the dish is served hot and crisp.
4. Mushroom Pakora
Pakoras are Indian-style fritters are that quintessential monsoon snacks. However, pakoras can be made anytime and with any vegetable. From potatoes to onions, cauliflower and spinach leaves, these fritters pack in lots of flavour. One such is the mushroom pakora where the mushrooms are sliced into large pieces and then coated in besan or chickpea flour batter. Deep-fried until they turn golden-brown, mushrooms are best eaten with a mint and coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.
5. Mushroom Kebab
A vegetarian take on the famous shami kebabs, this mushroom kebab is soft and indulgent just like any other. While traditionally minced meat is added to these kebabs, the mushroom kebab is a vegetarian delight that brings together the softness of shami with chunky mushrooms. Mixed with gram dal and onions, the kebab mixture is spruced up with green chillies, pepper corn and bay leaves. This is then fried on a pan and served with onions rings and chutney.
