WILD MUSHROOM STEW WITH COCONUT SAUCE KHUMBI KI TARKARI
This makes a lovely first course, served plain or on toast. I make it with a mixture of the fresh mushrooms that are available to me—hon-shimeji (also called beech mushrooms, as they grow on beech trees), shiitake, and oyster mushrooms. Although all these mushrooms once grew wild in eastern Asia, they are now cultivated and may be procured fairly easily in the West as well. If you cannot get one of them, just get more of the other two, or add some other wild mushroom that you like. After trimming, I end up with about 1 lb. of mushrooms.
SERVES 4–5
About 1½ lbs mushrooms, including about 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms with thick caps about 3–3½ inches in diameter (use more if the caps are smaller), oyster mushrooms, and hon-shimeji (beech) mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
• ½ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 6–7 fresh curry leaves, lightly crushed in your hand
• 3 medium shallots (about 2½ oz in all), peeled and finely chopped
• 1 fresh hot green chili, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Generous pinch of nice red chili powder
• Generous pinch of ground turmeric
• ¾ cup coconut milk, from a well-shaken can
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
1. Wipe the dirt off the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and trim them as follows: shiitake—break off and discard the stems; cut the caps into 4–8 wedges, depending on size; oyster—cut off the lower, hard part of the stems, separate the mushrooms, and cut larger caps into 1½ inch pieces; hon-shimeji—remove the bottom, hard part of the stems, and divide the larger bunches into smaller bunches.
2. Put the oil in a medium, preferably nonstick pan, and set over medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop, in a matter of seconds, add the cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for a few seconds, then add the curry leaves (take care, as they will splutter), followed immediately by the shallots, green chilies, and garlic.
3. Stir for about 3 minutes, then put in all the mushrooms and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Stir gently for about 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms appear wet. The pan will seem overcrowded at first, but the pile of mushrooms will soon settle down. Add the ground coriander, chili powder, and turmeric. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Check for salt and add another ¼ teaspoon or so, as needed.
4. Pour in the coconut milk, bring to a simmer, then simmer gently for 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and taste again to check the balance of the seasonings. Adjust as necessary.
5. If this dish sits around, the coconut milk can thicken up. In this case, add 1–2 tablespoons of water when reheating.
