Koon Upperi: Mushroom Fry, with shallots and dried chillies

Koon, Ulliyum Mulagum Arachukoottiyathu: Mushroom fry with a shallot-chilli paste

This was a prized seasonal delicacy heralding the monsoon thunderstorms. Wild mushrooms from the edges of the fields, the nooks and crannies of  laterite boundry walls, between the frizzy, wormy roots of coconut palms,...

Bamboo fencing, coconut palm roots  lining an old pathway...

and between the cracks in the muddy banks shoring up narrow footpaths across the green fields...

and between the thorny bamboo fencing demarcating properties and feuds...

Bamboo stalk fencing with a 'flexible' gate  between neighbours, changing with seasons and feuds...

...underneath ancient mango trees,  and the best, filling the inside walls of wells! A quick call to someone who could navigate the bamboo ladder ...

The single bamboo pole used as a ladder to go inside the well. The newer brick and cement pillar in the foreground holds up the water tank with metal pipes for 'running'water!

...and gather untouched, unopened cones of white mushrooms.

Careful cleaning, a paste of  small red shallots & dried red chillies adding flavour with coconut oil and a final garnish of curry leaves: the taste in proportion to miniscule portions doled out to the extended family = barely a teaspoon at times! This was served with rice and needed no other accompaniment!

The basic recipe would be to fry it with just the shallot-chilli paste; others add garlic, hing/asafoetida and a touch of cummin. Tempering with mustard seeds is not done. To cut the heat of red chillies, more coconut oil is drizzled before serving.

Ingredients

5 Cups thinly sliced mushrooms

5 red shallots/sambar onions/red pearl onions

2 dried red chillies

1/2 tsp red chilli powder [optional]

1 stem of curry leaves

3 tbsps coconut oil

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method

Grind the red shallots with red chillies without any water

Heat the coconut oil and add the paste alongwith the turmeric powder, 

Fry  for 3-4 minutes,

Add the sliced mushrooms,

Fry on medium high heat, stirring often

Cook uncovered until almost done,

Add salt and fry for a couple of minutes,

Garnish with curry leaves.

Optional: Coconut Oil is added throughout the frying process to keep the mushrooms from burning.

Notes: Just updated this post with some pictures from a summer trip to India! :-)