Mixed Mushroom Rice

Those who like mushrooms usually stay with one kind but here the three types of mushrooms make this an exceptional recipe. This dish was created by Chef Nishant Chaube, influenced by a similar Chinese recipe. Recipe and photo from Phaidon’s The Indian Vegetarian Cookbook, by Pushpesh Pant.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 6 cups (50 fl oz/1.5 liters) mushroom stock/vegetable stock
• 2 cups (14 oz/400 g) long-grain rice
• 2 cups (5 oz/150 g) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• ⅓ cup (1 oz/25 g) oyster or button mushrooms, sliced
• ¼ cup (¼ oz/10 g) dried morels
• ¼ cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) sesame oil
• 1 cup (3 oz/80 g) shallots or scallions (spring onions), sliced
• 4 tablespoons peeled and chopped fresh root ginger
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large pan, bring 4 cups (1¾ pints/1 liter) of mushroom/vegetable stock to the boil, seasoning with salt to taste, add the rice and cook for 20–25 minutes, until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat the remaining stock in a separate large pan, add the shiitake, oyster (or button) mushrooms, and morels and cook for about 7–8 minutes over medium heat, simmering until the stock has reduced to a thick, sauce-like consistency.

Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a skillet (frying pan) and fry the shallots or scallions (spring onions) and ginger over medium heat for 2 minutes, then add to the mushroom sauce.

Stir the rice into the sauce, mix well, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 5–7 minutes, season and remove from the heat.