Chathu Rai

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp (15 g) mustard seeds
• 2 tsp cumin
• 3 to 4 dry red chiles
• 8 to 10 cloves of garlic
• ½ tsp salt
• 200 g button mushroom heads (stems discarded), cleaned and cut into quarters
• 200 g shimeji mushrooms
• 100 g dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked for 3 hours in lukewarm water
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) mustard oil or olive oil
• 1 Tbsp whole panch phoran (easy to make yourself, see “Note” in Step 3)
• 3 (200 g) medium red onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 3 (200 g) medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• Salt
• 2 tsp amchur powder
• 5 to 6 springs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• Step 2 Prep the mushrooms: Wash dirt and grime off the mushrooms and leave to air-dry for 10 minutes. Trim the stems off the button mushrooms and cut the umbrellas into quarters. Drain the shitake.
• Step 4 Add the turmeric and red chili powder and mix well. Add the chopped tomatoes, mix well, and cook down on high heat, stirring now and then to prevent it from sticking.