Egg Fried Rice and Mushroom Curry

I moved out of my parents’ house when I was 17 to go away to college. While I had the training in the kitchen thanks to my mom, I had no kitchen or to be honest, the inclination to cook.

As most people who stayed in the hostel with me would testify, the food that they served was palatable at best. The young cook that they’d brought to the city was doing the best she could with the budget and ingredients she had, but with the increasing number of residents, the sambar was always watery, the chutney with no flavour and the chapatis hard as a rock. The only meal we eagerly looked forward to was the Sunday breakfast masala dosas, where the dosas were golden crispy brown and the potato masala was tangy and spicy. We’d sacrifice our sleep and stand in line for those dosas, but all the other days, we were always looking for alternatives. 

Sometimes, I’d start wondering about what to do for dinner right at the beginning of the day, while getting ready for college, or coincidentally, when my professor would start explaining the nuances of contract law, or on my two kilometer walk back home. I lived right behind the market and all along my walk back home were options for dinner. Options that wouldn’t break my wallet, like the famous corner sandwich shop which offered 100 plus varieties of sandwiches, the roadside chaat vendor  who whipped up mouthwatering, savoury chaats in a matter of minutes with his fast moving hands, the Iyengar bakery to which I always walked to like Mickey Mouse being led by his nose to a pie. The bakery and its fresh baked buns and bread was a default go-to, but ever so often, I’d feel the need to splurge (usually at the beginning of the month.) 

My roommate Harshini and I would eagerly sit up on our beds to discuss the options we had for dinner. The Andhra joint up the road served great chicken biryani, one portion big enough for two; or the old Italian restaurant that served its own crisp, cold beer, the perfect cure for a hot Summer’s day. Sometimes though, we liked to walk down our tree covered lane to the Sukh Sagar down the road for some simple egg fried rice and mushroom curry to parcel and bring back home. Sukh Sagar was a fast paced, no tables-all standing, serve-everything-all-day kind of restaurant. It was self-serve and the kitchen was open for all to see. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I like the restaurant so much, I loved watching one chef deftly toss my vegetables and rice in the wok as he added the vinegar and soy sauce while another poured tomato puree into a hot sizzling pan that held roasted mushrooms. One portion was big enough for two and on the way back home, we’d pick up some chips and curd to go with it. 

Once home, we’d take a helping on our plates, place the chips between us and settle down together to watch an episode of whichever show we were following at that time. After dinner we’d usually be so full that we’d take another walk down the road. Late at night, when the busy buzz of the day stopped, the lane we lived on turned magical. The street lights gave it a dull, golden glow and in Autumn, the rustle of dried leaves rang through the hollowed lane, the trees that cover it dancing in the breeze. I loved our late night walks, the pace easy and the conversation fluent. Harshini is one of those people with whom you could sit in comfortable silence and people-watch as you sip your tea in a busy cafe. That was actually our favourite pastime. I’d meet her near her office and once we caught up with each other about our day, we’d sit back and enjoy our drinks as people chatted busily around us. 

Recently, I was telling Ni this story, missing Harshini, and quite honestly craving the mushroom curry. This is a recipe that I learnt from Swasthi’s Recipes. I absolutely love that there are so many beautiful people sharing their knowledge, making it easier for those away from home to miss it just a little less. What makes the dish so rich is actually a simple paste made with a handful of water soaked cashews. I like to roast my mushrooms on a super hot cast iron pan for a quick minute sometimes to give it just a touch of crunchy exterior. The cook starts with one of my favorite things to do: roasting spices. Even though this recipe only calls for cumin, cinnamon, and bay leaf, the kitchen starts filling with the aroma and it is just divine. Like most Indian curries, the base is made from roasting onions, grated ginger and garlic, and tomato puree. Only four powders go in, turmeric, chilli, garam masala, and coriander powder. Add the cashew paste, mushrooms and mix well before adding more water. Close and cook on low for about 10 mins and you are left with a creamy, rich gravy. Garnish this with dried fenugreek leaves or finely chopped fresh coriander. For an authentic restaurant feel, swirl a spoonful of cream into the gravy. 

The egg fried rice is a classic Indian road side recipe. Use a wok if you have one or a simple hot pan, anything that would give you enough room to toss around the vegetables and rice. The best part of this recipe is that it can be done with just minimal depletion of your stock of vegetables. Get yourself a few carrots, frozen peas, corn, a couple of eggs, salt, and pepper, a bowl of cooked rice and you are done. In fact, day old rice is best for this recipe, because it makes the rice non-sticky.  I like to add a little garlic in the mix, but of course. Roast the garlic in a sizzling pot. Once it gets golden brown, toss the veggies in and saute them for just two minutes, you want them to still have a crunch. Push the veggies aside and pour in the whipped  eggs, mixing often to scramble them. Add the rice, mix well, and season with salt and pepper. 

There you go, Indian street style egg fried rice and mushroom curry, straight out of my college days. 

AuthorPriyanka SivaramakrishnanDifficultyBeginner

AuthorPriyanka SivaramakrishnanDifficultyBeginner