Easy Mushroom Stroganoff

Is stroganoff included in your comfort food recipes repertoire? It sure is my family’s favourite dinner on cold nights. Especially this Easy Mushroom stroganoff recipe comes in handy on sudden demand. Even the very choosy younger one licks the sauce clean off the plate.

Sroganoff is a Russian dish, created in mid 19th century and named after an army man. Why? Nobody says for sure and I’m also more concerned with the heartwarming taste as should you be! 😛

Traditionally it’s made with beef strips in smetana or a sour cream based sauce. I’ve tried this recipe with chicken and mushrooms and both come out finger licking good.

I use two kinds of mushrooms – button mushrooms and dried Shittake. The later help in making a flavorful stock too without any hassle. I simply soak Shittake mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes and use that water for giving depth to the sauce.

Other staple ingredients are onions, mustard, tomato sauce and crème fraîche. In Russia the preferred side dish is crisp potato straws. By 2nd World War, immigrants and soldiers had spread this dish in many places outside Russia and it became popular world over with local side dish variants.

It tastes great with butter fried or steamed rice, pasta, noodles, mashed potatoes or sauteed cabbage.
This Easy Mushroom Stroganoff is perfect comfort food that can be on the table in 10 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 small onion, finely sliced
1/2 cup button mushrooms
1/2 cup shittake mushrooms
2 cups vegetable stock or mushrooms soaking water (shittake dashi)
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard or to taste
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
2-3 tablespoon Crème fraîche/sour cream or heavy cream with a few drops of lemon juice.
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley to garnish

Tips:
Do you know you can make your own Crème fraîche by mixing 2 tablespoons of buttermilk to 2 cups of heavy cream. Just mix and leave in a covered container overnight.
Are you in a hurry like me? Make a cheat version by adding a few drops of lemon juice, a pinch of salt to heavy cream.

This Is What You Do:
Soak shittake mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes. Save the soaking water when mushrooms are tender and hydrated.

In a medium saucepan, add onions and 1/2 cup vegetable stock or the mushroom soaking water.

Cover the pan, cook on medium heat till the onions are softened and liquid sufficiently reduced.

Chop mushrooms into bite sized chunks and add to onions.

Add garlic and seasoning. Add the remaining stock or mushroom soaking water.

Add mustard and tomato ketchup.

Cook covered for a couple of minutes. Remove the lid and cook on medium high till the liquid thickens.

Turn off heat. Stir in cream.

Garnish with fresh parsley and immediately serve on a bed of rice, pasta, couscous or crispy fried potatoes.

Serves 2