Mushroom dishes of any kind hit the right spot as far as I am concerned. Be it traditional indian preparations, soups, pizza or tarts, I love mushrooms anything. This savory galette was playing in my mind for a long time. What better time than now, during the winter season, with holidays looming over, to make and serve it when we all crave fun and hearty dishes on the table. Mushroom Matar Mushroom Matar, a north indian staple is mushrooms and matar (green peas) cooked together in a spiced onion & tomato sauce. Cook it as a dry sabzi (I go for this preparation on most days) or in a creamy nut based sauce. Winter is is fresh peas season in India. Mom would make mushroom matar throughout the cold months and serve it with parathas and chutney. Choosing Mushrooms- White button mushrooms are the most common variety available in India. Most common notion about button mushrooms is that they taste quite bland, but all the flavors and spices going in this recipe make them taste so delicious. If you would like to use a mix of mushrooms, I suggest throwing in a few baby bella mushrooms in the mix. You could buy pre sliced, cleaned mushrooms and make it extra fast. How to Clean Mushrooms ? I like using the stems of mushrooms if they aren’t too brown. Using a damp paper towel or kitchen towel, gently wipe the mushrooms to remove any dirt. Do not wash the mushrooms. When we wash them, mushrooms absorb water and become slimy. Once cooked the dish often turns watery and tasteless. Wiping each mushroom truly is a cumbersome process but in my opinion, its worth the effort to preserve the taste of mushrooms . Perfect for Anytime Mushroom matar gallete is perfect for meal times as well as for a quick snack. You can serve it with a simple salad or warm up a slice to go for a snack. It packs wonderfully in lunchboxes and can be eaten at room temperature though I like it warm. I love it with lashings of teekhi(fiery) green chutney. My husband, who isn’t a mushroom fan, loved them in this galette. What is a Galette? Galette is a rustic French single crust tart with a sweet or a savory filling. Galette pastry is free form, you do not need special pie pans or tart shells to make them. You simply add the filling and then fold the pastry over itself to make rounded edges which holds the filling. Galette dough is super simple to make needing just flour, cold butter and ice cold water. Dough comes together in a food processor and the freezes so well for couple of months. Kasuri methi flavored dough - In this recipe, I flavored the galette with crushed dried kasuri methi to augment the flavor of kasuri methi in the mushroom matar filling. Kasuri methi is a widely used herb in indian kitchens made by drying high quality, in season fresh fenugreek leaves. The dried leaves are super aromatic and bursting with are used to flavor a ton on creamy curries, doughs and pilafs in Indian cuisine. How To Make a Galette? Galette is one of the easiest things to bake. You do not need any special tools or equipment. Here are the steps to making the mushroom matar galette:-
Start by making the crust. I like making the crust in food processor fitted with the dough blade. You can make it with hands as well. Mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add (or cut in) the cold butter. Add water and pulse(or mix) till the dough just comes together. Make the mushroom matar filling while the dough chills. Roll the chilled dough into a big circle and add the cooled filling in the center leaving 1-1.5 inch edge to fold over the crust. Fold over the edges and bake the galette in the oven. Slice & serve.
My tips and tricks
Slice the mushrooms thick. Because the mushrooms cook twice in this recipe- first with the onion & tomatoes and then in the oven, thinly sliced mushrooms will not stand up and become watery. Once you add the mushrooms and peas to the onion tomato base, do cook on high heat to get rid of the moisture of the vegetables (without letting them shrink). This serves twofold purpose. Firstly, the crust won’t get soggy as soon as the baking starts. Secondly, the mushroom filling will not be watery. All of this may sound a bit tricky but follow the instructions in the recipe. Keep the galette pastry chilled at all times. Be it pulsing in the processor or working with your finger tips, do not let the butter become too fine or melt. Refrigerate as and when needed. There should be chunks of solid butter in the crust which make it flaky when it bakes in the oven. Prepare Ahead - Make the dough in advance. You can make the filling a few hours in advance as well.
Variations
You can scatter some shredded cheese towards the end for a cheesy top. Thyme is a delicious pairing with mushrooms. It can be used in place of kasuri methi. Use garlic infused butter to brush the edges. Instead of one big galette, make 4 mini galletes.
Storing the Leftovers Simply place the leftover slices on a tray or plate and cover with cling film and store refrigerated for 1-2 days. Warm up slightly in a toaster oven for 3-4 minutes and serve. Other Mushroom Recipes to Try
Bhuna MushroomMushroom Matar
