Roasted Mushrooms in Ata Din Din

Published Dec. 15, 2021

Roasted Mushrooms in Ata Din Din
Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Getteline Rene.
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(726)
Comments
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Earthy mushrooms hold their own among a piquant red pepper relish — a riot of flavors. The relish’s base is known in Yoruba as ata din din, a condiment like sauce common throughout West Africa made from ground bell pepper, onions, chiles and sometimes tomatoes. Roast the mushrooms until lightly browned and crisp, as they absorb a lot more flavor when they've been slightly dehydrated. Pickled onion adds crunch and a hint of acid, and a scattering of fresh herbs gives it all a refreshing lightness, while being a pretty garnish. Serve over steamed rice and fried sweet plantains, or reserve as a vegetable filling for moin moin.

Featured in: Connecting With West Africa’s Plant-Based Past

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2pounds mixed mushrooms, such as button, cremini, oyster, maitake and shiitake, cleaned, trimmed and torn or cut into 2-inch pieces, if large
  • 8thyme sprigs
  • ½cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
  • Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
  • 1small red onion, peeled, trimmed and halved lengthwise
  • 3tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1(12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained
  • 2garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1(1-inch) piece ginger, scrubbed and cut into slices
  • 1red scotch bonnet or habanero chile, cut in half lengthwise
  • ½cup chopped fresh mixed herbs, such as cilantro, dill or parsley, or a combination
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

376 calories; 29 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 938 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Spread the mushrooms and thyme sprigs in an even layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with ¼ cup oil. Season with salt and, using your hands, toss to coat. Roast, turning the pan halfway through and tossing the mushrooms, until mushrooms are golden brown and crisp along the edges, about 25 to 35 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, prepare the ata din din: As the mushrooms roast, finely chop half of the red onion and transfer it to a small bowl. Add the vinegar, season with a pinch of salt and set aside to pickle while you continue cooking. Using a food processor, coarsely chop the remaining half onion, the roasted red peppers, garlic and ginger. Alternatively, you can chop each ingredient with a sharp knife.

  4. Step 4

    In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the remaining ¼ cup oil over medium. Add the red-pepper mixture and chile halves to the skillet and bring up to a simmer. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until any liquid from the vegetables evaporates and the relish turns a shade darker, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt. Remove the thyme sprigs from the mushrooms and add the mushrooms to the red-pepper relish. Stir to combine.

  5. Step 5

    Remove from heat, discard the chile pieces and add in the chopped herbs. Stir to combine. Drain the pickled red onion and top the mushrooms with it. Serve hot, alongside some steamed rice or a grain of your choice and fried sweet plantains.

Ratings

4 out of 5
726 user ratings
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Comments

A very effective shortcut to this recipe, especially when cooking for one or when time is short, is to simply use a jar of Harrissa for the sauce. It has most of the ingredients specified in the recipe. You can add some additional onion, garlic and ginger or whatever else you like.

Is there a viable substitute for the type of chiles called for in the recipe? We are ok with some spice but really can’t handle Scotch bonnet- level heat.

You can always alter the spice level. Try a Serrano or Fresno Chile taste will be the same with less heat - still good

Delicious ( even though mushrooms were past prime) and perfect for wet, rainy night. I served with cooked farro and added roasted sunflower seeds with the cilantro. Used shallots instead of red onion, because that was what I had.

Delicious - and pretty easy to boot for a weeknight! Served with some tempeh to round it out.

Really tasty. What’s not to like about pickled red onion. How to serve? Lunch with other salads? I had a piece of Ezekiel bread.

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