Fresh Mushrooms (Kaalaan)

Farm-Cultivated Fresh Mushrooms (Kaalaan) — clean, firm mushrooms grown on our own controlled beds and cold-chain delivered across Chennai. Farm-cultivated only — never wild-foraged. The one vegetable that brings real protein and savoury depth to a vegetarian table.

Key Benefits

• A plant-based protein source — around 3 g protein per 100 g at only 22–33 kcal, unusually high protein density for a non-legume vegetable.
• Rich in B-group vitamins — a 100 g serving provides roughly 23–31% of daily riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, which contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
• One of the few natural non-animal sources of vitamin D — mushrooms naturally contain vitamin D2.
• A good source of selenium and copper — approximately 17% RDA selenium and 35% RDA copper per 100 g, minerals that contribute to normal immune function and antioxidant defence.
• Naturally low in sodium, fat and calories with no cholesterol.
• Natural umami — glutamates give savoury depth, so you can use less salt and treat mushrooms as a meat substitute in texture and mouthfeel.

Important Safety Information

Cook before eating. Cultivated mushrooms are best cooked rather than eaten raw — cooking improves digestibility and nutrient availability. Discard any mushroom that is slimy, has dark wet patches, smells sour or ammoniacal, or shows mould. Our mushrooms are farm-cultivated and identified; never eat wild-foraged mushrooms from an unknown source.

Nutritional Information (per 100 g, raw)

Source: USDA FoodData Central #169251 (white button) and #168580 (oyster). Mushrooms are fungi and are classified as vegetarian under FSSAI labelling rules — they carry the green veg mark.

Traditional Tamil Uses

• Kaalaan milagu varuval — the Chettinad black-pepper mushroom fry
• Kaalaan masala — thick onion-tomato gravy for chapati and parotta
• Kaalaan 65 — the Tamil Nadu street-food classic
• Kaalaan biryani — Ambur or Dindigul style with seeraga samba
• Kaalaan kuzhambu — tamarind-based gravy
• Kaalaan poriyal / sukka — dry coconut stir-fry
• Mushroom kothu parotta and mushroom pepper soup

Storage Instructions

• Refrigerate immediately on arrival. Mushrooms last less than a day at Chennai room temperature.
• Keep in a paper bag or the original perforated punnet — never a sealed plastic bag, which traps moisture and makes them slimy.
• Expect 2–4 days in a home fridge at 4–5°C; 5–7 days at 0–1.5°C.
• Do not wash before storing. Wipe with a dry or barely damp cloth just before cooking.
• Handle gently — mushrooms bruise easily and brown from rough handling.
• Store away from strongly aromatic foods; mushrooms absorb odours readily.
• Freeze only after blanching or sauteing. Raw frozen mushrooms turn mushy.

Certifications & Compliance

• FSSAI licensed food business — licence number displayed in our website footer.
• Farm-cultivated Agaricus bisporus / Pleurotus species. We never sell foraged or wild-collected mushrooms.
• Grown on certified substrate without synthetic pesticides or fungicides.
• Organic certification: PGS-India / NPOP (certificate available on request).
• Vegetarian — marked with the FSSAI green veg mark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I wash mushrooms before cooking?
No soaking — mushrooms absorb water. Wipe with a dry or barely damp cloth, or rinse very briefly and pat dry immediately before cooking.

How long do they last and how should I store them?
2–4 days in your refrigerator. Keep them in a paper bag or the original perforated pack — never a sealed plastic bag, which makes them slimy. Refrigerate as soon as they arrive.

Mine have brown spots. Are they still good?
Light surface browning from handling is normal and safe once cooked. Discard if they are slimy, wet, sour-smelling or mouldy.

Can mushrooms really be organic if they are grown on substrate?
Yes. Organic mushroom cultivation certifies the growing substrate — straw and agricultural residue — and the absence of synthetic pesticides and fungicides. Ours are farm-cultivated, never wild-foraged.