Mushroom Manchurian: Indo-Chinese Delight!

Mushroom Manchurian, my entry for Click Spring/Autumn

After 4 days of holiday, I am back at work today. Last few days have been wonderful in my neck of woods. Well, it was more than wonderful and in fact, it was glorious when it comes to weather! I know I did mention about not to get too obsessed with weather in my last post but some things can’t be helped!!!

So what did I do in last four days? While hubby dear sat inside and sorted out all the important papers and contracts, I spent most of my time in garden. While golden rays of sun shone on my face, I was waging war with all those weeds that refused to budge an inch. Nevertheless, I succeeded in removing most of them and ended up feeling elated and little back pain.

And not just that, there is more! With slowly but steadily soaring temperature, this year I am determined to grow something other than bunch of coriander and fenugreek. Yes, I have sown few vegetable and herbs. Since I am not that good with green fingers, I chose to grow something that will not take too much of time and are also easy to grow (well, that’s what I have been told by my friends and colleagues!). So, there are tomatoes (vine tomatoes and common ones called gardener’s delight), bell peppers, jalapenos, chilli peppers, spring onions, mint, basil, coriander, and fenugreek leaves are in my list. Next week I am hoping to sow some cucumbers, cress, salad mustard, and radish. I have been hovering over them like mother hen and, keeping my fingers crossed, I hope all of them will survive! Dear readers pray for my little kids and wish me good luck! And also, please leave your suggestions and tips that will help me in my new summer adventure!!!

Mushroom Manchurian

Coming to recipe part, we have another Indo-Chinese delight today. What we have is Mushroom Manchurian, where delicious mushrooms are coated in spicy batter and deep fried and then served in a sweet and sour garlic and tomato sauce. What a delight it is! Just perfect to serve as a starter or as a side dish along noodles or fried rice and see your guests being bowled over by this sensational Indo-Chinese delight! The first pic is my entry for Click Spring/Autumn hosted by dynamic duo Jai & Bee of Jugalbandi fame and also dear Neha who is guest hosting this month's FIC-Red+Green, a colourful event started by Sunshinemom!

Ingredients for Mushroom Manchurian

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Mushroom Manchurian (Deep fried Mushrooms coated with spicy batter and served in sweet & sour Garlic & Tomato sauce)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Level: Medium
Spice Level: Medium to High
Serving Suggestion: As a starter or with any stir fried noodles/rice

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Ingredients:
15-20 Closed Cup Mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
Oil for Deep Frying

For Spicy Batter:
1 cup Maida/All Purpose Flour
2 tbsp Corn flour
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Black Pepper Powder (Optional)
Salt to taste

For Sweet and Sour Gravy:
4-5 Spring Onions, thinly sliced (Keep green part separate)
1 bulb or 6-8 large cloves of Garlic, thinly sliced
3-4 Green chillies, thinly sliced
½ inch Ginger, crushed and finely chopped
1 large Bell Pepper/Capsicum, cut into ½ inch squares
½ - ¾ cup Tomato Ketchup (Preferably Maggi Hot and Sweet Ketchup)
3 tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce (Optional)
1-2 tbsp Soya Sauce
¼ tsp Ajinomoto or 1 tsp Maggi Seasoning (Optional)
½ tbsp Corn Flour dissolved in ½ cup of Water
1 tbsp Oil (Preferably Peanut or Sesame Oil or use Vegetable Oil)
Salt to taste

Mushroom Manchurian

Method:

Take all the ingredients listed for spicy batter in a bowl and add about ¾ -1 cup of water. Mix well making sure there is no lump. This batter should be quite thick and should be of dosa batter consistency. So adjust the water and flour as and when needed. Keep it aside till needed.
Next prepare sweet and sour sauce by heating a tbsp of oil in wok. Add thinly sliced garlic and sauté for a minute till it starts to turn light golden.
Add white parts of spring onion, ginger, and green chillies and sauté on medium heat till onion turns light golden brown in colour, about 1-2 minutes.
Mix in bell pepper pieces and stir fry for 2-3 minutes till its skin starts to wilt. Add in tomato ketchup, sweet chilli sauce, soya sauce, ajinomoto/maggi seasoning and mix well. Reduce the heat and add corn flour dissolved in water slowly. Keep stirring till the sauce starts to thicken. Adjust the seasonings and bring the sauce to gentle boil. Switch off, mix in spring onion greens and keep this gravy aside.
Heat about 2-3 cups of oil in a pan for deep frying. Dip quartered Mushrooms into batter making sure it is coated well and then slowly add them one by one to heated oil. Deep fry these mushrooms in batches, on medium heat, till they turn golden and crisp, about 4-5 minutes per batch. Drain and place them on a plate lined with kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.
Once you have deep fried all the mushrooms, separate them and add them to prepared sweet and sour sauce. Mix them well and serve them immediately, garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves or spring onion greens, as a starter or side dish with Fried Rice or Noodles and enjoy!

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Lobia-Mushrooms & rants on "Some" Campaigns

Lobia Mushroom

Am I a feminist? Hell, No.
Am I liberal in my thoughts and deeds? Oh, yes.

Hear me loud and clear! I am not a feminist but I do consider myself liberal. Not hard to digest this fact as I am born and bought up in the world’s biggest democratic country and I have always been thought by my parents to stand for what I think is right and never get scared of opposing something which I feel absolute bulls%$t. I have been accused of being too feminist for my thoughts and actions by some people who hardly know me. Do I really care about it? Nada… Do I know what feminist really means? I think I know. And no, I don’t belong to the category of people who link them with bra burning. But if it to believe that the feminist are women who are fighting for their rights to be treated equal among other members of the society, especially men then I don’t think I belong to that category. It is because I believe and I know it for sure that I have been treated and seen as equal by every individual in my life who matter to me the most. So the question of fighting for something that I already have doesn’t make any sense to me!

Why all this rant you may ask! The reason is the Pink Chaddi campaign!!! Yup, you heard me right. The whole idea which I found silly, childish, and to some extent bit gross! For those who are unaware of this campaign, this a campaign to send pink undergarments to goons of Sri Rama Sena who have self appointed them selves as moral police in India, especially in Karnataka to protect and preserve the Indian culture from being tarnished by modern Indian women. They are the same people who barged into a pub in my native Mangalore and shamelessly molested and then beaten the girls in a pub for going against Indian “culture”!!! Wow, how brilliantly they have demonstrated the Indian “culture” to the whole world! So this is the campaign by the women to assert their rights on the eve of Valentine’s Day by sending their pink underwear these goons of Sri Rama Sena. Nothing is wrong with fighting for your right but hello, why would anyone want to send their underwear to these good-for-nothing goons?

Now let me come to the point that has been bothering me for few days. Why pink chaddi? Is pink undergarment is the symbol of feminity or womanhood? You must be kidding right? Why not something else? Why not perfumes to clear their sticking thoughts? Why not pink dupatta that they can tie to a ceiling fan and hang themselves? Why not hand kerchief to wipe clean their minds? Why not send them safety pins to burst their ego? And why not send them 2009’s calendars to show which century they are living in? Why not pink ribbons to tie to their, ahem, tails? After all they call themselves members of Sri Rama Sena and we all know that Ram’s Sena was consisted of Vanaras (monkeys). Why not pink rose or pink flower for that matter? Why not chappal or sandals that is considered as most insulting thing in India (Remember, even Bush and Chinese PM’s were not spared)? We women who have never hesitated to take our sandals from our feet in lightening speed when it becomes necessary to protect ourselves from lechers. But will we be able to do the same with our undergarment without hesitating? I wonder…. And I can’t help but ask this again “Why pink chaddi”? And most importantly, why are you calling yourself loose and forward? Is it only loose and forward women who visit pubs? I am sorry, but you have lost me here.

Sorry, dear friends. Although I fully support the reason and thought behind this campaign I will not part with my pink underwear even if I have one. Why would I want to spend my hard earned money on buying some pink panties with lace or no lace and send it to some strangers? Hell, isn’t it the whole point of wearing undergarment is to cover yourself with dignity? And even if I decide to gift my chaddis, it would be to my husband as I consider it to be too intimate gift to give. I simply can’t fathom the idea of sending my pretty undies to some goons like Pramod Mutalik and his Goonda Sena who doesn’t even wear one! For one, I find this idea of sending pink chaddi to be funny than serious. And for second, these goons don’t deserve to get any kind of publicity because that is what they want and got when they went for pub thrashing. They wanted all media attention at first place when they attacked those girls in Mangalore pub and knowing all those buffoons on TV and Radio they got more publicity than they ever dreamt of. With in few hours whole country came to know about the existence of Sri Rama Sena and with in few days it was known to the whole world.

So your Pink Chaddi campaign is just adding good dose of spices and Tadka to their existence and I have no desire to assist them in PR. This is the easiest possible way for these Goonda’s to become “somebody” from being “nobody” and do you think they deserve this kind of publicity? We have seen enough of these dramas where these politicians have tried to divide us based on caste, religion and region. I don’t wish to be a part of another sick game of dividing the society based on gender. I believe in living in a world of dignity and treated with respect for what I am, rather based on my caste, region, religion or gender for that matter. No one can just come and tell me that I can’t dress the way I like or drink and eat what I want or can’t be with the person I love. If some men feel that way then they really need some serious help. What are they scared of? Are they scared of the women working along them? Doing things what they do? Behaving the way they do? If the answers to these questions are yes, then they surely need some serious help. And I don’t believe that your pink undergarment or condoms are going to help them in their journey of discovery!

Lobia Mushroom with Chapatti

That’s it folks. I am done with it and feel much better now. And I know most of my blog readers come for recipes and not for my rants. Don’t worry my friends; I am not going to disappoint you. Today I have one of the simplest recipes for you which uses very few and basic ingredients. This recipe of Lobia Mushroom is adapted from my favourite cookbook, 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer. Nutty black eyed peas stir fried along meaty mushrooms and fresh herbs ginger and coriander leaves has no fancy ingredients. But that’s what makes this Lobia Mushroom interesting and special. The taste is simply earthy, fresh and wholesome. I served mine along with Dal and Chapatti on busy weekday for dinner and had it with toasted wholemeal bread on next day for lunch.

Lobia & Mushrooms

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Lobia Mushroom (Black eyed Peas with sautéed Mushrooms)

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Source: 660 Curries
Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner
Spice Level: Low
Serving Suggestion: With any Indian flat bread or flavoured/steam cooked rice

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Ingredients:

1 cup Black Eyed Peas
2-3 cups of Mushrooms, sliced (I used Button Mushrooms)
1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder or combination of Paprika and Chilli Powder (Adjust acc to taste)
1 inch Ginger, grated or finely chopped
¼ cup Coriander Leaves, finely chopped (use it’s stems also)
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds (Optional, as original recipe doesn’t use it)
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida (Again optional)
1 tbsp Oil (Original recipe calls for 2 tbsp)
Salt to taste

Lobia Mushroom

Method:

Wash blacked eyed peas properly and place them in a pressure cooker. Add 3 cups of water and bring it to boil. Skim the foam formed and closed the lid. Cook for 15-20 mins on medium heat till the beans are cooked thoroughly. Let the pressure release completely before opening the lid.
Mean while, heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and hing to it. When cumin starts to sizzle and turn reddish brown, add sliced mushrooms and mix well. Stir fry it continuously till mushrooms start to brown and cooked well. Mix in chilli powder, grated ginger, coriander leaves and salt to taste. Cook for another minute or two for the spices to blend well.
Now add cooked beans and mix well. Adjust the seasonings and cook for another minute or two. Serve Lobia Mushroom hot with bread or rice or chapatti and enjoy.

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PS: Just when I finished writing this post, I came to know about the existence of another campaign called Pink Condom Campaign where the campaigners are urging people to send pink condoms to pink chaddi campaigners. Now I wonder how many other pink or other coloured campaigns will be initiated to oppose other campaigns. This whole thing is turning out be nothing but a circus, but at least circus is entertaining to some extent!!!

PPS: You are welcome to write your thoughts as I have expressed mine. I have said all I wanted and please don’t expect me to further argue or debate on this topic. And special message to “special” readers, offensive comments will not be entertained and will be deleted then and there.

PPPS: I have intentionally not linked those campaign websites. You can Google search with key words if you want to read more about these two “pink” campaigns.

PPPPS: If you really want to be a part of some meaningful campaign then why not visit www.helpgaurav.com and help Gaurav Tandon and his family to raise money for his operation? Gaurav, 34 year old working in an IT firm in Mumbai was diagnosed with AML (a type of blood cancer) in November and needs to get his Bone Marrow Transplant done as soon as possible. His wife Anuradha and his friends and well wishers are trying to raise a fund of Rs. 1.5 Cr (approx: 333,000 US dollars) for his operation. Please visit his website to get more information and contribute. Thanks Dibs for bringing this to my notice.

Have a lovely weekend, friends. I leave you all with this beautiful video.

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Creamy Mushroom-Matar Curry

Creamy Mushroom-Matar Curry

How many days or hours have you spent cooking in your mom’s kitchen before you left to pursue higher education or got married and moved to different city/state/country? I am talking about whole cooking process which includes peeling, trimming, chopping, grinding, cooking and also cleaning the whole mess you have made. Is it years, months, weeks, days, hours or just few minutes?

If I were to include everything, then the fingers in my hands will be enough to do all the calculations. Growing up in India, kitchen was my Amma’s territory. Sometime I would help my mother in peeling the potatoes or chopping the beans. Other times I helped her in roasting the spices and grinding them. And when I was too lazy to do anything I declared myself as a certified quality control officer by tasting and testing for salt and spices. And embarrassingly I was not even good at that as many a times I failed to figure what was missing in the dish; whether it needed a sprinkle of chilli powder or dash of lemon juice. ‘Little bit of this and little bit’ of that is what we call ‘andaJu or andaz in cooking’ and little did I know it all comes from experience!

After moving to UK and sampling few foods cooked by my dear husband I realised that I needed to improve my culinary skills if I were to eat different kinds of food which will also taste differently. Krish is a good cook but his culinary skill is limited to making a bowl of Rasam and Sambar using the same curry powder which was used in almost all the curries he made. I can’t blame him completely as his pantry was stocked with a bottle of all purpose curry powder, dried Italian herbs and a jar of dried coriander leaves. You can hardly cook any curry with them, let alone authentic ones. That was the time I decided to learn cooking seriously. To my surprise I was blessed with beginners luck when it came to cooking and luckily some how most of the things I cooked tasted good if not best. After countless late night overseas SOS calls, few burnt pans and some over cooked veggies with little extra dose of spice and salt, I was blessed by goddess Annapurna and rest all, as we say, is a history.

Today when I cook I can’t help but think of my the initial days of cooking adventures. I can see the improvement in the way I cook and the way the food tastes. Gone are the days of hesitating and confused girl who spent half the time refering particular recipe on cookbook or website. Today in her place I see a person who is confident enough to use and change the ingredients which she knows will enhance the flavour. There is a girl who is not afraid to try her own recipes, using whatever is available in her fridge-freezer and pantry and still be assured that it would be well accepted by her family and friends! So do you see that girl in your kitchen too? Do share your stories with me…

Today’s recipe of Creamy Mushroom-Matar Curry is a result of my successful cooking experiments which seems to be increasing these days. This is a rich, creamy dish of sweet green peas and delicious mushrooms cooked in wonderful gravy of onion, tomato and cream or milk. The ground onion paste along with ginger-garlic and red chillies gives a lovely creamy texture to the gravy and hence the cream used in it can easily be forgotten.

Creamy Mushroom-Matar Curry

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Creamy Mushroom-Matar Curry (Delicious Mushrooms and sweet Green Peas cooked in a creamy and spicy gravy of Onion, Tart Tomatoes and Cream or Milk)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Serves: 4-6

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Ingredients:

15-20 Button or Close cupped Mushrooms, cleaned, pat dried and quartered
¾ cup fresh/frozen Green Peas
2-3 tbsp fresh Cream or ½ - ¾ cup Milk
1 cup Onion, finely chopped
3 large Tomatoes, pureed
3-4 Garlic Flakes, thinly sliced
1 inch Ginger, finely chopped
3-5 Dry Red Chillies, halved (Adjust acc to taste. Preferably Byadagi or Kashmiri Chillies)
½ tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional)
¼ tsp Aamchur/Dry Mango Powder or ½ tbsp Lime Juice (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Sugar (Optional but recommended. To help in balancing the tart taste of tomato)
1+1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 + ½ tbsp Oil/Ghee
Salt to taste

Creamy Mushroom-Matar Curry

Method:

Heat ½ tbsp of oil in a pan and add a tsp of cumin seeds to it. When cumin starts to sizzle and turn reddish in colour, add finely chopped garlic and ginger to it. Sauté on medium flame till the garlic turns light golden on the edges.
Now add finely chopped onions and halved red chillies and sauté till onion turns light golden, about 2 minutes. Switch off the flame. Once the onion mixture has cooled a bit, grind it to a smooth paste without adding any water to it.
Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan and add a tsp cumin seeds to it. Again when cumin starts to sizzle and change in colour, add ground onion paste to it and fry till the whole mixture becomes dry, about 4-5 minutes, on medium flame. Make sure that the ground onion mixture turns little brown in colour.
To this, add garam masala and kitchen king masala and fry for half a minute. Mix in quartered mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato puree, green peas, cream/milk, dry mango powder and salt to taste and mix well. (If using just cream, add ¼ cup of water to the pan.)
Simmer the flame and let it cook covered for 10 minutes, stirring in between. Add little more water or milk if needed to get the required consistency of gravy and adjust the seasonings. Then remove the lid and let it cook for another 5 minutes for all the flavours to blend well.
Serve it hot, garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves, with any Indian flat breads or flavoured Rice and enjoy.

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Cultural Remix: Tofu & Veg Fried Rice with Vegetables in Sweet & Sour Sauce

Tofu & Veg Fried Rice with Vegetables in Sweet & Sour Sauce

When the Chinese introduced their cuisine into India, little did they would have expected to see that the ever-adapting Indian would re-invent some of their most time-tested recipes to suit the sub-continental palate. Yes, I am talking of Indo-Chinese food. I can see the surprised look at my non-Indian blogger friends. What the heck is Indo-Chinese cuisine? Well my friends first let me give you a brief history lesson on Indo-Chinese food which is one of the most favoured type of cuisine in India.

Indo-Chinese cuisine is believed to have originated with the Chinese migrants who settled in one of the metropolitan cities of India, Calcutta or currently known as Kolkata. India has one Chinatown, Tangra in Calcutta and the Chinese have been living there for more than a century. It is believed that over a century the food is adapted to suit local ingredients and adjusting the flavours to reflect the local palate. So my friends, in simple words Indo-Chinese cuisine are adaptation of Chinese seasonings and cooking techniques to Indian taste and in my opinion one of the best cultural remix.

Indo-Chinese food sells like one hot potato in every nook and corner of any city and towns. Don’t be surprised to see small wooden push carts painted with funny looking dragons with fire coming out of their mouth or the bamboo trees selling Indo-Chinese food. You can never miss the irresistible smell of cooking garlic, onions and chillies which will grab your attention even from 500 meters distance and you will be drawn to these carts with sudden hunger pangs. Price-wise the food is dirt cheap for a plate of very filling and utterly delicious Indo-Chinese food. If you are backing away from eating this fusion food at roadside carts due to hygiene concern then fret not. Most of the small and big restaurant in India has Indo-Chinese food on their menu and even star hotels have their share. But in my opinion the best Indo-Chinese food I have ever tasted are from these roadside stalls which are not just tasty and cheap but real fun to eat.

And the best part is it is really quick and easy to cook. Now you really don’t have to make a trip to India just to eat this delicacy;) It requires very few ingredients and almost all these ingredients can be found in any grocery store or supermarkets. Indo-Chinese food is a bachelor friendly recipe as its super easy and super quick and super tasty. Today I am sharing two of my favourite Indo-Chinese food; Tofu & Vegetable Fried Rice with Vegetables in Sweet and Sour Sauce. Packed with colourful vegetables, these recipes are very easy to make as they are simply stir fried for few mins. This way they not just retain their crunch but also their nutrition. As you can see, you can use any type of vegetables of your choice and there is no way you can go wrong with these recipes. Off these two dishes go to DK’s AWED-Chinese and Mansi’s Healthy Cooking events. Mansi, you can’t deny the fact that these are really healthy ones. Well, look at the number of vegetables used and the way they are cooked ;) This is also my entry for WBB-Summer Feast hosted by me where I have used many Summer vegetables and it serves as the wonderful weekend brunch.

Tofu & Veg Fried Rice

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Tofu & Veg Fried Rice
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 10-15 mins
Serves: 3-5

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Ingredients:
1 small Onion, chopped into bite size pieces
½ tbsp Garlic, finely chopped (adjust acc to preference)
1 tsp Ginger, finely chopped
¼ cup Spring Onion
½ cup Bean Sprouts (Optional)
2 Green Chillies, slit
1 cup firm Tofu, drained and cut into bite size pieces
2-2½ cups Mixed Vegetables of your choice, cut into match stick pieces
(I used Red, Green & Orange Bell Peppers, Button Mushrooms, Carrot, Baby Corn, Sweet Corn & Green Peas)
4-5 cups Cooked Rice, cooled completely and grains separated (any long grain rice is fine, I usually use left over basmati or frozen rice pack we get here)
2 tbsp Soya Sauce
¼ tsp Sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tbsp Oil, preferably Sesame Oil
Salt and White Pepper to taste

Vegetables used in Tofu & Veg Fried Rice

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a wok on medium to high heat. When hot add tofu and brown them from all sides. This way you have firm tofu which will not get crushing during frying process. Drain them and keep them aside. If not using Tofu you can omit this step.
Now heat another tbsp of oil at medium to high flame and add finely chopped garlic and ginger. Stir for around 15 seconds until fragrant. Add chopped onions and slit green chilli and sauté it for a minute or two till onions turns translucent.
Turn the heat to high and mix in vegetables, one type at a time, in order of what takes longest to cook. Add Soya sauce and sugar to bring out the flavour and keep sautéing for around 3-4 mins until the vegetables are half a way cooked but still retain their crunch.
Add cooked, cooled rice, salt and pepper to taste and tofu pieces and sauté it for a minute or two till each rice grain is heated through.

Sprinkle spring onions greens & bean sprouts before serving hot with Vegetable Sweet and Sour Sauce or Veg Balls in Garlic Sauce and enjoy.

Tofu & Veg Fried Rice

Colourful vegetables are stir fried and then cooked in thick sauce of garlic, red chilli paste and soya sauce with a hint of sweetness from brown sugar and pineapple pieces. This delicious mixed Vegetables in Sweet and Sour Sauce is sure to win your and your loved ones hearts. Serve it with simple Fried Rice or Noodles to make one delicious meal.

Vegetables in Sweet & Sour Sauce

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Vegetables in Sweet & Sour Sauce
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves: 4-6

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Ingredients:
4-6 cups Mixed Vegetables of your choice, chopped into bite size pieces
(I used Red, Green & Orange Bell Peppers, Carrots, Sugar Snaps, Mushrooms, Sweet Corn, Baby Corn & Green Peas)
1 cup Bean Sprouts
¼ cup Pineapple, cut into bite sized pieces (optional, but recommended)
½ cup Spring Onion Greens, finely chopped
1 medium Red Onion, chopped into bite size pieces
½ tbsp Garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger, finely chopped
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped (Optional)
2-3 tbsp Tomato Ketchup (adjust acc to taste)
2 tbsp Soya Sauce (adjust acc to taste)
1 tbsp Teriyaki Sauce (Optional)
½ tbsp Red Chilli Paste (adjust acc to taste)
1½-2 tbsp Corn Flour, mixed with ¼ cup of water to make lump free paste
½-1 tbsp Brown Sugar (adjust acc to taste)
4-6 cups Water (adjust)
1 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tbsp Oil, preferably Sesame Oil
Salt and White Pepper to taste

Vegetables used for Vegetables in Sweet & Sour Sauce

Method:

Heat oil in a wok at medium to high flame and when hot add chopped ginger and garlic. Sauté it for 15 seconds till fragrant and then add finely chopped green chilli and red onion and sauté it for a minute till onion turns translucent.
Increase the heat to high and start adding vegetables, one type at a time, in order of what takes longest to cook. Sauté it on high flame continuously for 3-4 mins till they are half a way cooked through. Mix in tomato ketchup, Soya sauce, teriyaki sauce, brown sugar and red chilli paste. Keep stirring for another 30 seconds or so.
Now add water till all the vegetables are just cover. Mix in pineapple pieces, salt and pepper to taste and cook for a minute or so. Slowly add corn flour paste to the pot, stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed. Keep stirring the sauce till it starts to thicken and reduce the heat to medium. Once the sauce is thick enough, switch off the flame and gently mixes in lime juice, bean sprouts and half of spring onion greens.
Serve this delicious Vegetable in Sweet and Sour Sauce garnished with remaining spring onion greens with Vegetable Fried Rice and enjoy.

Vegetables in Sweet & Sour Sauce

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Note:

Other Indo-Chinese fusion recipes blogged so far

• Veg Spring Rolls
  
• Gobi Manchurian
• Baby Corn Manchurian
• Veg Fried Rice
• Veg Balls in Garlic Sauce
• Crispy Stuffed Mushrooms

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Reminder: WBB-Summer Feast

For this edition of WBB, your challenge is to cook anything with summer fruits and vegetables. Yes, the theme is WBB-Summer Feast. Go to your town/city’s Farmer’s Market and pick fresh season’s produce and make your favourite breakfast or brunch and join in the Summer Feast.

Deadline: 31st July, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and mail when sending me your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish you cooked, Perm Link of the entry, Perm Link of original recipe along with the gorgeous Photo of final dish.

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

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Some Like it Hot: Mushroom Chettinad

Spicy & Tangy Mushroom Chettinad

Aunt S: Are you sure this is what you want to eat.
Me: Absolutely. This looks like a spicy dish. This is exactly what I want to eat. I am tired of eating tasteless hostel food.
Aunt S: This one is really spicy. Do you think you can handle it?
Me: That’s what my taste buds are begging for after eating bland food all these days. Please Aunt S. Cook this one for me.
Aunt S: Ok, as you wish. Then don’t blame me later for not warning you.
Me: ~chuckles~ I am not a kid anymore. In two year’s time even our government will give me my voter’s card!!!
Aunt S: ~smiling~ As you wish dear niece.

It's Lunch time & lunch is served.

Aunt S: Sia, are you OK? Your nose just turned red.
Me: Of course Aunt S. It’s just that I have little cold!
Aunt S: ~trying to hide her smile~ Oh, then why are you crying?
Me: ~wiping her eyes~ He he… I am not crying. It’s just that I miss Amma and just realised how you both look alike and cook in a same way.
Aunt S: ~trying hard not to laugh~ That’s very sweet of you. Let me serve you little more of this dish you like so much.
Me: I read some where that too much of spicy food is not good for our health. Don’t you think everything should be eaten in moderate? Can I have another glass of water please?
Aunt S: ~chuckles~ That’s right. Spicy food is not good for kids. But you just said that you are not a kid any more and grown ups can handle this kind of spicy food.
Me: Oh yes, I looooooooove Spicy food. I am just worried about uncle as he is missing such a wonderful dish. I don’t want to end up licking the dish clean and disappoint him!
Aunt S: ~laughs out loud~ OK dear, we don’t want to disappoint uncle. Is there anything you would like to eat?
Me: How about that ice cream you said you bought for me? And also your special Shrikhand?

That was the day I was introduced to fiery, hot and spicy Chettinad Cuisine by my Aunt S. That day she made spicy Garlic Kulumbu on my request and it was like fire exploding in my mouth and then in my tummy. The flavours just hit you hard and you are left with smoke coming out of your mouth! First it hits your tongue and then you can feel it sharply spreading to your stomach. I would be lying if say it was love at first bite. It took me quite few years to actually enjoy this fiery hot Chettinad Cuisine. Little high dose of red chillies, peppercorns with tamarind gives it very unique flavour.

Although predominantly Chettinad cuisine is famous for its non-veg fair, it has good collection of Vegetarian menu to choose from. With a spice blend of ginger, garlic, mint, dry red chilly, cumin, curry leaves and ‘king of spices’ peppercorns it is something you need to try to experience the real pleasure of flavours bursting in your mouth. One favourite of mine is Mushroom Chettinad which my Aunt made quite often. Chewy mushrooms cooked with fiery dry chillies and a pepper corn is sure to win every spicy food lover’s heart. While the roasted channa dal gives it a nutty flavour, tamarind gives it tangy punch and flavourful mustard and curry leaves temper just makes it finger licking good. I followed recipe from this site which very much looks like what Nupur has posted. Increase or reduce the chilli and peppercorn depending on your spice scale you can handle. But boy, do I like it hot it or what!!! I am sending this to Lisa and Holler's No Croutons Required and this month's theme is Mushrooms.

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Mushroom Chettinad (Spicy, Tangy Mushroom Curry from Chettinad)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves: 2-3

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Ingredients:
12-14 Mushrooms, roughly chopped (I used Button Mushrooms)
¾-1 tsp Tamarind Paste
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

For Spice Powder:
1 tbsp Channa Dal (Split Yellow Peas)
3-4 Dry Red Chillies, halved (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Black Pepper Corns (Adjust acc to taste)

For Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
1 tsp Oil

Roasted Spices for Mushroom Chettinad

Method:

Wash, pat dry and chop mushrooms into bite sized pieces and keep them aside.
Dry roast channa dal, dry red chillies and peppercorns in a skillet on a low-medium flame till dal turns golden brown (Approx 2 mins). Cool and grind them to smooth powder and keep aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they start to pop and splutter, add curry leaves and sauté for few seconds.
Now mix in chopped mushrooms and sauté on medium heat. When they start to sweat add salt to taste, ground spice powder and mix well. Sauté gently on a medium flame for 1-2 minutes making sure that spice mixture doesn’t stick to bottom of the pan.
Add tamarind paste and sprinkle little water if necessary and mix well. Cook for another minute or so on medium flame sautéing in between.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Chapatti or plain steamed Rice or stuff it bewteen bread for spicy sandwich and enjoy.

Mushroom Chettinad

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Note:

Other way to serve this spicy mushroom dish is to layer in between whole wheat bread with salad greens and serve as one spicy sandwich. The spicy, meaty mushrooms goes very well with crisp salad green and bread and makes one complete, satisfying meal.

Other Spicy and Tangy Chettinad Recipes blogged in Monsoon Spice are

• Chettinad Garlic Kulambu
• Chettinad Tomato Kulambu

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A Self Proclaimed Foodie: Spicy Peas-Mushroom Masala

Spicy Peas-Mushroom Masala

What are you?
A foodie, or the gourmet, or the gourmand?

gour•met
noun
- A connoisseur of fine food and drink; epicure
adjective
- Of or characteristic of a gourmet, esp. in involving or purporting to involve high-quality or exotic ingredients and skilled preparation: gourmet meals; gourmet cooking.
- Elaborately equipped for the preparation of fancy, specialized, or exotic meals: a gourmet kitchen.

gour•mand
noun
- A person who is fond of good eating, often indiscriminatingly and to excess.
- A gourmet; epicure.

food•ie
noun Slang
- A person keenly interested in food, esp. in eating or cooking.
- A person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially good food and drink)

What would you call yourself, a foodie or the gourmet or gourmand? Well, I never would have thought about it until few months back when I was asked the same question by my colleague and then dear blog friend. All I knew was I loved food, both cooking and eating it. I would rather have a big plate of food which makes me feel good and content than sampling few tea spoons of fancy food. I would rather go for a double cheese burger or pizza with bunch of my friends’ right in front of the TV than eat three course meals at some quiet fancy restaurant. I would rather drink a bowl of hot ‘n spicy Rasam than sip some fine wine and I would gladly eat Curd rice with pickle than taste samples of fine cuisine. It means my love for food is not restricted to fine gourmet cuisine although I do love to indulge myself sometimes.

Whenever I think of food, I crave for some homemade simple foods than fancy eye candies. It’s the simple, comfort food that makes me happy and warm when I am hungry. So I can happily say that I am a foodie through and through. Well, what else would you call a person who talks about food, daydreams of food and loves to cook food? A foodie right? And to top it all my blog is dedicated to foodie’s food :) So what would you call yourself? A foodie or the gourmet or the gourmand?

Life’s been hectic since couple of weeks and Krish and I are spending very little time in kitchen during weekdays. When life gets hectic and you don’t have enough time to itch your a$$, all you want to cook and eat is something which is quick yet tasty. Spending little time in kitchen doesn’t mean that we are hogging some burgers and wedges or frozen pizzas (I am on diet remember?). Far from that we are eating some healthy food. Again, healthy food is not restricted to green salad or fruits tossed in our bowl but some sinfully delicious food with a touch of exotic spices. I had a big batch of frozen Tofu Stuffed Kulchas in freezer and it was begging to be eaten with some spicy curry. All I was left in fridge was a box of button mushrooms and tomatoes. With quick brainstorming session, Krish and I ended up making this Spicy Peas-Mushroom Masala which tasted great with Kulchas. The crisp onions and tangy tomatoes were well balanced with chewy mushrooms and exotic spices. Do give it a try if you love mushrooms and peas like me and I can guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.

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Spicy Peas-Mushroom Masala

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:
1 box Mushroom (approx 4-5 cups), quartered
½ cup Green Peas, fresh/frozen
1 large Onion, sliced thinly
2 large Tomatoes, finely chopped
2-3 Green Chillies, finely chopped
½ inch Ginger, finely chopped or ½ tsp Ginger Paste
1 tbsp Garlic, finely chopped or ½ tsp Garlic Paste
1-2 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Black Pepper Powder
½ tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Kitchen King Masala
½ Lime Juice/ ½ tsp Amchur Powder
1 tbsp Kasuri Methi (Optional)
1-2 tbsp Coriander Leaves
Few Curry Leaves (Optional)
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ tbsp Oil
Salt to Taste

Spicy Peas-Mushroom Masala with Tofu Stuffed Kulcha

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and curry leaves to it. Add sliced onion and chopped garlic when cumin seeds start to sizzle and sauté it on medium flame till onion turns translucent.
Add chopped green chillies and ginger and sauté it for about 30 secs. Mix in quartered mushrooms and sauté on medium flame for 2-3 minutes till the mushrooms are wilted and wrinkled.
Mix in green peas, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and salt to taste and cook for about 2 minutes on medium flame till tomatoes get pulpy and releases its juice.
Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, garam masala and kitchen king masala and mix well. Cook for another 4-5 minutes till all the flavours blend well.
Add kasuri methi and juice of half a lime and mix well. Cook for another two minutes on a reduced flame.
Serve hot Spicy Mushroom Curry garnished with chopped coriander leaves with Roti/Kulcha of your choice.

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Winter Warmers: Thai Clear Soups

Tome Yum Soup with Mushroom & Tofu

With the mercury hitting south in our part of the globe, our kitchen smells of sizzling pots of soups, rasams and dals. Sizzling bowl of soup with warm bread straight from the oven or steaming cup of rice with hot Rasam/Dal is what we crave for. After my successful attempt at making Thai Curries, I was keen to learn and cook something new. Thai food is greatly influenced by its neighbours, India, China, Malaysia and Laos. No wonder our Indian taste buds start singing and dancing when tasting Thai food, an explosion of salty, spicy, sweet and sour flavours that sparkle with personality. The four main Thai flavour groupings are salty (from fish sauce), sweet (from coconut and palm sugar), spicy (from dry and fresh chillies) and sour (tamarind, lime, lemongrass), with the less used bitter as a fifth primary flavour. These five primary flavours are the characteristics of Thai cooking, something to touch and delight every taste bud.

As I said in my earlier post, don’t get intimidated by the unfamiliar ingredients used in Thai cooking. There are good substitutes available which you can use if few ingredients are not available in your local shop or you can omit those ingredients which you are not very fond of. And more importantly, don’t be afraid to make changes to suit your taste. While cooking Thai food at home, we found that the food tasted much better than the one from local Thai restaurant. And why it shouldn’t, with freshest of fresh ingredients used, homemade curry pastes and spices made a whole difference. You will never get to see the liberal use of fresh ingredients in any restaurant as at home. Many people shy away from cooking Thai food under the misconception that it takes lot of time and ingredients which are unfamiliar to them. Something magical is created when you cook Thai food or any foreign food over time and the ingredients which were aliens in the beginning become more familiar. I find the time consuming dishes more rewarding. Believe me when I say it is as close as meditation when you get to use mortar and pestle and pound out day’s anxiety.

With today’s recipes we want to prove that Thai cuisine can be as simple as it can get and you need not use many ingredients to taste some authentic Thai fair. By planning ahead and little preparation everyone can cook delicious Thai food which sure to please every taste bud. Make sure you use the best and freshest ingredients and be flexible. Cook with an air of playfulness, experiment with flavour and learn to balance. If you are not sure and nervous, follow the recipe strictly and pay careful attention to the final result. As you taste the dish, think to yourself: is it spicy/sweet/sour/salty enough? Does it suit your palate? Most importantly, remember to please yourself-cook the food the way you like it because it should taste good to you and enjoy the whole process. Every time we experiment and cook, we learn something new. Cooking is as refreshing as meditation with delicious food as a reward and nobody can say no to this delicious reward :)

Armed with our new acquisition Real Vegetarian Thai by Nancie McDermott to our empty cookbook rack we tried two Thai clear soups, Tome Yum Soup with Mushroom & Tofu and Jasmine Rice Soup with Mushrooms, Green Onions & Crispy Garlic. As author says, “Soup is an essential component of almost every meal, served and savored along with rice and its accompanying dishes. In keeping with Thailand’s Chinese culinary ancestry, soup functions as a beverage, a liquid refreshment that cleanses the palate between bites and makes way for further rides on roller coaster of tastes that make up a classic Thai meal.” Most of the Thai Vegetarian recipes are also perfect for Vegans and I thought these soups will be a perfect entries for this Vegan Month. These two Thai Clear Soup goes to Suganya's Vegan Ventures Event.

Nancie says,

“Tome Yum Soup with Mushroom & Tofu is a one bowl celebration of Thailand’s sparkling cuisine. Spicy hot with roasted chilli paste and sharply fragrant with lemongrass, wild lime leaves, and a squeeze of lime, tome yum sounds an inviting reveille to your senses.”

And I totally agree with her. This delicious flame-colored broth studded with green herbs and vegetables with exotic citrus perfume is a pure delight to one’s senses. Serve hot with a bowl of jasmine rice and enjoy its healing power.

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Tome Yum Soup with Mushroom & Tofu
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Makes: 3-4

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Ingredients:
4 cups Vegetable Stock
2 Lemongrass Stalks
3+2 Kaffir Lime Leaves, cut into long stripes
1 inch Galangal/Ginger, sliced (Optional)
3 tbsp Lime Juice, freshly squeezed
3 Spring Onions, thinly sliced
1 Green Chilli, thinly sliced
1 cup Tofu, cut into 1cm cubes
1 cup Button Mushroom, thinly sliced
½ cup Carrot, julienned (Optional)
½ cup Red Bell Peppers, cut into i cm pieces (Optional)
1-2 tbsp Sambal Olek
1 tbsp Basil Leaves, finely chopped (Optional)
2 tsp Palm Sugar
1-2 tsp Soya Sauce
Salt to taste

Tome Yum Soup with Mushroom & Tofu

Method:
In a large pan bring vegetable stock to boil over medium heat.
Meanwhile, trim the lemongrass stalk by removing upper hard, dried skin leaving smooth stem. Cut the stalk into 2 inch pieces and lightly bruise the stalk with pestle and mortar.
Add bruised lemongrass , 3 kaffir lime leaves strips, galangal to boiling stock and reduce the heat to low. Let the ingredients simmer for 5-8 minutes till lemongrass stalks turn into khaki green and nice citric aroma fills the room.
While the soup simmers, combine spring onion greens, 2 kaffir lime leaves strips, green chilli slices and lime juice and place them into serving bowls and keep aside.
Scoop lemongrass stalks, galangal from vegetables stock and discard. Add tofu, mushrooms, carrot, bell peppers, basil leaves, sambal olek, soya sauce, sugar, spring onion and salt to taste and increase the heat to high.
When the soup boils again, remove it from heat and pour it on serving bowls and serve at once with Jasmine Rice.

Tome Yum Soup with Mushroom & Tofu

Nancie says, “Rice soup is comfort food in Thailand, simmered up from leftover rice to nourish a family member who is ill. It is also popular as a hearty breakfast or midnight snack. Cold, fever, aches, hangover and heartbreaks all seem to soften their edge just a little when a generous steaming bowl of Kao Tome appears.” And how can we not try this soup which claims to have medicinal properties and can be served as one-dish meal to satisfied our taste buds. We omitted Wheatballs or Wheat Gluten which the recipe calls and made few changes to suite our taste.

Jasmine Rice Soup with Mushrooms, Green Onions & Crispy Garlic

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Jasmine Rice Soup with Mushrooms, Green Onions & Crispy Garlic
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:
1 tbsp Garlic, coarsely chopped
½ tsp freshly ground Pepper
¼ cup Coriander Roots or Steams, coarsely chopped
5 cups Vegetable Stock
1 cup Mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ cup Carrots, shredded
½ cup Sugar Snap Peas, cut into 1 inch pieces (Optional)
1½ cups Cooked Jasmine Rice
¼ cup Spring Onion, chopped
1-2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp Crispy Garlic in Oil (Recipe follows. Original recipe used ¼ cup)
1 stalk Lemongrass (Optional)
½ inch Galangal/Ginger (Optional)
½-1 tsp Palm Sugar
Salt to taste

Jasmine Rice Soup with Mushrooms, Green Onions & Crispy Garlic

Method:
In a blender, combine 1 tbsp garlic, pepper, coriander roots/stems with little vegetable stock and grind to smooth paste.
Heat vegetable stock in a pan and mix in ground paste over a low flame. Add bruised lemongrass stalk, sliced galangal if using and bring the stock to boil in low flame.
Meanwhile, deep fry or pan fry sliced garlic pieces till they are crisp and golden and transfer to paper towel till required.
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan and add mushrooms. Toss them for about 3-5 mins until they are shiny and tender and keep them aside.
Discard lemongrass stalk and galangal from vegetable stock and add sautéed mushrooms, carrots, sugar snap peas, sugar and salt to taste and cook for further 5-8 minutes over low heat.
Add cooked jasmine rice, spring onions and cook for further 5 minutes.
Serve hot or warm soup garnished with crisp fried garlic and coriander leaves and enjoy this one-dish meal.

Jasmine Rice Soup with Mushrooms, Green Onions & Crispy Garlic

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Notes:
To check substitutes for different ingredients used in Thai Cuisine and also read more of Thai Cooking at Monsoon Spice Click Here. Also Read
Thai Vegetarian Red Curry
Thai Veg and Tofu Green Curry
How to cook Jasmine Rice
How to make Thai Red Curry Paste
How to make Thai Green Curry Paste
Also Check Jugalbandi’s Thai Pantry.

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Mushroom-Rajma Curry with Mint Chapatti & Spiced Butter Milk

Well, well… I never knew my blogger friends had patience to read my bragging all these days until I was tagged for 7 & 8 Random Facts MeMe by Bee, Arundathi, Richa and Priyanka. Thanks ladies for tagging me :) Initially I thought all I have been doing these days were talk about my memories, me and everyone who is connected to my life in one way or the other. Looks like you smart people want me to talk more about myself and talking is what I am exactly gonna do ~smiles wickedly~ Don’t blame me if you fall asleep in middle and start to have second thoughts as why you asked me to write this MeMe. I am just a simple human being who is fulfilling my friend’s wish ;) Those who are not interested in reading all this bragging can scroll down (a lot) and read the delicious Mushroom-Rajma Curry with Mint Chapatti and Spiced Butter Milk. Those who still want to test their patience level are welcome to read my 8 Random Facts about me, me and only me :)

1. For the first few months of our married life, Krish and I both survived with just 2 ancient vessels to cook and 2 mismatching plates from his student life. Along with those two vessels and plates we were the proud owners of few mismatching coffee mugs and an ancient gas burner and refrigerator which made enough ice in freezer to cover our backyard. It was after few months we received a big parcel from India which contained a pressure cooker and mixer grinder along with full batch of different masalas and pickle jars and a cook book. Thinking about those days and looking at our over flowing kitchen cabinets with different gadgets and cooking ingredients I don’t know how we managed to cook and survive all those days.

2. First dish I ever cooked was Gobi Manchurian when I was in my early teens. I remember coming home after school and had serious craving for Gobi Manchurian. Mom was not at home and I had no clue as what goes into the recipe. Just going with my instincts I mixed some ingredients and voila!!! It was ready within half an hour. Although it was not the proper recipe for making Manchurian it did taste very close to Manchurian. After my first venture and adventure I started cooking Indo-Chinese once in blue moon without necessarily following any recipe or instructions. Even today I am not sure if my family loved eating what I cooked or ‘pretended’ to eat ;)

3. From my early teens to till I got married I lived in hostel and hardly entered kitchen during my semester holidays. I didn’t know the difference between one dal to other when I came here after marriage. I remember using toor dal instead of channa dal for tempering/tadka and using masoor dal in place of toor dal. According to me cooking was not a big deal and all I needed was to chop few onions and tomatoes and cook some vegetable with ginger-garlic paste and garam masala for any north Indian food and cook few chunks of vegetables with dal and sambar/rasam powder and season it with mustard curry leaves tempering for south Indian food. I give all credits to 3 important people in my life, my Amma, Atte and Krish, who made me realise cooking is not just a chore but an art. It was my husband who taught me to cook sambar and rasam and then slowly I picked up some basic recipes from my MIL and Amma. They were my 24X7 helpline for the 1st few months (even now) and thanks to them now I have found whole new meaning and respect to cooking.

4. Spice Corner was born out of my boredom and home sickness. Although I had another general blog where I used to pen down all my rants I thought of having another blog to jot down all the recipes given by my Amma and Atte. It was easier to write down the recipe in blog than in a piece of paper which I would keep some where and loose. It was much later when I realised there are whole bunch of food blogs in blog-sphere while googling for few recipes. First blog I stumbled was Anita’s My Treasure and My Pleasure and since then it’s history. I never ever thought of making friends in this cyber space and even today I feel I am still dreaming. For a person who usually gets bored of everything after some period and loves change, I have surprised myself with sticking to Spice Corner all these months. Eventually I might get bored with food blogging but for now I am enjoying what I am doing.

5. Unlike my Amma and MIL who have beautiful garden, I don’t have green thumb. Last year was the first time I tried my hand in vegetable gardening and it was a complete disaster. It was our first gardening experience and we did what most people do, ignore the instructions in seeds pack. We did get few crops of carrots, tomatoes but I didn’t have a heart to cook them after watching them grow everyday. This year we started our very ambitious vegetable gardening but unfortunately weather seems to be not on our side. Will wait and see what happens in the coming year.

6. I am a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and Carnatic Classical singer. I started my classical dance training when I was just 6 years old and continued it till I joined my degree class. After that I kind of completely lost touch with it. During my school and college days there was not a single annual day where I did not perform on stage. I loved the lights, stage, music and performing in front of hundreds of people. I do regret sometimes for not continuing my passion for dance. Now I do different kind of performance, giving presentations and seminars ;)

7. I am a hoarder. I can’t stop buying things for kitchen and home. Every time we go out for shopping I end up buying few more kilos of rice or dals or pickles or any such things which I can hoard for months. With the items we have in our pantry we can survive for 2 months without spending a penny on any items. My hoarding issue doesn’t limit to cooking items. I still have got big box filled with the entire greeting cards I received from family and friends on special occasions and all the letters from my parents and friends I collected till date. I treasure each and every small item which for me is the most precious things than any expensive metals or stones. I can’t let things go so easily and like Bee pointed I still have many single earing whose pair is lost some where, long time ago;)

8. I am a big movie buff. I can watch even the most boring movie till ‘The End’ sign pops up on the screen. Same thing applies when it comes to reading. Once I start reading a book I will make it a point to finish it in one sit even if the author bores me to death. I don’t understand my obsession with finishing any thing which I have started and may be that’s the reason I have read hundreds of M&B’s in spite of same kind of stories and very predictable ‘they lived happily ever after’ endings. Back in my school days I remember reading comics and story books hidden in between text books during class hours. I love to watch cartoons and at any given chance, I prefer animated movies to dishum-dishum violent types. I guess my kid will be the luckiest one because I am the happiest kid when I am watching my favourite Tom and Jerry show or The Simpsons (I have already taken a leave from office to watch the first day first show of The Simpsons movie ;) or any cartoon shows.

1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8… Yayyyyy… I did it! If you are still awake after reading my almost never ending bragging let us talk about food. OK, I will not take long. So stop yawning there!

Mushroom-Rajma Curry with Mint Chapatti & Spiced Butter Milk

Here is my contribution to this month’s RCI-Punjab which celebrates the cuisines from different regions of India. Regional Cuisines of India is a brainchild of Lakshmi and this month it is guest hosted by our lovely Richa. Around seventy percent of the menu in most of the North Indian restaurants is from Punjab-the land of five rivers. When ever I think of Punjab I think of Bhangra (lively folk dance), legendry Punjabi Kisse (folk tales of love and honour), golden mustard fields and Punjabi food. Think about those lovely paronthes (Indian stuffed bread) smeared with desi ghee and dipped in Mah Di Dal and Sarson KA Saag. Then you have big glass of Ganne ki juice (sugarcane juice) or Lassi (sweetened Yogurt). Who can resist this kind of temptation? Not a mere mortal like me. Just the thought of food is enough to make all your senses come alive.
I went to make my all time favourite Rajma and realised I didn’t have enough Rajma to Serve four hungry people. Then ended up adding mushrooms to Rajma (Red Kidney Beans) and every one seemed quite happy with the end product as I had empty vessel and nicely licked plate to deal with. The refreshing Mint Roti with Mushroom Rajma Masala and a big glass of Spiced Butter Milk was the perfect meal to serve.

Mushroom-Rajma Curry

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Mushroom Rajma Masala
Prep Time: 15 mins (excluding soaking time)
Cooking Time: 30-40 mins
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:
1 canned Rajma/Red Kidney Beans or 1 cup of Rajma soaked in water overnight
2 cups Mushrooms, quartered
1 large Onion, chopped roughly
2 large Tomatoes, quartered
2 Green Chillies, slit
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
¼ tsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Amchur(Dried Mango Powder)/Anar daana(Pomegranate Powder)
½ tbsp Garam Masala
½ tbsp Kitchen King Masala
5-6 Cashew Nuts
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
2-3 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped finely
½ + ½ tbsp Ghee/Oil
Salt to taste

Mushroom-Rajma Curry with Mint Chapatti

Method:
Drain the water from canned kidney beans and keep aside. If you are using a dried beans then soak them in enough water over night and pressure cook for 10 minutes or 1 whistle.
Heat ½ tbsp of ghee/oil in a pan and add chopped onion. Sauté this onion for about 3-5 minutes in a medium flame till it becomes transparent.
Now add ginger-garlic paste and sauté it for a minute or so till its raw smell is gone.
Transfer this mixture to a food processor and add tomatoes, cashew nuts, chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, amchur/anar daana powder, garam masala and kitchen king masala. Grind it to a smooth paste without adding any water and keep aside.
Heat ½ tbsp of ghee/oil in a pan and add jeera. When cumin seeds starts to sizzle and pop add mushrooms and slit green chillies. Sauté the mushrooms in a high heat for 2-3 minutes till they starts to leave little water.
Now add the ground mixture and mix well. Reduce the heat and keep stirring for about 3-4 minutes.
Add cooked or canned rajma, salt to taste, sugar and about ½ cup of water.
Simmer and cook covered for another 5 minutes till all flavours blend well stirring in between so that the gravy don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
If you feel the gravy is too thick add little more water to get the required consistency. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roties or rice.

Now coming to my own creation…Tadaa…. Here is my Mint Roties or Chapattis, whatever you wish to call. Tasted great with Mushroom Rajma Curry with little hint of minty taste. I am happy with the way they puffed and looked. After my unsuccessful attempt at making puffed chapattis I had almost given up making them at home. Last month I got a bag of Pillsbury Atta and now I know the problem was with the Atta I used before not with the way I kneaded it. The below recipe will make around 8 good sized chapattis.

Mushroom-Rajma Curry with Mint Chapatti

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Minty Chapattis
Prep Time: 15-20 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:
3 cups Atta/Wheat Flour (I used Pillsbury) and little more for dusting
1 tbsp Mint Paste
¾ tsp Salt
½ cup Warm Milk
Little warm Water
Ghee for smearing the surface of each chapatti

Method:
Place flour in a bowl and add salt, mint paste and milk to it and start kneading well.
Knead well for 5-6 minutes by adding little water at a time so that you get soft dough.
Leave to stand for at least 15 minutes or so and knead a little again.
Make a golf ball sized balls and roll it using rolling pin by dusting each ball with little atta so that it don’t stick to the surface.
Chapatti should be rolled from centre out so that the surface has equal thickness and usually the sides of the chapatti should be little thinner than the center. This way the chapatti nicely puffs like poories when cooked.
Place the rolled chapatti on hot griddle and turn it over when you see a few blisters on the surface. Cook the other side same way.
Pick the chapatti with tongs and transfer it on the direct flame (medium flame) or in a grill. Move it around continuously so that it doesn’t get burnt.
Transfer it to the serving plate and smear its surface with ghee which will keep them soft for long time. Serve hot chapattis with any curry of your choice.

The Punjabi meal will be incomplete without a big glass of Lassi (sweetened Yogurt) or Chas (Buttermilk). So my hubby dear was ready with a chilled Spiced Buttermilk and here is his recipe.

Mushroom-Rajma Curry with Mint Chapatti & Spiced Butter Milk

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Spiced ButterMilk
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: -
Serves: 2-3

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Ingredients:
2 cups Yogurt, little sour one is better
½ inch Ginger, grated or chopped very finely
1-2 Green Chillies, chopped very finely
2 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp Salt
2 cups Cold Water

Method:
Place yogurt, salt, lemon juice, ginger and water in a food processor and whiz it for 15 seconds or so till u get a bubbled drink.
Mix in finely chopped green chillies and coriander leaves and chill it in fridge for at least 15 minutes before serving.

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Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups

One question always pops in mind when I cook Chinese cuisine. What's the difference between Chinese food cooked in India and Chinese food cooked in China? Is it the food, method, ingredients or the seasoning? Well… We know the answer. Surprisingly everything :) I prefer Chinese food cooked in Indian way. Blame it on the taste bud we have. It is almost impossible for me to like bland, almost spice less food. That’s why even when I cook Chinese food at home I call it my Indo-Chinese cuisine. I make lot of changes to suit our palette.

Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups

I was some what shocked when my Chinese colleague told me there is “No deep frying” in Chinese cuisine. Oh yes, you’ll never find a deep fryer in a real Chinese kitchen. Besides the health factor, deep frying saturates the food with oil, strips it of its individuality. What really goes on in Chinese culinary is stir fried, boiled or steamed. Now I am not a person who follows rules;) No deep frying means no Manchurians which we both love. So I guess I better stick to my Indo-Chinese culinary adventure for some more time and enjoy what it has got to offer:)

Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups

Here is the recipe for making crispy mushroom cups which is actually stuffed mushrooms with vegetables blended with sweet, spicy and tangy sauces. I got this recipe from Tarla Dalal’s website and made some alterations according to my preference. I made a big mistake of frying them in open kadai which was indeed a big blunder. Because of moist blanched mushrooms and sauces, it was bit difficult to fry as oil started splashing around. The electric fryer, which came to my rescue, is the best one for frying these. So if you don’t have electric fryer, be careful while frying these stuffed mushrooms. You can also make thick coating of corn flour paste which will help to bind these stuffed mushrooms.

Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups

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Crispy Stuffed Mushrooms
Prep Time: 10-15 mins
Cooking time: 20-30 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:
1 pack Mushrooms(Choose Medium Mushrooms)
Oil for deep frying
For Stuffing:
2 cloves Garlic, very finely chopped
2 stalks Spring Onion, very finely chopped
½ Green Pepper, very finely chopped
½ Red Pepper, very finely chopped
1 small Carrot, grated
3-4 French Beans, very finely chopped
¼ cup Cabbage, shredded or grated
1 tbsp Soya Sauce
1 tbsp Chilli Sauce
1 tbsp Tomato Sauce/Ketchup
½ tbsp Rice Vinegar
½ tsp Ajinomoto (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
For Batter:
¼ cup Maida
½ cup Corn Flour
1 tsp Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Bread Crumbs

Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups

Method:
Place mushrooms in boiling water and leave them there for 2-3 minutes.
Pat dry and remove their stems. Squeeze out excess water and keep them aside.
In a mean while, heat about 1 tbsp of oil in wok and add chopped garlic.
Sauté it for few seconds and then add spring onions, very finely chopped capsicum/peppers, carrot, beans, cabbage and ajinomoto.
Sauté them for 1 minute and add soya sauce, chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, rice vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
Mix well and remove from fire to cool.
Stuff this mixture in each mushrooms and pin up two mushrooms with tooth pick so that the filling doesn’t spill out.
Prepare thick batter of corn flour, maida, chilli powder and salt with enough water. Make sure that you get the consistency of thick dosa batter.
Dip each pinned up mushrooms in this batter so that they are coated evenly.
Roll them over bread crumbs and deep fry in electric fryer till they turn golden brown.
Serve immediately with any dipping/sauces of your choice.
These can be served as appetizers or as a side dish with Shezwan Rice/Noodles(Will post the recipe soon) and enjoy.

Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups served with Shezwan Noodles

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Did You Know?
Macao and Woosung, founded by Chinese immigrant Norman Asing in 1849 is the first recorded Chinese restaurant in the U.S.
When KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) first translated its advertising slogan "finger lickin' good" into Chinese, it came out as "eat your fingers off."
MSG has very little flavor of its own, but it 'improves' or enhances the flavor of other foods it is used with.
Some individuals seem to be sensitive to MSG, and exhibit what is known as 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome' (because of its use in Asian cooking). The symptoms include headaches, chest pains, facial pressure, burning sensations, and sweating. The FDA continues to list it as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe), but all foods containing MSG must state so on the label.
Although it is true that Ancient Chinese warlords would send messages hidden inside cakes, fortune cookies are not Chinese, they were invented in Los Angeles around 1920.
(Source: www.foodreference.com)

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Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups

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