Mushroom Spring Onion Curry - A healthy curry

This weekend some guests arrived surprisingly and there was not much ingredients to cook but some mushrooms. I had to devise some fast to cook recipe and this was what I prepared. The guests liked it and I thought even my readers will like. Hence I present this here.

Mushrooms have lots of benefits - they are good sources of selenium, an antioxidant mineral, as well as copper, niacin, potassium and phosphorous. Additionally, mushrooms provide protein, vitamin C and iron. Because their cells walls are indigestible unless exposed to heat, you must cook mushrooms to get their nutritional benefits.

Preparation Time: - 15 min

Cooking Time: - 25 min

Servings: - 4~5 persons

Ingredients:- 

1. 250 gm Button Mushroom
   
2. 4 medium size Potato
3. 5/6 strings of Spring Onion
4. 1 big Onion chopped
5. 1 big Tomato
6. ½ tsp Cumin seeds
7. ½ tsp Fenugreek (Methi) seeds
8. 1 ½ tsp Garlic and Ginger paste
9. 1 tbsp Cashew Nut paste
10. ½ tsp Kashmiri Red Chili powder ( You can add more as par your taste )
11. 6 tbsp Vegetable Oil (I used Sunflower oil)
12. 1 ½ tsp Turmeric powder
13. Salt to taste.
14. 1 ½ tsp Garam Masala
15. ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves

Preparation:-

1. Cut the Mushroom and wash them thoroughly. Keep aside.
   
2. Chop the spring onion into small pieces.
3. Cut the potatoes in cubed form and chop the onion, tomato and coriander leaves.
   
4. Heat 6 tbsp vegetable oil in kadai or non-stick pan in high heat.
5. When oil starts smoking turn the burner to medium setting and add cumin seeds and methi seeds.
   
6. When started spluttering then add onion.
   
7. Fry till onion turns golden brown and then add the Ginger and garlic paste
8. Sauté for 1~2 min and add tomato.
   
9. When  the oil separates add potatoes and spring onion.
   
10. Stir continuously for some time and add turmeric powder, salt, chili powder.
    
11. Stir and continue cooking for 1~2 min, now add mushroom.
12. After about 1 min add Cashew paste.
    
13. Mix everything thoroughly, add 1 cup water
14. Let everything boil for 7~8 min in low flame.
15. Check whether everything is boiled properly and the amount of gravy is to your liking. I prefer neither too watery nor very dry.
16. Now add the chopped coriander leaves, sprinkle Garam masala – turn the burner off.

Garnish with few more coriander leaves and your lip-smacking dish is ready Serve this side dish with roti, naan, paratha or fried rice. Even you can have it with plain rice.

As always please feel free to comment, criticize and seek if any help is required. I am all ears.

Best wishes for Republic Day - Jai Hind

Best wishes for India's Republic Day for my Indian readers.

Dudh /Kheer Puli or Coconut Stuffed Rice Dumpling

A few day back it was Poush / Makar Sankranti and it was extremely cold. Nalen Gur or Date palm Jaggery is available fresh during this weather and this is the season of Puli Pithe in Bengal. We, Bengalis grow up eating various forms of pithe in childhood. I am presenting here one of them for the benefit of my readers. This recipe is straight from my grandma’s kitchen.

Preparation Time: - 15 min

Cooking Time: - 25 min

Servings: - 4~5 persons

Ingredients:- 

1. 1 cup Rice Flour
2. 2 tbsp All purpose flour (Maida)
3. 1 cup grated coconut
4. 1 cup Nalen Gur (Date palm jaggery)
5. 1 tsp Cardamom Powder (optional)
6. 1 Litre Full Cream Milk
7. 1 tbsp Cashew Nuts (optional)
8. Few Raisins (optional)

Preparation:-

1. Boil Milk in a thick bottomed pan at medium flame to reduce it to half litre. Keep aside.
2. Heat a non-stick pan, add in crushed palm jaggery and allow jaggery to melt on a medium heat. Continuously stir so that to avoid charring.
3. Once melted, add grated coconut, chopped cashews and half a teaspoon of cardamom powder. I personally do not like cardamom powder as it interferes with the taste of jiggery. Even you can avoid cashew nuts and raisin. Stir and mix well. Keep aside to cool.
4. Mix rice flour and maida in a bowl. Knead it with warm water by adding little warm water at a time. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
5. Make small balls out of the dough. Flatten out each ball with the help of your palm and fingers to form a disc.
6. Scoop a little of cooled filling and put it inside the disc-shaped dough.
7. Fold the two edges and cover the filling to form crescent shape. This is actually called Puli. Press the end tightly so that they don't break while boiling. Repeat till all your doughs are finished.
8. Add a little bit of crushed jiggery in the already boiled milk. The amount of jaggery mixed depends upon your taste.
9. Drop all the pulis one by one in the milk. Start boiling in low flame till the pulis are properly cooked. It should take 10-15 minutes to complete.

Serve this yummy sweet dish hot or you can refrigerate it before serving as par your choice.

As always please feel free to comment, criticize and seek if any help is required. I am all ears.

Happy Makar Sankranti for my readers

Best wishes of the Season. May my recipes add some happiness to your lives.

Heartiest Greetings on these auspicious days of Makar Sankranti in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Orissa, Sikkim, West Bengal and Indians world over.

Uttarayan for our Gujarati and Rajasthani readers.

Maghi in Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. 

A Happy Lohri for our Punjabi readers. 

Pongal wishes to our folks in Tamil Nadu. 

Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu in the Assam Valley. 

Shishur Sankraat - in the Kashmir Valley. 

Happy Makara Vilakku Festival - for all our Mallu friends in Kerala. 

Khichdi ki shubhkaamnaein for all our bhai's of U.P. n Bihar. 

In Nepal-Maghe Sankranti. 

In Thailand - Songkran

In Laos - Pi Ma Lao

In Myanmar - Thingyan

In Cambodia - Moha Songkran.