Kitchen Tantra

Pepper Mushroom Varuval:

Mushroom-Pepper Masala. Kaalan-Milagu Vadhakiyadhu. Kaalan-Milagu Varuval.

Ingredients:

Button-mushroom 1/4 kilo(i prefer feather mushroom, back home - India)
Scalion 1 small - finely chopped
Ginger 2" peeled and grated
Garlic 2-3 beads - peeled and minced
Tomato 1 large - pureed
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1/4 spoon
Freshly ground pepper 1 + 1 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Sesame oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

Method:

Wash and clean button mushrooms. Quarter them and set aside.

In a wok, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin and wait till it pops.

Add onion, ginger and garlic...fry till they loose their raw odour.

Now add toamto puree and fry till oil shows up on top.

Add salt, turmeric, chili and 1 spoon of pepper.

Stir-in mushrooms. Fry for a while. Cover and cook over medium heat without adding any water.

When they are almost done, add another spoon of pepper powder, fry over high heat.

Remove from heat, garnsih with cilantro leaves.

Labels: Mushroom

Kadai Mushroom:

Mushroom in Rich Yogurts Sauce. Mushroom Yogurts Curry.

Ingredients:

Button Mushrooms - quartered
Onion paste 1 cup
Ginger paste 1 spoon
Garlic paste 1 spoon
Tomato puree 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Kashminri chili powder/Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander seeds powder 1/2 spoon
Garam Masala powder 1/2 spoon
Fresh yogurts 1 cup
Oil 1/4 cup.

For Tempering:

Dry red chilies 6
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a deep wok, heat oil. Add onion paste and fry till it turns to golden color.

Add ginger + garlic paste now, fry real good until its raw odour leaves.

Now add tomato puree too. Continue stirring until oil shows up on top.

Add salt, turmeric, chili, coriander and garam masala powders. Fry for few minutes.

Now add quartered mushroom pieces and fry real good.

Add 1-2 cups of water. Cover and cook till its tender.

When it is done and gravy thickens as well, stir-in yogurts. Try to set the stove over medium heat now. Do not cover. Let it come to boil once or twice. Remove from heat.

Now in a seperate shallow pan, heat oil. Fry chilies and curry leaves. Garnish the curry with this.

Serve warm as a side dish for chappathis, pulkas or even palin rice.

Labels: Mushroom

Mushroom Cream Soup:

Ingredients:

Button Mushroom - sliced 1 cup
Veg or chicken broth 1 cup
Corn Starch 2-4 spoons
All purpose flour 2 spoon
Half n Half(tetra pack milk)4 cups
Butter 1-2 cubes
Salt as per taste
White pepper to sprinkle
Grated cheese to garnish(optional).

Method:

In a shallow pan, melt butter. Add flour and corn starch to it. Saute' them for 2 minutes or maybe till they turn to golden color.

Now add chicken or veg broth to this. Bring it to boil. When it is almost half the way reduced....add half and half and continue boiling.

Let this acheive to rich creamy soup like consistency. Now stir-in sliced mushrooms. Bring this to boil once or twice. Do not over-cook the mushrooms.

Serve warm with melted cheese on it. Sprinkle salt and pepper before serving. Enjoy!

Labels: Mushroom, Soup

Pepper Mushroom Stew:

Mushrooms in Pepper Stew. Mushroom Curry. Kalan Milagu rassam. Kalan Kuzhambu.

Ingredients:

Button Mushroom 250 grams
Green chlies 3 - cut into matchsticks
Onions 2 - finely chopped
Country toamtoes 2 - finely chopped
Garlic 3-5 pearls - cut into matchsticks
Ginger 2-3" size - peeled and cut into matchsticks
Salt
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Fresh ground pepper - 2 + 1 spoon
Oil few spoons
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Cilantro laves few finely chopped - for garnishing.

Method:

Quarter each button-mushroom and leave it in cold water for some time(20 minutes).

In a shallow pan, heat oil. Add mustards and wait till it pops. Then add cumin and chilies. Let them crack well.

Now add ginger and garlic and fry for few seconds. Followed by onions. Fry real good. Maybe till onions turn to golden color.

Add salt, turmeric, chili an d2 spoons of pepper now. Stir-in tomatoes too. COver and cook for few minutes.

When the tomaotoes are pulpy..remove the lid and continue cooking. When the oil shows up on sides. Add mushrooms + 4 cups of water. Cover and cook till they are done.

Garnish with freshly ground pepper and cilantro leaves. Serve warm as a side dish for palin steam cooked rice.

Labels: Mushroom, Qorma, Veg Kuzhambu

Cheese Omlette:

Cheese Omlate. Mushroom-Cheese Omlette. Capsicum-Cheese Omlette. Veggie-Cheese Omlette. Vegetable Omlette.

Ingredients:

Eggs 2 or 3
Red/purple Onion 1 small - sliced
Button Mushroom thinly sliced
Capsicum 1 small thinly sliced
Cheddar Cheese 50-70 grams – grated/shredded
Salt as per taste
White pepper ½ + 1/2 spoon
Butter 2 cubes.

Method:

Separate egg whites and yolk in two separate bowls. Beat yolk vigorously with fork. Beat white vigorously with electric beater until foamy. Then mix them together. Set aside.

In a wide skillet, heat butter. Stir fry capsicum, mushroom and onion. Sprinkle salt and 1/2 spoon of pepper to this. When it is half done...set aside.

In the same skillet, heat another cube of butter. Pour the above well beaten eggs into thin crepe.

Spread stir-fried mushroom, capsicum, onion and cheese on the top before it thickens. Wait until it thickens and becomes slightly brown at the bottom.

Fold them and continue cooking. Sprinkle little more melted butter, if needed.

Serve hot for breakfast.

Labels: Eggs, Mushroom

Stuffed Tomatoes:

Mushroom stuffed in Tomatoes. Brown Rice stuffed in Tomatoes.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes large - 4 (hybrid variety)
Cooked Brown rice 1/2 cup
Button mushroom finely chopped 1 cup
Purple onion - 1 finely chopped
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 spoon
Tomato - 1 finely chopped
Cumin seeds powder 1 spoon
Garam masala powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Salt
Mint leaves few - finely chopped
Cilantro/coriander leaves few
Sesame oil - 1/2 cup
Bread crumbs few spoons
Butter few cubes
Grated cheese 1/4 cup.

Method:

Core the 4 large tomatoes and set aside.

In a wok, heat oil. Add onion and fry for few minutes. Maybe till it turns to golden color.

Now add ginger-garlic paste and fry till its raw smell leaves.

Followed by add tomatoes, mint and cilantro leaves. Fry them till they wilt.

Now add cumin seeds power, garam masala powder and chili power. Add salt too. Fry them for a while.

Then add mushrooms, cover and cook till it is done with its own water.

Add cooked brown rice now and fry them well.

Now add this mushroom-rice mixer into the cored tomatoes. Fill them....well pack them with this stuffing. Then close it with bread crumbs and butter.

Just before serving. Sprinkle 1/2 spoon of grated cheese on top. Now microwave it till cheese melts.

Serve hot as a snack or as main dish.

Labels: Mushroom

Mushroom Pulav:

Its quite simple and at the same time tasty food. Try this 'mild pulav with any hot and spicy gravy'.

Ingredients:

Mushroom(button mushrooms) 2 cups
Basmathi Rice/Any Long Grain Rice - 1 cup
Fresh Thick Coconut milk 2 cups
Cinnamon sticks 2
Bay leaves 2
White Onion 1 large thinly sliced
Salt
Ghee 2 spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, heat ghee. Add cinnamon and bay leaves.

Followed by onions, salt and mushroom. Fry them till musrooms wilt and onions turn golden color.

Now add rice. Let the rice get well coated with oil(ghee)

Then add coconut milk. Maintain the stove over medium heat.

Pressure cook the rice for 1-2 whistle sounds.

Serve warm with any spicy gravy.

Labels: Mushroom

Hot and Sour Mushroom Gravy: (Chinese Style)

Ingredients:

Button mushroom 250-500 gms - each halved
Green chilies 3 sliced
Green bell pepper 2 large - diced
White onions 2 large - diced
Tomato puree 3-4 cups
Soy sauce 1/2 cup
Tomato sauce 1/2 cup
Fine corn flour 1-2 spoons
Salt as per taste
Ajino motto(mono sodium glucamate) 1 pinch
Ground cloves 1/4 spoon
Ground fennel seeds 1/4 spoon
Ground cinnamon 1/4 spoon
Grated dry red chilies 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1/2 - 1 spoon
Grated fresh ginger from 2" size
Grated garlic from 3-4 cloves
Finely chopped spring onions/green onions 1 cup
Sesame oil/olive oil/any vegetable oil.

Method:

Take a wide pan. Preferably non-stick. Add oil to it.

When the oil is hot, add your ground spices to it........Cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds. Fry them for few seconds.

Then add grated dry red chilies, chili powder, grated garlic and ginger too. Fry them real good. Until all the raw smell leaves.

When it is fragrant, add tomato puree, tomato sauce and soy sauce to it. Fry them too. Do not cover them with lid. Let the stove be in medium to high heat. The puree will be bubbling real good.....turns into shiny red color, oil comes in top.

This is the right time to add your mushrooms in here. Stir them to get well incorporated with the mixture you made. Maybe one could cover with lid now. Turn it into medium. Let the mushroom get cooked with its own moisture in it as well as the tomato gravy.

When the mushroom reduced in size and got cooked.....and at the same time....gravy should also come to thickening stage. The oil shows up at the sides.

So....now add your finishing touch. That is.....add diced onions, sliced green chilies and bell peppers to it. Stir in properly.....still over medium heat.

The onions, chilies and bell peppers should not be cooked for long in this recipe. Just another 2 minutes.

When it is all done. Turn off your stove. Then add green onions/spring onions to the this. Mix them thoroughly.

Serve this gravy with rice or any plain noodles.

Variation: One can use ready to use 'asian 5 spice powder' or 'indian garam masala' in place of all ground spices I said above. It still tastes similar.

Labels: Mushroom

Hot and Sour Fried Mushroom Rice: (Chinese Style)

Ingredients:

Long Grain Rice(basmati) 1 cup
Button mushroom 250-500 gms - each halved
Tomato puree 1 cup
Soy sauce 2-3 teaspoons
Tomato sauce 2-3 teaspoons(optional)
Salt as per taste
Ajino motto(mono sodium glucamate) 1 pinch
Ground black pepper 1/2 spoon
Ground cloves 1/4 spoon
Ground fennel seeds 1/4 spoon
Ground cinnamon 1/4 spoon
Grated dry red chilies 1/2 spoon
Grated fresh ginger from 2" size
Grated garlic from 3-4 cloves
Finely chopped spring onions/green onions 1 cup
Sesame oil/olive oil/any vegetable oil.

Method:

Rice: Things to remember/follow before cooking rice. Wash thoroughly rice using plenty of water. Use running water that would be good. Wash rice until the water runs clear. The excess of starch will make the rice sticky....which wil eventually affect this dish.

Now.....as usual add 1:2 ratio water(1 cup of rice:2 cups of water).

Further add salt and few spoons of oil to this rice. Cook rice in a regular fashion.(either microwave/pressure cook/electric/stove top)

Once when the rice is done......spread it over a wide open tray/plate. Let it stay under fan if possible. Allow it to cool. We need cold rice for this recipe. Its always this way I make my cold rice. If you got your leftovers.....its still nothing wrong using it.

Preparation:

Take a wide pan. Preferably non-stick. Add oil to it.

When the oil is hot, add your ground spices to it........Cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, fennel seeds. Fry them for few seconds.

Then add grated dry red chilies, grated garlic and ginger too. Fry them real good. Until all the raw smell leaves.

When it is fragrant, add tomato puree, tomato sauce and soy sauce to it. Fry them too. Do not cover them with lid. Let the stove be in medium to high heat. The puree will be bubbling real good.....turns into shiny red color, oil comes in top.

This is the right time to add your mushrooms in here. Stir them to get well incorporated with the mixture you made. Maybe one could cover with lid now. Turn it into medium. Let the mushroom get cooked with its own moisture in it.

When the mushroom reduced in size and got cooked.....and there is no water anymore in the pan. Its right time to go to next step.(or if it is still moist and mushroom is not done....cover the lid and wait till it is done)

Bring your cold rice and mix it with this set up.....in the same pan. Fry them over high heat. Let the rice get well coated with oil and all spices with mushroom. The rice should be slightly crispy and shiny. The rice should probably change color.(usually red)

When it is all done. Turn off your stove. Then add green onions/spring onions to the rice. Mix them thoroughly.

Serve this food real hot with tomato sauce and hot sauce.

Labels: Main Dish - Rice, Mushroom

Mushroom Omlette:


Mushroom Omlate. Kalaan Omlette.

Ingredients:

Onion 1 chopped
Green chilies 3-4 chopped
Button mushroom 1 cup chopped
Salt
Eggs 4
Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pan...heat 2 spoons of oil. Fry onion, chilies and mushroom for a while. Maybe mushroom should be half done here.

Transfer this into a large bowl. Add salt and eggs. Mix them well.

Spray oil on a heated pan. Make thick crepe. Cover and cook. Turn over and cook the other side too.

Wonderful mushroom omlette is ready.

Labels: Mushroom

Mushroom Biriyani:(Mughalai Style)

Ingredients:

Cinnamon sticks 2-4
Cloves 5
Cardamom pods 5
Bay leaves 3
Biryani flower 2
Marathi mokku 3
Ghee 2 cup
Green chillies 6-8 slitted
One large onion finely sliced
3-4 ripe tomato finely chopped
Mint one cup
Lemon juice 2-4 spoons
Ginger-garlic paste 4-6 spoon
Coriander leaves 4-6 twigs- chopped
Curd half cup
Rice 3 cups(Basmathi rice)
Mushroom 3 cups(preferably button mushrooms)
Salt to taste
Red chili powder 1-2

Method:

1. Add 1 spoon of ginger-garlic paste with mushroom. Further add salt +lemon juice + curd and set this aside/in fridge. Maybe for 20 minutes minimum.

2. Pour generously ghee in the pressure cooker and bring it to smoky hot...now add the spices one by one...cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, maratti mokku and birinji flower to it. Let them fry for a while.

3. Add chillies, and wait till it splutters.

4. Followed by onion and remaining ginger-garlic paste. Fry them well till its raw smell leaves.

5. Now add tomatoes, coriander leaves and mint. Fry them until all water content evaporates and oil shows up in the top.

4. Now start adding marinated mushroom to this and toss them well.

5. Add food color(optional), salt and red chili power. Semi cook them without adding any water....until the raw smell of chili powder goes.

6. Now add water 5 cups of water and bring it to boil followed by rice. Pressure cook them over medium heat till one whistle or two maximum. Never release the pressure before time. Let it be on dum for 10-15 minutes.

7. Garnish with roasted cashew nuts.

Serve hot with onion raita or brinjal serva.

Labels: Main Dish - Rice, Mushroom