The mushroom debate - Love it or leave it? |~Malai Matar Mushroom~

Mushroom, that one ingredient that evokes as many opinions as does any political debate, is one of my very favorites. I am yet to find any other vegetable (well almost..) that stimulates such strong reactions, that ranges the whole spectrum from total love to utter dislike. No wonder its known as the “meat” of the vegetable world, thereby opening itself up to such strong reactions from the vegetarians. I look at it this way – if something evokes such ardent responses (just like any opinionated person you might encounter), it definitely carries mettle and so it does. Soft yet spongy, chewy yet melt-in-your-mouth - it kindles all sorts of sensations as one bites through that succulent piece of earthiness. 

The "mushroom" love bug caught me quite early and my very first food memory of this powerhouse was when my Dad would come home after an early morning outing to Barabati stadium, where rows of wild mushroom vendors would line up. It was more of a chance that you got hold of them since they would show up only when they had enough mushrooms to sell, which ensured that those were wild rather than cultivated ones. So Dad would be back with the intensely fragrant and flavorful shiitake /brown mushrooms while we would start throwing ideas at my Ma.Till date the wooden, that atypical earthy "mushroom" aroma transports me back to the early morning hustle-bustle in our kitchen. I love every kind – from meaty portabella to the slender enokii mushrooms to the earthy crimini. Each has a distinct flavor, identity and personality that dictates their best fit.

Recently, mushrooms have been making it to my “must-buy” section of our grocery list. From omelets to pastas to- of course my very favorite mushroom masala. I use it with an enthusiasm that can only match my propensity for eggplants. Just like eggplants, what makes them so unique is their ability to soak in new flavors all the while standing strong with their identity. After trying out numerous variations of the mushroom masala, one fine day we craved for the creamy matar mushroom sans the overpowering creamy and bland gravy. Here’s the one that I concocted that has the perfect balance for our palate – melt-in-the-mouth mushrooms with just the right hint of creaminess with a blend of slightly sweet peas. Here you go:

Melt-in-the-mouth mushrooms and sweet peas soak in the smooth tomato gravy with just the precise hint of creaminess from roasted cashews. Serve it with warm chapatis or parathas.

Ingredients:
1 lb Shiitake/Crimini/White button mushrooms
3 Tablespoons Oil
1 inch Cinnamon

1 Large onion chopped
3 Tablespoom Ginger garlic paste
1 Cup Tomato puree
3 teaspoons Chili powder
1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
4-5 Roasted whole Cashews made into a paste
2-3 teaspoons Heavy cream (Optional)
1/4 Cup Green peas

For the dry masala
3 teaspoon Cumin seeds/ Jeera
5 nos. Whole Cloves
2 nos. Whole Cardamom pods

Method:

1. Slice the mushrooms as thick/thin you like & set aside. 
2. Add oil to a pan over medium high heat and saute the   onions along with the cinnamon stick till the onions are     lightly golden brown (5-6 mins). 
3. Then add 3 T of ginger garlic paste and fry over medium heat. Add little water to the paste once it dries out and repeat the process till oil floats on top.
4. Then add in the tomato puree in small amounts making sure it dries out each time before adding the next batch of tomato puree. The masala should be bright red in color. Note: Choose dark red ripe tomatoes for the best color.
5. When oil floats on top, add in chilli powder and turmeric powder and stir over medium low heat. 
6. Then add in the peas and mushrooms and toss well. Saute for 2 mins till mushrooms shrink a bit. Then,add 1/2 C of water and bring it to boil. Add in the cashew paste and heavy cream if using. Simmer over low heat for 15 mins.
7. In a separate dry pan, add the ingredients for the dry masala (3 tsps of jeera, 5 cloves and 2 cardomom pods). Dry roast till fragrant and grind to a powder.
8. Sprinkle the dry masala over the gravy just before switching off the heat.

Quick, simple and with the a relatively short grocery list, this mushroom gravy is sure to wow all the mushroom lovers out there. Move over paneer - you have competition :D

Till next time!
J

The Diwali faraal making escapade-Part I ~ Mitha Gaja / Shankarpale~

The glittering diyas, the bright, vivid hues of a meticulously rendered rangoli and the warm appetizing aroma of fried snacks hanging buoyantly in the air while my spirited family and friends gather around the porch to light up firecrackers– this is all that Diwali means to me. The celebration of virtue and compassion with an inanely fair amount of lip-smackingly delicious snacks – that’s surely something everyone wants to come together for. So to commemorate everything that makes Diwali remarkable, I had resolved that no matter how difficult it might seem to fit anything at all into my schedule right now, I am going to try and make as many snacks as I can and replicate “our gharwali” Diwali and this being our very first one after the wedding made it extra worth the effort. So homemade snacks, decorating up our home with lots of diyas, rangoli and lights, a celebration with friends and lots of food to share for our potluck – that became the highlight for our Diwali festivities this year.

And so it all began with making a list of usual Diwali snacks or faral that I wanted to make – Besan sooji ladoo, Chivda, Karanji, Shankarpale, Masala Mathri and one entrée for the potluck. I had already had experience with making Besan sooji ladoo and Chivda, so while making those were a breeze, everything else was somewhat tasking yet an extremely delightful learning curve. Making of each of these individual snacks taught me a few lessons I learnt along the way and I resolved to make sure that I document it well for my reference for Diwali faral making next year. I am sure a lot of you might have had similar experiences and you know very well how much having to re-do something from scratch teaches you. So this will be a series of posts with all these recipes I learnt this Diwali and my kitchen centric adventures with them.

The center of discussion for my first post is the perfectly sweet and crunchy, melt-in-your mouth shankarpale or as I knew it – “Mitha Gaja”. Mitha gaja/ Shankarpale has always been one of my favorite snacks that my grandma made. It was her specialty and so uniquely hers. One fine day if we found mitha gaja at our place, we would know who sent it. I have even been lucky enough to have observed her make it and considered myself privileged to have been allowed to cut the rolled out dough into its characteristic diamond shapes. At that time, being a part of something so intricate had made me inanely happy and extremely proud of myself. So as I began my adventure of making mitha gaja, I of course knew who to call for help. My grandma seemed so elated to share her knowledge built over the years with great detail and of course with very encouraging words. With a help and a little bit of trial and error, I got it. These turned out exactly as I like them and I was the happiest little bird in town.

So here’s the detailed mitha gaja recipe which resulted in perfectly sweet, melt-in-your-mouth multilayered gaja that I so loved and am very happy to write it down for your and my own reference for Diwali faraal making next year. t.

~Mitha Gaja / Shankarpale~

These crispy, flaky, melt-in-the-mouth sweetened fried festive snacks are a must-eat during Diwali. Made up of simple easily found at-home ingredients, these diamond shaped goodies are usually over before you know it.

Ingredients: (Makes enough to fill a 1 lt jar)

½ C Milk

½ C Sugar

½ C Ghee

2 C + 2 Tablespoons Maida/All purpose flour

Method:

1. Warm up the milk till it just boils and add the sugar to it. Let them sit.

Note: I microwaved the milk at 100% power for 1 minute and it was warm enough. The whiteness of the milk will look diluted and transparent. Do not panic, that’s ok.

2. In a seperate mixing bowl, pour the ghee and fluff it with kneading action such that it becomes creamy (about 4-5 mins).

Note: I used the flat beater attachment on my Kitchen Aid stand mixer and let the mixture turn light & fluffy (~ 2-3mins).

3. Once the ghee turns fluffy, add in the milk-sugar mixture and stir it a little bit.

4.Then, add in the flour little by little and bring it together. Knead for ~ 1 min and keep aside.

5. Divide in to 5-6 rounds balls and roll it 1/4 inch thick.

6. Cut diagonals on the roti and fry.

7. Fry these at medium- medium low heat (the knob of the gas range stays around 5-6 on a scale of 10). When you add it to the oil keep it at medium so that the exterior seals. Then lower the heat slightly for it to cook through and harden.

Note: At very low temperature the dough dissolves, so make sure that when you add the pieces to the oil its at medium (5 on a scale of 1-10) and then lower it to 4 when the exterior sets.

8. Take them out on paper towels, let them cool and store it in air-tight containers.

And this is how I learnt a new skill this Diwali and while it was not all smooth sailing, it was every bit worth the journey :) A few mishaps, a few soft shankarpales later..I nailed it and there's no better feeling than acquiring something you thought was difficult. And there again it proves that "Never ever give up" is a life lesson that helps every where.

So until the part II..(which will be coming up soon!!)

Happy learning!

J 

Of nostalgia & adventure - A memorable Ganesh Chaturthi with "Mango Kalakand/ Aam Kalakand"

This year Ganesh Chaturthi was very special and that’s because of so many reasons. Special because it was the first one we celebrated after our wedding, hereby marking a tradition we intend to carry on for years to come. Special because we made our own idol for the occasion and had an absolute blast making it and most importantly because we also got to celebrate it with our friends & neighbors who made up for the absence of our family here with us. My desire to celebrate this at our place stemmed from the reason that this festival has always been very close to heart for my husband. Back at his place, it’s a tradition to celebrate it with fervor and invite all relatives near and dear for a yearly get together and he still cherishes those memories of laughter and frolic. So this year we ushered in Lord Ganesh to our abode. Truly, what better occasion than Ganesh Chaturthi – dedicated to the Vignaharta (destroyer of obstacles) to herald in this entire season of festivities?

Our little adventure while making the idol was such an exhilarating experience. With very modest expectations, we started off the project by mixing the clay and molding shapes and then there was truly no looking back. The urge to make it better till it looked realistic pushed me to keep at it till I got the result I wanted. You will not believe me if I tell you that it took me an hour to get the janwa right (the string around Lord Ganesha’s torso)..phew! A day to dry and then we sat to paint the idol with the brightest colors and He looked absolutely handsome J We also made him his pet rat, some ladoos on a thali and a seat for him to sit. All to make him happy! Here are some pictures of the project :)

Now with our homemade Ganesh idol all done and ready for his D-day, it was only fitting to welcome him home with equal pomp and show. So apart from the typical Maharastrian puja delicacies (varan, bhaat, puri, kala chana chi usal, batatya chi bhaji, koshimbir, chutney,  ukdiche modak (yes I tried it!) and shrikhand), I wanted to make something special for the occasion and decided to try my hand at making kalakand. I have been especially motivated since the time I recently had it at a friend’s place and it instantly brought back fond memories of me nibbling on one small piece for hours to relish every bite. This was the perfect occasion to prepare and offer it to our Ganpati as our special homemade prasad or offering. 

~Mango Kalakand~

Mango Kalakand / Aam Kalakand

Soft, rich & creamy dessert squares made of fresh cottage cheese & mango pulp sweetened with condensed milk & reduced milk powder. With generous amounts of pistachios & slivered almonds, this dessert attains it exquisite aroma from that elusive hint of saffron. 

Ingredients:

3 C Mango Pulp
2 C Cottage Cheese (Paneer)
1 C Condensed milk (Add ¼ C more if you want a little more sweetness)
1 C Mava powderPinch of saffron soaked in 2 T of warm milk.
1/4 C Chopped pistachios & almonds
1/4 tsp rose water (Optional)
Pinch of salt (Optional)
1/4 tsp lime juice(Optional)

3 cardamom pods – crushed to a fine powder

Method:

1. In a pan over medium heat, reduce the mango pulp till it’s thick enough to coat the back of the spoon (~20 mins). This intensifies the mango flavor.

Note: I made “fresh” mango pulp from frozen mangoes. You can use the readymade mango pulp too.
2. In the mean time, soak the saffron strands in 1 T of lukewarm milk and set aside.

3. After the pulp is thick, mix in the paneer, condensed milk, saffron soaked in milk and mava powder. Stir to mix well.

Note: I used homemade paneer with full fat milk (4C of paneer from 1 Gallon) . Bring the milk to a boil and then add in lime juice (1 lime) +yogurt mixture (2T) for a softer and fresher outcome.

4. Reduce this mixture over medium heat till it starts leaving sides of the pan (~ 15 mins). Stir regularly so that it doesn’t stick.
5. Add in the salt, lime juice, rose water and cardamom powder along with the chopped nuts. Stir well.
Note: I added in the pinch of salt & 1/4 tsp of lime juice to round out the sweetness. You can opt out of it if you prefer so.

6. Pour this mixture in a greased flat container and flatten it. Sprinkle more nuts and let it set in the refrigerator (~ 2hrs). Cut and serve.
Note: This sweet stays fresh in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

Making kalakand at home was another satisfying experience that made this celebration all the more special. It was an eye opener and a recipe that I cherish more so because it melded in traditions and happy memories from both our childhoods. Isn’t that's what great occasions are made of? A little bit of nostalgia mixed in with the right amount of adventure :-)

Love,

J

Who doesn't love a twist & that too a Sriracha one? ~ Garlic & red chilli Vegetable Manchurian (dry) ~

Garlic & red chilli manchurian (dry) served with a side of vegetable fried rice

In one of our numerous chat sessions, as my conversation with my Chinese friend/colleague veered towards Sino-Indian relationship, the cultural differences and similarities, we couldn't help but contemplate on the amalgamation of Indian intricacies into Chinese cooking. It veered towards a very interesting conversation about cooking styles, spices used, favorite dishes etc. etc. and she was extremely amused to know that there prevailed a very popular fusion cuisine known as "Indo-Chinese". She had never heard of it (of course..who has unless they are from India?), and seemed intrigued by the names of dishes I was hurling at her. Manchurian, Mixed chowmein...wait what? Manchurian...what's that?

As I pondered on it a bit more, I assumed that although it's never really surprising to find tastes transcending national/international boundaries to give rise to a melange of flavors, the popularity of Indo-Chinese cuisine in India is something you have to see, to believe. This cuisine which started out as an assimilation of Indian sensibilities and beliefs into everyday cooking of the Chinese immigrants, has now been taken to a whole new level. While it's almost natural for immigrants in any country to adapt to the new place they call home (who better than me to attest to the fact that that's a very effective way to transform a dish to make their own), this fusion cooking style has perpetrated almost every nook and corner of the country. Anyone captivated by the cuisine has their own special version and everybody is right.

While my parents had no such inclination towards this form of cooking, I would happily assume that the rise of the "Chowmein-Manchurian" culture took place sometime when we were growing up. I am so elated (& grateful) to belong to a generation that grew up with the oh-so-delicious Indo-Chinese. Although my Ma never had much exposure to this cuisine, I still swear by her mixed Chowmein, Chicken Manchurian and Vegetable Manchurian that she so enthusiastically made. This is my version of the much loved Manchurian with some of my favorite spice additions. Who said that good just cannot become better? Well, here it is:

~Garlic & Red Chilli Vegetable Manchurian (dry) ~

The plate to devour!

Veggie fritters spiced with Sriracha (red chilli sauce) & crispy garlic bits are tossed with cubes of red bell peppers, assorted sauces and some more crispy garlic. Served hot garnished with a generous sprinkling of finely sliced green onions. Perfect as an appetizer all by itself or a fabulous side dish with Roasted Garlic fried rice or the Chilli garlic chowmein.

Ingredients:

¼ C Garlic – Chopped and crisped over medium heat. Used divided between fritters and sauce.

For the Garlic Veggie balls:

1 C Shredded Cabbage

½ C Carrots (shredded)

½ C Beans (Shredded)

1 tsp Chopped green chillies (Optional)

3 T Corn Flour

¼ C All Purpose Flour 

2 T Sriracha or Red Chilli Sauce

2 T Tomato Sauce

Pinch of salt

2 T Crispy garlic (mentioned above)

Oil for frying.

Sauce:

3 T Oil (in which you fried the garlic)

½ C Capsicum/Bell Pepper – In Cubes

Make a paste of the following:

1 T Dark Soy Sauce

1 T White vinegar

1 T Sriracha or Red Chilli Sauce

1 T Tomato Sauce
½ tsp Brown sugar

2 T Water

2 T Crispy garlic

Method:

1.     In a pan over medium heat, add 2 T of oil and sauté the garlic till its fragrant and light brown in color. Be vigilant since garlic burns really easily. Scoop out the garlic and set aside. They become crispy as they cool.

2.     In a wide-mouthed bowl, mix in all the ingredients for the garlicky veggie Manchurian balls. The batter should be thick so that you can make balls out of it. Add in a few drops of water if it’s too thick. I use the 1 T ice cream scoop to make similar sized balls. Make the balls and set aside.

3.     Heat up the oil over medium heat in a deep pan and fry the balls till they are golden brown in color. Keep it warm in an oven at 200oF.

4.     In the pan you fried the garlic, add in some more oil and sauté the chopped bell peppers (~30 secs).

5.     Make a paste of all the sauces along with water and add into the oil and peppers.

6.     After it boils, toss in the Manchurian balls till it soaks in all the goodness of the flavorful sauces. Adjust for salt if required.

7.     Serve hot with a generous sprinkle of green onions and some more crispy garlic.

A close look at the manchurian balls

While this dish tastes absolutely lip smackingly delicious just by itself, I served it with a side of vegetable fried rice. You could also try the Roasted Garlic fried rice or the Chilli garlic chowmein to up the garlic fest.

Till next time!
J