Mushroom masala

About the food:

Mushroom is not a very common dish in India and it is not widely available. It is true that many supermarkets and some specialist shops sell them, but the demand is not huge, as it appeals to those with an acquired taste.

It is very strange, but I did not know about mushroom until I passed my primary school. How I came to know, can well be worth mentioning. I went to my uncles' place for the summer vacation, which is a countryside, off from Kolkata. My auntie took me to the woods and began to pluck something which I did not know. That was my first exposure to mushroom. She made a wonderful dish from it, which still I can smell, and my love for mushroom so began. But then I knew, wild mushrooms could be extremely poisonous and fatal, and was horrified to think how plucking them could have gone wrong! I have however, warned my auntie about it, and I am glad to know that now she can buy them in the market.

Hope you like the dish, though it is not typically Indian!



Ingredients (serves 4)

400 gm button mushroom
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp red chilli powder (optional)
1 big onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic paste
2 whole green chilli, split through the centre
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves, chopped for garnishing
1 pinch of turmeric
salt to taste

Method:

1. Thinly slice the mushrooms and wash well. Drain them till dry.If needed, dry them with a kitchen tissue.

2. Heat pan. Pour the oil, and when it smoulders, put the cumin powder,coriander powder and green chillis and saute a little. Add the garlic paste and the tomato puree, continue cooking on low flame for about 2mins.

3. Add the dried mushrooms and mix the ingrediants well. Add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric. Cover the pan and let it cook on low flame for 5mins. uncover, and continue cooking, by tossing and turning until the oil separates out. You might sprinkle a little water, if the gravy becomes very dry.

4. Put the lime juice in the pan, and mix it well.

4. Pour the curry to a serving tray and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

5. Serve hot.

Accompaniment: Best served with basmati rice/ Pulao

Chicken curry

About the food:

Chicken curry is one of the most common Indian dishes, and yet it is a delicacy. I remember my childhood days, when it was a coveted special item on the Sunday menus. We awaited the Sundays for this delicious meal.

It reminds me always of the funny event: me and my younger sister always resisted the idea that it could only be a Sunday dish, and our mom, frustrated arguing, threw a challenge. She can serve the meal everyday, until we got bored..we were over the Moon and accepted the challenge instantly. And then it so began..for months, until mom got fed up cooking the same dish again and again..but we sisters were going brave and strong! Needless to say, who won the challenge!

There could be many variations of this dish..you can vary amount of the spices to make it light (which mom obviously did..); you can make the gravy thick or watery, by controlling the water; you can make it hot or mild. The magic lies in your hand..go on, try this out, and let me know how you like it. Bon mange!


Ingredients (serves 5)

1 kg skinless chicken thighs and legs
3 tbsp vegetable oil
5 big onions, made into paste
2 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
4 whole green chilli, split through the centre
1 big tomato, finely chopped
1 tspn whole garam masala ( 4 cloves, 4 cardamon pods, 1/2 inch cardamom stick,broken in pieces)
1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves, chopped for garnishing
1 pinch of turmeric
1 tbsp sugar
salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the chicken pieces and put it in a big bowl. Add the onion, ginger and garlic paste and mix it well. Cover and set it aside for about 1 hour.

2. Heat pan. Pour the oil, and when it smoulders, put the sugar and let it char. It will give a beautiful golden colour to the food. Next add the whole garam masala in the oil and let them crackle. Put the green chillies and fry a little. Put the chopped tomatoes, taking care, as it might splitter. Fry over gentle flame for about a minute.

3. When the tomatoes have formed a gravy, put the marinated chicken into the pan, taking care as it might splitter. Keep the heat low, and keep on frying. It would take about 15-20 mins, depending on the flame. This is the most timetaking and crucial part of the cooking. Keep on frying, often tossing and turning the chicken on low heat, until the oil separates out. Add the salt and turmeric.

4.When chicken gets a golden colour, and the oil separates out, add 200ml (1 cup) of water. You can add more water, if you want, to make a less thicker gravy. Cover the pan and simmer for about 20mins, or until cooked. Toss and turn the chicken pieces in between to avoid their sticking to the pan.

4. Pour the curry to a serving tray and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

5. Serve hot.

Accompaniment: Best served with basmati rice.
Make the gravy a little thick, and it is great with Paratha, served with a dab of mixed pickle, which you would get in jars in the stores.

Shorshe Chicken ( Mustard Chicken)

About the food:

This is a classic Bengali dish, but beware friends, this food is not for weak hearted people. This is a food which is very hot. This uses mustard oil and seeds, which have a strong flavoury smell.For those who do not know, black mustard seeds are much more stronger than the white ones. I recommend, if you are cooking for guests, try it out for yourself sometime earlier, as I don't want to be blamed for your guests crying over the food. But believe me,if you do not mess up the mustard seed proportions, this dish is heaven!

I have a particular experience with cooking this food and messing it up. I was newly married at that time, and was just learning to cook. I invited my cousins to my in-laws' place, and have ventured cooking this dish. The proportion of the mustard seeds has gone horrendously wrong, I used only the black mustard seeds, about 7-8 spoons, instead of about 1 spoons, as far as I remember. The dish looked deliciously rich, with the chicken pieces floating on the mustard sauce.

What happened when everyone started eating was a nightmare.There was a sudden commotion, with someone running for the wash-basin, someone gulping jugs of water, someone crying with their eyes out, and someone chocking.

I was so utterly horrified at the result, that I could not gather myself to cook this dish once more for many years. And the most pathetic part of the story is, it's been more than a decade now, but my in-laws and my cousins never forget what a horrendous cook had I been, despite of so many goods foods I have served them later!

I believe you would definitely not have the same experience. Happy cooking and enjoy the food!


Ingredients (serves 5)

1 kg skinless chicken thighs and legs
3 tbsp Mustard oil/ Vegetable oil
5 big onions, made into paste
2 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
4 whole green chilli, split through the centre
1 big tomato, finely chopped
1 tspn whole garam masala ( 4 cloves, 4 cardamon pods, 1/2 inch cardamom stick,broken in pieces)
1 1/2 tbsp black mustard seed paste
4 tbsp white mustard seed paste
1 pinch of turmeric
1 tbsp sugar
salt to taste

Method:

1. This dish is best prepared with mustard oil. The oil has a very strong smell, which adds the typical mustardy flavour to the dish. But you can go ahead with vegetable oil as well, if you prefer.

For making the mustard pastes, you can mix the black and white seeds together, either dry grind it, and then add a little water to make a paste; or you can wet grind them.

2. Wash and put the chicken pieces in a big bowl. Add the onion, ginger and garlic paste and mix it well. Cover and set it aside for about 1 hour.

3. Heat pan. Pour the oil, and when it smoulders, put the sugar and let it char. It will give a beautiful golden colour to the food. Next add the whole garam masala in the oil and let them crackle. Put the green chillies and fry a little. Put the chopped tomatoes, taking care, as it might splitter. Fry over gentle flame for about a minute.

4. When the tomatoes have formed a gravy, put the marinated chicken into the pan, taking care as it might splitter. Keep the heat low, and keep on frying. It would take about 15-20 mins, depending on the flame. This is the most time taking and crucial part of the cooking. Keep on frying, often tossing and turning the chicken on low heat, until the oil separates out. Add the salt and turmeric.

5.When chicken gets a golden colour, and the oil separates out, add 100ml (1/2 cup) of water. You can add more water later, if the gravy becomes too thick. Cover the pan and simmer for about 20mins, or until the chickens are cooked. Toss and turn the chicken pieces in between to avoid their sticking to the pan.

6.when are chicken are cooked, add the mustard seed pastes to the curry, and mix it well. Let it boil for a minute. your food is done.

7.Pour the curry to a serving tray and enjoy the meal.


Accompaniment: Best served with plain basmati rice.

Bhaja Alur Dam (Fried Potato curry)

About the food:

Bhaja Alur Dam is one of the traditional Indian dishes, and has always been a huge favourite among the masses. It reminds me of my childhood Sundays, when my mom prepared them for breakfast, and served them with Luchi (Indian style deep fried flat bread). That was one of the biggest reason which made Sundays special for myself and my family. Also when we had any special guests coming, it was always served as a quick snack, and it never failed to impress. The recipe is easy and quick, hope you will like it.


Category: Vegetarian

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 kg Baby new potato, (alternatively medium sized potato)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp ginger paste
4 whole green chilli, split through the centre
1 big tomato, finely chopped
1/2 tspn whole cumin seeds
1/2 tspn whole coriander seeds
1 tspn whole garam masala ( 4 cloves, 4 cardamon pods, 1/2 inch cardamom stick,broken in pieces)
1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves, chopped for garnishing
1 pinch of turmeric
salt to taste

Method:

1. This recipe goes best with the whole baby new potatoes, if you are lucky to get them, prepare with their skins on.However, if the potatoes are of medium size, don't worry, just halve them and proceed.

Boil the potatoes in water and simmer for about 15 mins. Take care not to over-boil them. Let the water cool, and take the potato skins off. If you got small baby potatoes, no need to take off the skin.

2. Heat pan. pour the oil, and when it smoulders, put the cumin and coriander seeds and the whole garam masala in the oil and let them crackle. Put the green chillies and fry a little. Put the chopped tomatoes, taking care, as it might splitter. Fry over gentle flame for about a minute.

3. Put the boiled potatoes to the pan, and mix it well with the gravy. Keep the heat low, and keep on frying. Add salt and turmeric. Fry until the items are fully mixed, and the oil separates out.It would take about 6 to 7 minutes. Take care not to mash the potatoes.

4. Pour the curry to a serving tray and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

5. Serve hot.

Accompaniment: Best with Paratha/Indian Chappati/ Nun roti/Puri.