Easy Mushroom curry with Radish Asparagus Raita

Like eggplants, mushrooms are detested by my husband and my little boy. In fact, hubby would
choose to stay hungry over eating any dish made with these vegetables. I, on the other hand love mushrooms. I can eat them in any form. I am hoping my baby girl would grow up to follow my
tastes.That would strike a balance!




But until then, it means I get to cook and savour them alone. This ‘’curry’’ is one such dish which has been in my drafts for a while now. I make no claims that this is an authentic Indian curry. But is certainly delicious, comforting and easy to make.
I take full advantage of kids not eating this and add some extra chillies to it. The cool raita makes a wonderful accompaniment to it. The walnuts add a lovely crunch. With steaming white rice, it makes a hearty meal.

Mushroom Curry

Serves 1-2

Things you need -

200 gms Mushrooms, washed, and quartered I used mushrooms. Any variety will do.
half a Red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 small onion, chopped fine
150 ml coconut milk
1 tsp garam masala
2-3 green chillies, slit lengthwise or chopped. Go easy on them if you want a less spicy version
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp + 1 tsp oil
water as required
half inch ginger, grated
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced fine
a few coriander leaves, lemon wedges for garnish

How its done -

1. Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan or skillet. Saute the mushrooms for about 5 minutes until tender. Keep mushrooms  aside.
2. In the same pan, heat a tsp of oil, Add onions and fry for 3-5 minutes on low/medium heat. Add ginger, garlic and green chilli for the last 2 minutes.
3. Add bellpepper and fry for a minute. Add tomato and cook for a few minutes until soft and mushy.
4. Add the mushrooms, garam masala, salt, sugar and mix well. Saute for 2 minutes.
5. Add coconut milk and a bit of water to lighten the consistency if you like.
   Bring to boil and switch off heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Radish Asparagus Raita

Serves 2

Things you need -

2-3 spears of Asparagus cut into inch pieces. Discard woody/hard end
2-3 radishes, sliced
1 cup or 250 ml yoghurt
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

For tempering -
half tsp mustard seeds
half tsp urad dal
a few curry leaves
1-2 small dried red chillies, optional
1-2 tsp oil
a few coriander leaves 
1-2 tbsp coarsely crushed toasted walnuts

How its done -

1. Mix the first five ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Heat oil in a small pan. Add red chillies if using and mustard seeds. Once they start to spultter, lower the heat and add urad dal and curry leaves. Take off from heat and pour onto the raita. 
Garnish with coriander leaves and crushed walnuts.

Technorati Tags: curry,mushroom,coconut milk,raita,radish,asparagus

Tandoori Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

Hello friends! How have you all been? This  space has been quiet for some time. Well, Ive been busy having fun and being lazy. No morning rush..no stress..…a true relaxed vacation. Lots of first time experiences ..Little boy busy learning to play cricket …the little girl got her first tooth! A lot of old memories being relived ..the indian monsoon…childhood favourite dishes being savoured. More on that later.
But for now I am sharing a recipe from my drafts which I made a few days before leaving for India.
The tandoori vegetables and paneer add loads of flavor to this sandwich. The coriander mint chutney is a perfect match for the tandoori vegetables. Like the veggie tortila wraps, these too make a great portable meal.

Tandoori Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

Yield - Makes 1 medium sized sandwich

Things you need -

 

Sandwich Bread . I used Ciabatta
1 small zucchini
half a medium eggplant, sliced vertically
200 gms of paneer sliced
1 medium sized bell pepper, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced into rings
few rocket leaves, optional
2 tbsp oil
tomato ketchup, optional
1-2 tsp butter

For the marinade
3-4 tbsp thick yoghurt
2 tbsp tandoori masala powder.  See recipe below.
1-2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garlic paste
salt as per taste

For the mint coriander chutney
handful mint leaves
handful coriander leaves
1-2 green chillies
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp salt
1tbsp lemon juice

How its done -

 

1. Mix the yoghurt, tandoori masala powder, chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, salt in a bowl. Marinade the eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper and paneer slices. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
2. Meanwhile prepare the mint coriander chutney by grinding all the ingredients for chutney. Keep aside.
3. Grill the marinated vegetables and paneer slices on a griddle/broiler until done for about 3-5 minutes on each side.
4. Slit the bread into 2. Butter both slices and lightly toast it if you like. Apply the mint coriander chutney and tomato ketchup if using. Place the grilled vegetables, paneer, onion rings, rocket leaves in between the bread slices. Serve with more ketchup if required.

Tandoori masala powder

Recipe loosely adapted from here.

Things you need -

 

half cup dried red chillies
1/4 cup coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
half tbsp pepper
half tbsp cloves
2-3 cardamom pods
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 inch stick of cinnamon
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp garlic powder
half tsp turmeric powder

How its done -

 

1. Mix the red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin, pepper, cloves, cardamom, fenugreek, cinnamon in a pan and roast them on low flame until fragrant. This tales about 2-3 minutes. Take care not to burn them.
2. Grind the roast spices along with the ginger, garlic and turmeric powder in a blender or mixer until smooth. Store in an airtight container.

Technorati Tags: sandwich,snacks,picnic,tandoori masala

Black Forest Pancakes {Egg-free} – a guest post for Yummly

Past couple of weeks have zoomed past. A lot happening. Our much awaited vacation time in India has finally arrived. Shopping, packing, 3 flights spanning  across 2 continents, 2 very tired kids and even more tired parents.  We have finally landed in India and currently enjoying all the attention and pampering showered by our family and friends. 





On a complete different note, I am very excited to share one of my recipes on Yummly blog today. My idea of a luxury breakfast that would also pass as a dessert. Black forest pancakes - A treat for chocolate lovers. I made these, few weeks ago taking full advantage of a fresh batch of cherries that I bought. Do hop over to Yummly to check out the recipe.

Technorati Tags: black forest pancakes,breakfast,desserts,chocolate,eggless,yummly

Easy Veggie Summer Tortilla Wraps with spicy Chickpeas and Feta

 

Eating outside amidst nature is one of the pleasures of summer. With days getting longer and temperatures soaring high, picnics are on the rise. My little boy enjoys eating outside and insists that we do that everyday! We mimic a picnic in our balcony at times when we cannot go out. He is a big fan of sandwiches and wraps and they make a perfect accompaniment to our impromptu picnics. Throw in some cheese and he can eat it every single day.
These wraps can be made in a jiffy and make great a portable meal. The spice levels can be adjusted to suit your tolerance and make an ideal snack for kids too.







 

Easy Veggie Summer Tortilla Wraps with Spicy Chickpeas and feta

Yield - Makes 4 wraps

 

Things you need -

4 flour or corn Tortilla wraps
100 gms chickpeas, soaked overnight and boiled or use canned ones
2 medium sized tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced fine
1 tsp chilli powder (adjust as per liking)
1 tsp cumin seeds
salt, as per taste ( remember feta is quite salty)
a pinch of sugar
1-2 tsp vegetable oil
100 gms feta, crumbled
half cup or 100 gms thick yoghurt
handful mint leaves, chopped
chilli flakes or chilli powder for garnish
1 spring onion, chopped
5-6 pitted olives, chopped, optional
a big handful of shredded lettuce
coriander leaves for garnish

How its done -

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter add garlic and cook for a minute. Add tomatoes, chilli powder and cook until mushy.
2. Add chickpeas, salt and sugar and cook for 2-5 minutes. The mixture needs to be dry with minimum moisture. Take off from heat, allow it to cool and keep aside.
3. Meanwhile whisk the crumbled feta, yoghurt and mint together in a bowl to form a smooth mixture. Garnish with chilli powder or chilli flakes if you can handle the heat.
4. Heat up a griddle or a non stick pan and warm the tortilla slightly for a minute. Allow them to cool down.
5. Place the tortilla on a board or plate and evenly spread a spoonful of feta-yoghurt-mint mixture. Now top with the chickpeas, spring onions, lettuce, olives if  using and some coriander leaves. Fold or roll the tortilla, secure with a string or napkin.
6. Stays crisp up to 2 hours. After that, the wraps might get soggy, but still tastes great though!

Technorati Tags: wraps,picnic,chickpeas,tortilla,tacos,vegetarian