Mushroom and paneer masala

So that day when I had gone for grocery shopping had picked a packet of fresh mushrooms and fresh paneer ( cottage cheese) from the nearby store. Whenever these  two ingredients are at home I try to cook it the same day. So was thinking of coming up with a side dish for rotis for that evening. Since I was craving for something with spicy flavours yet tangy and sweet , started thinking of a curry base with onion tomato and coconuts.

Hence the recipe

Ingredients

Mushrooms – 200 gms

Paneer – 100 gms

Onion – one large

Tomato – 2 large

Ginger  - an inch

Garlic – 3- 4 cloves

Green chilli – 1 or 2

Grated coconut – ¼ cup

Oil

salt

Spices

Coriander powder  - 2 tspn

Chilli powder  - ½ tspn

Turmeric powder – ¼ tspn

Whole pepper corns – ½ tspn

Fennel seeds – ½ tspn

Method

• Keep a kadai on the stove, once its heated add a spoon or two of oil and add the grated coconut to it. Add the chopped onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chillies, saute well until the coconut turns brown and the onions and tomatoes turns its colour. 
• Switch off the flame and add the rest of the spices and mix well and let the whole mixture cool.
• Once cooled grind it well using little water to a fine paste.
• Now keep the kadai on the stove, add a little oil and add the chopped mushrooms, stir well until its cooked.
• Add the ground masala paste and add sufficient water and salt to the curry.
• Add the paneer cubes and bring it to boil.
• Mean while add some curry leaves and let it get cooked in the curry.

Serve hot with some warm phulkas/rotis.

Note: Change the spice level to you preferences.

Thanks and regards

Chaithanya

Easy Broccoli and Mushroom soup

Easy mushroom and broccoli recipe

This is a very quick, easy and healthy recipe of having a filling broccoli and mushroom soup. Been thinking of making this soup and coincidentally it was a 'soup theme' week in one of the cookery groups I am in. Hence just experimented with this recipe of my own.

Wanted to write this recipe as soon as possible before I forget the measurements :)

Ingredients

Broccoli florets- 2 cups

Button mushrooms - 1 cup

Onion - half of one med size 

Garlic - 2-3 cloves

Water - 1 cup

Celery sticks - 1-2 small ones

Salt, pepper, herb seasonings

Milk - 1 cup

Olive oil- 1 tspn

Butter - 1tspn

Flour - 1 tspn

Method

• Wash the broccoli and mushrooms well and measure out the required proportions and keep aside.
• Saute the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil until soft in a pressure pan.
• Add roughly chopped mushrooms and saute until the water is removed from the mushrooms.
• Add chopped broccoli ,water and celery sticks and close the lid, cook it in the pressure cooker for one or 2 whistles.
• Remove the celery sticks and discard and then liquidize the mixture
• Make a thin white sauce by heating a spoon of butter in a pan, add a spoon of whole wheat flour and pour in the milk, whisk well and pour this into the soup.
• Season the soup with salt, pepper and herbs of your choice.
• I threw in some bagel chips instead of croutons for that perfect crunch in the soup :)

enjoy! 

Broccoli - mushroom - walnuts sandwich

A very simple and easy filling to make for  quick sandwich and can I say it is tasty too:) yes it was !!

Ingredients for the filling
Mushrooms- 200 gms
Broccoli - 200 gms
Garlic- 3-4 pods
Green chili - 1-2 
Salt and pepper 
Walnuts- coarsely crushed - a handful
One cheese cube

Method
Coarsely chop mushroom and broccoli and cook in high flame with grated garlic and green chilli and season with salt and pepper

Assembling the sandwich
Put on the sandwich maker and wait for the iron be hot. Place a slice of bread and then spread the filling generously. Sprinkle some grated cheese and also throw in some crushed walnuts. Cover it with another slice of  bread and close the lid of the sandwich maker. Grill it and serve it hot with tomato sauce and green chili sauce.
Enjoy!

. 

Couscous with steamed vegetables

 This is specially for weigh watchers and is very very simple to make, assemble and fill your tummy for a quick dinner .. Here goes the recipe for the same

Ingredients
Couscous - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Salt - as required
A mix of vegs like carrot, mushroom , baby corn  or any of your choice in number and variety
For seasoning 
Extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbspn
Pepper powder - a pinch or as required
Fresh thyme - 2 - 3 tspns
Juice of one lime

Method
Boil the water, switch off the stove and add in the couscous and  a teaspoon of olive oil  and close it with lid for 10 mins.  Open and with a fork to check whether the couscous have absorbed all the water and become soft and fluffy  Add in the vegetables to this and also do the seasoning , mix well and enjoy!!

Pasta in white sauce with leeks, mushrooms and capsicums

Weekend breakfast demanded by my 3 yrs old daughter : ) Recipe as follows

For white sauce
Butter - 60 gms
Flour- 50 gms
Hot milk - 600 mls

For pasta
Uncooked pasta- 2 cups
Whey - 1 cup (have saved the whey after removing paneer from milk)
Water - 1 cup
Capsicum (bell peppers) - one red one
Mushrooms - 1/2 cup chopped
Leeks - 7-8 no.s
Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Olive oil - 2-4 tbspn

For seasoning 
Oregano
Pepper
Salt
Chilli flakes
Grated cheese

Method

Heat up the butter in a shallow pan, add the flour whisking thoroughly and then pour in the hot milk little by little whisking continuously so that no lumps are formed.  You white sauce is ready and keep aside

Cook pasta in pressure cooker for one whistle adding whey and water ( Disclaimer : my new method :) )


Heat up the pan, pour in 2-4 tbspn of olive oil. Add in finely chopped leeks and saute till the leeks wilt off, throw in the chopped mushrooms and capsicums, saute for 2-3 minutes and then add in the cooked pasta. Pour in half cup of white sauce and season with oregano, chilli flakes, pepper and salt. Grate in cheese as required and serve hot!

Mushroom capsicum masala in coconut milk

Had made some hot and sour soup the previous night to remove the heaviness in head due this weather :) A reason to make the soup too and for breakfast I was making idiyappam and when I thought of a side dish to go for it, thought of making use of the half pack of mushroom and half cut capsicum.What better way to utlise it sooner than spoiling it or terribly waiting for its exit from the refrigerator . Hence this curry, was sure yum and dear husband kept praising the curry and we all enjoyed it with idiyappam. Following is the recipe

Mushroom capsicum masala in coconut milk

Mushroom - 200 gms

Capsicum- 1 med size

Onion - 2 med or 1 large one

Tomato - 2 med ones

Ginger - garlic paste  1 tbspn

Green chillies - 2 - 3 no.s

Curry leaves- few strands

Oil - 1 tbspn

Coconut milk - 1/2 cup ( thick milk)

Masalas : Pepper powder, Turmeric powder, Chilli powder, Garam masala powder, Coriander powder - 1/2 tspn each or to you taste buds 

Salt - as reqd

Method

Heat oil in a kadai or a thick bottom pan and saute the onion, ginger and garlic paste and chillies. Add in the tomatoes when the onions turns translucent. Throw in the chopped mushrooms and squarely chopped capsicums. Saute for a while . Add in the masalas. Cover and cook for sometime. Pour in the coconut milk and cook for another five minutes stirring continuously. Garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with Idiyappam :) or rice, rotis