Mushroom Masala

Got this recipe from my friend Adarsha exactly when I needed it. It was one of those days when I could not decide what to make for dinner and have nothing in the refrigerator other than mushrooms. This is a great recipe, the mushrooms did turn out decent even though I did not have tomatoes and other ingredients. Thank you Adarsha.


Here's what you'll need:

For the masala:
Onion coarsely chopped - 1 large
Tomatoes - 2-3
Cloves - 4-5
Cinnamon - 1'' stick
Cardamom - 2 pods
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 4-5 or red chilly powder - 1 tsp or to taste.
Cashew nuts - 10
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a pan, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and fry for a few seconds. Add onion and fry till it turns golden brown.
Add red chillies/chilly powder, garam masala powder and fry for 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook till done.
Add cashew nuts and grind it to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Mushroom, cleaned and diced - 1 lb
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Bay leaf - 1
Butter - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Lime juice - 2 tsp/ to taste

Heat oil in the pan, add bay leaf and ginger garlic paste.
Add mushroom, masala paste, salt and cook till mushrooms are done.
Add butter and lime juice before serving.

Eerulli/onion chutney

There many ways to make onion chutney, some people use coconut and some use channa dal/urad dal. I like mine with just onion and red chillies. Here's what you'll need:


Onion, coarsely chopped - 2 large
Red chillies - 4-5 or to taste
Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2-3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Heat a table spoon of oil in a pan and add onion and red chillies, fry till onions turn golden brown. Let it cool. Add tamarind paste, salt and grind to a smooth paste. You'll not have to add water.
Heat oil in the same pan, add mustard seeds after they splutter, add hing and the onion paste. Give it a good mix and let the chutney cool before you serve.

Alugadde palya/ Potato side dish

Alugadde palya is synonym with masala dose, masala dosa minus potato palya can never exist. Another popular combination is puri and alugadde palya, you can serve it with chapatis also. This mix can also be used to make alugadde bonda.


Here's what you'll need:
Potatoes - 5-6
Onion, chopped - 1 large
Green Chillies - 6-7 or to taste
Ginger, grated - 1'' piece
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Channa dal - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp
Cilantro - few sprigs

Boil, peel and mash potatoes. I find it easier to put the whole potatoes in the microwave oven and cook for 10 minutes. It is a much easier way to cook potatoes than using a pressure cooker. Let the potatoes cool, peel and mash them. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, once they splutter, add channa dal and fry for a minute.
Add chopped onion and green chillies. Fry till onion turns golden brown.
Add curry leaves, ginger and give it a gentle mix. Add salt, turmeric powder and the mashed potatoes. Mix well.
Garnish with cilantro. Optionally you can add a teaspoon of lime juice.

Badanekai Yennegai

Couple of months back me and the husband went to a friend's kid's birthday party and on the way we stopped at Artesia for grocery shopping. Since we have limited options for Indian grocery in the city that we live. I spotted jowar flour in the store and wanted to try jolada rotti. And what goes well with jolada rotti than badnekai(brinjal) yennegai. It is 'world' famous in Karnataka and one of my favorite dishes as well. This is the first time I tried my hands at yennegai as my mother-in-law has always made yummy yennegai. Here is her version.


Small Round Brinjal/Eggplant - 4
Oil - 3-4 tbsp
Salt to taste

Make vertical slits on the egg plant retaining the stalk. Make sure that the egg plant does not break and it remains whole. Set aside.

For the masala paste:
Onion(medium size) - 1 coarsely chopped
Garlic - 1 pod peeled
Ginger - 11/2" piece
Clove - 4-5
Cinnamon stick - 1''
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp/to taste
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Tomato - 1
Cilantro - few sprigs
Grated coconut/dry coconut powder - 1 cup

Grind all the above ingredients to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add the egg plant fry till the color changes on both the sides. Add the masala paste, salt and required amount of water and pressure cook. Garnish with cilantro.

PS: You need to be careful while frying eggplants as the oil tends to splutter.

Corn Salad

Ingredients
Frozen Corn - 1 cup
Onion - 1/2 chopped
Tomato - 1 chopped
Cucumber - 1/2 chopped
Green Chillies - 1-2
Cilantro for garnishing
Lime juice - 2 tbsp
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method
Wash corn in lukewarm water and drain.
Mix all the ingredients and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Seemebadnekai/Chayote palya

Ingredients
Seemebadnekai - 4
Onion(chopped) - 1
Green chillies - 4-5
Channa dal - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2-3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Cilantro - 2-3 sprigs

Method
Peel and cut seemebadnekai into desired size.
In a pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. After they splutter, add channa dal and fry till they turn golden brown.
Add chopped onion and fry till onions turns golden brown. Add green chillies, salt and turmeric powder and fry for a couple of minutes.
Add semebadnekai and cook covered till done on medium/low heat. Add a little water if necessary.
Garnish with cilantro.

Tomato chutney

Ingredients
Tomatoes - 2
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Coriander - 1/2 a bunch
Tamarind concentrate - 1/4 tsp
Green chillies - 2
Red chilly - 1
Oil - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method
Grind coconut, tomatoes, coriander, green chillies and tamarind. add salt to this and mix well.
Seasoning:
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. After they splutter, add urad dal, red chilly and fry till the dal turns golden brown. And mix it with chutney.

Chole

Ingredients
Garbanzo beans(channa) - 1 cup
Onion - 1 (blend in a mixer to a smooth paste)
Tomatoes - 2 (blend in a mixer to a smooth paste)
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Red Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Chole/garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2-3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnishing

Method
Soak channa over night and cook in a pressure cooker till done.
Grind 2 tbsp of cooked channa to a fine paste.
Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds.
Fry onion paste for a couple of minutes and add ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute or two.
Add tomato paste, red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the cooked channa, channa paste and chole masala powder.
Add about half a cup of water and cook for 10 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro.