Mushroom Lobia Malai

This dish is inspired by the traditional Methi Matar Malai north indian curry for rotis. Mushroom has always been one of my favorite vegetables and lobia [ black eyed peas] is the new addition in that list. I wanted to make something different combining muhsroom and lobia and ended up making this creamy and delicious curry. Though no tomatoes are used in the traditional malai based savory dish, I have added a spoon of tomato paste in this dish for the tangy flavor. Enjoy this creamy mushroom lobia gravy with rotis or your favorite pulao.

Ingredients

Serves - 4
Prep Time - 30 min
Cook time - 30 min
Spice Level - Moderate

Onion - 1 small sized, chopped finely
Mushroom - 200 gm, chopped into thin pieces
Lobia [Black eyed pea] - 1/2 cup
Tomato paste - 1.5 Tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 Tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup, finely chopped
Milk - 3/4 cup
Water - 1/2 cup or more as needed
salt - as per need
Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp

To fry and grind to a paste

Onion - 1 Large, sliced into thin pieces
Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 Tsp
Cloves - 2
Green chilli - 5
Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Cashews - 6

How do you do it

1. First soak lobia overnight and pressure cook it for 1-2 whistles. Drain and keep aside the cooked lobia

2. Heat oil in a kadai. Add the cloves, cumin and let it roast. Add the sliced onions, ginger garlic paste and green chilli. Saute till the onion turns a  light brown shade. Switch off flame, cool and grind into a smooth paste along with the cashews. Keep aside.

3. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a kadai. Add cumin seeds to roast. Add the chopped onion and saute till its cooked. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-4 minutes. Once they turn shiny, add the ground paste and saute well for 5-7 minutes.

4. Add the tomato paste and saute for another couple of minutes. Add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and give it a good stir.

5. Add the milk and water and mix well. Add required salt and in low flame simmer the gravy for 5-10 minutes until it reaches desired consistency. Add more water if you desire a loose curry.

6. Switch off flame, garnish with coriander leaves. Squeeze in the lemon juice just before serving.

Serve this yummy curry with any kind of Indian flat bread or pulao.

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Easy and simple Veg Biryani

I have tried many different versions of vegetable biryanis over the last few years and nothing has come this close to being a favorite. This recipe that I have here now is what I would call my Vegetable Biryani winner in the "Easy Biryani" category. It all started out with a packet of mint remaining in my vegetable drawer section that I wanted to use it somehow and be done with it.  I strongly feel any kind of biryani is incomplete without mint. The mint leaves gives that kind of addictive and crazy "wanting for more" taste at the end of each mouthful. With some mint, ginger-garlic paste, and handful of mixed veggies this super quick biryani fix could make your day :)

Ingredients

Serves - 2
Spice Level - Moderate
Prep Time - 15 min
Cook time 15 min

Red Onion - 1 , thinly sliced
Cauliflower florets - 7, cut into bite sized pieces
Frozen green Peas - 1/4 cup
Carrot - 1 , cut into small pieces
Beans - 7, cut into small pieces
Mushroom - 5 pieces , sliced into pieces
Tomato - 1 , cubed into medium sized pieces
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Curry/Red chilli powder - 1 Tsp
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Basmati Rice - 1.25 cups

To grind to a paste

Mint leaves - 1/2 cup loosely packed [
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Green chilli - 5
cloves - 2
cardamom - 2
Fennel seeds - 1 Tsp

How do you do it

1. First wash the basmati rice well and soak the basmati rice in enough water for 20 minutes. Meanwhile grind the ingredients under " to grind to a paste" with little water and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add bay leaf, cinnamon and jeera seeds and wait for the jeera seeds to roast. Add the sliced onions and saute until they turn transparent, for about 3-5 minutes.

3. Add the ground paste now and red chilli/curry powder and saute for 3 minutes. Add all the veggies now except cauliflower and saute for a couple of minutes. Cauliflower is added last because we dont want them to be overcooked.

4. Drain the soaked rice now and add it to the cooker. Saute for another 2 minutes.

3. Add 1.5 cups of water now, required salt [ about 3 tsp ], cauliflower pieces and close the pressure cooker. After pressure starts coming out [it will take 1-2 minutes], then put the weight on. Keep flame in medium, Cook for 8 minutes exactly starting from the time you closed the pressure cooker with lid.

4. Keep aside until pressure releases naturally. Remove the cooker lid now and fluff well with a fork.


Serve this yummy biryani with the traditional onion raitha and chips for an absolutely splendid meal.

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Spicy Red Potato Curry

This red potato curry is my favorite side dish to pair up with Pooris. Most people go with the yellow aloo side dish -  Aloo Bhaji when they make pooris but my preference is this red spicy gravy. Its a very simple onion-tomato gravy to which boiled potatoes are added, but the texture of this curry is quite thick and a little extra red-chilli powder to bump up the hotness. Take a chance with this gravy when you make pooris next time and I am sure you would agree with me that this is indeed a better accompaniment.

Ingredients

Serves - 4
Spice Level - High
Prep Time - 15 min
Cook time - 20 min

Red Onion - 2 small/medium sized, finely chopped
Tomatoes - 4 Large sized, chopped
Potatoes - 2 , small sized, cubed into medium sized pieces
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Ginger garlic paste - 1 Tsp
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Cumin - 1 Tsp
Mustard - 1 Tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli Powder - 2 Tbsp
Hing - a pinch
Salt - as per need

How do you do it

1. Heat oil in a kadai. Add hing, followed by mustard seeds, let it pop, add cumin seeds to roast. Add the onions, curry leaves, Ginger-Garlic paste in now and saute well until the onions are cooked - 5 minutes

2. Now add in the tomato pieces, turmeric, half the amount of salt required, toss well and close the kadai with a lid. Let the tomatoes get cooked in medium flame. wait for the tomatoes to disintegrate completely and form a gravy.

3. Meanwhile, Microwave the potato pieces in a bowl of water for about 3-4 minutes until they are half done. Drain and keep aside.

4. Once the tomatoes are cooked well, add the chilli powder now and mix well. Saute for a minute or two for the masala powders to get cooked.

3. Add about 2 cups of water to this now, remaining salt, potatoes and close the kadai with a lid. Let the curry boil for 10 minutes until all the flavors blend well and potatoes become tender.


Serve this delicious hot gravy with idli/dosai/pooris/chapathis etc.

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