Mushroom Matar Masala

Initially I was not a big fan of mushrooms. But my husband loved them alot. So I started eating with him and now I too enjoy eating and making mushroom dishes. Mushroom matar masala is one dish I prepare quite frequently. Its one of my favorite combination.

Ingredients:
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup green peas/matar
1 onion sliced
1 tomato diced
1/2 inch ginger
3-4 garlic cloves
1 clove
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp dhania powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1/2 tsp turmeric/haldi
1/4 cup milk
4-5 tsp oil
salt

Method:

1. Heat 2 tsp oil in small kadhai. Add cloves and cinnamon.
2. Add garlic. Fry till it turns golden. Add sliced onion and ginger and fry till onion turns tender. Fry tomatoes till they become soft.
3. Let this cool down and then grind to a smooth paste.
4. In a deep kadhai, heat remaining oil. Add cumin seeds and turmeric.
5. Add puree we prepared. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
6. Then add milk and mix immediately so that milk does not curdle.
7. Add peas and mushrooms.  Add red chilli powder, dhania powder, garam masala and salt.Mix nicely. Add 1/2 cup of water.
8. Cover with lid and cook till mushrooms are cooked nicely.

Preparation time : 20-25 minutes

Upasachi Batata bhaji ( Potato Sabji done on fasting days) and Awards :)

I am completely humbled and overjoyed with beautiful awards showered on me by my sweet blogger buddies.

Nithu (http://nithubala-recipes.blogspot.com/) and Devi (http://fresherscookbook.blogspot.com/) have shared with me this cute 'Smart Food Blogger Award'. Thank you so much both of you !! You have fantastic blogs and it is really encouraging to receive award from you!

Nithu has also shared with me these 'Blog lovin award' and 'Lovely Blog Award'. Thanks to you again dear for remembering me!!

Devi has also shared with me this 'Thank You' Award. So so Sweet of you Dearie!

Swapna Sree (http://swapnasridhar.blogspot.com/) and Suma (http://sumarowjee.blogspot.com/) have shared with me Kreative Blogger award. It means so much to me. Many many Thanks to both of you gals. Keep rocking with your beautiful blogs as always!

I would like to share all these awards with my blogger buddies. Please accept them.:

Jyoti         (http://theveggiehut.blogspot.com/)

Aparna     (http://ladiesspecialadukkala.blogspot.com/)

Kitchen queen  ( http://kattameethatheeka.blogspot.com/ ) 

Sumathi    (http://ammavin-adupankarai.blogspot.com/)

Preety      (http://preetyskitchen.blogspot.com/)

Siddhi      (http://siddhiscookingexperiences.blogspot.com/)

Pari          (http://cooking-goodfood.blogspot.com/)

Swapna Sree (http://swapnasridhar.blogspot.com/) 

Suma       (http://sumarowjee.blogspot.com/)

I would like to share 'Thank you' award with Nithu (http://nithubala-recipes.blogspot.com/) for all the encouragement. Also I would like to share 'Blog Lovin Award' and 'Lovely Blog Award' with Devi (http://fresherscookbook.blogspot.com/) . Please accept them!

Now coming to todays recipe:

In Maharashtra, there are many dishes made especially on fasting days. To name a few Sabudana/Tapioca Khichdi, Sweet potato fry, Varaiche tandul (Samo rice) are just to name a few. These dishes are so delicious its really hard to fast with such food prepared :) I remember as a child, for me and my bro fasting was just an excuse to relish on all these fantastic dishes. Fasting was left only to my parents :) This potato sabji is something which we always ask our mom to prepare. It is very easy and tastes great just by itself or as side item.

Ingredients:
4-5 medium sized potatoes
1/2 cup roasted groundnut powder (little coarse)
3-4 green chillies cut lengthwise
2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
2-3 tbsp ghee
salt

Method:

1. Boil potatoes in pressure cooker till they are nicely cooked.
2. Peel potatoes and mash them.
3. In kadhai add ghee.
4. When ghee melts add jeera, green chillies.
5. Add potatoes, salt and groundnut powder. Mix well. Fry for 4-5 minutes.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Preparation time: 20-25 minutes

Batata Song ( Potatoes in coconut gravy)

Batata song is a delicious konkani dish. My mother in law gave me this recipe. Batata song has a tasty gravy of coconut, red chillies and tamarind. Heat from red chillies and sourness of tamarind form very tasty combination. This tastes great with rice as well as chapati.

Ingredients:
5-6 medium sized potatoes
2 medium sized onions finely chopped
8-9 red chillies
3/4 cup grated coconut
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp tamarind pulp
3-4 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp haldi/turmeric
1/2 tsp hing
salt

Method:

1. Boil and peel potatoes. Cut them into small cubes.
2. Dry roast red chillies and coriander seeds for a minute.
3. Grind red chillies,  coriander seeds, tamarind pulp and grated coconut to a smooth paste adding little water.
4. Heat oil in kadhai. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter add haldi,onion and hing.
5. Fry onion till it turns translucent.
6. Add masala paste which we prepared earlier.
7. Add a cup of water. Let this simmer for 2 minutes. Add salt.
8. Add potato cubes and mix well.
9. Keep on medium heat for few minutes till thick gravy consistency is formed.

Preparation time : 30 minutes

Dum Aloo ( Baby Potatoes in gravy)

Last weekend during our weekly grocery shopping, I spotted baby potatoes. These small potatoes are so inviting, I do not miss opportunity to buy them. Baby potatoes immediately remind me of 'Dum Aloo'. It makes a pretty heavy lunch. Traditionally in this recipe, potatoes are cooked under pressure ( Dum in hindi)  so the name 'Dum Aloo'. I do not cook in the traditional way but this simple recipe tastes great.

Ingredients:
6-7 baby potatoes
1 big onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/2 inch ginger
1/4 cup grated coconut
6-7 cashews
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp curd
1 tbsp milk
Oil
salt

Method:    

1. Boil baby potatoes in cooker. Peel them. 
2. Fry potatoes in 2-3 tsp hot oil till they turn golden. This gives them nice crispy structure. Prick potatoes with fork so that they can absorb gravy.
3. For Making Gravy-
   
   
   
   • Fry cumin seeds,coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamom stick till nice aroma comes out.
   • Fry cashews and coconut for 2-3 minutes.
   • Heat 2-3 tsp oil in kadhai. Fry onion till it turns golden brown. Add garlic,ginger and tomato. Fry till tomato turns soft.
   • Grind all these ingredients adding red chilli powder, salt and water.
   
   
4. Heat 3-4 tsp oil in deep kadhai. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter add curry leaves and turmeric.
5. Add gravy which we have prepared earlier. Fry for a minute.
6. Add 1 cup water. Add potatoes..
7. Blend curd in milk and add it
8. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes so that potatoes absorb gravy nicely.

Serve with fulka/chapati.

Preparation time : 30 minutes.

Kandyachya patichi bhaji (Green onion/ Spring onion vegetable)

Green onion ( Kandyachi pat called in marathi) is famous for its use in most of the Chinese dishes. It adds a great flavor to any salad. Apart from its use in such dishes, it can be cooked in a really tasty vegetable. I learnt this recipe from my mom. It comes very handy when I want to make something real fast. Green onion does not take much time to cook or cut. So its my go to vegetable when I am in hurry.

In this recipe I use 'Goda Masala'. Goda Masala plays a big role in Maharashtrian cooking. It looks similar to Garam Masala and adds wonderful taste and aroma to curries and dals. You can easily get it in grocery stores across Maharashtra and north Karnataka. I was very happy to see it in Indian store here in US. If you can't find it you can use Garam Masala as a substitute in this recipe. The taste will be little different but it will be equally delicious.

Ingredients:

2 bunch of green onion

4-5 tbsp besan (bengal gran flour)
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp goda masala ( or 1/2 tsp Garam Masala)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp turmeric
4-5 tsp oil

Method:

1. Wash green onions properly and cut it's green leaves into 1/2 inch pieces. ( Do not use onions at the root in this recipe.)
2. Heat oil in kadhai. ( Preferably take non stick kadhai). Add mustard seeds. When they start spluttering add jeera , turmeric. 
3. Add green onion and fry for a minute.
4. Add 1/4 cup of water. Let green onions cook for 4-5 minutes.
5. When all the water evaporates, turn the heat low. Add besan, sprinkling it over green onions little by little. While sprinkling take care that besan does not form lumps.
6. Add red chilli powder, goda masala and salt.
7. Stir properly. If all green onions are not covered with besan, add some more besan. Mix besan and green onions properly.
8. Once everything is mixed properly, let besan cook for another 5 minutes till its raw smell goes away. While it is cooking, keep stirring in between so that besan does not stick to the kadhai.

Enjoy with fulka/chapati.

Preparation time : 20-25 mins.

Aloo Palak (Potato in spinach gravy)

  Palak (Spinach) is one of my favorite vegetables. It is one of the most versatile vegetable. You can use it in soup, rice, dal, pakode and everything will come out delicious. Aloo Palak is no exception.

Ingredients:
3 medium sized potatoes
1 big bunch of Spinach finely chopped
1 big onion finely chopped
1 big tomato finely chopped
 3 tbsp ghee
1/2 inch ginger
2 green chillies
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp dhania powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp turmeric

Method:

1. Cook finely chopped spinach, adding 1/2 cup of water for 5-10 minutes.
2. Grind together ginger, cooked spinach and green chillies.
3. Boil Potatoes in pressure cooker and peel them. Cut them into small pieces.
4. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in kadhai and fry potato pieces for 4-5 minutes till it turns slightly golden brown. Keep these pieces separately.
5. Heat remaining ghee in the same kadhai. Add mustard seeds.
6. When mustard seeds splutter add jeera and chopped onion.
7. Fry onion till it turns golden brown. Then add chopped tomato and fry for 3-4 minutes.
8. Add haldi, dhania powder, red chilli powder, garam masala. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
9. Add spinach and fried potato pieces. Add little bit of water.
10. Let this simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Enjoy hot aloo palak with rotis.

Preparation time : 45 mins
Serves : 2