CHILLI MUSHROOM

CHILLI MUSHROOM

From time to time we make dishes using mushrooms as they are good for health apart from being so tasty. They lend themselves well to Indian-Chinese cuisine and elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for Schezwan Mushroom, and Mushroom Pepper Fry.

One of the advantages of making dishes of mushroom is that they get cooked very fast and can be cooked and served in relatively short times.

Today's dish is adapted from the recipe for an Oriental Starter called Chilli Mushroom from the website of The MJ Residency, one of the premier hotels of  Dehradun. I have used the regular green capsicum (bell pepper) but if you want a more attractive presentation, you could use red and yellow capsicums as well.

We loved the Indian-Chinese flavours of the mushrooms with ginger and garlic blended with vinegar and soy.

Ingredients:

• Button Mushrooms, 200 gms
• Garlic, finely chopped, 1 tsp
• Ginger, finely chopped, 1 tsp
• Green Chillies, finely chopped, 1 tbsp.
• Spring Onions, chopped, 1 cup
• Capsicum, sliced, 1/2 cup
• Black Pepper Powder, freshly crushed, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 and 1/2 to 2 tbsp.

For the Cornflour Mixture:

• Cornflour, 1 tbsp.
• Vinegar, 1 tsp
• Soy Sauce, 1 tsp
• Water, 1/4 cup

Method:

Clean the button mushrooms and slice or quarter them. Keep aside
In a bowl, mix together the cornflour, vinegar, soy sauce and water to form a mixture. Make sure there are no lumps by mixing it well. Keep aside

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and when it gets hot, add the chopped garlic, ginger, and green chillies. Saute on medium flame for about 1 minute till the garlic gives off a good aroma

Add the chopped spring onions and saute on medium flame for 1 minute

Add the capsicum and saute on medium flame for 1 minute. Do not overcook the capsicum as they should remain crisp and crunchy

Add the sliced mushrooms and salt, and mix gently. There is no need to add water as the mushroom give off their own juice when salt is added. Cook on medium flame for 2-3 minutes tossing occasionally.

When the mushrooms are nearly cooked, add the cornflour mixture and pepper powder, mix gently and cook on medium flame for 2 minutes stirring occasionally

Serve hot as a starter or as a side dish

GARLICKY CHILLI MUSHROOMS

GARLICKY CHILLI MUSHROOMS

Both my husband and I are fond of mushrooms. Once in a while I make some mushroom dish using the store bought button mushrooms which are so easily available. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for mushroom dishes as diverse as Tandoori Mushrooms, Mushroom Pepper Fry, and Schezwan Mushrooms.

Today's dish is adapted from Spicy Garlic Mushrooms in Swasthi's Indian Healthy Recipes. You will love this dish if you like garlics as much as we do. We enjoyed this spicy and tangy mushroom dish with a garlicky flavour, as a side dish with fried rice.  

We like spicy food, but if you wish you can reduce the spice level by reducing the chillies or de-seeding the chillies before use. 

Ingredients:

• Button Mushrooms, chopped, 200 gms
• Large Onion, finely chopped, 1
• Cumin Seeds, (Jeera), 1/2 tsp
• Oil, 1 and 1/2 tbsp.

To be Ground to a Paste:-

• Chinese Garlic Cloves, 5 
• Roasted Byadgi Red Chillies, 5
• Vinegar, 1 tbsp.
• Sugar, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Water, 2 tbsp

Method:

Clean the mushrooms and pat them dry

Cut them into quarters or slice them
In a small mixer jar, grind together garlic, roasted red chillies, vinegar, sugar, and salt, adding 2 tbsp of water, to form a coarse paste. Keep aside

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and when it gets hot, add the cumin seeds
When the cumin seeds sizzle add the finely chopped onion and saute till it turns light brown
Add to this the ground paste, mix well and saute for a few minutes till the raw smell goes
Next add the sliced mushrooms and gently mix till they are evenly coated
Saute for a couple of minutes
Then cover and cook on medium flame till the mushrooms are done (Remember that mushrooms get cooked very fast)
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot as a side dish

HIRWI MIRCHI CHA THECHA

HIRWI MIRCHI CHA THECHA (Dry Chutney of Green Chillies)

 This form of chutney is from Maharashtra where it is usually served as an accompaniment to jawri/ bajra bhakri or roti or with khichdi. As far as I know, this is called Mirchi Kharda when it is made with peanuts. I have adapted this from a recipe for Hirwi Michi cha Thecha/ Mirchi Kharda by Jaishree in her blog Healthy Veg Recipes.

While the adding of coriander is optional, I chose to add this. I modified the ingredients and method slightly. I used 15 chillies, a handful of coriander leaves and only 1/2 tsp of oil for lightly frying the coriander leaves considering the quantity used. I have described below the method that I used to make the Thecha/Kharda.

It turned out to be quite delicious.

Ingredients:

• Medium spicy Long Green Chillies, (Hirwi Mirchi), 15-20 * I used 15
• Roasted Peanuts, ( Shengdana), 1/2 cup
• Garlic Cloves, 7-8
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped, * I used a handful
• Oil, 1 tsp for roasting green chillies
• Oil, 2 tsp for roasting coriander leaves, if used. * I used 1/2 tsp only

Method:

Wash the green chillies after removing their stalks and pat them dry
Cut each chilly into 3-4 pieces
Heat a tsp of oil in a kadhai and roast the green chillies, stirring continuously till it gets spotted

Add roasted peanuts, garlic, and salt. Stir for a few minutes. Keep aside.
In a little oil, lightly fry the chopped coriander leaves in the kadhai for a few seconds. Allow it to cool.
Add this to the roasted chillies, roasted peanuts, garlic and salt.
Traditionally, this is next pounded using a mortar and pestle to a coarse powder.
If, like me, you are using a grinder, make sure you run the grinder in short bursts so that the roasted peanuts are not totally crushed. You should get a dry chutney of coarse texture
The Hirwi Mirchi cha Thecha/Mirchi Kharda is ready to be served.

MIRCHI KA SALAN

MIRCHI KA SALAN


This Hyderabadi specialty is made of long green chillies/finger hots/banana peppers and is a treat traditionally served as an accompaniment  to the equally fabulous Hyderabadi biryani.
It's hot!

This was delicious if you like chillies. I would recommend you try this to surprise your family and friends some day.

This recipe for a yogurt-based Mirchi ka Salan is adapted from a YouTube video by Chef Sanjay Thumma of Vah Re Vah!

Ingredients:

• Long Green Chillies, ( finger hots/banana peppers), 100 gms
• Onion, 1
• Plain Yogurt, 100 gms
• Tamarind Pulp, 30 gms
• Chilly powder 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp
• Coconut gratings, 1 tbsp
• Peanuts, 1 tbsp
• Sesame seeds, 15 gms
• Coriander powder, 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder, 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds, 1 pinch
• Ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp
• Asafoetida (Hing), 1 pinch
• Mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves, 7-8
• Red chillies, 3
• Jaggery, as per taste
• Salt, as per taste.
• Oil, 2 tbsp

For garam masala: Cloves 2-3; Cinnamon 2-3 sticks; Cardamom 2.

Method: 

Take a little oil in a kadhai, add the peanuts, fry on slow flame till they get roasted
Add sesame seeds, fry till it becomes golden.
Add coconut gratings, roast till it becomes slightly brown.
In a blender, blend this mixture with a little water to get a fine paste.
Now add the remaining oil in the pan. When it is slightly hot, add the garam masala ingredients with the whole red chillies. Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter, add cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds.
Next, add the onion and a little salt to cook it fast. Cook till they are golden brown so that they get dissolved in the salan.
Add pinch of hing and turmeric. Mix it and add ginger garlic paste.
Then add the curry leaves and mix everything.
Let it cook till the raw smell goes
Add little water and add the dry masala, red chilly powder, coriander powder and cumin powder and let it cook till the oil oozes out.
Add a little more water. Add the yogurt, mix it and add the ground paste of peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut gratings and mix.
Cover the pan and let it cook, stirring in between till the oil oozes out.
When it boils, add tamarind pulp and jaggery. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes till everything is well cooked.
Add slit green chillies to the gravy and let it cook for 5-10 minutes, so that the green chillies absorb the juices of the gravy.
Serve hot with biryani.

HAPPOLA KISMURI :ACCOMPANIMENT USING CHILLI PAPPAD

HAPPOLA KISMURI
AN ACCOMPANIMENT USING CHILLI PAPPAD

Today, I plan to share a dish which is popular amongst us Konkanis. I really am not sure to what extent it is made by others. All that I can say for sure is that it becomes a spicy and tasty accompaniment to the main meal. My husband says it makes for a delicious cocktail snack as well.

In Konkani cuisine, we make extensive use of various kinds of,  what we call,  "Happolu." These are pappad like fries served as accompaniment with the main course of rice and curry. Happolu are like first cousins to pappads. There are variants containing one of, either potatoes, chillis, and jackfruit.
The chilli variant is made primarily of urad dal (black gram) and red chillies from which it gets its colour.

In this snack/accompaniment which can be made in a jiffy, we crush the chilli  happolu ("mirsange happolu" in Konkani) to make a crunchy, spicy salad of sorts which we call "kismuri."

Often these days, to avoid frying the pappads, I just "mic" them for a minute in the microwave and they emerge roasted and just as good. However,  some people prefer the more traditional and common fried version.

Ingredients:

• Chilli Pappad (Mirsange Happolu), fried or microwaved, 6-7
• Onion, chopped fine, 1
• Green Chilli, chopped fine, 1
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves, chopped, 1 tbsp

Note: **You will not find salt as an ingredient as the happolus already have salt in them. You can add a pinch if required. 

Method: 

Crush the fried/microwaved chilli pappad into small pieces
Mix this well along with the chopped onions, green chillies and coconut gratings

Finally, garnish it with fresh coriander leaves, and serve