Mushroom Pakoda

The most awesome thing about mushrooms is that even though they are considered as food for special occasions but they can also be incredibly easy and fast to cook.Here is an easy snack with mushroom which can be enjoyed with ketchup or chilli sauce and a hot cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients


Mushrooms- 1 cup sliced,
Besan or chickpea flour or kadalai maavu- 1 cup,
Maida- 1/2 cup,
Cornflour- 2 tblspns,
Baking soda- a pinch,
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tsp,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp,
Coriander powder- 1 tsp,
Garam masala- 1 tsp,
Kasoori methi- 1tsp,
salt- as reqd,
oil- for frying.
Method.

In a vessel, combine all the above mentioned ingredients except mushrooms and the oil.Add water and mix well so that there are no lumps and a thick batter is formed.Slice the mushrooms into uniform sized pieces.Pour oil in a kadai and wait till it becomes hot.Dip the mushrooms in the batter and drop it in the hot oil one by one.Cook each side approximately 1-2 minutes and remove from oil.Sprinkle some Aamchoor(dry mango)powder and lime and serve hot with ketchup or chutney.
Tips: If you feel that the mushrooms are absorbing too much oil skip the maida.Use only besan.

Mushroom peas masala

Mushrooms are the nature's best supplement for Non-veg.I simply love them.They are very quick to cook as well.When I have guests at home.I always make non-veg dishes.If my guests are vegetarians,then its always mushrooms and paneer. Its so simple and yet so tasty.There are hundreds of dishes both south indian,north indian and international recipes that can be cooked with mushrooms.This is a recipe that i made as it came to me and it turned out quite nice.It is not out of the ordinary but very similar to many mushroom dishes I have tried and tasted with just a little twist to it.Here goes....

Ingredients.

Mushrooms- 2 packets(400gms),
Peas- 1 cup,
Onion- 1 finely chopped,
Tomatoes- 3 finely chopped,
Asafoetida(hing)- a pinch,
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp,
Garam masala- 1 tsp,
Coriander powder- 1 tsp,
Cumin powder- 1 tsp,
Kasoori methi- 1 tsp,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Ginger-garlic paste- 2tsps,
Salt - as reqd,
Oil- 2 tblspns,
Butter- 1 tblsp,
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp,
Sugar- 1 tsp.


Method

Slice the mushrooms into equal medium sized pieces.In a kadai,take some oil and splatter some cumin seeds.Now put the hing and the onions and saute well.Add some salt to this so that the onions don't burn and the oil usage is not much.Once the onions are transparent, add the ginger-garlic paste.Fry for 2 mins until the raw smell disappears.Then add the tomatoes and cook them till they are soft and most of the moisture evaporates.Then add the masala powders except kasoori methi and sugar.Don't let the spices burn.Reduce the flame and cook till the oil seperates.Add little water if necessary.Now add the mushrooms and peas and mix well so that the masala is well distributed.Put the lid on and cook till the vegetables are done and it becomes a thick gravy.Now,add the kasoori methi and the sugar and the butter and mix well for 2-3 mins.Now,switch off the flame and serve hot with rice.

Tips:You can also make mushroom sandwich the next day with this masala.Just spoon some masala on one side of the bread slice and toast it with ghee or dry.This can be had as a snack or even during breakfast.