Mushroom Gravy for the Tired Soul

Its getting hot in here, and no, I am not quoting Nelly. It is HOT in Kolkata, and the occasional drizzle promises just one thing - the heat will be back with a vengeance. And today, I cooked this for lunch because I was unable to hold down anything that was too meaty, namely, meat. 

So, this is the recipe. It is simple, straightforward, and picturesque. I hope you like it.

Take 8 dried cloud ear fungus or dried shiitake mushrooms, and rehydrate them by cooking them on high in a microwave for 5 minutes with 1 cup of water and then resting them for 30 minutes, or by simply soaking them in the said amount of water for 2 hours. I chose the former path. 

Slice the said mushrooms into bitty pieces, along with 200 gm. of button mushrooms. Reserve the mushroom liquor that has gathered in the bowl. Now, marinate the button mushroom in 2 tsp. rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp. fish sauce, 1 tsp. soy sauce and the mushroom liquor for 1 hour. 

Heat pan, add sesame oil and refined oil (about 1 tbsp. in all). Add 1 finely chopped onion, and a single dried red chilli, cut in pieces. Fry over high heat.

Add 1 tsp. grated ginger and the cloud ear fungus. Mix and stir fry. 

Add the button mushrooms and 1/2 tsp. sugar. Fry. 

Add the reserved mushroom marinade, pepper powder, and cover the pan. Cook for about 15 minutes, or till the water has been mostly absorbed. Add 1 cup of water mixed with 1 tbsp. cornflour. Cook till the gravy is thick. 

Serve over hot rice.

I know, I know, this recipe is just that. A recipe. But it is tasty. Give it a chance, and you will see how it soothes your soul. 

Few Things I did in Summer!

So I came across this lovely little contest  that is going on in Indiblogger for IloveLakme. Join it if you want to win too. What you have to do is to tell a story, or write about things that you would love doing outdoors and be just like Elena, the Sunshine Girl who is Lakme's Mascot for Summer this year. Here are the five things I have done all through summer this year, and will continue to do, in the sunny outdoors. As I care about the scorching heat, so I make sure of certain things before I go out. One of them is definitely to protect my skin against the sun, and so, apply a high-SPF sunblock cream 15 minutes before I am ready to hit the streets.

1. DRINK A LOT! AND NOT ALCOHOL. 

Paramount Green Mango

Alcohol is something that has never been able to cool me down. Instead, glasses of drinks has. My favorite drink is however, water, which I normally carry with me. But, here are the two drinks of summer this year for me.

The Green Mango Sherbet at Paramount near College Street is an amazing thirst quencher for me. While strolling the dusty college street in search of a good book, I have often stopped here, taken a hasty drink, and then ran off. The olde worlde charm of this place is just perfect for sitting down, drinking a glass or five of cold sherbet, with a friend or two. 

Pizza Hut. I forgot the name of the drink

There is something decidedly fun about the new range of drinks at Pizza Hut. I loved this one to my right, a tangy citrus-hued drink that tasted out of this world. So light and fresh, it is the perfect drink for the summer season.

2. Wear Glasses! They are the new contact lens! Sitting outside in the heat is a big Yes! So is wearing your contact lenses, which tend to get icky with this heat.

pretty cafe! 

cool glasses. I love them. Actually I want to steal them.

 I am suffering from a serious case of glasses envy here. These are so cool, and my friend wears them with such panache. I want! 

3. Spending time with your pets is a great idea. They feel hot too, and taking them out for a ride is a good thing to do.

Here's what happens when you take said pets outside.

they get kissed.

and yes, I do take the word ride seriously.

 Also, you can visit the zoo, and find out more about the wonderful nature around you.

Disclaimer: this post is in response to The Lakmé Diva Blogger Contest which I would love to win.

Foodie Exchange: The Package!!

So, thanks to the efforts of Culinary Storm we recently had a foodie exchange. There were a group of foodies, and I quote from her list of people who participated - 

Deeps of Naughty Curry
Madhuri of Cook Curry Nook
Sarita of The Clean Toothpick
Pratiksha of Honeyed Pandemonium
Jeetendra of Moody Foodie
Siri of Cooking with Siri
Apeksha of Veggie Wiz
Poorna of Presented by P
Ameya of Kitty in the Kitchen
Sid of Chef at Large
Ruchira of The Great Cookaroo
Geetha of Fragrant Kitchen
Renuka of Pinch of Salt
Marsha of The Harried Cook
Sangeeta of Health Food Desi Videshi
Rekha of My Tasty Curry

Nikhil of Nonchalant Gourmand 

And so, my partner was Apeksha from Veggie Wiz. I was so totally happy that she was my partner. She is from Delhi, and I decided to send her a few things which I thought would make her happy. I made a few bloopers (NOT READING THE LIST OF INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY COURIER SERVICE IS STUPID, to say the very least, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT ALLOW YOU TO POST SAUCES)... however, I sent her over some other stuff.

Here is what I received.

Apeksha sent me a huge number of stuff - including the YUM bhelpuri and Soya Sticks which I ate within the day. :) 

I got a package of Amla Powder, which in her note she said to use in Chholey. Though I have not used them in Chholey yet, they have gone into my hair pack, and now I have silky shiny black hair. Thankyou!!

The Sabudana is going to go in my Sabudana Vada (I <3 Sabudana Vada, and recently I have been craving some!). I also received a Dal Makhani mix which I am yet unsure what to make of. 

There is a little stash of Vanilla Beans (yayayayay!) which I want to make caramel custard with, and I want to put the used pods in a jar of fine sugar and make Vanilla Sugar, and later on, I want to infuse it with coffee and vodka and sugar, to make something decidedly naughty. Whooo-eee. :D :D 

And yes, I got some Kasuri Methi, which is all purpose, and I want to use it everywhere now, and Tulsi Tea to calm me down (as my mother complains I am hyperactive, and in need of something to relax me).

Saving the best for the last, I got this incredibly flavorful Masala mix from Rajasthan which Apeksha told me to add in any Potato Curry. I do not know the name of the mix, but it smells like heaven. Alooo, here I come, melove! 

And, the note written by Apeksha, describing all the products and giving me a good idea about what to do, is always a great gesture, and a perfect addition to what I consider to be a fine package. 

Lunch Out: Mangio

Reminds me of that game of sticks I used to play when I was a kid... you know... where you took away one stick without hurting the others? That one.

So I am being boiled alive for the last few days, and I swear its not a pretty thing. But, yesterday D told me ordered me to come over and I did, and reached Mangio at Alipore Road. For the uninitiated, Mangio is a fabulous restaurant in Kolkata, mostly serving global cuisine, and a huge array of salads, soups and sandwiches. It is owned by Lovey Burman, the owner of Kookie Jar, one of the best places for cakes and pastries.

Naturally, we were peaked about the thing.

So when we got a pair of menus, one iPad and the other one paper, we pored over each dish, checking the pictures, and then we decided on what we wanted.

Interiors of Mangio

I turned rogue and started taking snaps, drinking chilled water while our order got prepared. Both of us were pretty much unsure about what we wanted to have, D said that we should pack everything and go home and eat it, and in the end decided that we wanted a bit of this and that.

First up was the Mushrooms Stuffed with Feta Cheese (INR 290/-).

The Divine Mushrooms with Feta Cheese Stuffing

Let me tell you how these were. Beautiful, warm pieces of perfectly cooked mushrooms, stuffed with an oozy feta mixture which was just hot enough and thankfully not too salty with a beautiful slice of pimiento on top. I picked up a stick, and carefully ate one. It was. Oh God. Good. So Good. I wanted a few plates for this.

See the salad below? That's a rocket, romaine and purple lettuce salad, with drops of caramelized balsamic vinegar. I used the lettuce to mop the vinegar off the plate.

Next, our main courses came.

First, the Chicken Steak with Mushroom Jus (INR 500/-).

Though I know that you see mushroom gravy here, and not jus, but I for one, am not complaining. The steak was perfectly cooked with crispy skin (YUM!), the potatoes were warm, soft and the snow peas crunchy, which is what I like.

I shared my plate with D and then sneaked mushrooms off of her.

Homemade Fettuccine 

However, let me tell you about the other dish. This was the picture of simplicity. House made fettuccine with Mushrooms, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Onions and shavings of Parmesan Cheese (INR 400/-). It had me fight with D to get the last bits of this picture of simplicity... perfect for a hot day when you want something light. The pasta stood out in its own taste, and needed little enhancements apart from a drizzle of olive oil, and some stir fried ingredients tossed together.

We were quietly satisfied, but we are gluttons still. D was targeting the Tiramisu, but we were told that it would not be available, so I told the server I wanted the Molten Chocolate Cake with homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (INR 275/-). He promptly told me, he would be happy to oblige, but it would take some time. 20 minutes to be precise, as the cake would have to be baked.

Would we let go of such a gorgeous opportunity?

Nope.

So we continued chatting and watching the place, and then it was showtime.

Here are the BEFORE and AFTER pictures. I hope you don't hate me afterwards.

AFTER.

No Words.

The bill was around INR 1650/- after tax and all. Not cheap by any Kolkatan means, but very, very satisfying. Afterwards, we walked off happily ever after. 

The Things You Cannot Say. Or, Impromptu Bruschetta.

I like simple cooking. Period. I believe that people have a lot of things to do in life, and cooking is just one of them. Yes, I am passionate about food, cooking, eating and feeding others, but I am also passionate about a lot  more stuff that pass me by.

So, I would like to tell you what happened day before yesterday. I was with a friend who wanted to buy candle sticks (of all things!) at Shopper's Stop on a Sunday. Now that is a pretty dumb thing to do, considering the Shopper's Stop is a very crowded place on a Sunday Afternoon, but the DUMBER thing she did was to wait for over 20 minutes at the counter as the lady in front of her hemmed and hawed and chose things AT the counter. All this time, I was standing in one corner, silently fuming at her, because I had to then rush to work.

As she finally came to the front and was about to put down her SINGLE purchase, a man came up right behind her, and said that he was really in a hurry and wanted to get just "ONE TINY LITTLE THING" and could she just let him go first?

Do you know what my friend did?

She let him. Knowing full well I was fuming and late, late, late.

At that moment, I have not hated anyone in the last couple of years as I hated her.

Hate is a mild word for what I felt at that point. I wanted to put her, head first, inside a large bowl of boiling water and cook her till she turned bright red and shiny.

Yes, I was thinking Lobster.

And Tomatoes. Which I can peel then and puree. Or cut in pieces and put them in Bruschetta.

So, here is one of the epitomes of simplicity.

Preheat your oven for 10 minutes at 200 Degrees Celsius or get your microwave prepared for some toasting/grilling magic.

Take thick, 3/4th-1 inch slices of bread, preferably whole wheat (I used bread I'd baked a couple of days back) and slather with some soft, preferably salty butter to not let the moisture from the cheese and tomatoes seep into the bread. You can also use olive oil, but trust me, butter is better. Toast the slices lightly.

Put a long, inviting slice of Mozzarella cheese on top and cover with slices of tomatoes soaked in olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Bake till the Mozzarella melts. Sprinkle with some Italian herb blend, or your very own Oregano Seasoning sneaked in from the Local Dominos, or any other seasoning you think might work.

Serve. Hot. Immediately. And. Eat. Immediately. Too. 

Rajma Chawal and Weird Weather

I haven't blogged seriously in a while. No really, I know I have not.

Can I blame it on posts of wrongly prepared condiments which nauseated me enough to make me stop blogging and wonder where I went wrong?

I'm no Bourdain. Not Nigella either. Or Alton.

But I do love my condiments.

And I love thunderstorms.

Which brings us to Kolkata, my lovely city right now, where every evening is a thunderstorm waiting to happen. Today I was coming back, hauling my brand new HP Pavilion g6 (Finally! I get to upgrade to an I3 and get a 1 GB dedicated Graphic Ram too!!) from City Center II with the Fatherland, and on our way back we faced one of the worst thunderstorm I have seen. We could not drive the car so we had to park the car for a while as there were large pieces of ice bouncing off our windscreen along with torrential rains. Twice we nearly collided with another car as our visibility was near zero, and after every few seconds the crashing sound of thunder would reverberate through the open space.

Okay, enough poetry. I came back home, drenched, with my brand new computer secured safely inside a backpack and made Rajma Chawal.

When I was a little tiny girl of seven I had Rajma for the first time at a neighbor's house. The neighbor was Marwari and cooked like a dream. I was in love with kidney beans. And as I turned 11, one of the first things I learned how to cook (after reading a huge number of books and equal number of recipes from old magazines, newspaper and whatnot) was a steaming bowl of Rajma. In days to come I am sure I will cook other versions of this dish, but here was today's "unprepared" version.

Take around 200-250 gms kidney beans (Rajma) and soak them overnight if possible. Wasn't possible for me, so I pressure cooked it for 20 minutes extra to get it soft enough. By the way, a pinch of baking soda, one chopped onion, 500 ml water and a big pinch of salt went inside the pressure cooker and the beans were cooked till they were soft but not mushy. They held their shape. Retained their character, so as to say.

Heat 4 tablespoon oil in a thick bottomed vessel, and fry a large pinch of shahi jeera (Caraway seeds), 3 cardamom pods (bruised slightly with the back of your pestle), 1 stick cinnamon and a few peppercorns. Let cook for at least a minute on medium high heat before adding 2 onions, chopped. Meanwhile, add 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste to the cooked beans and take out 1 cup of it and blend it with the aid of a blender, your hand, the back of a thick ladle or other means. Now either add 3 tomatoes pureed or 100 ml tomato puree (choice is yours) to the cooking vessel along with 1 tablespoon red chilli powder, 3 tablespoon Rajma Masala and a large pinch of sugar.

What!! You don't have Rajma Masala in your kitchen?

How have you lived all your life you ignorant person? I have kept the damn thing in my kitchen ever since I was 12 and I use it all the time.

Okay, you don't have it.

No biggie. Mix 2 teaspoon of garam masala (I like the Shahi Garam Masala that you get from Everest and Sunrise but feel free) with 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder to make Rajma Masala.

Easy Peasy?

Good.

Back to the drawing board.

Now while you are cooking Rajma I hope you have something ready to eat this with. What? You Don't! The insolence!! Cook some rice, or make a bunch of Rotis, or knock yourself out and toast some thick cut bread. I am not picky but I refuse to eat this protein rich deliciousness without carbs and fat.

Okay! Where were we?

So you add the Rajma Masala and the tomato puree and let the mixture cook till the oil starts separating from it. This will take a couple of minutes or so, but once that happens, dump in your beans along with the cooking liquid, give a few half-hearted stirs and then leave the bloody kitchen. You have no work there do you?

Unless you are cooking the rice or making those rotis or toasting the bread. Wait! The toasting comes during the last 5 minutes, so if you have option C, scoot. Scram. Kapoot Draconis.

It shows that I am writing this at 5 a.m. in the morning.

Anyway, once your beans have cooked to a lovely shimmery glossy beauty here is what you do. If, of course, you are serving it with rice and making PROPER Rajma Chawal.

Throw some hot cooked rice inside a bowl. This here food is messy so bowl is better than plate.

Scoop some rice in the bowl.

Pour a tiny lug of ghee (That's clarified butter, and if you don't get it in your part of the world, or you just want your damn food, you can add butter or skip this step altogether.

However, for the greater benefit of mankind and you, I beg of you not to.

Cover with some of the Rajma.

Now comes the evil bit.

Mix everything together.

And then again top with some more of the beans.

And eat. However, be careful as the damn thing is HOT. 

Foodie Exchange

Recently I was asked to join a foodie exchange where I am supposed to send a fellow foodie a package filled with goodies, and get a package in return. I hope I get to send my partner Apeksha a good package. I will be going shopping tomorrow and I hope I can remember all the things I hope to purchase (I am hopeless with lists, I keep losing them). Do check out her blog which is  http://veggiewiz.in and it is amazing.

Anyway, I leave you with a picture.

Filter Coffee. My Current Obsession.