Mushroom Paneer Masala ( And a box full of Nostalgia )

One of the most wretched things in life is perhaps being away from loved ones during the festive season. I was feeling completely heartbroken as this year work commitments kept us from visiting our hometown during the Dusshera celebrations.  The new clothes were there, the sweets were there and quite a number of bedecked pandals were strewn all over Bangalore. But the close ones with whom we would have loved to share all this were missing. I guess that is the thing about joy. It multiplies manifold when shared.

Hence, when a beautiful green colored box arrived one afternoon, it stirred memories of celebrations back home. As I opened the box, the delectable 'Tata Sampann' spice packets tumbled out unleashing a floodgate of nostalgia. 'Paneer Masala', 'Dal Takdka masala' and 'Punjabi Choley Masala' reminded me of the delicious vegetarian meals cooked by my 'mausi' and 'mamis'. With schools being closed for Dusshera vacation, all of us would gather at 'mama's' place for fun and food. With so many people in the house, the kitchen hardly got any respite. The younger lot of ladies would be in charge of whipping of the meals while my 'nani' took to keeping an eye over the kids. The terrace would be lined with the freshly dug turmeric and red chillis, which in turn attracted our curiosity. While in those days I clearly remember sulking over not being allowed to play with those spices, today I realize that their tantalizing culinary creations carried the magical touch of these home ground spices.
Each individual use sachet of TATA Sampann seals in the same freshness of the best quality spices that still retain their natural oils which are responsible for that unmistakable aroma of the home ground spices. These spices are further sourced from the best farms and are 100 percent sterilized to ensure complete safety for one's family. Plus the signature 'masalas' are developed under the expertise of Chef Sanjeev Kapoor who is a name to reckon with.

Given our hectic lifestyle and the obvious absence of a terrace to carry out such ventures, I could never imagine creating those magical concoctions in my own kitchen. But as I cut open the carefully sealed spice packets from 'Tata Sampann', the heady aroma and the striking hues made my head spin. 'Sampann' literally translates into rich and that it exactly what these spices felt like.

I prepared a simple meal consisting of a mushroom-paneer curry, dal tadka , steamed rice and salad for our 'Dashami' lunch. Tantalizing aromas enveloped the entire house even as I added finishing touches to the spread. Some of it even escaped to tease the neighbors, and in turn, prompting queries like 'what's special today ?'. And needless to say, my family had one of their best meals in the recent times.

Read on for the recipe for Mushroom Paneer Masala, a dish that never fails to invoke my childhood memories -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 200 gm paneer
• 200 gm button mushrooms
• 1/2 sachet of Tata Sampann Paneer Masala
• 2 tsp cream (optional)
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp Tata Sampann turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Tata Sampann red chili powder ( adjust as per taste )
• 2 pinch garam masala
• 3 tsp oil
• 1 tsp butter (optional)

For the gravy -

• 1 large onion ( cut into chunks )
• 10 garlic cloves (peeled)
• 1 inch ginger ( peeled and chopped into juliennes )
• 2 small tomatoes
• 2 pinch salt 
• 1 green cardamom
• 1/2 inch cinnamon
• 2-3 cloves
• 3-4 cashews 
• 1 tsp melon seeds (char-magaj)
• 1 tsp poppy seeds

Preparation - Soak cashews, poppy seeds and melon seeds in warm water for 30 mins.

Clean the mushrooms by rubbing them on a rough kitchen towel before then washing under running water. Slice them along the length.

Cut the paneer into cubes and immerse in salted water.

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add the cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Fry till fragrant.

Add onion, ginger and garlic cloves . Fry till raw smell goes off.

Add the chopped tomato and fry till they soften a bit. Finally toss in the soaked cashews and fry for 2 mins.

Remove from flame and keep aside till it cools down. Grind into a smooth paste and keep aside.

Heat the remaining oil and butter in the same wok. Add the masala paste and fry for 2-3 mins before adding the sliced mushrooms.

Turn up the heat and fry the mushrooms till they leave most of their water.

Sprinkle the red chili powder, turmeric powder and the Tata Sampann Paneer masala. Fry for 3-4 mins before adding about 1 1/2 cups of hot water. Adjust salt.

Bring to a boil before letting it simmer. Once the gravy is done, sprinkle garam masala and toss in the paneer cubes . Switch off the flame.

Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

Thank you Tata Sampann for sending over this box full of nostalgia !

Capsicum-Mushroom Stir Fry ( Shimla Maricha - Chattu bhaja)

My Odisha trip is coming to an end and the last of these days are turning out to be quite hectic. Hence I am not getting time to do much cooking apart from the regular meals. And I try and stick to quick and simple dishes whenever possible so that we can get more time to spend with family and friends.

This is a simple stir fry I made today with some capsicum and leftover mushroom fry ( simply fried with a bit of salt and turmeric ). Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup mushroom (chopped in small pieces)
• 2/3 cup green capsicum (chopped into small pieces)
• 1 large onion (chopped into thin long pieces)
• 2-3 green chilis (finely chopped)
• 2 pinch turmeric
• 4 tsp mustard oil
• 1/5 tsp salt or to taste

Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the mushrooms along with turmeric and a little salt. Stir fry on high heat till the mushrooms no longer ooze water. Remove from wok and keep aside.

Add more oil to the wok. Add the chopped green chilis and onions. Fry till onions turn translucent.

Add the capsicum and the fried mushrooms. Adjust the salt and stir fry for a few minutes on high till the capsicum just starts to wilt.

Remove from the wok and serve hot with rice/rotis.

Click here for more delicious mushroom recipes !!

Pala Chattu Pithau Bhaja ( Mushroom crispies)

Whenever we used to get fresh 'pala chattu' ( a type of mushroom that grows from rotten straws ) from our native, my grandmother always made these delicious and crisp fritters with 'pithau' and minimal spices. It had been a while since I made this as we do not get such a variety in Bangalore. The button mushrooms that we normally find taste quite different from 'pala chattu' and lack a distinct flavour of its own. Hence could not resist myself from making and devouring a few of these yummies while in BBSR.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups pala chattu ( one can also substitute it with oyster mushroom)
• 1/3 cup rice
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 dry red chili
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1-2 green chilis
• 1 tsp besan (gram flour)
• 2 pinch turmeric
• 4-5 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Clean the mushroom and wash it. Allow the water to drain off. Chop it up into small pieces.

Soak the rice for about 1-2 hours and grind it into a thick paste along with the cumin seeds and red chili.

Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the mushrooms along with turmeric and a little salt. Fry for 5-6 mins on high till most of the water evaporates. Remove from wok and allow to cool.

Add the mushrooms, 4-5 tsp of the rice paste, besan, chopped onion, green chili and salt to a mixing bowl. Mix together.

Heat a tawa/frying pan and drizzle it with a little oil. Put small lumps of the mushroom-rice batter mix on the pan and slightly flatten them. Fry them on a low flame on both sides till they turn brown.

Serve immediately. Taste good as starters or even as a side.

Read here for another version of the Pala Chattu Bara .

Capsicum- Mushroom Korma

An easy vegetarian korma !! Or a toned down version of the luxurious gravy dish that most people remember savoring at a restaurant !! My modified version is one that can be had on a everyday basis and it goes equally good with both rice and rotis.

It is somewhat similar to ( and inspired by ) the mushroom-capsicum curry that we make with mustard sauce in Odisha. Do check the recipe (HERE)

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients -

• 200 gm button mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped capsicum
• 1 medium sized boiled potato (boiled, peeled & cubed)
• 1 medium sized tomato 
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 4-5 garlic flakes
• 1-2 dry red chilli
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1-2 green cardamom
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 8-9 cashews
• 3 tsp oil
• 1/3 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste
• coriander for garnishing

Preparation - Clean the mushrooms and cut each one into 4 pieces along the length.

Chop the tomato into small pieces.

Grind the onion, ginger, garlic, red chili, 2/3 tsp cumin seeds, cardamom and cinnamon into a smooth paste using as little water as possible. Keep aside.

Similarly, soak the cashews for half an hour in warm water before grinding them into a smooth paste.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to splutter.

Add the onion and spices paste to the wok. Fry lightly till the raw smell just goes off. Add the tomato and cover for 1 minute to allow the tomatoes to soften.

Add the mushrooms, capsicum and potato to the wok. Stir fry on high heat for 3-4 mins till you can see the mushrooms starting to shrink.

Add 1 cup hot water to the wok along with salt and turmeric. Bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer on low flame.

Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the cashew paste and mix well. Allow the curry to simmer for 3-4 mins. Finally garnish with corinader leaves before removing from the flame.

Serve hot or warm.

Paneer Mushroom Korma

Made a special korma for today's lunch. Nothing festive but just felt like cooking something special and that too vegetarian. Quite a challenge as my husband's preference is predominantly non-vegetarian. With no rules to be followed and no expectations being set, I just added a little bit of everything that I could lay my hands upon ( seriously ) and it turned out to be good. Dunno if it can actually qualify as a korma, I wanted to make one but somehow ended up doing a medley of sorts.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 45 mins ( plus some time for chopping)

Ingredients -

• 250 gm paneer cubes
• 200 gm button mushrooms ( each cut into four pieces )
• 1/2 cup sweet corn
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/3 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
• 1/3 tsp garam masala
• 2 tomatoes (freshly pureed)
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 2 large onions
• 2 tsp GG paste
• 1 tsp (coriander leaves-mint-green chili) paste - this is optional but then i was feeling adventurous 
• 1 whole Kashmiri chili
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cardamoms
• 3 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 pinch nutmeg powder
• 1 pinch star anise powder
• a strand of mace
• 1 1/2 tbsp kasuri methi
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp melon seeds
• 9-10 cashews (broken ones)
• 3 tsp oil
• 2 tsp ghee/butter
• salt to taste

Preparation - Take one of the onions. Peel and chop it into 4 halves. Transfer to a pressure cooker along with the whole kashmiri chili, 1 cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, cashews and melon seeds. Add 2/3 cup water and cook for 2 whistles.

Open lid once steam escapes. Strain the excess water and transfer to a blender. Make a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Finely chop the other onion.

Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil and 1 tsp ghee in a wok. Add the mace, bay leaf and cardamoms.

Add the onions and fry till light brown in color. Add the GG paste and coriander-mint-green chili paste. Fry till raw smell goes off.

Add the tomato puree along with all the powdered masalas( just keep aside 1/2 tsp chili powder for later). Fry till the oil starts to separate.

Add the mushrooms, carrots, sweet corn and peas. Fry on high flame for 2-3 minutes. Then reduce the flame to medium and cover with lid. Cook for few minutes till mushrooms and carrots are 80 percent cooked. Make sure it is not too watery else turn up the flame to evaporate excess water. Remove from wok and keep aside.

Heat the remaining oil and ghee in the same wok. Add the paste prepared earlier. Saute for a few minutes.

Add chili powder, sugar and kasuri methi ( just rub it between your palms before adding to the wok ). Add 1/2 cup hot water. Bring to a boil and then add the cooked vegetables.

Meanwhile, boil 4 cups water with 1/3 tsp salt and a pinch of turmeric. Add the paneer cubes and boil for 1-2 minutes. Drain off all the water before adding the cubes to the remaining vegetables.

Cover with lid and let everything simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from flame.

Serve hot with roti, naan, paratha or even a simple pulao/white rice.

Note - One can also add some baby corn/tofu/peppers/cauliflower to the above recipe. I had to make do with whatever was available in the fridge. (No mall hopping this weekend as we are getting all the groceries online)

Paneer - Mushroom Schezwan

This is an easy and quick vegetarian side dish that I prepared sometime back. Somehow I never got around to posting it. But this week I am not doing much cooking and so while looking to post some recipe this one popped up from the drafts. This one suits my lazy mood perfectly as it requires very less cooking time. It is the cleaning and chopping of the veggies and mushroom that takes the major chunk so if you buy some chopped veggies one can actually get this ready in less that 10 minutes.

The veggies, panner and mushroom make it one nutrition packed dish and with all those lovely colors even the kids find it difficult to resist. One can also add assorted peppers for making it more appetizing. But make sure that you cook the veggies till a little tender (for kids) as opposed to leaving it quite crunchy while serving it to guests. Also go easy on the schezwan sauce in case of the former. Read on for the recipe:

Ingredients:
For marinate : Button mushrooms ( 200 gm), Paneer cubes ( 200 gm), Capsicum ( 1 medium ), carrot ( 1 medium), french beans ( 10-12 nos ), onion ( 1 medium ), spring onions whites ( 3 tbsp, cut into strips), schezwan sauce ( 2-3 tsp), soya sauce ( 1/2 tsp ), finely cut garlic ( 1 tsp ), pepper powder ( 1/4 tsp), salt, tomato sauce ( 1 tsp ), cornflour ( 1 tsp), sugar ( 1/2 - 1 tsp ), oil ( 3 tsp ), spring onion greens for the garnishing.

Preparation: Clean the mushrooms and cut each into 4 parts. Blanch and keep aside. ( Put in hot water for
2 mins, remove and run under cold water.

Put the panner pieces in boiling water (salted) for 2 mins. Drain and keep aside.

Cut the capsicum, carrot, french beans and onion into long strips.

Take the schezwan sauce, soya sauce, pepper powder, tomato sauce, cornflour and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add 2-3 tbsp water along with a little salt. Mix well.

Cooking: Heat the oil in a frying pan.

Add garlic pieces and fry for 5-10 seconds.

Add the onions first and fry till till translucent. Next add spring onion whites, french beans and carrots. Fry for 1-2 mins on medium to high flame.

Next add the mushroom and peppers and fry for 3 minutes on a HIGH flame.

Add the contents of the mixing bowl, stir well and fry the veggies for 1-2 minutes on medium flame.

Finally add the paneer and fry for another one minute or so. (Fry less if you want a little amount of sauce to remain but if you prefer it completely dry increase the flame and cook for 1-2 minutes longer)

Garnish with finely chopped spring onion greens. Serve hot with rice or as a starter. ( If using as starter, cut the mushrooms into 2 instead of 4 halves, and keep it a little crunchy )

Mushroom Biryani ( Celebrating my 400th post )

My 400th post. So it had to be something celebratory. My sincere and heartfelt gratitude to all my regular and not so regular readers. Your comments and encouragement is much appreciated and help me keep going. And a big thanks to my husband for putting up with my experiments in the kitchen. Thanks everyone for being a part of this wonderful journey.

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients - 2 cups basmati rice, 200 gms button mushrooms, 2 large onions, 2 tsp GG paste, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp garam masala, 4 tsp thick yogurt, 3 tbsp tomato puree, 6 tsp chopped mint leaves, 6 tsp chopped coriander leaves, whole garam masala ( 1 mace, 1 star anise, 2 pinch nutmeg powder, 3-4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 green cardamon), 1 tsp ghee, 4 tsp oil, salt to taste.

Preparation - Clean and wash the mushroom. Cut along the length into slices of medium thickness.

Soak the mushroom in a pan with water and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder for 1 hour. Drain off the water and pat dry with a paper towel.

Take the yogurt, GG paste, cumin powder, chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric half of the chopped mint and coriander leaves, garam masala and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the mushrooms and coat them thoroughly with the marinade. This helps the mushroom absorb the spice flavors. Allow t rest for 1-2 hours.

Cut the onions into thin long pieces.

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add half of the sliced onions and fry on low flame till they turn brown. You can add 1/2 tsp sugar to hasten the process. Remove the caramelized onions and keep aside.

Add 2 tsp oil to the same wok. Add the remaining onions and fry till light brown. Add the tomato puree and fry for another 2-3 mins.

Add the marinated mushrooms along with the marinade. Cook for 4-5 minutes till the excess water evaporates and masalas are well cooked. (It is ok if mushroom is still under-cooked, it gets done along with the rice.)

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pressure cooker. Add the remaining mint and coriander leaves. Fry for 1 minute.
Add the whole masalas and fry for 30 seconds.

Add the washed basmati rice, mushrooms and 2 2/3 cup water (add another 1/3 cup if you want softer rice). Mix gently. Sprinkle ghee and salt over the contents. Add half of the caramelized onions. Close the lid and cook for 1 whistle.

Allow steam to escape before opening lid. Keep aside for 10-15 mins before serving. Just before serving gently mix the rice and mushrooms so that they are evenly distributed ( mushrooms tend to rise to the top while cooking ).

Serve hot with raita and papad.

Note - Add 1/2 cup capsicum to the marinade along with the mushrooms. Give a really nice twist/flavor to the mushroom biryani. ( Again it depends on whether you like capsicum ). Also if you are not really into mushroom, try a combination of baby corn and capsicum which is equally good.

Pala Chattu Bara (Mushroom chop)

Mushrooms are a delight for vegetarians and people who want to lose weight. While being high in water content, they also happen to pack in a load of anti-inflammatory compounds and vitamins (especially Vitamin D ). One of the best substitutes for red meat, they are also fat-free, cholesterol-free and low in sodium. Little wonder that it finds its place of honor in Chinese medicine.

However a word of caution. Buy organic mushrooms or at least try to find where they are being sourced from as they happen to absorb heavy metals / toxins rather quickly.

'Pala Chattu' or mushrooms that grow naturally on rotting straws happen to be my favorite variety of mushrooms. As my visits to our villages have almost stopped, I do miss these mushrooms. But these days cultivated Pala Chattu is widely available in Orissa. These mushrooms have a distinct red color on the underneath.

While chattu is more commonly consumed as a curry (tarkari) in these parts of Orissa, 'Chattu Bara' or 'Chattu Chop' also happens to be a popular snack option. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 30 minutes

Ingredients - 500 gm Pala Chattu, 1 large boiled potato, 1 large onion, 3-4 green chillis, 5-6 garlic flakes, 3 tbs chopped coriander leaves, 1 tbs roasted cumin-chilli powder (jeera-lanka gunda), 2 tsp turmeric powder, salt to taste, oil for frying.

Preparation - Take water in a large vessel. Dissolve 1 1/2 tsp turmeric in it. Add the mushrooms and allow to soak for 30 minutes.

Drain off the water and chop into small pieces. Do not throw away stem as it is also edible.

Chop the onion into small pieces. Crush/grate the garlic flakes.

Cooking : Heat 2 tbs of oil in a wok/frying pan. Add the chopped mushroom along with remaining turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp salt, and stir fry on high flame till all the excess water evaporates. Remove and allow to cool down.

Transfer the mushroom to a mixing bowl. Add the boiled potato, chopped onion, green chilli, cumin-chilli powder, coriander leaves, crushed garlic flakes and salt to taste. Mix well.

Pinch some part of the above mixture and shape into flat circles of about 1/2 inch thickness .

Heat a frying pan. Drizzle generously with oil. Place the baras over the pan and cook on both sides to a light brown/deep brown as per preference. Each side takes about 6-7 minutes on a low flame ( preferable ).

Serve with a hot sauce as a starter or have it with white rice as a side dish.

If you do not happen to be lazy like me, you can make/cut it into interesting shapes and roll it in bread crumbs before deep frying them. Makes for a better appearance and crisper baras.

Chattu - Shimla Mirch Tarkari ( Mushroom Capsicum curry )

Cooking Time required: 25-30 mins
Cost of preparation: 50-60 rupees


Ingredients: Mushrooms( 250 gm), capsicum ( 2 medium), tomato ( 2 large), onion ( 1 large ), garlic (7-8 pods), mustard seeds ( 1 tsp), cumin powder (1/3 tsp), coriander powder (1/3 tsp), green/red chillis ( 2 nos), red chilli powder ( 1/2 tsp ), pancha-phutana (1/4 tsp), grated ginger ( 1 tbs ), cooking oil (3-4 tsp), turmeric (1 tsp), finely cut coriander leaves ( 2 tbs ), salt to taste.


Preparation: Fill a large vessel with water and add turmeric. Immerse the mushrooms in the water and leave for 10 mins. Drain the turmeric water and wash the mushrooms with sufficient fresh water.

Cut the mushrooms, capsicum and tomato into medium sized chunks. Slice the onion into thin pices.

Grind the mustard seeds and garlic pods into a fine paste.

Cooking: Heat the oil in a wok. Add the pancha-phutana, slit green chillis / red chillis and onions. Stir fry for 1 min.

Add the grated ginger, fry for 30 secs and follow with onion pieces. Fry for 2 mins and then add the tomato. Stir fry till the tomato becomes a bit mashy.

Add the capsicum at this stage and fry for 3-4 mins. Add the mustard-garlic paste along with 2 1/2 cups of water. Sprinkle cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric and salt.

Cover with a lid and boil for 8-10 mins. DO not allow all the water to evaporate.

Sprinkle the coriander leaves and remove from fire.

Serve with rice.

Chattu Besara ( Odisha's delectable Mushroom curry)

Odisha is home to a huge variety of mushrooms, most of them sprouting in the wild during the humid monsoon months. I still remember the distinct flavor of the indigenous varieties like 'rugda', 'bihuduni', bhanu', 'nada' and 'pala' chattu which were sold in the local markets by the tribal women who gathered them from the forests. But most vivid are the memories of the 'bali' chattu or sand mushrooms that sprung up unexpectedly in our backyard during the rains. The incredible taste was reward enough for the hour or two that we had to spend in plucking them without damaging or breaking off the delicate stems.

Most of the mushrooms in Odisha are cooked in tangy mustard gravy . But sometimes, we used to stir-fry the delicately flavored ones with just a pinch of salt and turmeric. While the cultured varieties like the button mushrooms or the oyster mushrooms that are available in Bangalore can never match the sheer burst of flavor that the indigenous ones provide, once in a while I do cook the former in the traditional style. It is an easy-to-do recipe that is not only light but pairs up quite nicely with a simple steamed rice and yellow dal.

Read on for the recipe -

Cooking Time : 30-35 mins

Ingredients:

• 200 gm Button Mushrooms
• 1 medium potato 
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 small onion
• 10 garlic flakes
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1-2 sprig coriander leaves
• 1 green chilli 
• 2 dry red chilis
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds (for tempering)
• 2 nos dried mango pieces (ambula)
• 3 tsp mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste

Preparation: Fill a large vessel with water and add turmeric. Immerse the mushrooms in the water and leave for 10 mins. Drain the turmeric water and wash the mushrooms with sufficient fresh water. Pat them dry with a rough kitchen towel and use the same to remove their skin.

Grind the dry red chilis, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and garlic pods (4 nos) into a fine paste. Soak the dried mango pieces in about 1/2 cup of water.

Cut the mushroom, potato, onion and tomato into small pieces.

Cooking: Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. When it starts smoking, add the mushrooms, potato pieces and little bit of salt. Stir fry till the potato is almost cooked.

Heat another pan. Add 1 tsp oil, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 4 flakes crushed garlic and 1 green chili. When the garlic starts to brown, add the chopped onion. Fry till the onion becomes transparent.

Add tomato pieces to the pan and sprinkle a little salt on them. When the tomato becomes mushy, add the mustard-garlic paste, turmeric and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Then add the fried mushroom and potato. Adjust salt and let it simmer for 10 mins

Finally, add the soaked mango pieces(ambula) along with the water used for soaking . Boil for 5-6 mins. Add the coriander leaves, 2 crushed garlic flakes, a few drops of mustard oil and remove from the fire.

Serve at room temperature along with rice and yellow dal.

Note - To avoid making the curry bitter, dissolve the mustard-cumin paste in 2 cups of water and let it stand aside for 10 mins. Carefully drain the water into another bowl taking care that the solid residue is left behind. Add the drained water to the curry and throw away the solids.