Recipe for the Mushroom Fry

Ingredients needed for the recipe of Mushroom fry
500 grams of Mushrooms
1/2 cup bread crumbs
oil for deep frying
3 -4 tbsps corn flour
2 tbsps pepper powder
2 tbsps rice flour
salt to taste

How to prepare Mushroom Fry Recipe
Mix rice flour, corn flour, pepper powder and salt to taste to form a smooth batter with a consistency of a thin paste.
Cut the mushrooms in to quarters, keep aside.
Dip these mushroom pieces in the batter  and roll in the breadcrumbs.
Repeat the same process for all the mushrooms and refrigerate for atleast  an hour.
Heat oil in a kadai / deep fry pan.
Deep fry the mushroom pieces  to a golden colour.
Serve hot with Sauce / Ketchup.

Points to Note while making Mushroom Fry
If you have uniformly sized small button mushrooms, you need not cut or queters. Keep them whole and follow the recipe.
This can be served as a finger food with drinks and cocktails or as starters in a party. .

Recipe for the Button Mushroom Masala

Ingredients needed for the Button Mushroom Masala
1 packet or about 200 grams  of mushrooms , quartered
1 medium sized onion  finely chopped
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
3 green chillies cut into bits
1/2 tsp pepper powder  or fresh ground
a pinch of turmeric
a pinch of garam masala
1/2 tsp dry mint powdered  
1 tsp fenugreek  powder
1 tsp cream
lime juice 1 tsp
oil  as required ( about 1-2 tbsp)
salt to taste.

How to prepare Mushroom Masala 
Heat oil in a fry pan, add chopped onions and green chillies, fry till they are golden.
Add ginger garlic paste , saute for a minute or two.
Add turmeric powder, garam masala powder, dry mint powder and fenugreek powder. Saute for about a minute.
Now add the mushroom, cover and simmer till the mushrooms get cooked.
Add salt to taste, crushed pepper, mix well.
Add the cream and bring the gravy to boil.
Add lime juice and remove from fire. Keep covered until ready to eat.
Serve as a side dish to Plain rice or Chappathies

Mixed Vegetable Kootu Recipe

Ingredients needed for the Mixed Vegetable Kootu
1 potato, cut in to small pieces
1 carrot, cut into small pieces
1 green tomato, cut into pieces
1 chow chow, cut into small pieces
2 drum stick, cut into 1"pieces
1 cup ashgourd cut into pieces
2 green chillies
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup Green Gram dal /  Moong dal
1/4 tsp blackgram dal
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 bunch coriander leaves
1 cup water
1 tbsp ghee
1 lime
salt to taste

How to prepare Mixed Vegetable Kootu?

Cook Moong Dal / Green Gram Dhal with enough water for the dhal to get half cooked.

When it is  half cooked add the vegetables, salt and turmeric powder.

Grind the freshly grated coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds to a fine paste.

When the vegetables are tender add the coconut paste. Simmer and boil for a few minutes.  Remove from fire.

Heat ghee in a pan, splutter mustard, black gram dal and then, a handful of curry leaves. 

Pour over the Kootu. Just before serving add the lime juice.

Serve with rice or parathas.

Mixed Vegetable Curry in Kolhapuri Style

 This is another tasty vegetable dish, which can be used as a side dish with chappathies, rotis as well as rice and pulaos.  We always search for various side dishes for chappathies and this is one of those which I have liked for my family.
You can use Potatoes, carrots, french beans, cauliflower, green peas, double beans, beet roots,  and many more. Add the vegetables of your choice, either way the gravy will turn out nice and tasty.

Ingredients for the Mixed Vegetable Curry Kolhapuri style
2 cups mixed vegetables
1 cup onions chopped
½ a  cup tomatoes chopped
1 ½ tsps garam masala
2 tbsps oil
salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste
¼ cup fresh grated coconut
3 dry red chillies
5 cloves garlic
a small  piece ginger
1 tbsp  khus-khus or poppy seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds

For garnishing the curry
2 tbsps chopped coriander

How to prepare Mixed Vegetable curry in Kolhapuri style
Cook the chpopped vegetables with just enough water, turmeric powder and salt to taste
Heat oil in a fry pan, fry the onions till they are golden coloured.
Add the tomatoes and cook till they become soft. Add the ground masala paste  and bring it to boil.
Add boiled vegetables, salt to taste, garam masala, and add water if needed and adjust the consistency as per your taste.
Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Masala Khichri Pulao Recipe

Ingredients needed for Masala  Khichri Pulao
2 cups raw rice
30 grams of moong dal
30 grams bengal gram dal
a pinch of asafoetida
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 green chillies
2 red chillies
2 cloves
1 garlic optional
1" piece fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
6 peppercorns
1/2 tsp coriander sededs,
120 grams peas
1 carrot
2 large potatoes
2 tomatoes
2 onions
1 tsp cumin seeds

How to prepare Masala Khichri Pulao:
Cook rice separately till 3/4 ths done, keep aside.
Cook dals till they are 3/4 ths done keep aside
Mix cooked rice and the dals together with salt and turmeric powder. Keep aside.
Crush red and green chillies garlic, ginger and coriander seeds to a coarse paste and keep aside.
Crush cuminseeds, cloves cinnamon and pepper to a powder and keep aside.
Boil, peas, carrots and potatoes,  drain and set aside.
Fry the cooked vegetables in a little oil and keep aside
In another pan, heat oil and fry onions  to golden brown and then add the chopped tomatoes. Add the ground masala paste , powdered masalas and the cooked rice and dals.
Now in a thick bottmmed vessel like a pressure pan, arrange a layer of the rice and dals mixture and the a layer of mixed vegetables.Spread the layer of rice and dals on top.
Cover and simmer till the rice gets fluffy  and tender.
Toss before serving and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with potato chips and onion Raita.

Dalcha Hyderabadi style Recipe

This is an Hyderabadi style recipe and the curry is a mix of Dal and meat. This Dalcha can also be made with just vegetables and no meat.

Ingredients needed for making Dalcha:
1/2 cup Tuar Dal
1/2 cup Moong dal
1/2 cup channa dal
1/2 kilo mutton / lamb
1 cup cubed bottle gourd
2 cups onions sliced
Salt to taste
4 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp caraway sededs
2-3 green cardamoms
4 cloves
1 piece cinnamon
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
4 tbsp tamarind pulp
4 green chillies
1 bunch corianderv leaves
4 dry chillies
handful curry leaves
8 flakes garlic
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tbsp ghee

How to prepare Dalcha Recipe:
The mutton used should be a combination of bones with marrow and ribs.
Cook the dals together with salt and turmeric powder till soft, mash them well and keep aside.
Cook the gourd separately till tender and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan, add caraway seeds, cinnamon, clove and cardamom. When they turn brown add onions and fry till they turn golden.
Add ginger garlic paste, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander and cumin seed powder one after another stirring continuously.
Add water and fry till all the masalas mix and blend well together. Add meat and stir till the meat gets coated with the masalas.
Add just enough water to cook the mutton and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Remove from fire.
Open the cooker when it comes to room temperature, stir well add the dals, gourd, tamarind pulp, green chillies, fresh chopped coriander and simmer for 10 minutes.
Heat the ghee in a frying pan and add the tempering ingredients . When it changes colour add the mix to the boiling Dalcha. Cover and simmer for a minute.
Serve hot with Fried rice , Coconut Pulao or Vegetable Pulao etc.

Points to Note:
This recipe can be cooked just wih vegetable and the dals. Meat can be added as an optional ingredient.
For the vegetarian version just omit the meat part and continue cooking.
This Dalcha can also be had as a side dish with Rotis, Idlis and Dosas .

Aloo Palak, a north indian recipe

Ingredients needed for Aloo Palak Recipe
4 potatoes
1 onion chopped finely
2 cups palak finely chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tsps dhania powder
1 tsp red chili powder or as per taste
Salt per taste
1 tsp jeera
2 red chillies broken into two pieces
1 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp amchur powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
2 tbsps oil

How to prepare Aloo Palak Recipe:
Boil and peel the potatoes, cut them into small pieces. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a fry pan, add jeera, red chilies and fry till they are brown.
Add chopped potatoes and stir well till the potatoes change to a golden colour.
Add red chilli powder, dhania powder, a pinch turmeric powder, salt to taste and chopped Palak. Mix well, cover and simmer till the leaves are cooked. Water from the leaves should be enough for cooking. No need to sprinkle water.
In between open the lid and stir and check that it does not stick or get burnt at the bottom of the pan.
Once the palak gets cooked and coats the potatoes well. sprinkle amchur powder on top. Stir and cover for a minute.
Remove from fire and serve hot with rice and chappathies.