Thenu’s Kitchen

Makes 3 generous servings

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan
• Add 0.5tsp of cumin seeds, 2 cloves, half inch cinnamon stick
• When cumin seeds splutter, add 1 large finely chopped onion
• Add salt and saute the onions until light brown
• Add 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic-coriander paste. saute.
• Add 1 green chilly slit lengthwise (can chop too. But I prefer long slit so my son can easily discard it.)
• Add a spring of curry leaves and saute for few seconds
• Add a pinch of turmeric powder
• Add 1 large ripe Tomato – finely chopped
• Saute until oil leaves by the sides
• Add washed and quartered button mushrooms (around 15 or so)
• Fry for a min and add 0.25 cup of water
• Cover and cook for 7 mins
• While it cooks, coarsely crush the following: 3 garlic pods, 0.5tsp of peppercorns, 1tsp of cumin seeds. Use a pestel preferably. Do not fine grind it. It must be very very coarse.
• After the mushroom is done do the following:
• Heat a really wide mouthed pan [I mean it ]
• Add a dash of butter and 1 tbsp of oil . You can make it all butter…. but then the ‘cholesterol cop’ inside me, wont let me do that.
• Add the crushed garlic-pepper-cumin coarse masala and fry until raw smell vanishes
• Add few curry leaves and few cilantro leaves
• Add 0.5tsp of red chilly powder, 0.5tsp of coriander powder, 0.25tsp of garam masala pdr
• Qucikly toss the mushroom gravy into this wide pan
• Fry until all the water eaporates and the gravy thickens
• The gravy will be coating the mushrooms real good
• Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve or relish
• This dish tastes heavenly with Rice, Chapathi or any Roti
• You can even beat an egg (or egg white if your ‘cholesterol cop’ is still around) with little soy sauce and scramble it and add to the dish for an extra notch