Mushroom Masala

Sometimes I wish I had more than 24 hours in a day so I could do so much more.  Then other times I remind myself that Einstein and Faraday and all other great inventors, discoverers and leaders also had only 24 hours in a day and they were able to accomplish such great things.  So 24 hours should be good enough for me.  How do I use my 24 hours - 8 hours sleep, 8 hours office which then leaves me with another 8 hours.  Now these 8 hours are very special and very precious.  I have to be efficient with these 8 hours and have to use them in the most productive of ways.  Of course that is not always true when I sometimes sit in front of the idiot box - but then again, I like being an idiot sometimes after a tiring and long day...a good time to practically do nothing, think nothing, and feel nothing.  I try to spend a couple of hours in the kitchen every day.  In between cooking of the meals, like most mothers, I attempt to do a million other things like listening to the children and how their day was, making sure they are studying, playing with the dog and doing other chores.  Is this ADHD?  I know I am still supposed to have time after all this, but somehow in all my calculations, these hours are lost...I am unable to account for them.  Am I spending more than 8 hours at work or sleeping?  Or maybe I am spending more than a couple of hours in front of the TV?  

The below dish is a quick and easy, and rather tasty way to prepare mushrooms.  I omitted the cream from the recipe, but it was still rich and full of flavours combined with the rubbery texture of the mushrooms, made an excellent dinner served with home-made chappatis. 

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

 

200 grams button mushrooms, sliced

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

2 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

3 tablespoon oil

A sprig of curry leaves

2 tablespoon cream

2 red onions, chopped

Salt to taste

½ cup fresh coriander leaves

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

Grind to a paste:

25 grams cashew nuts

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

¼ cup fresh coconut

 

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. 
2. When hot, add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes on medium flame.
3. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry well for 2 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes and cook till soft, on low flame, covered for approximately 7 minutes.  
5. Add dry powders, ground paste and mushrooms along with salt and  ¼ cup water and cook covered till well done, approximately 10 minutes
6. Add finely chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves along with the cream to garnish. 
7. Serve hot with chappatis.