Can you see my signature green chilli peeping out from most of my dishes. I love chillies in my food.... I need them at every meal... why not?... we are 'Opar Bangla' after all..... we hail from the other side of the undivided Bengal. I have heard so many stories about their love for chillies. The meat curries happened to be so hot that people had to sit with towels to wipe the rolling down tears. May I tell you this is not so much of an exaggeration.... I have seen something near similar in my family years back.... I am moderate who even use sugar in some of her dishes which is unlikely of 'Opar Bangla' cooking. People have a wrong notion that the locals of this island eat bland. It is not that way... they eat healthy accompanied by the dips that are too good to make me happy. The chilli padi won my heart the week I stepped in here. I will not go further as I have too little knowledge on food compared to my expert friends here. When I started this blog I thought I will compile some heirloom family / Bengali recipes and quit. Then I see I made so many friends on the way that I cannot stop.... each day is a learning experience. Each one of us love our blog...... famous or infamous. Then I have a good friend here Padma Murali... a Tamilian and a citizen of the island. She says she had shown my picture to her mother who said about me.... her face reveals she is not a person to be in the social media... she will suffer. I so much agree to it. Nothing as peaceful as lying on the sofa reading a book with the headphone on.
As I write today's post, I am listening to some favourite numbers of Yesudas.... I simply love his voice as much as I love Ilairaja and AR Rehman's compositions and Maniratnam's movies. Kamal Hassan, R Madhavan and all these South Indian beauties with mesmerising eyes.... ahh you make me happy. Music takes me to an another world where I indulge in a virtual conversation with someone... Hey Suhani... I have heard you are a foodie too... I do not know your preferences though.... there are far better experts to take care. Yet, I wish to treat you at least for once.... it may happen you have saved life of people I cared for. Rest whatever little I heard about you, you seem to be a good soul... bubbly and friendly just the one my mother-in-law wished to have..... hahaha... and remember I have never learnt to impress people, what I speak comes from within. Stay blessed with your loved ones.
Coming to today's dish of Potato... Paneer & Mushroom Curry, I call it 'khichdi' dish.... hotch potch dish.... which belongs to no particular region or place but Indian in essence. I used tomatoes and Kashmiri red chilli powder to get that red colour and there has to be a green chilli to top it. I need to quickly finish off the post and call someone who travelled to the neighbouring country yesterday. Before leaving yesterday, he said you know wifey, the one who manages my work there belong to your species.....yeah. I just asked why you have to go on a Saturday morning. That is when the wifey goes out to post a paneer recipe which is not much of his favourite. Rest I do not cook on Sundays as Cristine is on leave. This is the perfect day to be caught in a kissing.... hugging scene with my teen only if he allowed mumma to enter his room. I said give a smile at least.... answer is you will not get anything.... I know how to get it... well the special friend is so bubbly and sweet.... and I get as precious a gift as a smile. Lets go out for a lunch date?... no I do not wish to... he has his favourite prawn-potato curry though.... Always try to be friends with your kids... where else will they go for a support, some love, guidance? Mumma will now prepare this simple, homemade spicy, no onion... no garlic curry with potato, mushroom and paneer together with all her readers while echoing Yesudas.... "Suraj na ban paye to.... banke dipak jalta chal..... phool miley ya angaree.... sach ki raha pe chalta chal....".
INGREDIENTS :
Button Mushroom : 200gm
Paneer : 100gm
Potato : 2medium
Tomato Paste : 1small cup
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Cumin Powder : 2tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder : 1tsp [I used Everest]
Chilli Padi Paste: 1/2 tsp [use red chilli paste]
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Green Chilli : 2-3 slitted
Cinnamon Powder : 2pinches
Cardamom Powder : 1pinch
Fenugreek Seed : 1/4tsp
Bayleaf : 1
Oil : 4-5tsp
METHOD :
Wash the mushrooms and soak in salted water for 10-15 minutes and drain the water. Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut them into cubes, rub with salt and turmeric powder. Rub little salt on the paneer pieces.
Heat oil in the wok. Lightly fry the paneer pieces and dip in warm salted water for 5 minutes and take out. This way they remain soft.
Fry the potatoes till they turn light brown. Take out. Temper oil with bayleaf and fenugreek seeds. You will love the aroma.
Add the ginger paste and saute for a minute. Add the tomato paste and chilli paste, saute till it separates from the oil. Add the turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and saute for a minute.
Add a big cup of water. As it comes to boil, add the fried potatoes. Let boil for 3 minutes or so.
Add the mushrooms and fried paneer pieces and let cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the slitted green chillies, cinnamon and cardamom powder and let cook for a minute. Its done.
Enjoy hot and fresh with freshly made Indian / South Asian bread or with piping hot steamed rice.
