Potato Mushroom Masala

This recipe comes from Veg Recipes of India. 

Potato Mushroom Masala

Ingredients

200 grams white button mushrooms, sliced
2 medium potatoes, chopped in small cubes
2 medium sized tomatoes, quartered
1 medium sized onion, halved or quartered
18 cashews
1 tbsp chopped coriander/cilantro leaves
2 cups water for blanching
2 tbsp oil
� tsp caraway seeds or � tsp cumin seeds
6 cloves
2 green cardamoms
1 cinnamon stick
1 single mace strand
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste or � inch ginger, grated
5 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste in a mortar-pestle
1.25 cups water
� tsp turmeric powder
� tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves, crushed
salt as required


Method 

Put tomatoes, onion and cashews in a heat proof bowl and pour over the 2 cups of hot water.
Cover and blanch these ingredients for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse or wipe dry the mushrooms. slice or chop them. rinse, peel and chop the potatoes in small cubes. keep aside.
After cashews are blanched, drain and chop the tomatoes roughly.
Add the tomatoes along with their juices, blanched onions, cashews in a grinder or blender jar with 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves.
Without adding any water, grind to a smooth fine paste. Keep aside.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. add the whole spices and saute till the spices crackle and become fragrant.
Then add the sliced or chopped mushrooms, stir very well and begin to saute.
Continue to saute on a medium flame till all the water from mushrooms dries up.
Then with the spoon, bring the mushrooms towards one side of the pan and add ginger-garlic paste.
Stir in the same place, and saute the ginger-garlic paste till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
Now add the potato cubes. stir and saute for 2 minutes.
Then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder and mix the spice powders with the rest of the ingredients.
Add the ground paste. stir and mix well.
Saute for 5 to 6 minutes on a low to medium flame or till you see some oil releasing from the sides and add salt as per taste.
Add 1.25 cups water, depending on the gravy consistency you want, you can add less or more water and stir very well.
Cover and simmer the gravy on a low to medium flame till the potatoes are cooked through which takes about 12 to 15 minutes. d
Do check at intervals and if the gravy becomes too thick, then add some water.
Add 1 tsp of dry fenugreek leaves and stir.
If you do not have dry fenugreek leaves, then skip it or as a substitute you can also add a light pinch of fenugreek seeds powder.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and with your favorite Indian bread, rice and poppadoms.

Saffron Rice

Recipe adapted from Veg Recipes of India. The even have a vegan section...so awesome!

Saffron Rice

Ingredients

1.5 cups basmati rice
2 to 3 generous pinch of saffron or kesar
� tsp caraway seeds
2 green cardamom
1 bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon
2 cloves
1 strand of mace
3 1/4 cups water
a pinch of turmeric (optional)
1.5 tbsp oil or unsalted vegan butter
a few coriander or mint leaves for garnish (optional)
salt as required


Method

Rinse the rice for 3-4 times in water.
Soak the rice for 20-30 mins in water.
Drain the water and keep the rice aside.
Heat oil or unsalted butter in a deep pan or pot.
Add all the whole spices including caraway and fry till the oil/butter becomes fragrant.
Add soaked rice and stir for 1-2 minutes.
Crush the saffron with your fingers or in a mortar-pestle and add these to the rice.
Add turmeric powder now if you plan to add it and stir in.
Add water along with salt.
Cover the pan tightly and let the rice cook till the grains become separately cooked and absorb all the water.
Once done, fluff gently with a fork.
Serve the saffron rice garnished with coriander or mint leaves and your favourite Indian dish.

Easy Indian Curry

This is adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe. It's a great basic curry and you can add whatever you like!
Remember curry is almost always better the next day :)
Serve with Saffron Rice.

Easy Indian Curry

Ingredients

5 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
3 fresh green chilies, seeded and thinly sliced
1 handful curry leaf (I couldn't find these so I didn't use it)
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
6 tomatoes, chopped
1/2-1 cup water
1 (400 ml) can coconut milk
salt
1 teaspoon tamarind syrup
1 large handful Baby Spinach
1 large handful fresh coriander, chopped
4-6 potatoes, quartered
1 cup peas


Method

Put some water on to boil for the potatoes, when ready simmer potatoes till ready.
Heat the oil in a pan, and when hot add the mustard seeds.
Wait for them to pop, then add the fenugreek seeds, fresh green chilies, curry leaves and ginger.
Stir and fry for a few minutes.
Chop the onions and add to the same pan.
Continue to cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is light brown and soft, then add the chilli powder and turmeric.
Chop the tomatoes and add them to the pan too.
Cook for a couple of minutes, then add water and coconut milk.
Simmer for about 5 minutes until it has the consistency of double cream, then season carefully with salt.
Add tamarind to the sauce and simmer for 6 minutes.
Feel free to add some baby spinach and chopped coriander at the end of the cooking time.

Tofu Korma

This is my husband's recipe that he adapted from something he saw on Youtube. You can also add vegetables such as cooked chucks of potato, cooked sliced carrots or peas to this dish.

Tofu Korma

Ingredients

Curry Base Ingredients**
3 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (none if you don't like it spicy)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup tinned tomatoes
1 1/2 Tbls olive oil

Korma Ingredients
1 block of firm tofu (or a cup of vegan chicken strips)
1 1/2 cup of base
1/2 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup coconut or almond milk
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbls raisins


Method

Cover onions, garlic & ginger with water in a medium pan, bring to boil and simmer, covered for 20 mins.
Add rest of base ingredients and let simmer, covered for another 10 minutes.
Cool and blend with hand blender or food processor.
While base ingredients are simmering, pan fry the tofu (or vegan chicken) so that they are brown on both sides until browned.
Pour base over the tofu and let simmer for a minute.
Pour in the coconut cream and milk and mix well.
Add raisins and sugar and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
Serve with basmati rice and papadums!

**Note - this recipe makes more base than you need for the korma but it can be frozen.