Creamy Mushrooms on Toast

I was itching to make this hence checked out a few recipes, online. I went on to take a bit of this and a bit of that from various recipes and videos. This recipe is the result of those bits put together. The perfect Creamy Mushrooms on Toast!

Ingredients:

600 grams (200 grams x 3 packets) button mushrooms

6 streaky bacon rashers

6 cloves garlic, chopped

4-5 spring onions, chopped

3/4^th teaspoon Lemon Pepper Seasoning

1 teaspoon Seasoned Pepper

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

½ cup (125 mils) chicken stock

300 mils cream (I used Amul cartons)

Salt, to taste

1 or 2 spring onion greens, finely chopped, for garnish

1 tablespoon butter

4 tablespoons oil

Bread slices

Butter, for the toast (optional)

Method:

1.    Wash mushrooms: shake off the excess water and leave to dry on a large plate, or on kitchen paper towels, for 10-15 minutes.

2.    After they are a tad dry, slice them, thickly. Keep aside.

3.    In a non-stick pan, on medium heat, lay out the bacon rashers and fry them until crisp. They will fry in their own fat so do not add any oil to fry them.

4.    Remove the bacon on to a kitchen paper towel and allow to cool.

5.    When the bacon has cooled, crumble it into tiny pieces. Keep aside.

6.    Add the sliced mushrooms to the same pan that has the rendered fat of bacon and quickly sauté for a minute on high heat. The mushrooms will absorb all the rendered fat, which will make the end-result more flavourful. Remove the mushrooms onto a plate and keep aside. (Do not allow the mushrooms to go soggy and release water)

7.    Add the butter and oil to the same pan, add the garlic and spring onions and sauté until spring onions are soft and translucent.

8.    Add red chili flakes, Lemon Pepper Seasoning and Seasoned Pepper. Sauté for a few seconds.

9.    Add the mushrooms and give them a gentle mix.

10. Add the chicken stock, give it a stir, and allow to simmer on low heat for 5 to 6 minutes.

11. Remove the cream into a bowl and smoothen it with a whisk. (Do not beat the cream)

12. Add the cream to the simmering stock-mushroom mix. Stir continuously, on low heat.

13. Continue stirring and simmering until the creamy gravy thickens to ‘coating the spoon’ consistency.

14. Add salt, as needed. Simmer a few seconds more to allow the salt to blend in. Remove the mushrooms into a bowl.

15. Toast the bread slices under a grill, in a toaster or on a flat griddle

16. When the toasts are browned to desired colour, remove onto a plate, butter them, and spoon some the creamy mushrooms over them.

17. Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and bacon crumble.

Chef Notes:

1.    I would recommend streaky bacon as it releases a good amount of fat when fried. You need that rendered fat to sauté the mushrooms. If you feel the fat rendered is too little, add a splash of oil, as required.

2.    If you don’t have Lemon Pepper Seasoning, add a few drops of lime juice when you add the cream. The Lemon Pepper Seasoning, or lime juice drops, are merely added to cut the richness of the cream sauce. You can give it a miss if you prefer a rich sauce.

3.    If you do not have Seasoned Pepper, please use coarsely ground black pepper. It’ll work just as well.

4.    I would advise the use of chicken stock instead of substituting it with water, or milk, as the stock lends immense flavour to the dish. Vegetarians will, of course, have to opt for milk.

5.    Please smoothen the cream before you add it to the dish. It ensures the cream does not split. Also, stir the cream on LOW heat, CONTINUOUSLY, for the same reason. You do NOT want the cream to split.

6.    I chose baguettes but regular sliced bread, Sourdough, Ciabatta or any other bread will do.

7.    To butter or not to butter, that is a question you will have to ask yourself. My greedy soul yelled at me when I asked myself that question. “Of course, butter the damn bread slices”, it said. *grin* I'm so judging you if you choose not to butter them. *wicked grin*

8.    I had a wee bit of mushrooms leftover. The simplest way to re-use them is to add a tablespoon (or two) of milk, give it a light mix and reheat them on extremely low flame. If using a microwave, use the 30 second burst-mix-burst-mix method until heated and creamy.

9.    You may also use the same recipe, as a side, to a hearty chicken or beef-buff steak.

10. I have refrained from writing the quantity of bread slices as the number of slices used will depend on how much mushroom you spoon onto each slice. For us, this quantity sufficed for a baguette and a half.

11. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.

Some more photographs:

Kanda Keri Par Edu - Eggs Over Ripe Alphonso Mangoes

I did post an age-old recipe (Kera Na Cutlace) sometime last week. While the mango season is still on, I thought I’d dish out yet another ancient gem. These recipes belong to the time when our grand moms (or their mum) ruled the kitchen arena. They were tough women and led tough lives. Times were tough too, and they ensured the family stayed warm and fed during those times. No wastage was the prime rule. Over-ripe fruits were converted into jams or marmalades; sometimes they were cooked into savoury side-dishes like cutlets or the recipe I am publishing right now.

Will everyone like this recipe? The honest answer to that will be a ‘no’. Most are going to make a face and wonder how sweet, ripe mangoes will pair with the spices mentioned. In defense of the recipe, I will say, our grand mums knew exactly what they were doing when they cooked this so, trust the judgement of the ‘grand old girls’ and give it a shot. The outcome could well be that you fall in love with the dish. Go on, be brave. 😊

This dish came to my notice somewhere around 2016 when Zarina Cama Clowsley posted it at my food forum, on FB. While I’ve cooked this dish many times, this is the first time I've chosen to document it for future generations.

Ingredients:

6 mangoes, peeled and chopped (ripe Alphonso only)

4 medium onions, chopped fine

6 green chilies, chopped fine

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

1 heaped teaspoon red Kashmiri chilli powder

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

6 – 7 tablespoons oil

Salt to taste

Half a handful coriander leaves, finely chopped

A few springs fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped or a large pinch of dry coriander leaves (for garnish)

Salt to taste

3 eggs, beaten, with a pinch of salt added

Method:

1.    Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add cumin seeds and allow to splutter.

2.    Add green chilies and onions.

3.    Sauté until the onions lose their sharp smell and the aroma of sweet onions reaches your olfactory senses. At this point cook will have begun to turn light brown.

4.    Add ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder and a bit of salt and sauté. Do not allow the spices to burn.

5.    Add the chopped mango pieces.

6.    As the mangoes heat, they will begin to turn mushy. Use a spoon and keep mashing the mangoes as you sauté them.

7.    Once the mangoes are all mushy, continue cooking until they begin to caramelize a bit. At this point, the oil, too, will begin to separate from the corners of the pan.

8.    Add the chopped coriander leaves (save some for garnish if you wish). Give the spiced mangoes a good mix.

9.    Lower heat and evenly flatten the spiced mango in the pan.

10. Pour beaten eggs onto the mango mixture. Cover and cook until the eggs are semi-set.

11. Open the lid and sprinkle the fresh coriander leaves (or the dry coriander  leaves) and continue cooking until eggs are set.

12. Cut into wedges and serve with bread or chapatis.

Chef Notes:

1.    We have always cooked this with ripe or over-ripe Alphonso mangoes hence do not ask me if other varieties of mangoes will work. I haven’t tried it, hence cannot say.

2.    If you are wondering what the flavour profiles of this dish will be like, allow me to simplify that for you. Spicy and sweet! The tip of your tongue will constantly feel the hit of spice (with a back note of sweet flavours).

3.    While I did add fresh coriander leaves to the spiced mango mix, I chose to garnish the eggs with dry coriander leaf powder. (Please do not confuse coriander LEAF powder with coriander SEED powder). The reason I did that was because mum will not touch food that has coriander as garnish. I cheat; I chop it fine and add it to dishes to enhance the flavour but if I garnish the dish with fresh coriander there is a chance, she may change her Will. Nope, not taking that chance at all! 😄

4.    If you choose to cook the spiced mangoes in advance and pour eggs over them just before you sit down for dinner, that’s fine too. Please ensure the spiced mango mixture is thoroughly heated before you pour the eggs. Eggs when set over a cold, cool or warm base will sink to the bottom of the pan. That will feel like a major letdown.

5.    I have tried this dish with whole eggs and beaten eggs. My honest take on this is, whole eggs simply do not match the dish in terms of texture. The whole eggs feel weird to the palate, too, when paired with the spiced mango. Then again, you may feel differently so give it a try any way you see fit.

6.    When the eggs are cooking the mangoes will char a bit from the bottom. Do not fret over this at all coz those charred, crisp bits are the best parts. They may not look good on a plate but, I promise, they’ll feel like heaven on your palate. 😉 If you aren't fond of charred bits, I'd suggest you keep an eye on the eggs and take them off the stove as soon as they are set. 

7.    Heartfelt thanks to Zarina Cama Clowsley for always sharing all her recipes so generously. ❤️

8.    You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.

Some more (old and new) photohgraphs: 

Garlic Potatoes

I found this recipe years, years, years ago in Femina, Eves Weekly or Woman’s Era – don’t remember which. I was a big fan of these magazines in those days. *rolls eyes* Today, I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole. I have to admit, some recipes from those magazines really turned out well. This is a very simple one that always turns out delish.

Ingredients:

750 grams potatoes, peeled and washed

¾ teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)

¾ teaspoon jeera seeds (cumin)

20 flakes garlic, chopped fine

3-4 green chilles, chopped fine

2 teaspoons red chilli powder (I use MDH Deghi Mirch powder)

¾ teaspoon turmeric powder (turmeric)

Salt to taste

7-8 tablespoons oil

A few sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped

Method:

1.    Cut the potatoes into approximately 1-centimeter thickness (like French fries - but half the length).

2.    Heat oil over medium heat in a non-stick wok-kadhai.

3.    Splutter mustard and cumin seeds.

4.    Add garlic and green chillies. Sauté well but do not burn the garlic.

5.    Add chilli powder, haldi powder, some salt and mix well.

6.    Sauté the spices for a few seconds; please ensure they do not burn.

7.    Add the potatoes. Toss them well but gently toss in the spice mixture.

8.    Cover and cook on low heat for about 15 mins.

9.    Open the lid and give the potatoes a gently mix every 5-7 minutes. Continue cooking until potatoes are cooked. Check seasoning, add if needed. 

10. Add coriander leaves and allow the potatoes to cook for a few seconds more.

You can either stop cooking at point No 10 or you can take this recipe a bit further. Your choice…

11. Once the potatoes are cooked, if you prefer to crisp them up, in part, continue cooking them on low flame (without lid). As bits of the potato begin to stick to the bottom of the wok, gently scrape them off.

12. Give the potatoes a gentle toss and continue to crisp up some more potatoes. The amount of potatoes you crisp up is totally your choice. I usually crisp up about 20% as we all love crisp potato bits.

13. Garnish with a few more coriander leaves, if desired. Serve!

Chef Notes:

1.    Please do not cut the potatoes as thin as McDonald fries or you’ll have a mushy mess in your wok.

2.    Don’t give me grief about the quantity of oil used. Trust me when I say, the dish requires it. Or if it makes you feel better, use less. *wicked-exasperated sigh* 

3.    You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.

Some more photographs: