EASY MUSHROOM PULAO RECIPE

 EASY MUSHROOM PULAO RECIPE

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of cooked rice
1 cup of mushrooms (any kind you prefer), sliced
1/2 cup of finely chopped onions
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
1 tsp of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves – optional)
1 tsp of freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp of powdered whole spices – cardamom, cinnamon, cloves
2 tbsp of ghee, butter, or oil
1 tsp of cumin seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat the oil (butter or ghee) in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle and turn a light brown, add the chopped onions and fry until golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste at this stage.

Saute for another minute or so and add the sliced mushrooms. Saute another two minutes on medium-high heat and add the chilli powder and kasuri methi (if using). Mix together well.

Immediately add the powdered whole spices and mix again, lowering heat to medium-low. Fry for 30 seconds. Add salt to taste.

Add cooked rice and the lime juice. Mix thoroughly to combine and add more salt and lime juice if needed to balance the flavours.

Done! That was easy, right? Let the pulao sit for a bit so the flavours have time to become friends.

Serve mushroom pulao warm with some raita or any vegetable curry of choice. Some papad wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Notes:

1. Mushrooms turn brown rapidly on contact with water so a better way to clean them would be to use a clean toothbrush and gently brush the dirt and grime away. Finally use a kitchen towel to wipe all over. This process takes more time but when cooking just for TH and I, I find take the time to do this pays out
2. You can add green chillies instead of chilli powder, and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves instead of using the kasuri methi
3. Add sliced garlic and omit the ginger for a different, milder flavour
4. Throw in some frozen vegetables to make this a one-pot, wholesome pulao
5. Add some paneer to make a paneer mushroom pulao – yum!
6. It’s important to cook the mushrooms on high heat and stirring constantly since otherwise they’ll let water out and that’ll dilute the taste a bit

FRESH CREAM PINEAPPLE

For Icing:
Fresh cream- 300 gms
Castor sugar- 60 gms
Sugar syrup- 1 recipe.
Lemon yellow color
Pineapple essence
Pineapple pieces

Whip cream and castor sugar over ice till creamy with hand whisk. Add colour and essence to it. keep in fridge.

Slick vanilla sponge cake into 3 layers. Sprinkle sugar syrup on 1 layer. Apply cream icing on top and put some chopped pineapple pieces. level the icing. repeat the process on 2nd and 3rd layer. Garnish with pineapple pieces and cherry and pipe the edging with cream icing.

VANILLA SPONGE CAKE

Eggs- 6 nos
Maida- 200 gms
Castor sugar- 200 gms

Sieve maida, whisk egg white till very fluffy and stiff. Add castor sugar gradually while whisking and beat till stiff. then add the egg yolks gradually. when creamy fold in maida and pour in a baking tin. bake in moderate oven for 25 min on 200 C

For vanilla sponge - add 1 tsp vanilla essence
For butter sponge add 100 gms of melted butter rest same

BLACK FOREST CAKE

Fresh cream- 300 gms
Cooking Chocolate- 2 bars
Cherry- 10 nos
Sugar syrup- 1 recipe

For icing:

Fresh cream- 300 gms
Castor sugar- 60 gms

Whip cream and castor sugar over ice till creamy with hand whisk.

Use chocolate sponge cake. Make icing. Slit the cake in 3 layers. Apply sugar syrup in each layer before icing. Put chopped cherries on each layer on icing. on the last layer apply cream . then grate the cooking chocolate on top and pipe borders white white fresh creamy icing. and decorate.

TRUFFLE CHOCOLATE PASTRY

Bake chocolate sponge of 6 eggs
Fresh cream or milk 1/4 cup
Cooking chocolate- 3 bars
Sugar syrup- 1 recipe

Place cream in a saucepan over low heating and bring almost to boil. Take saucepan from fire and stir in chopped chocolate and allow to melt. or melt cooking chocolate bars on double boiler and mix well fresh cream or milk with it. truffle chocolate icing is ready

Apply this truffle chocolate icing on all 3 layers. sprinkle sugar syrup on all the 3 layers of cake before icing. keep in fridge to set. To the remaining chocolate icing add little milk and make chocolate sauce. Pour this chocolate sauce on top. keep again in fridge to set. When set cut into pastry slices. pipe lines with truffle icing and garnish with chopped cherry.

CHOCOLATE CAKE

For Icing
Cooking butter - 300 gms
Icing sugar- 150 gms
Cocoa- 2 tbsp
Sugar syrup - 1 recipe

For sauce-
Cooking chocolate- 1/2 bar
Milk- 40 ml

Whisk butter and icing sugar with elctric whisk till creamy ( approx 5 min). Remove 1/4 portion white icing and keep aside. To the rest add 2tbsp cocoa powder.

Prepare sugar syrup and keep to cool. Slit the chocolate sponge cake into 3 layers. Level the top layer. Sprinkle sugar syrup on 1 layer and apply icing. Level it. Similarly do for the 2nd and 3rd layer. Level all the 4 sides of the cake. Place the cake on cardboard covered with foil and apply icing on all sides. keep in fridge for 5-10 minutes till set.

For sauce-
Melt 1/2 bar of cooking chocolate on double boiler and add 1/4 cup boiling milk to it.
 whisk well to remove lumps and strain it. pout this chocolate sauce on the cake and keep it again in fridge to set. when set pipe the cake edgings with butter icing.


Sugar Syrup:
Sugar- 1 cup or 3/4 cup
water- 1 1/2 cup

boil the above together for 2- 3mins. and strain.

CHOCOLATE SPONGE

Maida- 175 gms
Cocoa powder- 25 gms (  2 1/2 tbsp)
Eggs- 6 nos
Castor sugar- 200 gms

Sieve maida and cocoa together. Whisk egg white till very fluffy and stiff. Add castor sugar gradually while whisking and beat till stiff. Then add the egg yolks gradually. when creamy fold in maida and cocoa powder and pour in a baking tin. bake in moderate oven for 25 minutes at 200C