Mushroom Cutlets

So my tryst with mushrooms continue and presenting today is a super yum yet super simple Mushroom Tikki/Cutlet which you can prepare in advance and serve it hot with any chutney of your choice. It is a wonderful party pleaser and filling too (have to prepare less for main course!! Lol!) and will serve as an excellent tiffin idea too!! My 3 yo loves it!! I made mine in the air fryer with just a minimal spray of oil but you can pan fry them or bake them as well.

Ingredients 

400 gms mushrooms finely chopped  (it is best to use button mushrooms here and quantity depends on your requirement)

1 medium onion finely chopped 

2-3 cloves of garlic finely chopped or minced 

1" piece ginger finely chopped or minced 

Handful of fresh coriander leaves or parsley (whichever is available)

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs or as required to hold the mixture together (you can use regular breadcrumbs too; panko gives it an extra crunch but otherwise no difference in taste)

2 eggs (increase the quantity as you increase the quantity of mushrooms)

Salt and pepper to taste 

1 tsp any herb or spices of your choice

1 tsp oil 

Cooking oil spray if using the air fryer or baking 

Direction 

Heat oil in a pan and add the mushrooms. Fry on a medium heat until the moisture from the mushrooms evaporate and they shrink in volume. Remove from heat and let it cool. 

Once cooled, transfer the mushrooms to a big bowl and add all the ingredients except the eggs and breadcrumbs. Now add the egg and half of the crumbs and start mixing. If the mixture comes together and holds its shape easily when made into a flat disc or tikki, then no need to add the remaining breadcrumbs. If not, add some more breadcrumbs till the mixture holds its shape. However, take care not to add too many breadcrumbs as it will result in a doughy tikki. Once refrigerated (our next step), the egg will anyway dry up the mixture a little more. 

Shape all the tikkis from the mixture and arrange on a plate. Cover the plate with a cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to fry. 

Take the tikkis out of the fridge 15 minutes prior to frying. 

If using an air fryer, pre heat at the maximum temperature for 10 minutes. Now arrange the tikkis in the basket (as many as it can hold without touching) and spray some cooking oil on top. Fry in the air fryer for 10-15 minutes on one side and an additional 5 minutes on the other side after flipping. Take care while flipping and use a fork or something similar to release the tikkis as they will tend to get stuck. The next batch of tikkis will take lesser time than the first and so adjust accordingly. 

If using the oven, pre heat at 175 degree celsius. Arrange the tikkis on a grill plate without touching or overlapping and spray some cooking oil. Bake in the grill mode for 10 minutes or until crispy and golden on one side. Flip and bake for an additional 5 minutes on the other side. 

If pan frying, heat oil and fry the tikkis till golden on both the sides. Take care while  flipping though. 

Enjoy these tikkis with any condiments of your choice. Serve hot!

Mushrooms in a Cottage Cheese (Paneer) Gravy

It is always a struggle for me whenever I have vegetarian guests over for dinner along with non vegetarians and the biggest challenge is to make something different with the regular vegetarian options that we commonly have. I had pinned this recipe from a fellow blogger and a very experienced chef, Jaspreet ji, but never really got around to making it. Last weekend I finally gave it a try for a vegetarian friend and it was an instant hit and was savored even by the non vegetarians !! I did a few changes to the recipe to adapt to my taste and it was such a delightfully yummy and different dish to serve your Vegetarian guests!!! 😊

So here it is, Mushrooms in a Paneer gravy/sauce!!

Ingredients 

12-15 whole mushrooms (or as per your requirement)

200 gms paneer crumbled (I used homemade)

3 medium onions

3 fat cloves of garlic

1" piece ginger  

1 tsp cumin seeds 

2 tsp Kashmiri Mirch powder (non spicy)

2 tsp Roasted Coriander powder 

2 tsp Roasted Cumin powder 

2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

2 tbsp Cream 

Salt to taste

Fresh Coriander chopped 

Oil (usage is upon your discretion) 

For Tomato paste

2 medium Tomatoes blanched, skinned and pureed with 2-3 Kashmiri Whole Chilies  soaked in warm water

4 fat Garlic cloves minced

Oil (again use as per your discretion)

Salt to taste

Direction 

Start with the mushrooms. Wash and clean the mushrooms nicely in tap water and wipe them dry. Keep them on a slotted bowl/plate so that the excess moisture dries out. 

Now start making the tomato paste. Heat oil in a pan and add the minced  garlic cloves and sauté for a minute. Now add the tomato puree along with salt. Cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the oil leaves the masala. Keep it aside.

Make a smooth paste with the onions and ginger and garlic and keep aside. 

Take the same pan where you prepared the tomato paste and add some more oil. Add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Now add the onion paste and sauté. Keep stirring until golden brown. Now add the dry spices along with some water and mix well. Cook until oil leaves the masala. Now add the tomato paste and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Now crumble the paneer with hands and mix into the masala (keeping aside some paneer for garnish). Mix well and stir for a couple of minutes. Add water (I added about 1/2 cup as the mushrooms will also release some water) to liquidize the gravy. Now add the mushrooms and keep on low heat for 7-10 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and shrunk in size. 

 Remove from flame and mix in cream. Stir nicely and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with green coriander and a little crumbled paneer. Serve hot with Rice or Roti.

Cottage Cheese and Pesto Stuffed Baked Mushrooms

Mushrooms are my favorite and can have them at any time during the day for any or every meal. In fact, I have noticed that there are very few people who dislike them. The Westerners are always all love for them and so when I had the task of hosting my German guests last weekend, I knew a Mushroom starter would definitely be a good option. I had once baked the mushrooms with spiced cream cheese and, although it was highly appreciated, I wanted to work on the health factor this time. Cottage cheese or paneer was the best healthy alternative for the cream cheese and pesto is anyway a powerhouse of nutrients. The combination turned out superb and was the star of the evening. 

P.S.: The final pictures here are not of very high quality as I could not click a proper one in front of the guests! :(

Ingredients

For the Basil Almond Pesto

2 cups packed Basil leaves (stems removed and washed)

2-3 sprigs Italian Parsley or any variety that you have

1/4 cup almonds lightly roasted (I used chopped peeled almonds from the market but you can use whole ones too with the skin on) 

5-6 big fat cloves of garlic (adjust as per your taste)

1 tbsp olive oil plus more for topping

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Mushrooms

18 Portobello Mushrooms or any variety mushroom that you have; however, button mushrooms (the regular ones) shrink to half and leave a lot of water and is better not to use them. 

150 gms cottage cheese or paneer mashed

2 tbsp parsley finely chopped

3-4 tbsp pesto 

Grated parmesan cheese as required

Salt and pepper to taste

Red chilli flakes (optional)

Direction

Making the pesto

Put the basil leaves, garlic, parsley, and roasted almonds in a grinder and make a smooth paste. Do not add any water. After the initial pulses, add 1 tbsp olive oil or as required and pulse further till smooth. Transfer to a clean tight lid jar and add salt and pepper as per taste. Top it up with some more olive oil and store in the refrigerator till further use. 

For the Mushrooms

Mash the paneer with your hands or a fork ensuring there are no big lumps. Now add the pesto, salt and pepper as per your taste. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Start with 3-4 tbsp of the pesto and then add according to your taste. Mix well and keep aside. 

Take the mushrooms and remove the stems gently. Wash inside out and wipe them dry. Prepare a large baking tray big enough to hold all the mushrooms in a single layer. Lightly grease the tray and keep aside. Pre-heat the oven at 175 degree celsius. 

Now take spoonfuls of the paneer and pesto mixture and fill it inside the mushroom caps. Place the mushrooms on the baking tray rounded side down. Repeat till all the mushrooms are stuffed. Now sprinkle some parsley and cheese on top of each mushroom and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese starts browning. If the mushroom leaves a lot of water, discard it before serving. Serve hot or warm!

Chunky Low Fat Cream of Mushroom Soup

My husband was out on a week long tour to Germany and even before he landed, he texted me that he wants to go on a diet whole of this week. While I was already observing a low calorie diet during his absence, his request did not sound too daunting to me. On one day, I served him black pea salad with Quinoa, and on the other, garlic pinwheels made with wheatgerm and served with a carrot soup. Today, I served him this yummy chunky thick Cream of Mushroom soup with some juicy Chicken Escalopes. The twist in the story however is that the cream of mushroom soup is actually without any cream. Here is the recipe and find out how!

                                    

Ingredients

2 cups button mushroom, finely chopped

1 big onion chopped

2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped

3 cups milk (you can use either full cream or skimmed)

2 tsp plain flour

1 tsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Direction

Dry roast the plain flour till aromatic in a small pan and keep it aside. Take care not to burn the flour. Let it cool.

In another deep bottomed vessel, heat the butter and add the garlic. When it starts browning, add the onions and fry till translucent. Now add the mushrooms and stir. Keep it covered on a medium flame till the mushroom changes color and is cooked through. Now remove the cover and dry up the moisture from the mushrooms. Add a few drops of milk to the roasted flour and make a smooth lumpfree paste. Add this paste to the mushrooms and stir well ensuring no lumps remain. Now add the milk and bring it to a boil while stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper and continue cooking on a medium flame till slightly reduced. Now take it off the flame and let it cool. When just warm, using a hand blender, pulse a few times to blend a few mushroom chunks for the creamy texture. Make sure you do not overdo it and still have a chunky consistency. We do not want a pasty smooth soup.  The mushroom chunks are what makes this soup special.

Put the soup back on flame and adjust the seasoning. Bring it to a boil and bring it off the flame. Serve hot!

                                    

Mushroom Matar Masala (Mushroom and Peas Curry)

I always stay quite confused with this particular Fungi and very often end up using it in just soups or noodles and fried rice. I haven't ever tried making it into a curry, an Indian one at that. Today, there is a dinner invite and since I had no groceries in the fridge except for a pack of mushrooms, I thought of going the traditional way of making some mushroom fried rice. However, there was this streak of lightening and suddenly my cooking keera (pest) insisted on making something new. I quickly picked up some tomatoes from the nearby supermarket and in less than half hour prepared this wonderfully yummy and superbly easy Mushroom Matar Masala. You can add some cashew paste and cream to it as well to make it rich. I am already quite rich in those "love handles" and didn't want to increase my wealth any further!

Ingredients

8-9 button mushrooms thinly sliced

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/2 cup frozen/fresh peas

3 heaped tsp yogurt, whipped

1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp crushed kasuri methi

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 nos each of cardamom, cinnamon, clove

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp mustard oil

Coriander leaves and fried onions for garnishing

Directions

Clean and wash the mushrooms and keep aside.

In a pan, heat the mustard oil till smoky hot and add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Add the cumin seeds and let it crackle. Fry the onions till translucent. Add the tomatoes and fry till the water evaporates. Add the peas and fry for few more minutes. Now add the dry spices and keep stirring until oil separates from the side. Add about half cup warm water and bring to a boil. Add the mushrooms and mix well. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes on medium heat. Now add the whipped yogurt, salt, garam masala, and kasuri methi. Stir. Keep covered on low heat until the gravy dries up a bit while stirring occasionally. Check for seasoning and remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and fried onions. Serve hot with rice, rotis, or pulao.