Mushroom Do Pyaza | Mushroom Recipes

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When I received a reader request to make Mushroom Do Pyaza I was kind of puzzled as it was the first time I heard the name. So when I googled...found the meaning of 'do pyaza' as double the amount of onions and mushroom do pyaza seemed to be a simple flavourful onion based curry.

Mushroom Do Pyaza Recipe - Ingredients

• Cleaned Mushroom - 1 cup
• Onions - 2 cups chopped lengthwise(Grind 1/4 cup onions to a fine paste)
• Tomatoes - 2
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - a generous pinch
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli Powder - 3/4 tsp
• Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
• Fresh Cream - 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves - 2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt - as required

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, add the grinded onion paste and ginger garlic saute it till it alightly browns. Now add the onions and saute till browned.

Grind the tomatoes to a paste and add it. Mix well and saute until raw smell of tomatoes leave. Add chilli,turmeric, garam masala and corianders masala powders.

Mix well and saute till it shrinks and is dry like below :
Now add the cleaned mushroom, saute till for few minutes. The mushroom leaves out water, now add required water at this stage. Keep closed and cook until mushroom turns soft.

Add cream, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and switch off.

Its apt with rotis or naans. I like it with hot steamed rice and dhal, sure a comforting combination.

My Notes:

• You can skip cream and add 2 tsp milk too.

• Adjust spicelevel too as I liked mine a bit less spicy.

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Coconut Rice (Thengai Sadam) and Seppankizhangu Varuval(Colocasia Yam Fry)

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Coconut rice(Thengai sadam) with seppankizhangu roast is one of my most favorite lunch menu. Its not only easy to make, it makes a complete tasty lunch box menu. This has been sitting in my drafts for about 6 months so didn't want to delay anymore :)

Thenga Sadam / Coconut Rice Recipe - Ingredients

• Cooked Rice - 1 cup
• Coconut - 1/2 cup grated
• Cashews - 5 roughly broken
• Salt - as required

To Temper

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Ghee - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal(white) - 1 tbsp
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Hing(Perungayam) - a pinch
• Green chillies - 2 slitted
• Curry leaves - few

Method:

Cook the rice until fluffy and keep aside to cool.Fry cashews in ghee till golden brown, set aside.Heat oil and ghee, add mustard seeds, jeera and urad dal allow it to crackle. Then add green chillies, curry leaves and hing. Now add grated coconut and saute in low flame till moisture leaves. 

Dont let it brown just saute it for 3mins in low flame till nice aroma rises.Now add required salt and give a quick stir. Add the cooked rice and mix well.

Serve warm with any spicy fry!

Seppankizhangu Varuval / Colocasia Yam Fry Recipe - Ingredients

• Seppankizhangu - 10 to 15 pieces
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - a generous pinch
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Corn flour - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
• Oil - To deep fry
• Salt - as required

Method:

1.In a pan, cook seppankizhangu with enough water until soft. Drain water and allow it to cool.Now peel off the skin and slit vertically. Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, cornflour, garam masala powder, required salt and leave it marinated for 15-30 mins. 
2.Keep refrigerated so that while frying it doesnt drink much oil.Deep fry until golden brown and drain it in tissue paper. You can even roast it in dosa tawa.

My Notes:

• For coconut rice - you can add channa dhal and boiled peanuts while tempering as a variation.
• For seppankizhangu fry - to cut down oil you can just toast it in dosa tawa , I make it this way too.

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Vella Seedai | Gokulashtami Recipes

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From the day I made uppu seedai, I was waiting to make vella seedai as I love it. I made the flours ready 2 weeks back for the how to posts ok I agree....making vella seedai was in my mind too..But didnt find time to make it and was waiting for the right time. Yesterday on a sunday, unsually I woke up early and seeing my lil one in deep sleep, I thought there is no better time to make this :)

Vella Seedai Recipe - Ingredients

• Rice flour (Idiyappam flour) - 1 cup
• Urad dal flour -2 tsp
• Jaggery - 3/4 cup
• Butter - 1 tbsp
• Coconut grated - 1 tbsp
• Sesame seeds - 1/2 tbsp
• Elachi powder - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - as required to fry

Method:

First immerse jaggery in water(till immersing level) for 15mins. Once te jaggery is dissolved, strain to remove impurities.

Heat a pan and add the jaggery water, just heat it up until bubbles appear. Collect it in a container and switch off. Now dry roast rice flour in low flame in a seperate pan for 3mins until a nice aroma comes. Keep aside.

Dry roast coconut until the moisture leaves, then dry roast sesame seeds till it crackles. Collect it in a container and keep aside.

Now take the roasted rice flour, add urad dhal flour, butter, elaachi powder and sesame. Then add the jaggery water little by little - You may not end up using it fully.

Mix well to form a dough. Take a small piece of the dough and roll it out into small balls little bigger than the ones for uppu seedai. Grease with oil/ghee if it is sticky. Leave it to rest in a tissue paper or muslin cloth for 15mins.

Heat oil, add the balls and fry till nicely browned it should be deep brown in color only then it will get cooked inside properly. Drain in a tissue, cool down then store in an airtight container.

To me anyday vella seedai is my fav and hubby loves uppu seedai. As I totally have a sweet tooth so obviously my vote is to vella seedai.

They are crispy on the outside and crunchy inside and I totally loved it and am sure this will be my keeper recipe. I cudnt wait for next gokulashtami so posted it now itself :)

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Kadalai Paruppu Sundal / Chana Dal Sundal Recipe | Navaratri Recipes

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I havent been to kollus I remember only once seeing it in person in my friends place. Otherwise to me, kollus are always visualised only in movies :) On vinayagar chathurthi when we went to temple, chakarai pongal was served in these thonnais and I picked these thonnais from there :)

Chana Dal Sundal Recipe  - Ingredients

• Channa Dal - 1 cup
• Coconut - 3 tbsp
• Ginger scrapped - 1 tsp (optional)
• Salt - as required
• Oil - 1.5 tsp

To temper:

• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Red chillies - 2
• Hing - a generous pinch

Method:

1.Soak channa dal in water for an hour. Then pressure cook chana dal with 1.5 cups for 1-2 whistles or until it turns soft but not mushy. Keep aside.In a pan heat oil, add mustard seeds, urad dhal allow it to crackle. Add hing, curry leaves and red chillies fry for a minute.

2.Then add the cooked chana dal, scrapped ginger and required salt. Mix well until its combined. Add coconut, give a quick stir and switch off.

Transfer to serving dish and serve hot!

My Notes:

• Pressure cooking will be ok too but take care not to make channa dal mushy.
• Adding ginger always helps to avoid gastric problems with most lentils esp with chana dal.
• You can replace red chillies with green chillies also.

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How to clean and cut mushrooms

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This has been on to my todo list since long as few of my friends and even readers requested me to post it. This is my way of cleaning mushroom, followed from a tv show and have been following it since then. I didnt like mushrooms when I had it for the first time and said I'll never have it again. But now its my favourite and we buy it now and then. Check out kadai mushroom masala that I posted long back.

Method :

1.Always get fresh mushroom from a reliable source. I usually get it from Nilgiris or from Pazhamudir Nilayam. Take the mushroom and first wash to remove the black dirt, if you keep rubbing, the thin skin will come out. Then wipe it off with a clean cloth to absorb the moisture. Then trim the end of the stem part.

2.Now in the head part remove the outer skin as shown below. Next turn the head part upside down scrap the hairy dark grey part and discard it - this step is purely optional. I do remove the hairy part for bigger size mushrooms alone, for smaller ones just ignore and go to next step.

3.Keep the head part facing down and chop into thin slices...For each mushroom 3-4 slices will be fine not more than that..

There are different types of mushrooms available but the one easily available here is button mushroom and leaf variety. I have tried only button mushroom but have tasted leaf mushroom at my friends place and totally loved it :)

My Notes:

• You can also remove the stem part seperately and chop into slices.If the mushroom pieces are big then half each slice too.
• Mushroom leaves out water, so while cooking add water accordingly.
• I dont see the black hair part being removed in most of the places but I personally prefer doing it atleast for big sized mushrooms.

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Apple Tea

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Hubby is a complete tea person so its always a yes when any drink has tea in it. This was the main fact that made me try lemon tea and now this apple tea. To me tea or coffee I luv it only hot except for cold coffee :) But this sure was a welcoming change to the usual tea and its apt for summers. I luved the apple flavour the best in it!

Apple Tea Recipe - Ingredients:

• Apple - 1
• Tea powder - 1 to 2 tsp(Adjust according to your strongness of the tea powder)
• Honey - 2 tsp
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp(optional)
• Ice cubes - 4 to 5 cubes

Method:

• Chop the apple pieces and add it to a pan with 1/4 cup cup of water. Allow it to boil until the apple turns soft.
• Grind the apple with the boiled water until smooth and strain the apple juice with a muslin cloth. Keep aside. You can use readymade apple juice too.
• Add tea powder, cinnamon powder, cardomom powder to the remaining 1/4 cup of water. Bring it to a boil in sim until the tea powder is fully absorbed. Now strain the decotion and allow it to cool.
• Then add the apple juice to the strained decotion, add honey and icecubes and serve chilled.

My Notes:

• You can use readymade apple juice too. Or just grind the apples raw even without boiling them.
• Adjust sweetness according to your taste, add a tsp of sugar if you prefer
• The apple juice : tea powder ratio is totally upto your choice. You can even increase tea powder if you like the flavour. I liked mine a bit more of apple flavour so the above ratio was fine
• Adding spices is purely optional too. You can skip it and make it simple apple tea.

If you like tea am sure you will like this refreshing drink. The apple flavour compliements well with the tea flavour. I am sure this is a interesting and inviting alternate to the usual tea during summers. Try it for urself and see.

Even those who dont like tea may like this because of the apple flavour in it. I am a tea person but a complete no no to chilled tea / coffee ( cold coffee is a exception though ;) but luved this drink because of the apple and tea combination going so well making it a tasty drink.

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Egg Kothu Parotta Recipe (Mutta Parotta)

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If I can say the one thing that I can compromise on road side shops, it is with no doubt my favourite kothu parotta. I just love the taste in road side shops and it can noway be compared with the taste we get in restaurants. I tried to recreate the taste and it was close to it except for the addition of chalna they use.

Egg Kothu Parotta Recipe - Ingredients
Serves 1

• Parotta - 2
• Egg - 1
• Onion - 1 chopped finely
• Tomato - 1 chopped finely
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves - 1 tsp chopped finely

To temper:

• Sombu(Fennel seeds) - 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Curry leaves - few
• Green chilli - 1 chopped finely

Method:

1. Chop the parottas into small pieces. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil, first temper fennel seeds then add add curry leaves, green chillies let it splutter. Then add ginger garlic paste, allow it to brown slightly.
3. Now add onions, once it turns golden brown, add tomatoes when it turns mushy add turmeric, chilli and pepper powder. Add required salt and mix well.
4. Then add the eggs mix it to scramble well, once it turns nicely fried and blended with the masalas add the chopped parato and give a stir so that parotta is blended well with the egg and masalas. Garnish with coriander leaves and switch off.

My Notes:

• You can skip eggs and add any veggie of your choice.
• Usually in road side shops for 1 plate of kothu parotta they use 2 shredded parotas and 2 eggs with the above said ingredients with chalna added at the end which gives a mushy and soft texture.
• Also for the road style kothu parotta they add chalna(the kurma that comes with normal parottas) which gives a very nice taste.
• Squeeze lemon juice while serving if you like the flavour.

I prefer kothu parotta to normal parotta any day and the taste in restaurants can stand no where near the kothu parotta style the road side shops makes. I am yet to make my own parottas , to me it seems to be always a tiresome task but sure to post it soon.

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Eggless Oats Fudge Brownies | Eggless Brownies Recipe

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This is a virtual treat for you all for making it happen, Yes!! for the 5 lakh hits for Sharmis Passions. This is not a planned post but wanted to post something special for you'll so came with these brownies which was in my drafts :) What more can you ask when your brownies come guiltfree with the goodness of oats and walnuts. Enjoy!!

When I planned to make brownies I searched my bookmarked recipes and google - As usual my constraint was with a healthier option and looked for the addition of chocolate - Because to me brownies are with melted chocolate flavour and walnuts in it as most of the brownies I've tasted were of that kind :) I found this from sunitas world which was apt for my search so went ahead and totally luved the taste and texture.

Eggless Oats Fudge Brownies - Ingredients
Recipe Reference : Sunitas World
Makes around 10 brownie squares

• Maida - 1 and 1/2 cups (200 gms)
• Oats powdered coarsely - 3/4 cup (70 gms)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Walnut - 3 tbsp chopped
• Choco chips / Cooking chocolate - 150 gms
• Sugar - 4 tbsp
• Milk - 2 cups
• Cooking oil - 5 tbsp

Method :

1. Mix maida, coco powder and baking powder and sieve it once. Then add oats powder to it and mix well.
2. In another bowl mix oil, sugar and milk, whisk it until sugar completely dissolves.
3. Make a well in the center of the maida mixture and add in milk mixture slowly. Fold in the melted chocolate. Whisk it well without any lumps forming. Finally add the chopped walnuts.
4. Preheat the oven at 180 deg C for 10mins. Meanwhile transfer the batter to a greased baking tin and bake it for about 30-35mins.
5. Insert a toothpick in the center to check if its cooked then switch off else give another 5minutes but not more than that.
6. Cool down completely and then cut into squares and enjoy your healthy brownies.

My Notes:

• The melted chocolate with the goodness of walnut will hide the oats taste so enjoy your guiltfree brownies.
• You can substitute maida with wheat flour as in the orginal recipe for a completely healthier option.
• I used chocolate chips but you can use any cooking chocolate. Melt it using the double boiler method - Boil water in a big bowl and fit another bowl containing chocolate or choco chips over the big bowl. Simmer the flame once the water starts to boil. Once the chocolate is melted completely switch off. Check here for a thumbnail view
• The addition of nuts is purely optional but recommended as the crunchy nuts compliements well with the chocolatey brownies.
• The top layer was slightly fudgy and inside was very soft and yummy.

I've been searching for the cooking chocolate for long and finally found it here in Nilgiris and nuts & spices. I will surely buy only when I have a plan to make chocolate truffles because if I get and reserve it now, my lil one will finish it off before I use it for any baking. This is what happens most of the time for the choco chips :)

When I kept the choco chips for the clicks, I had a tough time as her little hands were reaching for those choco chips now and then.....somehow managed to click these brownies.


I love nuts in any cake either chocolate or vanilla flavoured esp walnuts definitely adds a unique flavour to the cake. So I make sure I use atleast a tbsp of nuts in most of my bakes even when the orginal recipe doesnt call for it ;)

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