Mushroom Pulao

Ingredients

Basmati rice - 2 cups

Mushroom( Portobello or White Button) - 500 gms

Onion medium sliced - 2 nos

Green chili( broken into half) - 2 nos

Garam masala powder - 3 tsp

Ajinomoto - 1/4 tsp ( optional)

Saffron ( soaked in 1tsp milk) - 8 strands

Salt to taste

Oil and Butter - 2 tbsp each

Coriander leaves to garnish

Method

1. Wash and soak basmati rice in 3 cups water, in a rice cooker add basmati rice along with water in wich its soaked and season with 1 tsp salt, mix well. Cook rice until tender.

2. When rice is cooked spread rice on a large plate, sprinkle oil on rice( to prevent rice sticking to each other) and allow to cool.

3. Heat oil and butter in a pan, add sliced onions, mushrooms and green chilli. Saute for few seconds and reduce pan heat to the lowest. Now add garam masala powder, ajinomoto and 1/4 tsp salt to the pan and mix well.

4. Increase pan heat to high, add the cooked rice to the pan and mix well until the mushroom and rice are blended well. Remove from heat.

5. Finally add the saffron milk along with saffron strands on the mushroom pulao and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot mushroom pulao with any curry.

Tofu Masala

Ingredients

Firm Tofu/ Bean Curd( cut into bit size squares)-1 pack

Onion large chopped-1

Tomato large chopped-1

Pudina/ Mint leaves-1/2cup

Coriander leaves-1/2cup

Ginger and Garlic paste-1tbsp

Red chili powder-2tsp

Cumin powder-1tsp

Amchoor/ Dry mango powder-1/2tsp

Salt to taste

Oil required

For tempering

Cloves-3

Cardamom-2

Cinnamon stick-1"

Cumin seeds-1tsp

Method

Heat about 2 tsps of oil in a pan, add the sliced tofu squares and fry them on both sides until golden brown, set aside.Heat oil in a pan when hot add the tempering ingredients, when the aroma of whole spices rises add the chopped onions. Stir fry the onions for 2 mins, when onion turns brown add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for few more mins until the raw smell leaves. Now add the mint and coriander leaves( reserve some coriander leaves to garnish) and tomatoes, cook till tomatoes are mashed. Next add the tofu, red chili powder, cumin powder, amchoor powder and salt. Add 1/4cup water and cook the gravy until oil seprates on the sides of the pan. Serve hot with Pulao or Chapati.