Mushroom Pepper Fry

Mushrooms are widely used in asian cuisines and is packed with fiber, proteins and essential vitamins. It tastes good in dry recipes and gravies. Personally, I like the combination of mushroom and bell peppers and this is a very simple recipe. Give it a try...

Ingredients:

10 oz button mushrooms, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
Few curry leaves
1 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, to taste
Lime juice, to taste
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Method:

In a pan, heat oil and add curry leaves, onions, garlic, green chillies and fry till onions are translucent.  Now, add the mushrooms and sauté well for few minutes. Add the green bell peppers and cook until they are almost done. 

Add the curry powder and salt and mix well with the vegetables. Allow the flavors to blend well and add black pepper powder, if you like it spicier. Add lemon juice to the vegetables and fry for 1-2 minutes. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot with rice or rotis.

Makes 3 servings.

Wheat Oat Dosa

Dosa, a popular dish in south indian cuisine is usually made from a fermented batter of rice and black lentils. Mostly considered as a breakfast dish, dosas can be consumed at any time. They are usually served with a side dish of sambar (lentil curry) or chutney.

Every now and then, I try to cook healthy alternatives for rice-based dishes. Normally, I make wheat oat idlis and decided to use the base ingredients to make dosas instead. After making these dosas, I don't think I'll miss the rice-based dosas anymore. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup instant oats
1/2 cup cracked wheat (fine)
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 green chillies, finely chopped
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup water
Oil, for greasing the dosa

Method:

In a pan on medium heat, dry roast the instant oats until it turns light brown. In a bowl, add enough water to soak the oats for 20-30 minutes.

In the same pan, dry roast the fine cracked wheat for a minute until it gets heated. Soak the cracked wheat in a bowl with water (make sure you don't add too much water....just enough to immerse it) for 20-30 minutes.

In a blender, add the soaked cracked wheat and blend it to a paste but not too fine. Pour this into a bowl and keep aside. Now, blend the soaked oats to a fine paste and mix with the cracked wheat.

To the wheat-oat batter, add cumin seeds, green chillies, ginger, cilantro and salt. Mix all the ingredients and add little water, if the batter seems too thick. You can also add finely chopped onions to the batter, if you wish.

In a hot griddle or flat pan, pour the batter in small amounts and spread it out into a medium thin circle and fry on each side for few minutes with little oil (optional...you can use nonstick pan to avoid using oil) until it turns slightly brown. The dosa can be folded in half and served. Serve with sambar or chutney.

Makes 6-7 dosas.

Chocolate Mousse

Mousse (derived from French word) can be prepared either as a light and fluffy texture or creamy and thick. A dessert mousse typically contains eggs and cream and can use any flavoring...the classic being chocolate. Dessert mousse was originally available only in fancy french restaurants but nowadays they are easily available everywhere.

Generally, I don't prefer recipes which focus on eggs as one of the main ingredients. As I like the texture of the chocolate mousse, I decided to rely on one of my mostly used ingredients...Tofu. Tofu is one ingredient which can change its texture so easily depending on the kind you use. Its good to use silken tofu for desserts as it can make it so creamy. The best part is no one can tell that there is tofu in the recipe and it tastes good.

Here's a healthy mousse recipe ...

Ingredients:

8 oz silken tofu
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup dark cocoa candy melts or bittersweet chocolate
1/3 cup milk chocolate toffee bits + 1 tbsp for garnish
2 tbsp whipped cream

Method:

Combine the bittersweet chocolate and milk chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave in short intervals until completely melted and keep aside to cool.

In a blender, add the silken tofu and purée until it becomes smooth and creamy. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla extract to the tofu and blend well. (If you find the purée to be sweet, you can add 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of instant coffee powder and blend with the rest of the ingredients which will cut some of the sweetness and enhance the flavor of the chocolate)

Put the chocolate mousse in small dessert cups or ramekins and cover then with clear wrap. Refrigerate them for 3-4 hours until it sets.

Serve chilled with whipped cream and sprinkle some milk chocolate toffee bits on top. Enjoy!!

Makes 5 servings.