Radish Paratha and Shiitake Mushroom Gravy ( முள்ளங்கி பராத்தா & காளான் கறி )

Radish Paratha and Shiitake Mushroom Gravy 

( முள்ளங்கி பராத்தா & காளான் கறி )

To make Radish Paratha  ( முள்ளங்கி பராத்தா )

Ingredients:

Wheat flour  ( கோதுமை மாவு) - 2 cups

Radish ( முள்ளங்கி )  -   2 (small or medium in size )

Oregano seeds ( ஓமம் ) -  1/2 tsp ( crushed )

Turmeric powder ( மஞ்சள் தூள் )  - 1/4 tsp

Salt ( உப்பு )  - to taste.

Steps:

Wash the radish well to remove any sand residues on the skin. You can soak in salt water for 15 min before cooking. Shred the radish, rub in a pinch of salt and turmeric powder.

Microwave shredded radish for a min. By doing so, the raw earthy smell of radish, disliked by many, will not be felt while eating. You can add a dash of olive oil to enhance the flavour. 

Crush the oregano between your palms and add to the wheat flour followed by the radish. Make this into a dough using warm water. Set aside for minimum 30 min.

Knead the dough again with a greased palm. Portion the dough into balls. Roll out and cook on a hot plate. Remove from fire, spread a bit of of ghee while it is hot and serve the parathas with a curry.

 Shiitake Mushroom Gravy 

Ingredients:

Dried Shiitake Mushroom (  ஷிடகே வகை காளான் )     -  100g
Cottage Cheese  (பன்னீர் ) - 100g
White onions  -  2
Tomatoes  -  2
Ginger  - 1"
Garlic  - 5 cloves
Chili powder  - 1tsp
All spice powder/ Garam Masala  - 1tsp
Cinamon   - two 1"sticks
Cloves  -  2
Shajeera ( a type of cumin seeds)  - 1/2 tsp
Butter  - 1 tbsp

Soak the Shiitake mushrooms in boiling hot water for 30 min. (Cover with a lid). The mushroom will almost double.

Dice the  tomatoes. peel and slice onions, ginger and garlic.
Cube the the cottage cheese, if you have bought it as a slab.

In a pan, heat a tablespoon of oil. Fry the onions, ginger garlic and tomatoes. Cool and grind it to a paste.

Drain the water, rinse the mushrooms  to remove any grit. Discard the hard stem, slice the mushrooms.

Melt butter in a wok. Add cinnamon sticks, cloves and shajeera. Fry on medium flame until the whole spices are fragrant

    

Add in the sliced mushrooms, fry for 2 min.

Add  the onion tomato paste. Stir until it coats the mushroom uniformly. Add in the cottage cheese cubes and chilli powder. Cook in medium flame.

As the Gravy boils, add in a tsp of Garam masala powder. Cook for a min.

Serve the rich chewy mushroom - soft cheese combination curry with rice or parathas.

My notes:

To balance the meaty texture and smoky flavour of the mushroom, I have used a handful of cottage cheese (paneer )
Chinese and Japanese eat shiitake mushrooms raw, cooked making them a versatile food you can incorporate into a wide array meals. There are fresh and dried version available in the market.

Try cooking your mushrooms along with other vegetables in your soup, or top your pizza with sauteed mushrooms or include in your mushrooms in your baked rice.

A few subtle things can make or break a deal goes for a dish too. Especially the shiitake mushroom. Soak with hot water and drain well. Remove the stems as they are often tough.


These meaty and flavorful mushrooms contain a substance called eritadenine, which encourages body tissues to absorb cholesterol and lower the amount circulating in the blood. Shiitakes also have antiviral and anticancer effects. Dried shiitakes, available at Asian grocery stores, are also effective.