Friday, April 6, 2007

Mushroom masala with fresh green channa

I like trying different combinations of vegetables and legumes in my curries. Yesterday i got all excited and decided to combine Mushroom and green channa. I haven't heard of this fresh green channa(Garbanzo beans)when i was in India. Recently found frozen green channa in the indian grocery store. I have always used dried kabuli channa or brown channa. These green channa are so fresh and do not require soaking in water overnight. That's one thing i liked about these. I usually think of making channa masala for the next day and would forget to soak it overnight. Any form of channa or garbanzo beans is rich in protein and fiber, and low in fat and calories. They are a good source of folate, folic acid, calcium, Vitamin B and iron.
And speaking of mushrooms, i like fresh white ones. One thing about the mushrooms is it gets dark when kept for long time. Proper wrapping with ziploc or storing them in air-tight containers can help. Mushrooms combined with green channa was so delicious as a side dish. Here is some of 'em for you.

10 to 15 nos.- White button mushrooms
1 Cup - Frozen or fresh green channa or garbanzo
1 - Medium Onion Chopped
3 - Medium Tomatoes chopped
1 tsp - turmeric powder
1 tsp - red chilli powder
1 tsp - corriander powder
1 tsp - cumin powder
1 tsp - garam masala
1 tsp of Kasuri methi
1 tsp - cumin seeds for tadka
1 tbsp - oil
Salt to taste
Fresh cilantro to garnish

Remove stems from mushrooms, clean and with a neat cloth wipe the surface of the mushrooms to remove any dirt. Cut into halves or any shape. Wash channa into two to three runnings of water, drain and set aside. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Let the cumin seed splutter. Add turmeric powder to them. Then add the onion and fry till transparent. Add mushrooms and saute for two minutes. Add Chopped tomatoes to the pan and cook till the tomatoes are mushy and mixes with the mushroom. Stir in red chilli powder, corriander powder, cumin powder and mix well to coat the mushroom with the masala. Let the spices cook for two minutes. Add green channa and enough water and let it cook covered for 10 minutes. Stir in the garam masala and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. By then the mushrooms should be soft and green channa doesn't require more time to cook. Mix the kasuri methi and cook for another minute and then garnish with cilantro.
Serve hot with naan or your favourite rotis.

Add-on...
Add quarter cup of milk or cream before adding the garam masala. This would give the dish a rich creamy colour.

10 comments:

Sharmi said...

Hi AV, I have never made green channa. Does it taste like the black ones? your dish sure looks great!!

cheers
sharmi

Richa said...

hey, mushroom chana sure is such a nice change from the mushroom & peas subzi that I usually make, nice one.
thanks

Aahaar Vihaar said...

Hi Sharmi,
The taste is more or less same, but they are so fresh.

Richa,
Thanks. Yes, it sure is an alternative to peas.

Mishmash ! said...

Hello, I think this is my first time here....what i found interesting is ur passion for interior decor and I am happy to find someone with the same interest. Some of the links in ur Decor section is new to me...and apartment therapy is one site i used to frequent almost every now and then before i got into food blogging. :)

Shn

Suma Gandlur said...

I buy frozen green chana for it's color. Your's seem to be green even after cooking. I am so mad to see my green chana which had turned brown by the time I open the packet. Do you ever have this problem?

Aahaar Vihaar said...

Mishmash,
Thanks for dropping by. I do love interior designing, and have an idea of doing a course on that too.

Hi Suma,
Haven't really faced that problem of green chana becoming brown. I try to use it within a week or two after buying them frozen. Thanks.

John Loca said...

Mushroom with chana is great thing, I mostly make with mutter.
Catering Sydney Sydney Mushroom Catering Offers BBQ and buffet catering for wedding and corporate events, We also provides buffet catering services for Corporate Christmas party and home events like Birthday etc.

Knorr Soup said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Knorr Soup said...

AV, your dish contains the right amount of taste and nutrition, and it sure looks amazing as well! Your dish will be on the list of ‘what to try out next’! Obesity being such a problem today, we need to control our intake of fats and carbohydrates and limit our portions, and if the side dish contains all the nutrition required for a healthy meal, then it is definitely possible to keep an eye out on the size of the portions and the number of servings! Great work! For some expert tips and suggestions on healthy eating habits visit http://knorratseven.blogspot.com/.

Unknown said...

Delicious.. Thanks for share..
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