Chhatu Besara– An Oriya Style Mushroom Curry with Mustard Paste Gravy

Ingredients:

• 1 Packet or 500 gm. Mushrooms
• 2 Medium Sized Onions cut into slices
• 2-3 Chopped Green Chilies
• 2 Medium Sized Tomato cut into slices
• 2-3 Dried Mango Slices(Ambula)/2-3 tsp. Dry Mango Powder
• 2 –3 tbsp. Corn Flour Powder
• 1 tsp. Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
• 2 tsp. Turmeric Powder
• 2 tsp. Red Chilly Powder
• Salt to Taste
• Oil to Cook
• Fresh Cut Coriander Leaves for Garnish

      For Mustard Paste:

• 2-3 tsp. Mustard Seeds
• 2 tsp. Poppy Seeds
• 1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
• 5-6 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Green Chilly
• Little Water

Procedure:

• First of all the Mushrooms are to be cleaned properly before cooking. Wash the Mushroom properly and cut into cubes/pieces. Then dip these in water with 2-3 tsp. Turmeric Powder for 20 minutes to remove all the impurities.
• Now drain the water completely. Add Salt, 1 tsp. Turmeric Powder, 1 tsp. Red Chilly Powder and the Corn Flour Powder to Mushroom cubes. Mix them well.
• Now heat oil in a pan. Add the Mushrooms and keep frying. While frying, the Mushrooms will leave behind water. So keep frying till all the water drained out and the Mushrooms turn light brown in color. Then keep the fried Mushrooms aside.
• In the meantime make the Mustard Paste with all its above said ingredients. Make sure that the paste should be fine and smooth.
• Now heat oil in a pan in medium flame. Add Mustard seeds and Cumin seeds to it. Once the seeds start sputtering, add the chopped Green chilies.
• Add the sliced Onions and fry them for till the Onions turn to golden brown.
• Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chilly Powder and required Salt to it and keep stirring.
• Add the Tomato slices to the mix and keep stirring till the tomatoes get smashed properly.
• Now slowdown the gas and add the Mustard Paste to the cooked masala in the pan. Mix them for 5 seconds and add 2 cup of water immediately to it. Be ensure that the Mustard Paste shouldn’t get fried else it will create Bitter taste.
• Now add the fried Mushrooms to the Mustard Paste gravy in the pan. Add the Dried Mango Slices/ Dry Mango Powder to it and mix them well.
• Now cover the pan with lid and allow the Mushrooms to get cooked with the Mustard Paste gravy. Keep cooking for 5-7 minutes till the gravy turns bit thicker.
• Now remove the lid and garnish it with fresh cut Coriander leaves.
• Now your Mushroom Curry is ready. Serve it hot with rice or roti.

CHHATU BESARA