Mushroom Cashew Tomato Curry

Mushrooms~~~~ I Love~~~~ them says my little nephew.

He can eat mushrooms at anytime in any form. This is the closest non-veg look alike he can get at my home. Until he was 5 yrs he ate only bland moong dal khichdi. My sis would carry a box of home cooked khichdi when visiting anyone or even restaraunts when Pranav tagged along. Poor thing she carried a huge baby bag for almost 5 years with the whole world in it. So it was a big relief for all of us when he started eating other things too. He announced it to me with a great sense of accomplishment, "Maushi now I eat everything!"

On this day he woke up fussy and was demanding a pizza for breakfast. I had made idlis his other favorite but he refused to eat. Well he did get one but of a different style. You think I can fool a 8 yr old nah they come real smart these days. I made a Tate idli/ Idli in a pan turned it upside down and spread the previous nights Mushroom Cashew Tomato Curry. He was thrilled. Immediately he cut it into bits ate one and held out one for me. Maushi its yummy. "Chew slowly and enjoy the smell, you will be stronger" said the gyani (know aller) with the halo.

Needless to say what my reaction was. I got up and gave him a tight squeeze and a peck which he wiped off immediately even though it wasn't wet.

So here you go

Ingredients

1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup quartered tomatoes
1/4 cashew nuts
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
2 teaspoons oil
2 cups water
salt to taste

For masala

1 onion
1/2 cup grated dry coconut
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chili
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1-2 green chillies
1 cup chopped cilantro

First soak the split cashew nuts in water for atleast an hour and save.

To prepare masala:

Roast the onion on a direct flame. Discard the charred peel and keep the clean roasted pink onion aside.

Heat a kadhai/ wok dry roast the dry grated coconut along with all the powders adding one at a time and frying intermittently except the garam masala. Before removing from heat mix in the green chillies and cilantro.

Grind together with the roasted onion and garam masala. Save.

Now in the same kadhai heat oil. Keep heat high. Fry the ginger garlic paste. Then add in the ground masala and fry till the oil separates. At this point add the mushroom and tomatoes and add the salt. Cook till thick gravy is formed. Then add the cashews along with the water and adjust the thickness with more water to your choice. I used 2 cups water.

This gravy is ideal with rice, any type of rotis, lacy appams and even Tate idli like I did.

Some more Pranav Uvacha:

He demands tea so we color his milk with a little. He gloats, the boy on the TV grew up drinking milk and boost, I grew drinking tea!

I order him to put away his toys, he lines them up near the wall. I am told they are in the garage and not move them.

We go to a restaurant everyone orders veg though He and my sis eat non-veg my sis opts for veg. He wonders why and still orders for Chicken lollipop. Then very maturely tells us its OK I'll give it a miss just for you. Not that it mattered to us. But he wanted to fit in with the adults! Yet he wanted his frooti and sundae. That's a must he informs us.

When Dad returned from Southeast Asia-PAC tour back in the Tsunami days he was the first one to ask if G'pa had any problems there. He said he was following the news and he was just 5 yrs then.

This time he came home with a huge packet of munchies telling me he picked it up for me and that his mom had got sweets too. At dinner I saw the half finished packet and wondered aloud I thought that packet was for me. Sheepishly he said yeah it was for you but I could not stop its really good. I made a deal with a messy pout planted on my cheek.

I mentioned to his G'ma that he is a fibber after which she started teasing him that his Maushi called him names. This half ticket called me up to sort out things and asked me if I called him a fibber and told me that he just wanted me too have a laugh so the doings.

Like all parents snooping on their adult kids Dad asks Pranav do your parents fight. He retorts back Mom and Dad said not to tell anyone but since you asked I am telling you. Mom is katti with Dad right now.