Preparation Time : 45 minutes
Cooking Time : 20 minutes
Serving : 4 to 6 members
Description
Kaalaan. Mushrooms are known as kaalaaan in Tamil. This dish is a very famous street food very own to Coimbatore. Nearly every road has its own small stall in wheels with its glass shields with mountains of kaalaan fried and kept. The minute you place an order it’s done in a wok with high flame in minutes in front of you. The saucy crisp kaalaan is served piping hot garnished with onions, green chillies and corainder leaves. Its beautiful with a well rounded flavour and a heady aroma. My daughter ANISHA raves about this dish so much.In fact this recipe also was passed down to me by her which she got from her cook at her in-laws place who runs a street food on wheels in the evening’s . These street food stalls on wheels brings memories of scrumtious food that my brother darvesh used to treat me with on my every visit to my moms place for a holiday. Every evening after school he would take me and my kids along to these stalls. At times (mostly summer holidays time my other cousins brothers Shanu my maternal uncle,Shabu, Riyaz,Ejaz , zuhail and ashfaq . I was the only grand daughter at moms place for quite sometime until Ashibha was born)each one of them would have atleast 6 to 8 plates of chat.Food was and is always an integral part of holidaying and celebration to all of us in someway or the other.
Ingredients to marinate
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Maida | 1 1/2 cup |
| Cornflour | 1 1/2 cup |
| Ginger garlic paste | 1/4 teaspoon each |
| Red food colour | little |
| Salt | to taste |
| Cabbage | 2 cups finely chopped , ( it's used to substitute mushroom in an economic way by the street food stalls , you can add mushrooms instead ) |
| Mushroom | 1 cup chopped |
| Chilli powder | 1 teaspoon |
| Oil | to deep fry |
- Marinate all the above mentioned ingredients except for oil together and set aside for 1/2 an hour . Heat oil to deep fry .
- Deep fry the marinated masala dropping 1/4 teaspoon full into hot oil . Deep fry to crisp , drain and set aside in an air tight container .
Ingredients for the stock
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Bay leaf | 2 |
| Coriander seeds | 2 tablespoons crushed |
| Cinnamon | 1 inch piece |
| Black pepper | 1 tablespoon |
| Cardamom | 3 |
| Clove | 4 |
| Cumin seeds | 2 tablespoons |
| Fennel seeds | 2 tablespoons |
| Nutmeg powder | a pinch |
| Water | 4 cups |
| Onion | 1 big chopped |
| Ginger garlic paste | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Salt | to taste |
| Garam masala powder | 1 teaspoon |
- Mix all the above ingredients together in a heavy bottomed vessel and bring to boil for 4 minutes , then simmer for 10 minutes .
- Strain and set side covered . ( can store this stock in the refrigerator up to a week and use )
How to proceed
Oil -1 tablespoon ,
Chilli powder -1 teaspoon ,
Garam masala -1/4 teaspoon .
- Follow these steps just before you want to serve . You do this in advance the Kaalaan gets soggy and does not taste good .
Method
- Crush the fried Kalaan . Heat oil in a kadai . Add chilli powder and garam masala powder . Tip in the crushed Kalaan and toss well .
- Pour the strained stock and keep stirring on high flame until it gets to a thick saucy consistency just coating around the Kalaan .
- Remove immediately and serve piping hot garnished with finely chopped onions , green chillies and coriander leaves .
