Cream of Mushroom soup

The weather is so good in Bangalore. Its cool outside with a slight drizzle now and then. It makes me crave for some hot soup. So today I decided to make the cream of mushroom soup that is a hit with my family. My daughter simply loves it. It is very simple and tastes much better than the store bought ones. For my daughter this is a comfort soup. It makes her feel good when she has a fever. It is delicious, delightful seasoned with herbs. Mushrooms are rich in potassium, copper(a less talked about essential mineral for the body), zinc. It is a great weight loss food as it is low in calories. It improves metabolism and has cancer fighting properties. However, this rich creamy soup would compensate for the low calorie. It is ideal for kids with low weight and people who are looking for protein strength.

Servings

This recipe yields about four bowls of soup


Ingredients
Fresh Button mushrooms - 1/2 cup chopped finely
Garlic - 3 pods chopped finely
Spring onion - leaves chopped finely and the onions sliced
Oregano / Mixed herbs - 1/2 tsp
Cheese slice -1 / Cream cheese - 1 tsp
Milk - 1.5 cup
Maida - 2 tbsp
Water - 2.5 cups
Butter - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Pepper - to taste

Procedure

1. Heat butter in a pan. Add the garlic, onion slices and saute for a minute.
2. In another vessel, boil the milk and water together.
3. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes. Mushrooms let out a lot of water if cooked on low flame. But this also lets the mushrooms get cooked.
4. Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the maida and mix well to ensure that the maida is mixed evenly.
5. Now add the water milk mixture and stir continuously without lumps.
6. When the soup begins to thicken, add the cream cheese/ cheese slice, oregano. Cover and let the flavours infuse well.
7. Adjust the water milk ratio to the degree of thickness you prefer.
8. Add salt to taste. Finally add the spring onion leaves and pepper for garnishing.
9. Hot and creamy mushroom soup is ready to serve.

Note: I normally add small florets of steamed brocolli to this soup. It gives the soup a very distinct taste.

You could also puree the soup after step 5, if you do not wish to have bits of mushroom floating in the soup.

Rasmalai

Rasmalai is a delicious melt in mouth counterpart of Rasgulla cooked in milk. The balls soaked in Kesar milk taste fabulous and its origin which is misunderstood to be Kolkata is Orissa instead. Try this version of Rasmalai.  It soaks up the milk and is so absolutely soft.

Preparation Time : 20 minutes
Kneading Time : 16 minutes
Cooking Time : 40 minutes
Servings : 10 Rasmalais


Ingredients

For Malai

Full cream  milk - 1 litre
Lemon juice + Water - (1/2 tbsp + 1 tbsp)
Sooji / Rava - 1/2 tsp
Yellow food colour - a pinch / a drop(optional)
Water - 800 ml Sugar - 80 gm + (3/4 cup to 1 cup)


To Powder

Sugar - 11/4 tbsp
Cardamom - 2 pods

For Ras

Milk - 1 litre
Saffron - a few strands
White Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Elaichi - 4 pods powdered
Pista - 1 tbsp broken into small bits
Almond slivered - 1 tbsp

Procedure

1. Heat 1 litre milk in a thick bottomed pan on a high flame.

2. Switch off the flame when the milk boils and wait for a minute.

3. Meanwhile powder the 11/4 tbsp sugar and cardamom finely in a mixer. 

4. After 1 minute, add the lemon juice diluted with water, little at a time to separate the milk. Keep stirring till the milk starts to separate.

5. Once it completely curdles and the whey water separates, filter it using a muslin cloth over a vessel and wash well. 

6. Collect a little of the whey water and set aside ( about 1/2 cup)
7. Tie the washed paneer and drain the water completely. Place a heavy object over the paneer to enable draining fast / squeeze out all the water manually
8. Take the paneer ball and start kneading it by first breaking up the lumps, then using your palm, press and rub it, pull it up together, repeat the process for 8 - 10 minutes till soft. This is best done by hand as I realised.

9. Flatten the paneer a little, add rava, sugar powder mixture, mix together and continue kneading again for 8 minutes.



10. Let the paneer rest for a minute at this stage for the rava / sooji to soak in. 
11. You could add a drop / pinch of food colour and mix well again thoroughly.
12. Make 8 gooseberry size balls and flatten gently between your palms / using your thumb.

13. Heat 800 ml water and 80 gm sugar in a 3 litre cooker and dissolve the sugar by stirring
14. Once it starts boiling, drop the paneer patties into the water.
15. Close the cooker, cook on high flame for one whistle.
16. After one whistle, simmer completely and cook for 5 minutes exactly ( use a timer)
17. After 5 minutes switch off and wait for the cooker to cool down by itself for approximately 30 minutes and then open. My patties stuck because I made about 20 in the small cooker. Don't make this mistake. If you are making more than 10 patties at a time, use a larger 5lt cooker pan . It will enable to make rasmalais without sticking to each other. Let it cool for a further 10 minutes till it is just warm.

18. Heat 1 lt milk in a vessel, when it boils, add the 3/4th cup sugar, and continue boiling till it reduces to half. Check for sweetness and add more if required.

19. Add the cardamom powder, pepper powder, pista, badam, saffron and cook for further five minutes till the milk acquires a nice yellow colour.

20. Switch off the milk and allow to cool.
21. When the milk is warm (not hot), take out the rasmalai patties from the water, place them on a metal filter / colander and press gently to remove excess water and drop them into the milk.

22. Let it cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.
23. Enjoy this dessert.

Notes

1. You could use the saved whey water for separating milk the next time.
2. Keep the whey water outside, a day before you want to make rasgulla / rasmalai and allow it to ferment. Add little at a time to separate the milk.
3. This way you do not have to wash the paneer after it separates. You could start kneading it directly. It is much softer.
4. Always use a timer while making this recipe.
5. A good quality muslin / filter cloth gives good results
6. Using a mixie / food processor for kneading is alright but make sure there is no water in the paneer. Else it will all get smeared on the walls of the mixie / food processor. If you are using this method you could finish the kneading process in 3 minutes all together.
7. While curdling milk to make paneer, always remember not to use concentrated curdling agent. Whenther it is lemon juice / vinegar, dilute it with a little water.
8. Never add the curdling agent when the milk is boiling. Once the milk boils, swtich off the flame, wait for 1 minute and then add the curdling agent little at a time, and stir to check if it is enough.
9. By doing this, you will avoid concentrating your paneer with other flavours. Also the paneer will be very soft.