"Almi" - Mushroom Dish -

Ingredients

Quantity	Measure	Ingredients	Description
10-12	Nos.	Mushrooms	button mushrooms (medium)
100	Grams	Green Peas (Matar)
1	Large	Onion
1	Medium	Tomatoes
4	Tablespoon	Coconut - Grated /Desiccated	Preferred fresh
2-3	Teaspoon	Cooking Oil
3	Tablespoon	Coriander(Dhania)	FOR MASALA
2	Nos.	Chillies Red Dry	FOR MASALA
1/2	Teaspoon	Turmeric Powder	FOR MASALA
2	Nos.	Cloves (Lavang)	FOR MASALA
5-6	Nos.	Pepper Corns	FOR MASALA
2	Nos.	Cloves (Lavang)	FOR MASALA
1/2 - 1	Nos.	Star Anise (Chakra Phool)	FOR MASALA
1	Piece	Cinnamon (Dalchini)	FOR MASALA
1	Teaspoon	Fennel -(Saunf, Badi Shep)	FOR MASALA

Method

Slice onions and tomatoes length wise. Chop mushrooms into small pieces. If frozen thaw the peas. Frozen peas can thaw faster, if they are kept in hot water.

For the ground masala:
Heat a tea spoon of oil in a pan and add in the
masala ingredients frying them for three to four minutes on medium heat. Stir in
between. Remove on a plate. It is a useful practice to add
badishep whenever onion is added in the masala. A nice aroma is obtained by adding star anise to the dish. Add little more oil and fry tomato and 1/4th
onion. Fry till the onion is cooked. Remove on the masala and keep aside.

Now put in the coconut and fry for a minute till it gets a light brown tinge. Frying coconut also gives a nice aroma. Make sure that none of the ingredients are burnt.

Put the masala ingredients, fried onion-tomato and coconut in a blender. Add a little water and grind till a fine consistency is reached.

To make the "tonaak":
Heat 2 tea spn oil in the pan, add the remaining onion and fry for a few mins. Now add in the peas and mushroom pieces. Fry for 2-3 mins. Add in the masala paste and a liitle water. (Do not add too much water, as it will make the dish watery.) Cover and cookl for 10 mins on medium flame.

Serve with white rice or chapatis or just bread :-)

Generally in Goa, tonaak is eaten with Goan
Paav