Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients 

3 tbs unsalted butter
2 tbs olive oil
3/4 cups finely chopped shallots
2 tbs chopped garlic
2 pounds white or any mushrooms -- thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves(optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper per taste
3 tbs all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups veg broth -- reserving 1/2 cup or 1 bullion
1/2 cup milk or few tbs of cream
ground nutmeg to taste -- about 1/4 teaspoon

In a large saucepan melt butter with the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the
shallots and garlic cook until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms,thyme leaves, salt and pepper, cooking until all of the liquid rendered from the mushrooms evaporates. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add veg broth or bullion water, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.Now you can add the milk or cream, bring to boil for another few minutes.

Serve warm soup with bread slices.
In a blender puree the soup until smooth.

Mushroom Pulao

Ingredients:
2 cups - Basmati rice
3 cup - Any mushrooms (cut into medium sized pieces)
3 tbsp - ground ginger garlic paste
1 - big onion (sliced thin)
3 - green chillies
1 - tomato (chopped)
1 - star anise
1 - clove
1 - cardamom
2 - bay leafs
1″ - piece of cinnammon
1 - tbsp chilli powder
1/2 - tbsp coriander powder
Few - chopped mint leaves
Few - chopped coriander leaves
Few - green onions
3 cups - water
Salt to taste
3 tbsp - butter
1 tbsp - oil

Method:

• Wash and soak the rice in water before you start. 
• Wash and cut the mushroom into medium sized pieces.

• Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan. Add the star anise, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves and saute for a minute 
• Add sliced onions and green chillies and fry till they start to brown 
• Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for about a minute 
• Now add mushroom pieces along with the chopped tomatoes and saute till the juice dries up 
• Add chilli powder, coriander powder, chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves and mix well 
• Now add ghee and soaked rice, salt to taste, and add water mix it very gently.

• Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat 
• Finally, after all water evaporates, simmer for 2 minutes 
• Switch off stove, decorate with green onions 
• Serve hot pulao with raita.