I don't eat slime!

I'm writing this whilst my persimmon chutney is simmering away on the burner - smells amazing! - but I'll tell you all about that later. First I have to tell you about tonight's disastrous dinner. I'd been looking forward to our curry night last night however realised, just as I was about to get cooking, that I'd forgotten to buy the yogurt. So it got postponed to this evening, and by the time K got in from taking J to the dentist I was already drooling. This was to be a remake of a mushroom curry I made very recently (last week?), which was soooo tasty that K had actually requested that I make it again. (He doesn't need to know that it is also very low in the calory department - shhhh!)

Last time I used shimeiji, eringi (King Trumpet) and shiitake mushrooms. We fought over the lovely eringi, so I used double the amount today. And I picked up a pack of mushrooms I've never cooked with before, kabu nametake, which look rather like small shimeiji, only golden in colour. So, as soon as K walked in through the door I set to work. Uh oh, the nametake feel a little strange... kind of tacky, sticky. I have a bad feeling about this. Not that they've gone off, but that they are going to turn into a Japanese slime horror (of the likes of yamaimo, natto, okura, etc). I throw them in the pan anyway, but within minutes I can see how it's going to end - with me not eating. I just can't stand slimey food! Even watching someone else eat something that I know to be slimey makes me feel quite queasey. K however is not fazed by slime in the least. He is pleased, nay thrilled, that he will get all of the lovely mushrooms to himself. And that he will be having the same for lunch tomorrow. I did try to eat some of the curry, actually. I tried to do the 'mind over matter' thing and tell myself that they were just delicious mushrooms. No good. Marmite on toast for me instead.

Mushroom Curry (serves 2)

2 medium onions, sliced
300g mixed mushrooms, sliced thickly or halved
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons med. curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 tablespoons tomato puree
4 tablespoons plain yogurt

Fry the onions until soft and brown, add the rest of the ingredients and heat gently until simmering. Put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. Season and serve.



To add insult to injury, this was supposed to be my main meal and a side dish for K to accompany his cumin-spiced chicken, so he really got to feast.

Cumin-spiced Chicken (serves 1)

1/2 onion, sliced
1 skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 med. green pepper, de-seeded and chopped (I didn't use as K's not keen on things too spicey)
150ml chicken stock
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon yogurt

Fry the onion until soft, then add the chicken and brown all over. Add all the other ingredients, except the lemon juice and yogurt, and bring to a simmer. Put the lid on and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook for a few minutes, until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened. Stir in the lemon juice and yogurt, season and serve.

Well, the chutney must be ready by now, so I'd better get bottling. It's getting late, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave it here and post about the chutney tomorrow. I have to say, it looks good, but now for the tasting...