Name: Odia Chatu Besara
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 200 g Mushroom, button or paddy straw mushrooms, halved; ½ Potato, peeled and cubed; 1 tbsp Mustard Seeds; 3 clove Garlic, a portion for the paste, remaining crushed for tempering; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; ½ Tomato, roughly chopped; 1½ tbsp Mustard Oil, must be heated to smoking point; ½ tsp Salt; ½ cup Water; 1 Dried Red Chili Peppers

50 mintotal

35 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

Add to your week

Method

In a dedicated blender, reduce the mustard seeds, a portion of the garlic cloves, and the dry red chillies with a minimal splash of water into an exquisitely fine paste. For a remarkably refined texture, pass the paste through a fine sieve.
Heat a designated portion of the mustard oil to its smoking point to shatter its raw bite. Gently toss the halved mushrooms and potato cubes in this oil with a dusting of turmeric until they secure a light, golden crust. Extract and set aside.
In the same pan, heat the rest of the mustard oil until it is very hot. Add the crushed garlic and fry it hard until it smells strong and is lightly browned.
Fold in the roughly chopped tomatoes. Subdue them with heat until they surrender their integrity, becoming entirely mushy.
Pour the sharp mustard paste into the pan quickly. Sauté it for exactly 1 minute; frying it any longer at this point will turn the mustard bitter.
1 min
Introduce water to define the gravy, correct the seasoning with salt, and tumble the golden mushrooms and potatoes back into the mix. Apply the lid tightly and simmer assertively for 10 minutes until the potatoes yield to a fork and the sauce luxuriously thickens.
10 min

How to tell it's done

A thin, highly pungent, brightly colored yellow gravy suspending soft potatoes and meaty mushrooms.

Getting it right

Tip

The undeniable trick to executing a flawless, master-level Besara lies in the aggressive restraint during the cooking of the mustard paste and ensuring the primary aromatic tempering relies almost exclusively on charred garlic.

What to serve it with

Commands immediate consumption while fiercely hot, poured generously over an unadulterated mound of steamed Gobindobhog or Basmati rice.

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