#Title

Sides to go with Schintzel
Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
4 large potatoes
3 tbsp butter
1 cup milk, warm
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
Boil potatoes until soft. While the potatoes are hot, peel them and finely mash them with a potato ricer or fork. Add milk and butter in portions. You should have a very smooth, soft, fluffy mash. If you add too much milk, the potatoes will be runny. If you add too little, it will be stiff and dry. So, add the milk and butter gradually, tasting as you go. Add salt and pepper according to your taste.
If you want, you can add other ingredients to flavour your potatoes; for example, grated Parmesan, herbs, garlic, sour cream and so on.
Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
8-10 pieces canned or fresh button mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 chicken cubes
2 cups hot water
1 cup milk, warm
Salt and pepper, to taste.
½ tsp thyme
Method
Heat butter in a pan and sauté the sliced mushrooms till lightly golden. Don’t overcrowd mushrooms, or else they will release too much moisture and not colour well. Add flour, stir and cook till it becomes brown and fragrant. If it’s too dry, you can add more butter or a bit of oil. Once ready, the raw floury smell will be gone and there should be a roasted, nutty, buttery aroma. Dissolve the chicken or beef stock cubes in hot water one at a time. Taste it and if you find the taste too subtle or bland, then add half or the entire second one. Add half the hot liquid stock in the pan and stir well. Adding the rest of the liquid soon after. Add dried thyme crushed between your fingers and thumb. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Simmer till gravy slightly thickens. If you find the gravy has become too thick, add a splash of water.
Classic coleslaw
Ingredients
1 cup cabbage, finely shredded
¾ cup carrots, julienned
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp sugar
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 small onion, sliced (I prefer onions to my coleslaw, you can if you wish)
Method
Cut cabbage and carrots and set aside. Prepare dressing by adding the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Mix the mayonnaise dressing to cabbage and carrots right before serving.
Tips:
If you’re freezing your schnitzels, place them in clean, dry, airtight containers. Give the schnitzels enough space to be placed flat and evenly with butter paper or cling film between the layers. Or you can freeze them on shallow trays in single layers and once the schnitzels are completely frozen, you can place them in plastic or zip lock bags to save space.
Gravy can be made ahead and refrigerated. You can also freeze gravy and store it for weeks. Heat up a batch before serving, stirring occasionally as gravy forms a skin on the surface when it cools down.
You can store leftover mash in the fridge in an airtight container. If the potatoes become a bit dry, add a splash of milk and a dollop of butter the next time you heat it up.
You can adjust the ratio of cabbage and carrots to your preference. You can add other ingredients like apple for a bit more sweetness or purple cabbage for an extra pop of colour.
Recipe by Nafisa Ahmed Sonali