Monday, April 27, 2009

Mattar Mushroom


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups - green peas (Mattar)
200 gms - mushrooms
4 - cardamon(green)
1" - cinnamon
2 - onions
1 1/2 tbsp - ginger paste
1 tbsp - garlic paste
3 to 4 - tomatoes blended
1 tbsp - chilli powder
1 tbsp - coriander powder
1 tsp - turmeric
1 tsp - garam masala powder
1/2 cup - cashewnut paste
4 tbsp - oil
Salt To Taste
Fresh coriander leaves

Instructions:
1. Clean, wash and cut the mushrooms into medium pieces and chop onions finely.
2. Heat oil in pan. Saute green cardamoms, cinnamon stick & onions till golden brown.
3. Add ginger garlic paste and cook for 1/2 a minute.
4. Add tomatoes and cook till oil leaves the sides.
5. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, garam masala, salt and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Lastly dissolve the cashewnut paste in one cup of water and mix well and add it to the pan. Add one more cup of water and bring it to boil.
7. Add the mattar (green peas) and mushrooms and cook till the peas are fully cooked.
8. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Once done, serve mattar mushroom with rice or roti.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Haandi Paneer


Ingredients:
200 gms - paneer cut in cubes
2 - tomatoes chopped
2 - green capsicums chopped
2 - large onions chopped
1 tsp - cumin seeds
1 tbsp - ginger paste
2 - green chillies
1 tsp - red chilly powder
1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
1 tsp - garam Masala
2 tbsp - vinegar
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a Handi and roast some cumin seeds in it.
2. Add chopped onions, tomatoes and capsicum to the Handi and saute for a while.
3. Add the green chillies and ginger paste to it and keep stirring.
4. Add the paneer cubes along with all spices and vinegar.
5. Garnish with coriander leaves and your handi Paneer is ready to be served.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Suji Besan Ka Halwa

Ingredients:
150 gm - suji
100 gm - besan
250 gm - sugar
250 gm - desi ghee
500 gm - milk
300 gm - water
2 to 3 tsp - raisins
15 to 20 pieces - crushed almonds
silver varak

Instructions:
1. Take a deep large bowl and put water, milk and sugar in it and boil it till the sugar dissolves.
2. Then put it off from the flame. And keep this chashni aside.
3. Heat the ghee in a kadai and roast besan and suji together on a low falme till it turns brown.
4. Then add the chashni to it and also put raisins in it and keep stirring regularly until tha halwa leaves the corner of the kadai.
5. When it is done the halwa is ready. Place it in a serving dish put varak on it and drizzle the crushed almonds over it.
Serve it hot

Friday, April 24, 2009

Dahi Bada


Ingredients For Bada:
300 gm - urad daal
1 tsp - jeera seeds
1/4 tsp - red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Ingredients For Dahi :
1 kg - Dahi (yogurt)
2 tsp - roasted cumin (jeera) powder
1 to 2 - green chilies chopped
Finely chopped coriander leaves
Red chili powder to taste
Black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Imli chutney
Green chutney

Instructions For Bada:
1. Clean, wash and soak the daal overnight.
2. Grind it into smooth paste.
3. Add jeera seeds, red chilli powder and salt to it.
4. Heat oil in a pan and drop a spoonfuls of batter and fry till golden brown.
5. Take the hot badas and put in cold water.
6. Now take them out of water and squeeze the water and keep aside.

Instructions For Dahi:
1. Blend the curd (yogurt) until it is smooth.
2. Keep in refrigerator for an hour to get chilled.
3. Add salt, red chilli powder, black pepper and chopped green chillies to it.
4. In a deep dish arrange bada and pour dahi over them. Sprinkle roasted jeera powder over it. 5. Drizzle imli (tamarind) chutney and green chutney. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve the dahi vadas chilled.

Note:
1. Before frying the badas beat the prepared batter properly.
2. Take some water in a bowl and put a small ball of batter into it.
3. If the ball floats in the water the badas will be soft and if it doesnt floats beat it more for good results.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Dum Aloo


Ingredients:
900gms - aloo (potatoes)
3/4th - cups water
1 cup - oil for frying
1 large - Onion (finely chopped)
4 tbsp - tomato puree
140 ml - curd
4 tbsp - hot water
1 - green pepper (seeds removed and sliced)
1tsp - garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Spices:
4 - cloves
4 - bay leaves
6 - black peppercorns
4 - green cardamoms
1 - brown cardamom
1piece - cinnamon stick

Paste:
1 large - onion (chopped)
12 flakes - garlic
2 tbsp - ginger
6- black peppercorns
1 tbsp - coriander seeds
1 tsp - cumin seeds
2 - dry red chilies
1 tsp - turmeric powder

Instructions:
1. Scrape the aloo (potatoes), prick all over with a fork and soak in the water with little salt for 2 hours.
2. Dry the potatoes on a cloth and heat the ghee or oil.
3. Deep fry the potatoes until golden brown. Drain and set aside.
4. Heat the oil in a flameproof pan and fry onions with all the spices until golden.
5. Grind the paste ingredients to a fairly smooth paste and stir into the onions.
6. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, curd and salt.
7. Add the aloo (potatoes) and hot water and stir over a low heat for 5 minutes.
8. Sprinkle dum aloo with pepper and garam masala and cook for few minutes.
Garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve it hot with naan, roti or parantha.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Stuffed Capsicum


Ingredients:
5 to 6 - capsicum (simlamirch)
3 to 4 - boiled potatoes
1/4 tsp - turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - red chili powder
3/4 tsp - garam masala
1 tsp - dry mango powder (amchur)
1 tsp - saunf
Salt To Taste
Oil for frying

Instructions:
1. Take some oil in a non stick kadai. Mash the boiled potatoes and saute it in oil for 8 to 10 mins.
2. Take it off from the flame and add all spices to it and mix it well.
3. With a sharp knife cut the stem of the capsicum and take out seeds from the top gently and add the potato mixture in it.
4. Now take oil in a kadai and fry the stuffed capsicums on all sides.
5. Garnish the stuffed capsicum with grated paneer, chopped coriander leaves and thinly sliced rings of tomato.
Serve hot

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Malai Kofta


Ingredients For The Kofta:
1/2 kg - potatoes
2 tbsp - grated paneer
4 to 5 - cashewnuts chopped
1 tsp - raisins
2 - finely chopped green chillies
2 tsp - finely chopped coriander leaves
2 to 3 tbsp - cornflour
2 tbsp - breadcrumbs
2 tbsp - thick malai
Salt To Taste
Oil for frying the koftas

Ingredients For The Gravy:
2 medium - onion. long and thinely sliced
4 large - tomatoes
3 flakes - garlic
1 inch - ginger
1 tsp - red chilli powder
1/2 tsp - garam masala powder
1/2 tsp - dhania(corainder) powder
1/4 tsp - turmeric (haldi) powder
1 tsp - kasuri methi
1 cup - malai whipped
1 cup - milk
1 cup - water
3 tsp - fresh coriander leaves
3 tbsp - oil
Salt to taste

Instructions For The Koftas:
1. Boil the potatoes till tender. Peel, mash and add paneer, cornflour, breadcrumbs and salt to it and mix it well. Make a dough and keep aside.
2. Take a bowl and put thick malai, cashews, raisins, green chillies and coriander leaves in it. Mix it lightly.
3. Make rounds of the potato dough and place a little of the prepared mixture in the center of each round.
4. Seal the edges and shape into stuffed rounds. Deep fry each kofta till golden brown. Drain and keep aside.

Instructions For The Gravy:
1. Heat the oil in a kadai and fry onions till they turn brown. Now take them out.
2. Blend tomatoes, garlic, ginger and the fried onions.
3. Put this paste in kadai again and cook it for 5 mins.
4. Now add red chilli powder, haldi and salt to it.
5. Cook the paste till it gets seperated from oil.
6. Add malai and mix it well for 1 min. Now pour milk into it and little watter.
7. When the gravy comes to a boil add garam masala, dhaniya powder and kasuri methi to it.
8. Place the koftas in a dish and pour gravy on it and garnish it with fresh chopped coriander leaves.
Serve it hot with roti or parantha.

Note:
In this malai kofta receipe , the koftas should be put in gravy just before eating or else they will turn soggy.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Navratan Korma


Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups - chopped vegetables (cauliflower, green peas, carrot, green beans, red bell pepper)
1/2 cup - chopped fried paneer
3 tsp - oil
1 pinch - asafoetida (hing)
1/2 tsp - cumin seeds (jeera)
1 - finely chopped green chili
1 tsp - shredded ginger
1 tsp - coriander powder (dhania)
1/4 tsp - turmeric Haldi)
1/2 tsp - cayenne pepper
2 - bay leaves
1/2 tsp - garam masala powder
1/2 tsp - mango powder (amchoor powder)
1 cup - milk
1/2 tsp - cornflour
Salt to taste

Garnish:
1/2 cup - seeded and chopped tomatoes
2 tsp - finely chopped coriander leaves

Instructions:
1. Mix the shredded ginger, green chili, coriander powder, turmeric, and cayenne pepper with 2 tablespoons of water and set aside.
2. Mix cornflour with milk and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds. After cumin seeds crack, add the bay leaves and the spice mixture. Fry for a few seconds until the spices start separating from the oil.
4. Add the cauliflower, green peas, carrot and green beans. Mix well and cover the pan. Let the vegetables cook on medium heat for about 7 to 8 minutes. The vegetables should be cooked just about half way.
5. Add the bell pepper and paneer. Mix well. Now put salt and then add the milk/cornflour mixture and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add more milk if needed for more gravy.
6. Turn off the heat. Mix in the garam masala powder and amchoor powder.
Place the vegetable korma in a serving dish and garnish with chopped tomatoes and finely chopped coriander leaves.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Kadai Paneer


Ingredients:
250 gms - Cottage Cheese (Paneer)
3 - Capsicum (Shimla Mirch)
4 - Onion (Pyaj)
4 - Tomato (Tamatar)
1 tsp - Ginger paste
1 tsp - Garlic paste
1 tsp - Red Chili Powder (Lal Mirchi)
2 - Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)
4 - Cloves (Lavang)
1 piece - Cinnamon (Tuj/Dalchini)
4 tbsp - Clarified Butter (Ghee)
Little orange color
Salt to taste

Instructions:
1. Cut cottage cheese, capsicum in small cubes.
2. Grind onion and tomato.
3. Mince cloves and cinnamom.
4. Heat clarified butter in a pan.
5. Add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon.
6. Then add onion and cook it until it turns transparent. Then add tomato, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder and orange color.
7. Continue cooking it on medium flame till ghee/oil begins to separate.
8. Add paneer and capsicum pieces to it and cook on low flame.
9. When the capsicum are done put off the flame.
Serve it hot with nan or paranthas.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Gatte Ki Sabzi



Dough & Strips

Ingredients:
250 gms - Besan
1 tsp - Dhaniya powder
2 tbsp - Ghee or oil
125 gms - Curd
200 gms - Tomato grinded
1 tsp - Jeera
2 tsp - Oil
1 tsp - Red chilly powder
1 pinch - Haldi
1 tsp - Kasuri methi
1 tsp - Fresh Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste

Instructions:
1. Mix besan with salt, red chilly powder, dhaniya powder, haldi and ghee.
2. Make a stiff dough. Make thin and long strips of the dough.
3. Put these strips in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Take the gattas out of water and keep this water aside.
4. Cut these gattas into small pieces. And then deep fry these pieces in oil.
5. Heat some oil in a kadahi. Put the tadka of jeera and then add grinded tomatoes to it. Cook it for a while and add all spices except kasuri methi and coriander leaves.
6. Strain the curd through a strainer and then add it to the masala. Cook it for 5-7 minutes.
7. Now add the gatta water in it and after 2 boils add the fried gatta pieces to it and cook it on low flame for 5 mins.
8. Now sprinle kasuri methi and fresh corainder leaves to it.
Serve gatta curry with missi roti, parantha or rice

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Aloo Tikki


Ingredients For Tikki Shell:
3 large - boiled aloo (potatoes)
1/4th tsp - ground black pepper
2 tsp - breadcrumbs
2 tsp - cornflour
Salt to taste

Ingredients For Stuffing:
2/3 cup - matar (green peas) cooked
1/2 tbsp - scrapped and minced ginger
1/4 tsp - garam masala
1/2 tsp - red chilli powder
1/4 tsp - chat masala
1 to 2 - green chillies
2 tbsp - fresh coriander leaves chopped
1 tsp - dry roasted cumin seeds
Oil for pan frying

Instructions:
1. Take the cooked peas (matar) and mash them using a spoon or a fork. Add all the stuffing ingredients except oil and mash briefly. Divide the mixture into equal portions and keep aside.
2. Peel the potatoes and mash them very finely into smooth mashed potatoes. Add salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and cornflour and knead until properly mixed. Divide it into equal portions.
3. Now wash and dry your hands and rub them with little oil.
4. Take each portion of potato mixture and make a ball.
5. Taking one at a time, gently flatten each ball into a round patty of about 1/2-inch thick and place a portion of stuffing in the center and fold the edges together very finely so that mixture does not come out.
6. Now very gently flatten it into a 2-inch patty. Repeat the procedure for all pieces.
7. Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick pan over a low heat. Slip in the tikkies, not too many at a time, and pan-fry on both sides till crisp golden brown, adding oil if required, on a very low heat. Serve aloo tikki hot with chutney and stirred curd.

Note:
1. Boil potatoes until fork-tender. Preferably, potatoes should be boiled well in advance before use. It would be better if they can be refrigerated for a short time.
2. Tikkies can also be deep fried.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Paper Dosa


Ingredients:
½ cup - raw rice
¾ cup - urad dal
½ cup - rice flour
salt to taste
oil for cooking

Instructions:
1. Wash and soak the raw rice and urad dal for 4 hours.
2. Drain, mix the rice flour and grind to make a smooth paste using enough water to get a batter of coating consistency.
3. Heat a non-stick tava and grease it lightly with oil.
4. When hot, pour a ladle full of the batter and spread it using circular motion to make a paper thin dosa.
5. Cook on one side, pouring a little oil along the edges while cooking.
6. When it becomes crispy, make a roll.
Repeat the same procedure for the remaining batter.

Red Chutney

Ingredients:
10 - dry Red Chillies
1 1/2 tsp - Urad dal
1 1/2 tsp - Chana dal
1/4 cup - grated Copra (dry coconut)
1/2 tsp - Tamarind paste
1 pinch - Hing
Few Curry Leaves
Salt to taste

Instructions:
1. Fry the dals and the red chillies.
2. Mix remaining ingredients and grind to a fine paste.

Coriander Chutney

Ingredients:
1/2 cup - Coconut
6 to 8 - Green Chillies
1/2 tsp - Tamarind paste
1 tsp - thick Yogurt (curds)
1 tsp - Chana dal
1 tsp - Oil
1 pinch - Hing
Small bunch of Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Seasoning:
1 tsp - oil
1/4 tsp - mustard seeds

Instructions:
1. Heat oil, add chana dal, fry till red.
2. Add chillies, and fry till skin turns transparent.
3. Add the putani and fry for 1/2 min.
4. Add all the ingredients to blender and grind to a smooth paste.
5. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and season the chutney.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Masala Dosa


Ingredients For Dosa shell:
1 1/2 - cups rice
1/2 - cup urad dal
salt to tasteOil

Ingredients For Masala Filling:
2 - large potatoes
1 - medium onion (chopped)
1/2 tsp - mustard seed
1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
1 to 2 - green chili
1 tsp - green coriander
1 tsp - oil
salt to taste

Instruction For Dosa shell:
1. Separately soak rice and urad dal at least 6 hour or overnight in water.
2. Grind to paste. Mix together, add salt with water to make batter.
3. Leave in room temperature overnight.
4. Heat pan or griddle with little ghee or oil.
5. Spread the mix on pan in circular motion to make thin Dosa.
6. Cook on both the sides, if desired.

Instruction For Masala Filling (Spicy Filling):
1. Heat oil. Add mustard seed, onions and spices.
2. Fry for about 5 minutes on medium heat or/until onions are turned into golden brown.
3. Add potatoes and mix and cook some more.
4. Add filling inside Dosa and roll. Serve hot with Chutney.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Indian Style Macaroni


Ingredients:
1 cup - dry macaroni
1 tsp - garlic, minced
½ cup - bell pepper (capsicum) finely diced
½ cup - onion, finely diced
2 tsp - cilantro (green dhaniya) finely chopped
½ tsp - white vinegar
1 tsp - soya sauce
1 tsp - ketchup
1tsp - tomato paste
½ tsp - chili flakes
½ cup - mozzarella cheese
1 tsp - olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:
1. Cook macaroni according to package directions.
2. In a pan, heat olive oil. Add garlic, onions and bell pepper. Saute for a few minutes – at least until onions soften.
3. Add cilantro, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, and tomato paste. Mix well.
4. Then add cooked macaroni to the pan. Mixing thoroughly so that all macaroni gets a bit of “sauce”.
5. Transfer macaroni to oven safe dish, then spring cheese on top. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, until cheese melts.
The dish is ready to be served

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Fresh Daal Dhokla


Ingredients :
1 cup - chana dal
1 cup - urad dal
1 cup - moong dal
4 to 5 - green chillies
1/4 tsp - turmeric powder
Little ginger
A pinch of asafoetida (Hing)
Salt to taste
Oil for greasing

Fermenting agent:
2 tbsp - warm water
1/4 tsp - baking soda
1 tbsp - plain yogurt , preferably sour

Tempering:
1 tbsp - oil
1/2 tsp - mustard seeds
1/2 tsp - sesame seeds (optional)

Garnish:
1 tbsp - cilantro leaves (green coriander), chopped
1 tsp - freshly grated coconut
1/2 - lemon

Instructions:
1. Soak moong daal in 3 cups water for 4-6 hours
2. Grind along with green chili and ginger.
3. Leave it for fermenting for 6 hours.
4. Keep a steamer ready with boiling water.
5. Grease the pressure cooker containers.
6. Mix baking soda, yogurt and warm water.
7. Just before steaming, add the fermenting agent along with salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida to the batter. Mix well.
8. Divide the batter in 2 containers
9. Steam for about 10 minutes on high flame and then another 10 minutes on low flame.
10. Take out the containers. Leave it for cooling down for 15 minutes.
11. Cut into squares or diamonds.
12. Heat the oil for tempering in a small container. Add mustard seeds & sesame seeds. Drizzle over the dhokla.
13. Garnish with cilantro and coconut.
14. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top.
Note - After adding the baking soda mixture, steam the dhokla immediately.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Bread Pakora with Paneer


Ingredients :
6-8 slices - sandwich bread
100 gm - paneer or cottage cheese
1 - onion
1 ½ tsp - garam masala
1 tsp - chilli powder
1/2 tsp - ginger garlic paste
1 cup - gram flour (besan)
salt to taste
water
oil for deep-frying

Instructions:
1. Chop the onions and grate paneer.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil, add ginger garlic paste and onions and sauté for sometime.
3. Add paneer, salt, chilli powder, garam masala and sauté for some more time. Keep Aside.
4. Remove edges from the bread and cut them diagonally to get triangle shapes.
5. Mix a pinch of salt with gram flour (besan) and add a cup of water to make a batter of thick consistency.
6. On one triangle bread slice keep the paneer filling and keep another slice on top of it.
7. Heat oil in a kadhai. In the meantime make all the sandwiches and keep them ready.
8. Once the oil is hot dip the sandwich in the batter and fry them till golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.
Ready to serve

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Vegetable Cutlets


Ingredients:
2 - medium potatoes
1 cup - chopped mixed vegetables (green peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
2 tb sp - chopped cilantro (green coriander)
2 - finely chopped green chilies (as per your taste)
1 tsp - chopped ginger
1 tsp - salt (as per your taste)
1 tsp - mango powder
3 tb sp - All Purpose flour (plain flour or maida)
1 cup - breadcrumbs
Oil to fry

Instructions:
1. Boiled the potatoes until they are tender.
2. Once cooked, drain the water and let the potatoes cool down.
3. Peel the skin off and mash the potatoes.
4. Steam the chopped mixed vegetables.
5. Make sure to squeeze the vegetables to take the excess water out and Pat dry.
6. Mix all the ingredients together; adjust salt and pepper to your taste.
7. Add 4 tablespoons of water to the All Purpose flour to make a batter and keep aside.
8. With oiled hands, divide the mixture into 10 equal parts.
9. Shape into flat round patties about 1/2 inch thick.
10. Dip each patty in the flour batter, and roll the patty in breadcrumbs and set aside.
11. Heat the oil on medium high heat in a frying pan.
12. To check if the oil is ready, put one drop of batter in the oil, the batter should come up right away.
13. Fry a few cutlets at a time until they are golden-brown on both sides.
14. Repeat this until all the cutlets are done. Serve hot.

Tips:
1. If the oil is not hot enough, the patties will break.
2. If the vegetable/potato mixture looks wet, you can add some breadcrumbs.
3. You can always change the shape of the cutlets to your desired shape.

Serving suggestions:
1. Vegetable cutlets are best when dipped with Cilantro chutney, or tamarind chutney.
2. Vegetable cutlets also make great veggie burgers, adding cheese lettuce, tomatoes, chutney or ketchup.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Punjabi Kadhi


Ingredients :
For Pakora:
1 cup - Besan (Gram flour)
1/4 cup - Chopped onion
1/4 cup - Chopped potato
1 - tsp Ajwain
1 tsp - Red chili powder
1 tsp - Chopped ginger
1/2 tsp - Baking powder
Oil for deep frying
Salt As per taste

For Kadhi:
1 cup - Curd (yogurt)
1/4 cup - Gram flour
2 - Dry red chili whole
1 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Asafoetida (Hing)
1 tsp - Fenugreek seeds
2 tb sp - Oil
Salt As per taste

Instructions:
1. Mix all pakora ingredients except oil
2. And now add about ½ cup of water, mix well.
3. Heat oil in a Kadhai.
4. Now deep fry vegetable and gram flour mixture after making into small balls.
5. Fry till pakoras are golden brown.
6. Beat Curd/Yogurt and mix gram flour in it.
7. Blend thoroughly so as to ensure that there are no lumps.
8. Add turmeric powder, salt and 3 cups of water.
9. Heat oil in a Kadhai.
10. Add fenugreek seeds and dry red chili.
11. Stir fry for half minute.
12. Add Gram flour and Yogurt mixture.
13. Bring it to a boil and simmer 15 mins on a slow fire.
14. Stir occasionally.
15. Add red chili powder and fried pakoras
16. And again simmer the punjabi kadi for about 5 minutes.
Serve punjabi kadhi hot with steamed rice.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Punjabi Amritsari Chole


Ingredients:
250 gms - Chole (Chick Peas or Garbanzo Beans)
1 teabag - this is used to give the black colour
OR
1 - Amla (If you can find it then use it instead of tea bag, this has great nutrients and will give the dark colour as well)
4 to 6 Pieces - Kali Ilaichi
1 tsp - Black Salt (use as desired or mix half of white salt and half of black salt)
3 to 4 - Green Chillies finely chopped
2 to 3 - Tomatoes finely chopped
1 piece - Ginger finely chopped
2 to 3 tsp - Green Corriander finely chopped
1 - Onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp - Mangopowder (aamchur)
1 tb sp - Garam Masala
2 tsp - dry Coriander Powder
100 gms - Ghee
2 pieces - Bay Leaves
Red Chillies to taste
Salt to taste

Tip:
While Preparing the dry masala which consists of the following ingredients. Roast them till they start getting burnt and turn black.
For Dry Spices ( Masala):
1/2 tsp - Garam Masala
6 pieces - Clove
1 piece - Cinnammon
1 tsp - Black Pepper
1 tsp - Jeera
1 tsp - Coriander seeds
2 tsp - Anardana

Instructions:
1. Soak Chole (Chickpeas) in water to soak overnight.
2. Take a pressure cooker ( or use a normal vessel for boiling) and add Chole, tea bag, sal and Black Elaichi and add lots of water and boil for 10 minutes in the pressure cooker ( 30 minutes in a normal vessel). DO NOT OVERCOOK . If you overcook Chole it will end up like a starchy paste.
3. After cooking discard the teabag.
4. On a Tava or a frypan , roast all dry masala and make a rough powder out of that and keep aside.
5. In a separate pan heat oil and add bay leaves and then fry the onions till golden brown.
6. Add Garam Masala and tomatoes and fry and then add all the Chole ( keep the water seperately ) in the pan and mix well for 2 minutes.
7. Add the dry Masala which you have already roasted on a pan.
8. Add Amchur, Black Salt( if using) and ginger. ( add it late to keep the flavour)
9. Add water in which you boiled the Chole earlier.
10. Let it bring to a boil and then let it simmer for 10 minutes.
11. Add the 2 tsp dry Coriander Powder.
12. If the curry looks too thick then add some water.
13. Mash some of the chole by pressing it with a spatula to give it a thick consitency like thick cream.
14. Garnish it with chopped coriander, chopped green chillies and onion rings.
15. Red onions soaked in vinegar are an excellent accompaniment with Chole.
Add some ghee.
Serve it with Naan, Puri, Rice or Roti

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Punjabi Dal Makhani


Ingredients:
100 gms - Black Urad dal whole
25 gms - Rajmah
1 tsp - Cumin seeds
1 tb sp - Chopped garlic
1 tb sp - Chopped ginger
1 tsp - Garam masala powder
1/2 cup - Fresh cream
1 tb sp - Red chili powder
50 gm - Butter
1/2 cup - Chopped tomato
1 cup - Chopped onion
1 tb sp - Oil
Salt As per taste

Instructions:
1. Pick, wash and soak black urad whole and rajmah overnight in 5 cups of water.
2. Cook the soaked dal and rajmah in 5 cups of water with salt, red chili powder and chopped ginger till dal and rajmah are cooked/soft.
3. Heat oil and butter in a thick bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds, let it crackle. Add chopped onions and cook till golden brown in color.
4. Add chopped ginger, garlic and chopped tomatoes. Sauté till tomatoes are well mashed and fat starts to leave the masala. Add boiled dal and rajma to this. Correct seasoning.
5. Add Garam Masala Powder and simmer at very slow flame for 15 minutes. Slower it is cooked better for the taste and the consistency of the dal.
6. Add fresh cream and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve it with Naan, Rice or Roti