Pindi Chana Masala - Dhaba Style

Pindi Chana or Chana masala is a very popular Punjabi dish in India. Pind in punjabi native language is often referred to as native village or own land. This dish originated from Rawalpindi and hence the name. One can find this dish in almost all punjabi dhabas across India. Whole dark Bengal gram is used in preparing the authentic chana masala dish. It is often confused with chickpeas used in preparing punjabi chole masala. This is one of the fastest prepared dishes at home or dhaba as there is no chopping of onions or any other vegetables (provided you already have the bengal gram soaked over night and ready). You can always use canned chana to save time on soaking and boiling it. This dish is usually dry with chana coated with all spices. I've just tried to give it my own little twist though.

Cooking Time: 20 mins                      Servings: 5 
Preparation Time: 10 mins                 Category:  Main course, Veg. 

Ingredients:

Pindi Chana Masala

========
Whole Bengal gram (small) - 250 gm
Anardana/dry pomegranate seed powder - 1 tsps
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsps
Ajwain/Carom seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Punjabi chana masala powder - 2 tbsp (I usually use ready made Everest or MDH masala) 
Jeera/Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seed powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 2-3 tsps
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
Crushed dry Kasuri methi - 2 tsps
Amchur/dry mango powder - 1 tsp (you can use thick tamarind essence or paste as an alternative)
Powdered sugar - 1/2 tsp


Preparation Method:
=============

• Soak the gram in water over night and drain them out in to a vessel the next morning.
• In a pressure cooker, add this soaked gram, tea bag, 1-2 bay leaves and boil it for about 2-3 whistles. Tea bag(I used green tea) give it the authentic darker color and bay leaves add to the flavor. 
• Once done, drain the gram out from the stock and keep aside. Keep the stock as well.
• In a small vessel, take all the spices/masala powders (in generous quantity), ginger garlic paste, powdered sugar and add 1 cup of fresh milk, 1 cup of stock. Stir it well so that this forms into a thick masala paste with no lumps.
• Heat oil in a pan and add ajwain/carom seeds. As they start to  spatter, add the masala paste.
• Cook the masala paste till it releases all the oil. (This shouldn't take more than 5-7 mins on medium heat). Add boiled chana, kasuri methi and 2 small cups of the stock.
• Mix well and close the vessel with a dish. Let it simmer for 15 mins. The chana will absorb all the spices and stock and is properly cooked.
• Take the dish into a serving bowl and garnish it with sliced onion rings, lemon wedges, green chilli and chopped coriander.

Pindi chana masala goes well with roti, chapati, pulka and best with poori or bathure. Since this dish is dry, it serves as one of the best evening snacks too.

Raw Banana Kofta Curry

Raw Banana belongs to the plantain family and is often referred as Kacche Kela in India. It is most popular in South Indian states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu. They are a staple food in tropical regions of the world and are used in varied ways like steamed, fried etc. They are referred to as "potatoes of the Caribbean" since they resemble in flavor. These cannot be eaten raw unlike the regular yellow bananas and hence need some cooking (usually boiled).

Lot of wonderful curries can be prepared with raw bananas and one such is 'Kofta Curry'. Now, let us see the recipe

Cooking Time: 30 mins                      Servings: 5 
Preparation Time: 20 mins                Category:  Main course, Veg. 

Ingredients:

Raw Banana Kofta Curry

===========
Raw Bananas - 2
Finely chopped onions - 1
Finely chopped green chillies - 2
Potato - 1
Besan/chick pea flour - 1 cup
Finely chopped garlic cloves - 4
Kaju/Cashew nuts - 1 cup
Tomato - 1
Onions - 2
Cooking oil - 2 tbsps
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cardamom stick - 1
Cloves - 4
Bay leaves - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 2 tsps
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Fennel seed powder - 1 tsp
Crushed Kasuri Methi - 2 tsps
Salt to taste
Finely chopped coriander strings - 2

Preparation Method:
==================
Koftas
--------

• Boil raw bananas along with potato in a pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles.
• When done, peel off the skin and mash bananas along with potato.
• To this add finely chopped onions, green chillies, garlic, salt to taste, half cup of gram flour, 1 tsp of chilly powder, 1/2 cup crushed cashew nuts, coriander powder.
• Mix all together to a thick dough. Take small quantities from this dough and make it into small/medium balls.
• Roll these balls over the remaining flour and deep fry in oil until they are properly cooked.
• When done, keep these kofta balls aside.

Gravy curry
--------------

• Cut onions and tomato into cubes. Put them into a blender along with the remaining cashew nut and blend them into a paste.
• Heat oil in a vessel and add cardamom stick, cloves, cumin seeds and bay leave. After about 20-30 secs add the blended paste in the oil. 
• Mix well and cook for about 10 mins on medium heat. Then add chilly powder, turmeric, salt to taste, fennel seed powder, cup of water and mix well. 
• Let is simmer for another 5 mins and then add the crushed kasuri methi. Mix well and add the kofta balls to this gravy. Cook for another 10 mins on low heat.
• Turn of the stove and take the dish into a serving bowl. Garnish with finely chopped coriander or fried curry leaves and green chillies. 
• Serve hot with any of Indian breads, pulka or roti, jeera rice etc.

Aloo Besan

Aalu or Alu or Aloo or Potatoes being one of the staple vegetables in India, had lot of variations and methods to prepare. Potatoes cooked in spices and then adding besan (chana/chick pea flour) to it at the end makes this dish so irresistible. It's mostly prepared in gravy style but I like it to be little dry as it goes well as a side dish and can also be served with steamed rice.

Cooking Time:  45 mins                                                                             Servings:  4
Preparation Time:  15 mins                                                                       Category:  Main Course - Non-Veg 

Ingredients:

Aloo Besan

========

Potatoes/Alu - 250 gms
Besan/Chick pea flour - 2 tbsp
Vegetable/cooking oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Dry red chillies (crushed) - 2 or 3
Curry leaves - 8 to 10
Red chilly powder - 2 tsps
Salt - to taste
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves - 1 stem


Preparation Method:
=============

• Peel the skin of potatoes (I don't like it with skin) and chop them into regular sized cubes.
• Heat oil in a kadai/vessel. Simmer the flame and add mustard, cumin, curry leaves and dry red chillies. Saute them for a minute.
• Add the potatoes and stir well.
• When they are about half cooked and turn gold in color add chilly powder, turmeric, salt to taste, ginger garlic paste. Mix them well and cook for about 10 mins on medium flame.
• Now add coriander power and two medium cups of water in the vessel and cook with a closed it until water comes to a boil. 
• Now simmer the flame and start adding chick pear flour and keep mixing the dish to ensure flour won't form into any lumps. Cook on medium flame until the water is completely absorbed.
• Keep stirring delicately until entire dish is completely cooked (on low flame) and the flour is not sticky anymore.
• Turn off the stove, take the dish into a serving vessel and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with phulkas, chapathis, rotis, pooris or steam rice.

Rice & Moong Dal Khichadi

Khichadi is an Indian dish made from rice and lentils. It is commonly considered to be a comfort food and is an all time favorite in many Indian homes. It is very healthy and a very delicious dish. A simple rice & cereal khichadi without any spices & onions, is generally given to babies considering its health & nutritional values. There are many variants of Khichadi. Simple Rice Khichadi, Masala Khichadi, Rice & Moong Dal Khichadi, Vegetable Khichadi being the most popular in India. There are many ways to prepare this dish. You can cook rice & dal together and then season it with spice mix or temper the spices initially and then add soaked rice & dal and pressure cook it etc. You may even add varieties of dal, fresh vegetables if you want to but the standard method and ingredients remain the same. This post is for Rice & Moong Dal Khichadi though.


Cooking Time:  30 mins                                                                             Servings:  4
Preparation Time:  20 mins                                                                       Category:  Main Course - Veg


Ingredients:
========

Rice & Moong Dal Khichadi

Rice - 2 cups
Split yellow moong dal - 1 cup
Sliced onions - 1
Slit & chopped green chillies - 2
Chopped coriander - 1/2 cup
Salt - as needed to taste
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cumin sticks - 2
Cardamon - 4
Cloves - 4

Preparation Method:
=============

• Soak rice & dal in water and keep it aside (about 30 mins). Dal & Rice mix should be in 1:2 ratio respectively.
• Heat ghee in a vessel/cooker and add cumin, cardamom & cloves. Saute it for couple of mins and add chopped onions.
• When onions change to light brown in color, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chopped green chillies, ginger garlic paste and turmeric.
• Mix them well and saute for about 5 more mins. Add water (1:1/2 ratio). Rice & Dal mix is 3 cups here, so add not more than 5 cups of water approximately.
• Add 2 more cups, if you want the consistency to be semi-liquid.
• Add salt to taste and bring it to a boil. Now drain out the water from dal & rice mix and add it in the vessel/cooker.
• Stir carefully and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles or cook on medium flame until all the water is absorbed.
• When done, take it in a serving bowl and garnish with ghee and chopped fresh coriander.
• Serve hot with curd raitha or mango pickle

Aloo Chaman

Aloo Chaman is a simple dish where aloo & corn is cooked in onion paste with a variety of spices. This dish was an experiment and am glad it turned out really well.  Here is the recipe...

Cooking Time:  30 mins                                                                             Servings:  4
Preparation Time:  15 mins                                                                       Category:  Main Course -Veg

 Ingredients:
========

Aloo Chaman

Aloo - 250 gms
Corn Kernels - 150 gms
Kasuri Methi - 2 tsp
Onions  - 2
Methi - 2 sticks
Coriander - 1 stick
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 2-3 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Saunf powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Vegetable/cooking oil - 2 Tbsp


Preparation Method:
=============

• Chop onions, blanch methi & coriander leaves and blend them along with chopped onions into a thick paste.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, jeera and chopped aloo cubes and saute them until aloo turns golden brown.
• Add corn kernels to this and mix the dish well. Saute for about 5 more mins.
• Now add all spice powders and crushed kasuri methi, mix and simmer it for about another 5 mins.
• Add the blended paste, salt and saunf powder to the dish and mix thoroughly. Let it simmer it for 10-15 mins. Keep stirring regularly.
• When the oil starts to ooze out, add a cup of water, mix well and simmer for another 3-5 mins.
• Turn off the stove when the gravy thickens, add garam masala powder, mix well and take the dish into a serving bowl.
• Garnish with finely chopped garlic & coriander or with carrot & cucumber slices.
• Serve hot with phulkas, rotis, steamed rice or any other masala rice.

Paneer Tikka Masala

Paneer is a fresh cheese common in South Asian cuisine. In northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, it is generally called Chhana. It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese or curd cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice, vinegar, or any other food acids. It is also commonly known as Indian Cottage Cheese. Dating back to ancient India, paneer remains the most common type of cheese used in traditional South Asian cuisines. The use of paneer is more common in Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh due to the prominence of milk in their cuisine.

Paneer tikka is a dish made from chunks of paneer or paneer cubes marinated with spices and then grilled in a tandoor. It is a vegetarian alternative to chicken tikka and other meat dishes. It is a very popular dish that is widely available in India. When paneer tikka is served with a gravy, it is called paneer tikka masala. The recipe is simple but takes time for preparation. For all those who are wondering how to prepare this dish at him with out a tandoor, there is always an alternative. Generally, the marinated paneer & vegetable cubes are skewed & grilled in a tandoor. However, the alternative for this to prepare at home without tandoor is simply to roast them on a pan or tawa.


Cooking Time:  30 mins                                                                             Servings: 6
Preparation Time:  45 mins                                                                       Category:  Main Course - Veg

 

Paneer Tikka Masala

Ingredients:
========
For the Tikkas
----------------
Paneer - 500 gms
Bell Pepper - 1 each (Red, Yellow & Green)
Yogurt - 2 Tbsps
Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsps
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Jeera powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsps
Red cooking color - a pinch
Cooking/Olive oil - 1 Tbsp

For the Gravy
---------------
Onions - 2
Tomato puree - 1 Tbsp
Kaju paste - 1/2 cup
Cream - 2 Tbsp
Green chillies sliced - 5
Saunf powder - 1 tsp
Kasuri Methi (crushed) - 1/2 cup
Ghee/Butter/Cooking/Olive oil - 2 Tbsp
Salt - to taste
Cinnamon sticks (small) - 4
Cardamom - 4
Cloves - 4/6
Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup

 
Preparation Method:
=============+

• Blend onions into a thick paste and keep it aside.
• Slice the paneer into small square cubes or rectangular pieces. Cut the bell peppers too in the same shape.
• In a bowl, place these paneer & bell pepper cubes. Add turmeric, red chilli, coriander, garam masala, jeera powders, ginger garlic paste, salt, red color & yogurt.
• Mix them well so that all the spices are coated very well to the paneer & bell pepper cubes. All olive oil, mix well and let this marinade for 1 hour.
• Heat a pan and add 2 tsps of oil. Spread it along nicely and then add the marinated cubes. Roast them all well on both sides and keep aside.
• For the gravy, heat oil in a vessel and add all dry garam masala ingredients (i.e Cinnamon, cardamom & cloves). Saute them for couple of minutes.
• Add onion paste and cook for 2 mins. Then add tomato puree, green chillies and cook for another 5 mins.
• Now add kaju paste, kasuri methi, salt and saunf powder. Mix well & cook for another 10 mins until the gravy oozes out the oil.
• Keep stirring in regular intervals to avoid kaju paste stick to the vessel.
• Add a cup of water and let it simmer for 5 mins. Then, add the cooked tikkas to this gravy, mix and simmer for another couple of minutes.
• Turn of the stove and take this dish into a serving vessel. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander or curry leaves.
• Serve hot with Rotis, Naans, Chapathis, Bagara rice or Jeera rice. This dish goes particularly well with rotis & naans.

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji is one of the most popular Mumbai street foods. Pav means bread and Bhaji means vegetable dish in Marathi. Pav bhaji consists of bhaji (a thick potato-based curry) garnished with coriander, chopped onion, and a dash of lemon and lightly toasted pav. The pav is usually buttered on all sides. Pav Bhaji is so wholesome that you can have it as an evening snack or as a meal in itself. Many road side hand carts, kiosks all across the country serve this dish. It is also available in hotels and eateries serving fast food. If your kids at home don't like veggies, Pav Bhaji is a great way to get them eat veggies.

The recipe varies greatly as it is essentially a fast food dish which is prepared quickly. Many restaurants these days have come up with more varieties of Pav Bhaji like Paneer/Mushroom Pav Bhaji, Cheese Pav Bhaji etc. In this post, I am going to share my own recipe.


Cooking Time:  45 mins                                                                             Servings: 6
Preparation Time:  15 mins                                                                       Category:  Main-course/Snack, Veg


Ingredients:
========

Pav Bhaji

Potatoes,boiled and mashed - 5
Carrot, chopped - 2
Tomatoes,chopped - 4 
Onions,finely chopped - 3
Green Bell peppers (capsicum), chopped & remove the seeds - 2
Cauliflower, cut into small pieces - 2 cups
Green peas - 1 cup
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Red chillies paste - 3/4 cup
Badshah Pav bhaji masala - 3 Tbsps
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Butter - 8 Tbsps
Bombay Pav - 12
Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Lemons,cut into wedges - 2




Preparation Method:
==============

• Boil carrot, green peas, cauliflower until they are soft. Drain out the excess water and keep the boiled vegetables aside.
• Heat 5 Tbsp of butter in a pan or kadai and add the onions. Saute them for a minute and add green bell peppers. Mix well and saute for another 2 mins.
• Now add ginger garlic paste, red chillies' paste and saute till onions & capsicum softens.
• Add turmeric powder, Badshah Pav Bhaji masala, tomatoes, salt. Mix well and cook for about 3-5 mins.
• Now add the mashed potatoes and boiled vegetables. Mash all the vegetables thoroughly using a masher. Keep adding small cups of water during the process until the entire dish's consistency becomes semi-solid. Let it simmer for 2 mins.
• Meanwhile, heat little butter in another pan and slice each Pav horizontally into 2.Cook these sliced Pavs on both sides till they turn lightly brown in color. Repeat this for all the remaining Pavs.
• Sprinkle some pav bhaji masala on the insides of these slices else spread little red chillies' paste.
• Serve these hot pavs along with hot bhaji & lemon wedges in a plate. Garnish the bhaji with chopped coriander and onions

PS: Badshah Pav Bhaji masala is readily available in may grocery stores and is the best one among all other brands which sell this masala

Jeera Aloo

Jeera aloo is another popular Punjabi dish with potatoes cooked with cumin and other spices. It is a typical tradition dish of North India prepared in every home. This simple dish is a real treat for all potato lovers. It is one of the simplest & easy fasting recipes. This dish can compliment any meal. Cumin has a unique nutty flavor and adds an earthy, strong essence to this dish.
Cooking Time:  15 mins                                                                             Servings: 4
Preparation Time:  10 mins                                                                       Category:  Main-course, Veg 

Jeera Aloo

Ingredients:
========

Large sized potatoes - 4
Cumin Seeds - 3 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Vegetable Oil - 2 tbsp
Finely chopped green chillies - 2
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Finely chopped coriander - 2 tsp
Amchur powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Lemon juice (optional) - 1 tsp


Preparation Method:
=============

• Pressure cook the potatoes for 3-4 whistles, let them cool and peel of the skin.
• Cut these potatoes in to small cubes.
• Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add cumin & mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add potatoes.
• Saute the potatoes until they turn light golden brown color.
• Add turmeric, chopped green chillies, amchur powders and salt to taste. Stir all these ingredients well and cook for 5 mins.
• Take it in a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander
• It can either be served with hot Indian breads, rotis, puris or as a side dish with daal

Punjabi Chole Masala

Chole masala is a popular dish in Indian and Pakistani cuisine. It is popular mainly in the Punjab region of northern-India, and also notably in the regions of Gujarat and Rajasthan. It commonly cooked dry, with tangy spices. The main ingredient is chickpeas (called "Kabuli Chana" in India).  Indian food is all about layering of the flavors and spices in a particular order and this recipe teaches you how to do just that.

Though there are many variations of making chole, I've tweaked the punjabi chole masala recipe a little and here is the recipe


Cooking Time:  20 mins                                                                             Servings: 5
Preparation Time: 20 mins                                                                        Category:  Main-course, Veg

Ingredients:
=========

Punjabi Chole Masala

Kabuli Chana/Chick peas - 250 gms
Onions - 2
Potato - 1
Tomatoes - 1
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Sliced Green chillies - 4
Salt - to taste
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Punjabi Chole Masala - 2 tbsp (ready-made Badshah chole masala powder)
Vegetable or cooking oil - 2 tbsp
Chopped coriander - 1/2 cup (for garnishing) 

Preparation Method:
==============

• Pressure cook kabuli chana and potato for 3 whistles. When done, keep them aside.
• Peel out the potato skin and mash the potato nicely.
• Cut onions and tomatoes into small pieces and blend them into a paste.
• Heat oil in a vessel and add cumin seeds. When they start to pop, add the boiled kabuli chana  and mix well.
• Saute for about 5 mins and add ginger garlic paste, green chillies and mix well.
• Now add the onions & tomato paste, mashed up potato to this and stir well. Cook for about another 5 mins.
• Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, Badshah punjabi chole masala powder and mix thoroughly and cook for another 2 mins.
• Now add a 2 small cups of water, mix well and let the dish come to a boil.
• Take the entire dish into a cooker bowl and pressure cook it for 2 whistles.
• When done, take the dish into a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve this hot with Batura or Poori or Romali Roti or Phulkas along with sliced onions & lime

Out of the all brands which sell ready-made chole masala powder, I like "Badshah" brand. There are other good ones too like MTR, Everest, MDH etc but nothing beats the Badshah masala. Instead of getting the ready-made masala, we can prepare the same masala at home too and here is its recipe

Ingredients:
=========
Dry Red chillies - 3
Cumin Seeds (Jeera)  - 1 tbsp
Coriander Seeds - 1 tbsp
Shahi-Jeera(caraway seeds) - 2 tsp
Black pepper corns - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Sesame seeds (til) - 2 tsp
Cloves - 8
Cinnamon - 5 sticks
Bay Leaf (Tejpatta) - 2
Green Cardamom - 8
Black Cardamom - 4
Dry Ginger powder - 2 tsp
Dry Mango Powder (Amchur powder) - 2 tsp
Rock Salt (Kala Namak) - 1/2 tbsp
Nutmeg powder - 1/2 tsp

Preparation Method:
===============

• Dry roast all ingredients one by one and allow them cool. No need to roast powder ingredients
• When all these ingredients are cool, grind them into smooth powder and store in air tight container.
• The shelf life of this powder is 3-4 months when stored in cool area.

Besan Jhunka (Pitla)

Junka is a dish prepared mostly in North Karnataka and Maharashtra region. It is also known as "Pitla". Its chief ingredient, gram flour (besan), is mixed with water to form a semi-liquid paste. It is then sauteed in oil with other ingredients and served with roti or more traditionally with Jolada roti or Bhaakri. The combo-dish is also referred to as Junka bhaakar. This combo is a daily diet of people staying in rural areas of Maharashtra.

Known as poor man’s food, Jhunka bhaakari is definitely not poor when it comes to tingling the taste buds. This dish is an example of how common ingredients can be turned into a filling meal, something which you can eat every other day. Also, this traditional, quick and simple recipe comes in handy when you have  unannounced guests at home and you are running short of time, vegetables and ideas.

Since my ancestors hail from Maharashtra, Jhunka is one of the most common dishes at my home. This dish can be prepared in many ways but in this post, I'll share the one which I learnt from my Mom and generally prepare it with a twist of my own.


 Cooking Time:  20 mins                                                                             Servings: 4 
Preparation Time: 10 mins                                                                        Category:  Main-course, Veg 
 
Ingredients
=========

Besan Jhunka (Pitla)

Gram flour (Besan/Chickpea flour) - 1 cup
Onions - 2 chopped
Garlic Cloves - 4, crushed
Ginger flakes - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 1 sliced
Whole Red Chillies - 2
Red Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds/jeera - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds/Rai 1 tsp
Cooking Oil - 2-3 tablespoon
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Water - 4 cups
Ajwain (Carom) seeds - 1 tsp
Mint leaves - 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped.
Curry leaves - 8-10
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing - 1 tablespoon chopped


Preparation Method
==============

• Heat oil in a kadai and add cumin, mustard seeds, saute them for 20 seconds.
• Add curry leaves, crushed garlic, ginger flakes, red chillies, chopped onions, green chillies and saute them for 5 minutes.
• Now add ajwain seeds and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add red chilli, turmeric powders and salt to taste, chopped mint leaves and mix well.
  Add 2 cups of water, mix well and simmer it to boil.
• Meanwhile, take the besan in a bowl and add 2 cups of water, coriander powder and mix well to a semi-liquid consistency.
• Add this mix to the boil and keep stirring the whole time to avoid lump formation of the besan mix.
• Keep stirring constantly until the besan is cooked properly.
• Turn off the stove and garnish the dish with chopped coriander.
• Serve hot with Bhaakri or chapathis or polkas along with chopped onions, lime and green chillies.

Shahi Paneer

Shahi paneer is a mainstay of Indian cuisine, mainly North India. This dish is made by cooking paneer in a thick gravy made up of cream/milk, tomatoes and spices. It is mainly eaten with roti, chappati or other Indian breads. Paneer is the Indian word for cottage cheese, and shahi is the Indo-Persian term for royal (in reference to the Mughal court).

Cooking Time:  30                                                                                     Servings: 5

Preparation Time: 10 mins                                                                        Category: Main course, Veg

Ingredients:
--------------
Paneer (cottge cheese) - 250 gms

Shahi-Paneer

Ghee or butter - 3 TBsp
Onions finely chopped - 2
Finely chopped Ginger - 1/2" piece
Green chillies chopped fine - 4
Tomatoes finely chopped - 4 (remove seeds)
Crushed Cardamoms - 2
Curd/Yougurt - 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Milk - 1/2 cup
Kasuri Methi - 2 tsp



Preparation Method:
-----------------------

• Cut paneer into 1" cubes. Lightly fry them in ghee and keep aside.
• Heat half the ghee in a wok. Add onion,ginger, green chilli and cardamom. Saute them for 3-4 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes, covered with lid.
• Crush kasuri methi and add it to the dish. Mix well.
• Add curd and cook for 5 minutes and then add 1/2 cup water, mix well and turn off the stove.
• Blend this in a mixie till smooth.
• Heat remaining ghee, add the blended smoothie and remaining ingredients except milk and paneer. Boil to get a very thick gravy.
• Just before serving, heat gravy, add milk and paneer fingers and boil for 3-4 minutes.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and grated paneer (optional)

Palak Paneer

Cooking Time:  30                                                                                     Servings: 5

Preparation Time: 20 mins                                                                        Category: Main course, Veg

Palak paneer is an Indian and Pakistani dish consisting of spinach and paneer. This traditional greens based vegetarian dish is a rich, smooth, creamy curry where paneer cubes are cooked in a onion-tomato-pureed spinach based gravy which is moderately spiced with Indian spices. It is a popular vegetarian dish. Palak paneer is one type of saag, which can also be made with mustard leaves. Palak paneer may be somewhat more watery than saag paneer. This dish is mainly served with roti or naan. Palak paneer may be accompanied by lassi, a Punjabi yogurt drink. This dish is nutritious and usually eaten in Punjab of India and Pakistan. Dhaba restaurants specialise in palak paneer. Its creamy, its rich and a delight to eat.



Ingredients

Palak Paneer

--------------
Paneer - 250 gms  (cut them into cubes)
Spinach (discard the coarse stems) – 3 big bunches. 
Ghee/butter - 2 Tbsps
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Onions - 2 (make them to a paste)
Green chillis - 2, slit length wise
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Cream/Malai - 1 tbsp
Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Tomatoes - 2 
Salt to taste



Preparation Method
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• Blanch spinach in hot water for 3-4 minutes and make a paste of it. Keep this aside.
• Similarly blanch tomatoes in hot water for couple of minutes. Peel the skin out of them and make a puree of the tomatoes.
• Heat ghee/butter in a vessel. Fry paneer untill they turn light brown. Take them out and keep aside.
• Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add green chillies and onions paste and saute them till brown.
• Add red chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, salt to taste and mix well.
• Now add the tomato puree and cook for 5 minutes on a medium flame. 
• Then add palak paste/puree, mix well and cook for another 5-10 mins. Add the paneer cubes and mix gently. 
• Add the water in which palak and tomatoes were blanced, cover the vessel with a lid and cook for another 10 mins.
• Now add garam masala, kasuri methi and mix well. Turn of the heat.
• Garnish with cream/malai and top it with few slices of ginger.
• Server hot with rotis, naan or flavored rice.

Tomato Rasam (My style)

Cooking Time: 45 mins                                                   Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 20 mins                                             Category: Indian Soups, Veg


Rasam or Saaru, is a famous south Indian soup, traditionally prepared using tamarind juice as a base, with the addition of tomato, and chili pepper, pepper, cumin and other spices as seasonings. Steamed lentils are added along with any preferred vegetables. Nowadays all the seasonings required are combined and ground beforehand into a rasam powder, which is available commercially.
It is eaten with rice or separately as soup. In a traditional meal, it is preceded by a sambar rice course and is followed by curd rice. Rasam has a distinct taste in comparison to the sambar due to its own seasoning ingredients and is usually fluid in consistency.

There are different kinds of rasam, varying by ingredient and region. Some of the common varieties are 

Thakkali Rasam - with tomato puree as main ingredient.
Poondu Rasam - a healthy rasam made with Garlic.
Inji Rasam - a healthy rasam made with Ginger.
Mudakathan Rasam - a healthy green leaf rasam made with Balloon Vine.
Lemon Rasam - a sour soup made with lemon juice.
Parupu Rasam  - common variant made with pulses and tomato stock.
Kollu Rasam or Ulava Saaru - a healthy rasam made with horse-gram.
Mysore Rasam - a fragrant soup made with fried grams/dals.

The recipe am sharing now is a mix of thakkali, poondu and parupu rasam with tamarind juice as base in my own style. So here it goes:-

Ingredients:

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Tomatoes - 4

Tomato Rasam

Toor dal - 1 cup

Hing/Asafoedtida  - 1/2 tsp

Sliced Onions (optional) - 1

Tamarind pulp/paste - 2 to 3 Tbsps

Crushed Black Pepper corns - 8 to 10

Salt - per taste

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Jeera powder - 1 tsp

Slit green chillies - 4

Curry leaves - 6-8 

MTR rasam powder - 2 Tbsp

Ghee - 1 Tbsp

Crushed garlic cloves - 6

Water - as required and per consistency

Preparation Method:

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• Pressure cook tomatoes and dal in separate vessels in a cooker. Once done, peel off the skin of tomatoes, mash them to a pulp and keep it aside along with the dal.
• Heat ghee in vessel and add crushed pepper corns, crushed garlic and saute them for couple of mins
• Now add sliced oninons, green chillies, curry leaves, hing and saute them too for another couple of mins.
• Add tomatoes, dal, turmeric powder and simmer them for 10 mins.
• Now add jeera, chilli powder, salt and mix it well and cook for 5 mins.
• Add tamarind pulp/paste and let the dish come to a boil. Now simmer the stove and add water as required.
• When this comes to a boil, add the MTR rasam powder and let it boil for 15 mins. Turn of the stove and serve hot with plain rice, idly etc

PS: Before turning the stove off, you can add another tsp of ghee and garnish it with finely chopped coriander. If dal is not being used, increase the count of tomatoes as required.

If you don't want to use ready made MTR rasam powder, you can prepare it at home too. Here is the recipe for the same:-

Ingredients

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Coriander seeds - 1 cup 

Red chillies - 12 

Split black gram dal - 2 tbsps 

Cumin seeds - 2 tbsps 

Fenugreek seeds - 2 tsps 

Mustard seeds - 2 tsps 

Sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Preparation

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• Dry roast mustard fenugreek seeds on low flame and when they start to  splutter remove them on to a dry plate. 
• Similarly roast cumin seeds till you get a pleasant aroma and remove it into the same plate. 
• Heat oil in the same pan and add coriander seeds, black gram dal and red chillies. 
• Roast them together till the ingredients emanate a pleasant aroma and the chillies become crisp. 
• Remove the roasted ingredients on to a plate and allow to cool. 
• Grind them together into a slightly coarse powder and store in an air tight container