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.

Murg Hara Masala

Murg Hara Masala, as the name suggests chicken is cooked in hara (green) masala, generally a blend of mint leaves, coriander & green chillies. This dish is famous in Punjabi cuisine and mouth-watering delight. Some parts of India, even spinach is added to the hara masala. This dish can be made both in gravy style or as a starter. The starter is usually called chicken hariyali kebabs, boneless chicken is marinated in the hara masala and are grilled on skewers in a tandoor. In the gravy , chicken is cooked in an authentic style with great combination of hara masala & spices. This recipe is for the gravy version.

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


Ingredients:
========

Murg Hara Masala

Chicken - 500 gms
Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Mint leaves - 1 cup
Green chillies - 5
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsps
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsps
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Kasuri Methi - 1 Tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Cooking/vegetable oil - 2 Tbsps
Tej pattha (Bay leaves) - 2 or 3
Cardamom - 3 to 4
Cinnamon sticks - 2
Cloves - 3 to 4

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

• Wash coriander leaves, mint leaves. Along with green chillies, blend them to a fine paste.
• In a vessel, add chicken and all the ingredients, hara masala but for whole garam masalas (tej pattha, cardamom, cinnamon & cloves). Mix it and let it marinade for 30 mins.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add the whole garam masalas. Saute it for a minute.
• Now add the marinated chicken, mix well and cook for 15-20 mins. Stir it regularly to avoid the paste sticking to the kadai.
• Add a small cup of water and simmer it for another 5 mins or until the chicken is completely cooked.
• Turn off the stove, take the dish in a cooking bowl, garnish with sliced ginger sticks and serve hot.
• This dish goes well with steam rice or any Indian breads.

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.

Grated Mango Chutney

Mango pickle refers to a variety of pickles prepared using mango. This is a very popular pickle in South India especially in Telangana & Andhra regions. Pickles are main side dishes and many varieties of vegetables are used. However, raw mango or tender mango is the most popular variety of fruit used for pickling. There are special varieties of mangoes specifically used just for pickling and they are never consumed as ripe fruit. These sometimes spicy pickles are also available commercially. This post is a variation where mangoes are grated to prepare a chutney-like pickle.

Cooking Time:  15 mins                                                                             Servings: 6
Preparation Time:  10 mins                                                                       Category:  Indian pickled chutney
 
Ingredients:
=========

Pickled Mango Chutney

Raw Mangoes - 4
Ginger garlic paste - 1 TBsp
Red chilli powder - 4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
Jeera seeds - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 4
Curry leaves - 10 to 15
Cooking oil - 2 TBsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp



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

• Peel the skin off of mangoes, grate them and keep it aside. Throw off the seeds.
• Heat the oil in a vessel and add mustard, jeera seeds.
• When they start to splitter, add red chillies, curry leaves, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste  and saute for a min.
• Add asafoetida, mix well and let it simmer for another min.
• Now add chilli powder, salt and mix thoroughly.
• Simmer the stove and cook for 10 mins. Keep stirring it at short intervals.
• Turn of the stove and let it cool. When done store in a tight air container.
• When refrigerated this pickled mango chutney will stay afresh for a week to 10 days.
• Along with ghee serve this pickle for hot steam rice, phulkas and for bread toasts with butter.

Tawa Surmai with Assorted Vegetables.

Fish is one of the main staple foods in many parts of Coastal India. Tawa Surmai or Tawa Macchi is a regular dish specially in Konkani, Mangalorean & Kerala cuisine. It is a very simple recipe where thick slices of King fish is marinated in aromatic spices are shallow fried. Other variations may include adding tamarind juice or fresh coconut paste. Again this post is a recipe with my own twist.

Cooking Time:  30 mins                                                                             Servings: 3
Preparation Time:  20 mins                                                                       Category:  Starters, Non-Veg


Ingredients:
========

Tawa Surmai with Assorted Vegetables

King Fish slices - 6
Ginger garlic paste - 2 Tbsps
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera seeds - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 4
Pepper corns - 2 tsps
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Cooking oil/Vegetable oil - 3 Tbsps
Salt to taste
Lime wedges - 4
Freshly chopped coriander leaves - 1/4 cup

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

• Wash fish slices in warm salt water thoroughly such that all the smell is gone. Keep them aside.
• Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and add coriander, jeera, sesame seeds, red chillies & pepper corns.
• Saute them for couple of minutes and let them cool. When done blend all these into a fine paste.
• In a bowl, mix the spices paste, ginger garlic paste, salt to taste & turmeric powder.
• Marinade the fish slices in this mix for about 15 mins in order them to soak all the spices well.
• Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a tawa or pan. Add 2 marinated fish slices and shallow fry them until they are finely cooked on both sides.
• Repeat until all slices are cooked. Take them into a serving plate. Garnish with finely chopped coriander.
• Serve hot along with the assorted vegetables, lemon wedges.

For assorted vegetables,
---------------------------
Carrot - 1
Bell pepper - 1
Beans - 1
Corn kernels - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1
Salt to taste
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Chat masala - 1 tsp
Chilli vinegar - 1 tsp
Cooking oil - 2 tsps

• Chopped all the veggies vertically.
• Boil them for 10 mins and drain out the water.
• Heat oil in a pan, saute all the veggies for 5 mins.
• Add salt, pepper powder, chat masala and vinegar.
• Mix well and take it into a serving plate.