Kadhai Gobhi Masala

Ingredients:

1. Gobhi - 300 gm, cut into florets
2. Tomatoes - 4, quartered
3. Onions - 1 big, or 2 small, quartered
4. Coarsely ground garlic - 1 tspn
5. Coarsely ground ginger - 2 tspns
6. Tamarind pulp - 1 tbspn
7. Cumin seeds - 1 tspn
8. Oil - 2 tbspn
9. Salt
10. turmeric
11. chilli powder
12. sugar - 1/2 tspn
13. Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Procedure:

1. In a heavy bottom dish, heat up half the oil and add the quartered tomatoes and onions and cook till the vegetables are slightly soft, for about 5 min
2. take them off the heat let them cool a bit
3. meanwhile, in the same dish, heat the remaining oil and add the cumin seeds, ginger and garlic. Cook them for about 3-4 min. 
4. grind the tomatoes and onion and add them to the ginger-garlic-cumin mixture on the stove. 
5. cook for about 5 min, till the mixture starts leaving the sides of the dish. 
6. add in the cauliflower florets. Cook for 10 min, till the florets are soft enough
7. Dish it out, garnish and serve hot! 

Shahi Methi Paneer

Ingredients:

1. Paneer - 200 gm , cut into cubes
2. Almonds - 150 gm, soaked in water for 1 hr, and then skinned
3. Garlic - 5-6 cloves, finely chopped
4. Red chillies - 4-5
5. aesofotida - 1/2 tsp
6. Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - 30 gm
7. Fresh Fenugreek leaves - 40 gm - chopped finely
8. milk - 30 ml
9. water - 20 ml
10. Salt
11. turmeric
12. Oil to cook

Procedure:

1. Grind the almonds with milk and water, to a fine paste. 
2. In a deep dish, heat oil and add the chopped garlic and chillies and aesofotida
3. after 1 min, add half the kasuri methi and half the fresh methi leaves
4. cook till the methi leaves wilt and then add in the almond paste. 
5. cook for about 7 min, till it gets cooked. 
6. add in the rest of the dry and fresh methi leaves, and cook for aother 3 min. 
7. add the paneer cubes, salt, turmeric and cook for another 2 min. 

Serve hot with roti/rice! 

Gobhi Musallam

Ingredients:

1. Cauliflower (Gobhi) - 1, cut into florets
2. Red Onions - 2, just foured into cubes
3. Tomatoes - 6, chopped roughly
4. Ginger - 1 inch - chopped finely
5. Garlic - 6 - 8 cloves - chopped finely
6. Mint leaves - 4-5 chopped finley
7. Coriander leaves - a handful, chopped finely
8. Tamarind pulp - 1.5 tbspn (15-18gm)
9. Cumin seeds - 15 gm 
10. Aesofotida - 1 tspn
11. Red Chillies - 3-4
12. Green Peas - 150 gm (I use frozen)
13. Salt
14. Turmeric
15. Red Chilli powder
16. Oil to cook

Procedure:

1. Grind the tomatoes and onions together
2. In a deep dish, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. After 30 sec, add the aesofotida and red chillies. After they start to splutter, add the chopped ginger, garlic, coriander and mint.
3. add in the ground tomato-onion paste
4. After the mixture comes to a boil, add in turmeric and chilli powder and a little salt
5. cook till all the moisture leaves and only the paste remains. 
6. Meanwhile half boil the cauliflower florets and keep aside. Add more salt at this point.
7. Now add in the cauliflower  and the green peas to the tomato mixture and cook till done.

Serve hot with Bread/Rice !
 

Bhindi Dahi ka Salan

After a long time, a mild spiced recipe. I don't know the origins of this recipe.. Its definitely not punjabi. And definitely not Gujarati. Oh well, who cares - its really tasty

Ingredients:

1. Ladyfingers - 10-15 , cut in half and then slightly split length-wise
2. cumin seeds - 1 tspn
3. methi seeds - 1/2 tspn
4. corainder seeds - around 5-6 slightly crushed
5. cinnamon bark - 1/2 inch 
6. gram flour - 100 gm
7. corn flour - 15-20 gm (optional; Even small amount can be substituted as gram flour. I use corn flour completely for this recipe. But its your choice)
8. Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
9. Red/Pink Onions - 1 medium sized, made into a paste 
10. ginger - 1/2 inch - chopped finely
11. garlic - a little less amount than the ginger - chopped finely 
12. Red Chillies - 4-6
13. Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
14. Dahi/Yogurt - 250 m, whisked to perfection, without any water
15. Salt 
16. Fresh coriander leaves - for garnish 
17. Oil for cooking - 2 tbspns

 Procedure:

1. In a pan,  heat around a tbspn of oil and start frying up your spices (jeera, methi, cinnamon, coriander seeds, chillies)
2. after they release their aroma, add in the ginger, garlic and onion paste. Cook for 2-3 min, till the paste and other ingredients are cooked. 
3. for this recipe, the ladyfingers are generally fried separately; But I prefer doing a 1-pot dish. So add in the ladyfingers, stir and let them cook for about 5-7 min, till they are tender, but still in color. 
4. in a separate bowl, add yogurt, turmeric, gram flour/corn flour/both and whisk thoroughly till all lumps are gone 
5. To this, add in salt, and add this yogurt mixture to the already cooking ladyfingers. When you do so, remove from heat for a brief time. 
6. on low heat, keep stirring and cooking for about 10 min, till the mixture thickens
7. add garam masala and add salt, stir for another 2 min
8. Garnish with coriander

Serve Hot with Rice ! 

Raw Mango Dry Curry

Ingredients

Small Raw Mangoes - 5
Red Chillies - 4 to 5
Coconut - 1/4 scrapped
Salt
Oil
Season - Mustard, jeera, asafotedia

• Slit mangoes slightly on both sides. One end of the mango should be intact.
• Grind coconut, salt and red chillies to paste adding very little water.
• Stuff in the ground paste into the mangoes. Reserve the execess paste.

• In a vessel add little oil and season it.
• Place the stuffed mangoes and add little oil. Add the execess paste too.
• Shake the vessel/ stir so that oil gets coated. Cook on low flame with lid closed, stirring in between.
• Need to ensure the curry is not burnt.
• Once the mangoes are cooked well, switch off fire and keep it closed for 5 minutes.
• This is a dry curry and can be served with rice / roti.

This can be done in a microwave. After suffing the mangoes, season it, place the mangoes in a microwave safe bowl and add little oil and cook. Stir in between so that it gets cooked evenly.

Punjabi Dal Tadka

Ingredients:

1. Toor Dal - 2 cups or 200 gm, cooked in the pressure cooker, and partly mashed
2. Garlic cloves- about 6-7, finely chopped
3. Green Chillies - 4 - slit length-wise
4. Salt
5. Dry Mango powder - 1/2 tspn
6. Red Chilli Powder - 1 tspn
7. Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
8. Cumin Seeds - 1 tbspn
9. Veg Oil - 1-2 tbspn

Procedure:

1. Add salt to the cooked Dal and keep it aside.
2. To make the tadka, pour the oil in a heavy saucepan
3. after the oil is hot enough, add in the cumin seeds, and after they have started to splutter, add in the garlic
4. after the garlic has almost browned, add in the green chillies, dry mango powder and garam masala
5. stir in well and then take out all the ingredients except the oil, for the next step.
6. take the ingredients and add it to the Dal. Stir well to mix
7. now to the hot oil, add the chilli powder and stir about 2 times.
8. now add this also to the dal and just stir in once, so that there are just red streaks to the dal, and the dal does not change its rich yellow color.

Serve hot with rice, roti or naan. But it works best with roti!

Chickpeas Sundal

Chick Peas - 1 cup
Salt
Rasam Powder
Seasonning - Mustard seeds, Jeera, Red Chilli, Curry Leaves, Asafotedia

Soak chick peas overnite and pressure cook. Be cautious not to overcook.
In a kadai, add little oil and season it.
When the mustard crackles, add in the cooked peas, and fry well.
Add in rasam powder and salt. Fry well till it becomes dry and gets coated well.
If needed add oil in between.
Can be served as an healthy snack or as an accompaniment with rice.

Kadhai Subz Masala

Raid your fridge at the end of the week and find all vegetables that are almost of no use when used individually. :)

Ingredients:

1. All vegetables - amounting to about 300 gm
2. Kasuri methi - 1 tbspn
3. Fresh Mint leaves - a handful
4. Fresh Coriander Leaves - chopped finely - for garnish
5. Masala made from equal quantities of Mace, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves and Coriander Seeds.
6. Oil - 2 tbspn
7. Red Chilli Powder - 2 - 3 tbspns
8. Salt
9. Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
10. Water - half a cup
11. Onions - 1 grated or blended in the processor 
12. Tomatoes - 2 chopped finely
13. Garlic paste - 1 tspn
14. Ginger paste - 2 tspns

Procedure:

1. Start with heating the oil and frying all your masalas - the dry masala, the ginger paste and garlic paste
2. then add the onion paste and cook till it leaves the sides
3. add in the tomatoes and cook for another 3 min, till they go soft
4. add the turmeric and chilli powder and cook till the mixture leaves sides again
5. now add in the kasuri methi and then the vegetables. 
6. cook them till they are soft and not yet yielding. 
7. add your mint leaves and coriander leaves and cook for another 2 min.
8. Take it off heat and keep uncovered

Serve hot with roti/rice!

Jeera Aaloo

The all-time favorite Punjabi dish! Loved by children and adults alike!

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes - 5- 8 medium sized ones, cubed into about 8 pieces each
2. Turmeric - 2 tspns
3. Jeera (Cumin Seeds) - 2 tbpsn
4. Oil - 2 tbspns
5. Salt
6. Red/Yellow Chillie powder
7. Fresh Coriander for garnish (optional)

Procedure:

1. Precook the potatoes in a little water and salt and keep aside. The potatoes should be cooked till they are about 60 percent tender. 
2. in a heavy bottomed dish, heat the oil and pop in the cumin seeds and cook them till they lose color. 
3. add turmeric and lightly stir for about 3 seconds
4. add the potatoes and stir and leave them to cook for about 4 min. 
5. add in the salt and cook for another min. 
6. now sprinkle some chillie powder and stir in. Cook for half a min more. 

serve hot with rice/bread! 

Yes, will post the picture soon ! :)

Karele ka Masala

I know, I know. You must be wondering if it is really possible to make something out of bittergourd, and moreover getting your family to eat it ! But this recipe is sure to delight you and all. But, spare atleast 20 min to cook this dish up. Well, you dont have to do anything while this is cooking, except sipping your tea! :)

Ingredients:

1. Karela/Bittergourd -  2 large - cut into 4 - 5 pieces each, with an incision or an X made on top
2. Peanuts - handful
3. Red Chillies - 6 
4. Cumin seeds - a tbspn
5. Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
6. Oil - 1 tbpsn
7. Salt
8. Turmeric
9. Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbspn
10. Tamarind Paste - 1/2 tbspn
11. Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbspn
12. Tomatoes - 5 large, one cut into just 4 pieces, to be later blended. And the remaining 4, chopped finely.
13. Large Green Chillies - 1, cut into strips (optional)
14. Fresh Coriander Leaves - a handful, finely chopped. 

Procedure:

1. In a heavy bottomed dish, steam your bittergourd till they are almost soft, and change color. (You can add salt and a little sugar at this stage, but I generally avoid both. )
2. meanwhile in another dish, roast the peanuts, jeera and red chillies. Roast till the peanuts and jeera start crackling and the peanuts change color 
3. take out the dry roast ingredients, add the oil to the same empty dish and start cooking some of your masalas:
4. first add in the ginger garlic paste, and cook while stirring. 
5. add in the chopped tomatoes and some of the coriander and let the mixture cook. 
6. meanwhile grind your roasted peanut mixture, till it becomes an almost fine powder. 
7. Take out this mixture, add in the one chopped tomato, and blend till it is almost a paste. 
8. now add in the peanut mixture and blend again, so that you get a paste of the peanut mixture and tomato. 
9. add this mixture to the dish that is cooking on the stove. 
10. start cooking this mixture, by adding about half a cup of water. 
11. This mixture will tend to come together sooner than usual, thanks to the peanut mixture in it. So add in the turmeric, chillie powder, garam masala and tamarind paste to the mixture and cook for another 3 min
12. Add in sugar and salt and cook for another 2-3 min. 
13. By this time your bittergourd would have cooked well. So add the vegetable to the mixture, cover and cook for another 10 min, till all the flavors get into the vegetable. 
14. Garnish with remaining coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Bread/Rice!

P.S. Will post the picture soon.. 

Potato Stew

Ingredients

1. Boiled potato diced into cubes  - 2 large size
2. Coconut Milk  - 1 tumbler thick , 1 tumbler diluted
3. Onion – finely diced
4. Jeera powder – ¼ tsp
5. Green Chilli – 2 slit in Half
6. Pepper  - 1 tsp [ According to taste ]
7. Salt to taste

For Seasoning

1. Curry leaves
2. Coconut Oil

Method

1. In a Pan heat oil and fry the curry leaves and Chilli.
2. Add the onion and fry till it becomes golden brown.
3. Pour the coconut milk, add 1/4 water 
4. Add jeera powder, salt and pepper let it boil.
5. Add the potato cubes and let the stew simmer for 10 minutes
6. Can be served with puttu or idiyappam

Moong Dal Gravy

Ingredients

1. Green Moong dal soaked in hot water over night – 1 cup
2. Coconut scraped - 3tsp
3. Onion – finely diced
4. Jeera powder - 1 tsp
5. Green Chilli – 1 slit in Half
6. Chilli powder
7. Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Asafetida – a pinch

For Seasoning

1. Mustard
2. Urad Dal
3. Curry leaves
4. Oil

Method

1. Pressure cook the dal until well cooked
2. In a Pan heat oil and fry the seasoning.
3. Add the onion and fry  till it becomes  golden brown
4. Add coconut and fry for 2 min
5. Add 4- 9 and pour 1 tumbler water once the water starts to boil add the moong dal and let it simmer for 10 min.
6. Serve hot with Puttu / Chappathi / rice.

Drumstick Dry Curry

Ingridients

1. Drumstick – 4 cut into 2 inch long sticks
2. Tumeric powder – a pinch
3. Chilli powder – 1 tsp or according to taste
4. Salt  to taste
5. Jeera – 3 tsp
6. Coconut scraped – half a cup

 For Seasoning

1. Oil – 2 tsp
2. Mustard – ½ tsp
3. Urad Dal – ½ tsp
4. Curry leaves

Method:

1. Boil  1 – 4  until the drumstick is tender
2. Grinf 5 and 6 to paste
3. Heat oil in a kadai – frist add 2 the n3 and then 4 from seasoning
4. To this add the coconut mixture  and in high flame fry for 2 minute then add the drumstick and mix well and cook for 5 min .
5. Can be served with rice or chappathi

Avial

Ingredients:
Ash gourd - 1 piece
Carrots - 1
Beans - 10 Nos.
Drumsticks – 1
Plantain - 1
Potato - 1
Yam - piece
Green Chillies –5
Coconut grated – 1 cup
Coconut Oil - tsp 1
Cumin seeds – tsp 1
Curd – cup 1
Curry Leaves- 3 strings
Salt - to taste

Method

1. Cut all the vegetables mentioned above into 2 inch long pieces and cook it in the cooker with little water and turmeric powder for one whistle.
2. Grind the grated coconut with jeera & green chillies with few curry leaves in the mixie.
3. Mix the cooked vegetables and the Coconut paste in a vessel and boil for few minutes, while it is getting boiled add few curry leaves and salt as per taste and boil for 5 minutes. Stir in between.
4. Now add the curd and mix it together and cook 2 more mintues. Once the curd is added don't boil too much.
5. Do seasoning with mustard seeds, curry leaves(again) with coconut oil.

Note: You can add any of your favourite veges in this avial. But above said items are essentials.

Rawa Kesari

Ingredients
Rawa - 1 cup
Sugar – 1 ½ cup
Water – 2 ½ cups
Ghee - 5 tsp.
Cashew nuts - 10
Raisins - 10
Elachi powder - 1/ 2 tsp.
Pinch of kesari colour

Method:

1. In a kadai add ½ tsp ghee fry cashew nuts & raisins, then keep separate.
2. On the same ghee fry the rawa and keep aside.
3. Now in a kadai add 2 ½ cups water and allow it to boil. Add kesari colour and then roasted rawa, to avoid lump keep stirring till it cook.
4. When rawa cooked completely then add 1 ½ cup sugar. After adding sugar this mixture will become watery. Add ghee side by side. Keep on stirring till all the water evobrates.
5. Before switching off the stove add elachi powder and remove from fire.
6. Finally add fried cashew nuts and raisins to garnish.

Venthaya Keerai Paruppu Kulambu

Ingredients:
Venthaya Keerai (Fresh Methi) – 1 small bunch
Tamarind – small lemon size
Sambar powder – 2 tsp.
Toor Dhal – ½ cub Cooked

For seasoning:
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp.
Jeera – ½ tsp.
Curry leaves – few
Small onion – 4 (cut into small pieces)
Salt – as per taste
Oil – as per requirement

Method

1. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard, jeera, curry leaves. Add onions fry for few seconds.
2. Wash methi thoroughly without soils and add with the seasoning and fry 2-3 mintues.
3. Now add tamarind bulb, sambar powder and cooked toor dhal. Add required salt.
4. Allow it to boil till for 5 mintues.
5. Venthaya Keerai Parupu Kulambu is ready and we can have it with rice.

This leafy vegetable is rich in mineral and vitamin contents. Regular use of this methi will reduces deposits of fat in our body.

Gongura Pulusu

All You Need Is!!

Gongura - 1 bunch ( Sorrel leaves in English. Pulicha Keerai in Tamil.)

Bengal Gram - 2 handful

Onion - 2 medium sized

Garlic - Few pods
Turmeric- 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 3 or 4
Tamarind - Very Little
Salt

1. Chop greens, onions and green chillies.
2. To this add rest of all ingredients and pressure cook them with enough water.
3. Mix well and boil them again with little asafotedia.
4. Season with mustard, jeera and red chillies with liitle oil and pour over it.

( This is neither liquid nor very thick. Slightly watery than the regular dhal)

You can also add one brinjal or tomato to this before pressure cooking..

Tastes yummy with soft white dosas.. Good For plain rice too....

Methi Dhal Fry

Ingredients
Methi Leaves - 2 small bunches
Thaur Dhal - 1/4 cup
Salt
Oil
Seasoning  - Mustard, Jeera, Red Chilli

1. Chop methi leaves finely
2. Pressure cook dhal.
3. In a kadai, add little oil and the seasonings. Then add the chopped greens and cooked dhal.
4. Add in salt and mix well.
5. Keep stirring in between and add in oil when necessary till the mixture is cooked well and becomes dry.

 This dhal fry goes well with rice... One of the dishses which my son likes to have...

Kadai Veg Curry

Ingredients:
Capsicum - 2 cut into cubes
Baby corn – 5 cubes (split in between each)
Potato – 1 (3/4 boiled)
Carot – 1 (cut into 1 ½” size)
Onions - 1 finely chopped
Tomatoes - 3 (blanched, peeled the skin and made into a puree)
Curd - 1 cup
Carlic – 2 flakes thin sliced
Ginger Garlic paste – 1tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Bay leaves – 2 Nos.
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Dhania powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Kasoori methi 1 tsp
Kadai veg masala - 2 tsp

For Masala:
Dhania seeds 1 tbsp
pepper 1/2 tsp
red chillies 6
methi 1/2 tsp
cinnamon 2 tsp
jeera 1/2 tsp
Dry roast in a tawa, powder and keep aside.

Method:


1. Fry all the vegetables separately in little oil and keep aside.
2. Heat oil and butter then add bay leaves, sliced garlic and onions. Fry onions till brown.
3. Now add the ginger garlic paste and fry well.
4. Add the kadai veg dry powder and fry. Add salt.
5. Add the tomatoes puree and let the tomatoes boil and leave out the oil.
6. Add chill powder, dhania powder, turmeric(optional) and garam masala powder
7. Now add the whipped curd and boil for some time. If the gravy is too thick add some hot water and let the gravy to boil.
8. Now add the fried vegetables and boil till the gravy becomes thick or desired consistency.
9. Lastly add the finely chopped coriander and kasoori methi.

Serve with hot chapathis or jeera rice.

Yellow Dal Fry

Ingredient:

Dhuli moong dal(pasi parappu/dehusked green gram dhal)

Onion - 1 finely chopped

Tomato - 1 finely chopped

Green chilli -2 finely chopped

Jeera - 2 tsp

Garlic - 12-15 cloves

Ghee - 5 tbsp

Coriander leaves

Curry leaves

Method:

1.Pressure cook Dal for 5 whistle.It should be well cooked.

2.Take heavy bottom kadai and put ghee.put jeera and green chiily and curry leaves

3.Add Garlic, onion and saute till onion turns golden brown.

4.Add tomato and saute for 2 minutes

5.Add cooked Dal.Add water to make consistency as per requirement.

6.Add turmeric powder and salt.cook for about 2 minute.

7.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.