Collard Greens Saag Paneer

Totally similar to palak paneer, cooked with just an addition of collard greens. 

Tastes good with roti or naan.

Ingredients :

• Spinach - 1 bunch
• Collard Greens - 1 bunch
• Paneer ( cottage cheese ) - 100 grams or as many as you like
• Onion - 1 Large
• Butter - 3 tbsp
• Bay leaves - 2-3
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsp
• Black Pepper powder - 1/4 tbsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Green Chillies - 2
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tbsp
• Amchoor Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Oil/Butter - 3 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Heavy Cream - 1/2 cup

Directions :

• Wash collard  greens and spinach thoroughly. If needed 2-3 times so that you are sure that it is absolutely clean. Then chop them roughly. 
• Boil collard greens and spinach in some water for 12-14 minutes. Grind it to a paste when it cools. (Collard greens are hard leaves so that take little more time to cook than spinach.)
• Heat butter in a pan and fry bay leaves , slit green chillies, and cumin seeds.
• Add finely chopped onions and ginger garlic paste, saute till onions turn transparent
• Add salt, black pepper powder, garam masala, amchoor powder . Stir well.
• Add ground greens and cook on low.
• In another pan, heat oil and fry paneer cubes till they turn golden brown. You can avoid this step and add raw paneer as well. Both taste equally good. 
• Now add these paneer cubes to greens curry. Cook it covered in medium flame till the butter separates. 
• Add the fresh cream and cook for just another minute or two just to incorporate the cream well with the gravy. 

Enjoy with roti or naan. 

Baingan Masala ( Eggplant Curry )

Brinjals or Eggplants are a good source of folic acid and this is the vegetable which has the maximun recipes. They can be made in more than 65 ways. Hence it is often described as " King of Vegetables "

I have here used the small round eggplants.

Ingredients:

• Small Eggplants - 8-10
• Onion- 2 medium
• Tomato - 1 ( or tomato paste - 1/4 cup)
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Hing ( asafoetida ) - a pinch
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander-Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste 
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 1 cup
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cilantro - for garnish

Directions: 

• Slit eggplants into cross shape only 3/4th way through, keeping the stem intact. Do not separate into halves.
• Microwave them just for a couple of minutes or shallow fry so that they are little soft. You do not need to cook it fully. This process is just to speed up the cooking process. You can avoid this step and directly cook which will take a little longer.
• Keep these eggplants aside.  

Shallow Fried Eggplants

• Now heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Add hing. If you want to add green chilies, this is the time you add. But I haven't. I chose to use red chili powder. Add curry leaves.
• Saute ginger garlic paste. Saute finely chopped onions until they turn slightly brown.
• Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till mushy. 
• Add coriander-cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder at this point and mix well. 
• Add a cup of water and add the half fried eggplants to the gravy. Add salt and cook till the eggplants are done or till the gravy stats oozing out the oil. ( adjust water according to your preference. )
• At the end add chopped cilantro. Serve with chapati or paratha or plain steamed rice or pulav.

Raw Papaya Curry ( Hara papitha sabzi )

Ingredients :

• Green Papaya - 1 small
• Onion - 1
• Tomatoes - 2
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Hing ( asafoetida ) - a pinch
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnish.
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Directions: 

• Peel the papaya, take off the seeds and chop.
• I cooked it in a pressure cooker to save some time. Heat oil in the pressure cooker, splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Add hing.
• Saute ginger garlic paste and chopped onions.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook till mushy. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, salt. Mix well.
• Add a couple of glasses of water and chopped papaya.
• Close the lid of the cooker and cook for 3 whistles or till the papaya is tender. Adjust seasoning.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.

You can cook in a pot , which will take a little longer than the pressure cooker. The method remains the same.

Matar Paneer

Ingredients:

• Cubed Paneer - 1 cup
• Green Peas ( Fresh or Frozen ) - 3/4 cup
• Tomatoes - 2
• Onions - 2
• Ginger Garlic Paste  - 1 tsp
• Heavy Cream - 1/2 cup ( optional )
• Cashew Nuts - 10-12 ( optional )
• Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp or to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Bay Leaf - 1
• Oil / Butter - 2 tbsp
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnish

Directions: 

• Shallow fry the paneer cubes in a little bit of oil or ghee or butter till golden brown on both the sides. Take them off the pan and drop them in a bowl of salted water. Keep aside.
• Boil the green peas and keep them aside.
• Soak cashews in a cup of warm water for 15 mintues. Grind them to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
• Heat the remaining butter in the pan, crackle jeera ( cumin seeds ) and bay leaf.
• Saute ginger garlic paste and finely chopped onions.
• Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till the butter starts to separate.
• Add garam masala, coriander- cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder to the paste and mix well.
• Add the cashew paste and cream into it. ( As I mentioned before, these two are optional. The curry will taste good even without these )
• Add 2 cups of water and salt. Water can be adjusted according to the consistency you like.
• Add the Paneer cubes and boiled peas into the gravy. Mix and let it cook on low-med heat. Let to a boil. Turn off the heat and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Potato, Carrot, Turnip Greens Mixed Curry

I love mixed vegetables. Nutrients of multiple vegetables in one curry.
I made this curry in pressure cooker. It takes less time and less oil to cook.

Ingredients :

• Turnip Greens - 1 bunch
• Potatoes - 3-4
• Carrots - 2 long ones
• Tomatoes - 2 small
• Onion - 1 medium
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt -to taste
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Directions : 

• Heat oil in the pressure cooker. Splutter cumin and mustard seeds.
• Saute ginger garlic paste. Add chopped onions and saute till transluscent.
• Add diced tomatoes and cook till done.
• Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, garam masala.
• Add peeled and diced potatoes and carrots.
• Add chopped turnip greens.
• Add a couple of cups of water. Cover and pressure cook for about 2 whistles.
• Serve with steaming hot rotis.

Adjust the amount of water accordingly. I like it watery, so I add more water. 

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan

When you talk about Hyderabadi cousine, Biryani and Mirchi ka Salan are to top the list.
The gravy for mirchi ka salan , bagara baingan and tamatar ka salan are all same , just the vegetable in it varies.
I use the big long mirchis ( green banana peppers) for this recipe.

Ingredients :

• Big Chillies ( banana peppers ) - 10-12
• Onion - 2 large
• Peanuts - 1/2 cup
• Sesame Seeds - 1/4 cup
• Coconut Powder - 1/2 cup
• Khus Khus ( poppy seeds ) - 1 tbsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1tbsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1tsp
• Tamarind Pulp - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin-Coriander Powder -1 tsp
• Yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1/2 cup

Directions: 

• Wash and pat dry the chillies. My chillies were too long , so I cut them into halves. But if they are small ones you don't need to. You can slit from one side and deseed them if you want to reduce the heat of the chillies. I don't deseed them, I like it hot. :)

• Dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut powder, khus khus one by one. Let them cool.
• After cooling grind them all together with very little water. I used the small grinder jar so, I first ground peanuts and later sesame+coconut+khus khus.

• Grind Onions and keep the onion paste ready.
• Heat oil in the pan, and deep fry the green chillies( peppers ) till the blisters form on the skin. Remove on a plate and keep aside.
• In the same oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let them splutter.
• Add the onion paste and saute. Add ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw flavour of onion, ginger garlic is gone.
• Now add the peanut paste and the sesame-coconut paste. Mix well. Cook till the mixture starts oozing out oil.
• Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin-coriander powder, salt and mix well.
• Add tamarind pulp, beaten curds and 3-4 cups of water
• Add the fried chillies to the gravy. Mix well and simmer it for half an hour till the oil floats on the top.
• You can garnish with chopped cilantro if you wish.

Serve hot with biryani, pulav, jeera rice or naans.

Kadhi Pakoda

Hello Friends, I am back from a wonderful Indian vacation.
I did not have to cook at mom's place ; was just treated royally, which made me too lazy to get back to my kitchen.
Well  here I am, back on my blog after a good break and sufficient rest.
Yesterday I made Punjabi Kadhi. That's one of my favorites.
Lemme share my recipe with you all.
Lemme also reiterate, I might not be an excellent cook but I am just sharing with you all whatever little I know.
Any suggestions or improvements are most welcome. Please feel free to leave a comment below.

Ingredients :

For Pakodas:

• Gram Flour ( Besan ) - 1 cup
• Carom Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Finely Chopped Onions - 2 tbsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste ( Can be substituted by finely chopped green chillies )
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
• Baking Soda - 1 pinch ( optional )
• Water - as required to make a smooth batter
• Oil - for deep frying

For Kadhi: 

• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Yogurt - 2 cups
• Water - 1 cup
• Beasn - 3 tbsp
• Sliced Onions - 1 large
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds - 4-5 seeds
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Slit Green Chillies - 2
• Bay Leaves - 2
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
• Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp or to taste
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnish
• Salt - to taste

Directions: 

For Pakodas: 

• Mix all the ingredients except oil in a mixing bowl and add just sufficient water little by little to make a thick batter.
• Heat oil in a pan for frying pakodas. 
• Drop small dumplings ( 1 tsp each ) of batter in the hot oil. 
• Deep fry them till they turn nice golden brown and crispy.
• Remove them on paper towel and keep aside.

For Kadhi : 

• Blend yogurt , water, turmeric powder, salt and besan with no lumps. Keep aside. Amount of water may vary according to your preference of consistency. 
• Heat ghee in a deep pot. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek Seeds and let them pop.
• Now add green chillies, curry leaves and bay leaves.
• Saute sliced onions till translucent.
• At this point, you can add ginger garlic paste if you wish. ( optional )
• Add garam masala powder.
• Add the yogurt mixture into the pot and bring it to boil over the medium heat and then reduce the heat. Keep stirring to avoid sticking at the bottom. 
• Cook covered for 15 - 20 minutes . The kadhi thickens due to the besan in it. 
• Turn off the heat and then add pakodas to the kadhi.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro. 

Kadhi tastes the best if it is made with sour yougurt , however you can add amchoor powder to the kadhi if it is not sour enough. 

Serve it hot with just plain rice and it would taste heavenly. You can also have it with jeera rice or roti. 

Bharwaan Simla Mirch ( Stuffed Capsicum )

This is a capsicum curry , stuffed with potato filling served on layer of a rich gravy .

I went grocery shopping the other day and saw these small sized bell peppers unlike the usual giant sized ones. And I got the entire bag for just a dollar. I had to pick them up. The the very first thing I thought of was to make stuffed curry.  I like to make the stuffed curry with the small ones. You can of course make them with the big ones as well, but you may want to cut them in half and then stuff.

Ingredients:

• Green Bell Peppers/ Capsicum -  4 medium
• Potatoes -  4 medium
• Cooking oil -  4 tbsps 
• Cumin Seeds-  3/4 tsp 
• Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1tsp
• Onion, finely chopped -  1 large
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Turmeric Powder -  1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder -  1 tsp 
• Cumin Powder -  1/2 tsp 
• Garam Masala-  1/2 tsp 
• Amchoor (raw mango powder) -  1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
• Chopped Cilantro - 2 tbsp

Directions: 

For the Potato Filling: 

• Wash the potatoes, boil till soft . Peel and mash roughly. Keep aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil and splutter cumin seeds. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and saute. Add chopped onions and fry till translucent.
• Now add all the powdered spices along with salt , mix well.
• Add the mashed potatoes and mix well to blend with all the masala. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Adjust salt and turn off the heat.
• Sprinkle lemon juice and chopped cilantro and mix well . Keep this mixture aside for filling the bell peppers later.

For making the Bharwaan Simla Mirch: 

Stove Top Method:

• Wash the bell peppers and pat them dry. 
• Cut the top off about 1 inch ( near the stalk ) . Remove all the seeds and the pith.

• Fill each green pepper with the potato filling we prepared and kept aside.

• Heat the remaining oil in a pan and arrange the filled peppers standing upright. Let them cook for about 3 minutes on low-med heat.
• Try to carefully turn the peppers to the sides . Cook for 2 minutes and then turn to the other side and cook for another 2 minutes.  Cook till all the peppers are tender and cooked from all the sides.

Oven Method: 

• Prepare the filling and stuff the bell peppers in the same way as mentioned above.
• We shall bake them instead of shallow frying.
• Grease the baking sheet/ tray with spray oil. Also brush the stuffed bell peppers slightly with oil all over. Arrange them on the baking sheet / tray around 2 inches apart from each other.
• Preheat oven to 450°F and bake for  30-40 minutes. Keep checking in between if it is done. The time may vary depending on the size and quantity of the bell peppers. You might want to do the fork test to make sure it is cooked well. The fork or tooth prick should pass through without much effort.

You can eat this curry at this point as well, as a dry curry. However if you like gravy. Here's what you're gonna need:

Ingredients for gravy :

• Onion - 1 large
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Cashew Nuts - 1/2 cup
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Dry mango Powder ( Amchoor ) - 1/2 tsp
• Jaggery / Sugar - 1/2 tsp ( optoinal )
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Water - 2 cups
• Salt - to taste
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnishing

Directions: 

• Grind the cashew nuts with minimum water required and keep the paste aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, and saute very finely chopped onions for about 2 minutes.
• Add ginger garlic paste and saute. Cook till the onions and ginger garlic are cooked and the raw flavor vanishes.
• Add coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chili powder and mix well.
• Add water and bring the gravy to boil and then reduce the heat.
• Add the cashew nut paste, amchoor, salt, jaggery, mix well and simmer for about 5 minutes. 
• Adjust water according to desired consistency.

Serving: 

• In the serving plate, spread a bed of this thick gravy and arrange the stuffed capsicums over it.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Serve this delectable side dish with chapati or naan.

Aloo Chole

This spicy and tangy curry is extremely tasty and goes well with chapati or puri or naan. 

I sometimes eat it like chat by making a little variation. ( see below )

Here's what you're gonna need:

Ingredients: 

• Chickpeas ( chole ) - 1 cup
• Potatoes - 2
• Tomatoes - 2
• Bay leaf - 1
• Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
• Onion - 1 large
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Garlic - 3-4 cloves
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Chili Powder - to taste
• Chole Masala or Garam Masala - to taste
• Turmeric Powder- 1/4 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Amchoor - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnish

Directions: 

• Soak the chole overnight and pressure cook till soft. Or just use the canned garbanzo beans.
• Boil the potatoes, peel them and dice them. Keep aside.
• Heat ghee in a pan, splutter cumin seeds. Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick.
• Add finely chopped onions, minced ginger garlic and saute.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook till mushy.
• Now add  turmeric powder, amchoor, coriander powder, chili powder. 
• Add chole and potatoes along with a cup of water. Cook covered for around 7-10 minutes so that the chole and potatoes absorb all the flavors from the gravy. Stir a couple of times in between. Cook till the required cosistency. You can adjust water depending on your taste, wheather you like it watery or dry.
• Add garam masala or chole masala , salt and amchoor. Mix it again. Cook for another minute before turning the heat off.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro. 
• Serve with puri or chapati or jeera rice

Variation:  As I mentioned before, I sometimes eat it like chat. For that:

• In a plate take hot aloo chole curry. 
•  I add some raw finely chopped onions and tomatoes, chat masala , chopped green chillies and some more red chili powder. ( Well, I like my chat spicy, you can adjust to your taste )
• Add little green chutney and a little tamarind chutney ( to taste ).
• Add 1 tbsp of beaten curd.
• Add a tsp of lemon juice and chopped cilantro. 
• Garnish with some sev and enjoy !!!

Capsicum Curry

Ingredients:

• Capsicum or Green Bell Peppers - 3
• Onion - 1 medium
• Whole Dhaniya ( Coriander Seeds )- 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp or to taste
• Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
• Chana Dal - 1 tbsp
• Cashew Nuts - 5-7
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Amchoor - 1/2tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - as needed
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Directions: 

• Dice the bell peppers and keep aside.
• Dry roast chana dal, cumin seeds,grated coconut, dhaniya, cashew nuts . Let it cool. Upon cooling, grind them into a fine paste using minimun water required for grinding. Remove it in a bowl. ( Tip: Add grated coconut in the last, after chana dal and cashew nuts turn golden otherwise coconut will turn black)
• In the same grinder, grind chopped onions and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and saute ginger garlic paste for a minute.
• Add ground onion paste and saute till the oil starts to separate and the raw smell of the onion vanishes.
• Add diced bell peppers and saute for a couple of minutes.
• Now add, turmeric powder, amchoor, red chili powder, salt and the ground paste into the pan.
• Give it a good mix so that all the pieces of capsicum are well coated with masala.
• Add half a cup of water into the curry and let it cook till the capsicum is done.
• Serve as a side to chapati or rice.

Suran Curry

Suran or Jimikand ( in hindi ) , Kanda ( in telugu ) is an Indian yam you can find in Indian grocery stores. You can either find it fresh or frozen. I usually buy it frozen as I find it little difficult and messy to peel and chop the fresh one.
I remember whenever my mom cooked this, my dad used to call it "non-veg curry"  because of  it's texture.lol. Nevertheless, I like to eat it with plain steamed rice or jeera rice. It can be eaten with chapatis as well.

Ingredients:

• Suran Cubes - 1 packet ( frozen )
• Mustard Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cooking Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Onion - 1 medium
• Ginger - 1/2 inch
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Black Cardamom - 2
• Cloves - 4-5
• Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
• Bay Leaves - 2
• Amchoor - 1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp or to taste
• Coriander - Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala Powder- 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 2-3 cups ( adjust accordingly )
• Cilantro - 3-4 springs

Directions: 

• Wash and dry the suran pieces.
• Heat mustard oil in a pan and shallow fry the suran cubes till slightly golden brown. Remove and keep aside.  ( Mustard oil can be replaced with any other cooking oil.)
• When cooled, prick them with a fork or a toothpick all over so that it can absorb the flavors of the gravy.
• Grind onion, ginger and garlic in a grinder to a smooth paste , keep aside.
• Heat cooking oil in a heavy bottom pan, splutter cumin seeds, add bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.
• Add the onion-ginger-garlic paste and fry till the oil separates.
• Add turmeric powder, coriander-cumin powder, chili powder and amchoor. Mix well.
• Add the shallow fried suran pieces and fry for a couple of minutes.
• Add 2-3 cups of water and cook covered on medium heat till the suran pieces and tender. If you feel the curry is too dry , add more water.
• Add salt, garam masala and chopped cilantro. Cook for a couple of minutes and turn off the heat.
• Serve with rice or chapati.

Tip : Do not overcook the suran, it might get mashed up.

Baby Corn Curry

Baby corn cooked in a rich, thick and creamy gravy is absolutely delectable and goes extremely well with chapati or naan or even any rice item.

 I have used canned baby corns, you can use fresh  ones if you find them.


Ingredients:

• Baby Corn - 1 small can 
• Onion - 1 small
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Ginger - Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Coriander-Cumin Powder -1 tsp
• Amchoor - 1/2 tsp
• Curds- 1 cup
• Heavy Cream - 1 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnish
• Oil / Butter - 2 tbsp

Directions: 

• Heat oil or butter in a pan and shallow fry the baby corns till they slightly change color to golden. Frying just for a minute or  two would be sufficient.
• Remove the corns and keep aside.
• In the same pan and the left over butter, splutter cumin seeds.
• Add very finely chopped onions and saute till translucent. Then add ginger garlic paste and saute for another minute or two.
• Add  coriander-cumin powder and amchoor with just a tbsp of water. Just so that the dry powders do not burn.
• Add the shallow fried baby corns and mix well.
• Beat the curds well and pour it in the pan very slowly on a low flame so that the curds do not separate.
• Add salt and let it cook covered for 5 minutes.
• Add the heavy cream and let it cook for another 2-4 minutes on medium heat. 
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with either chapati or naan or jeera rice .

Rajma Masala

Rajma or kidney beans is a very popular dish in North India. It goes excellently well with roti, naan , jeera rice or even plain white steamed rice.
You can either soak rajma overnight to make it the next day or if you are in a hurry , you can even use canned kidney beans which do not require soaking.
Rajma cooked with onion tomato gravy and several other spices will absolutely delight you.


Ingredients:

• Rajma  (kidney beans)   - 1 cup                                           
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Bay leaf - 1 or 2
• Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Onion - 1 large
• Ginger garlic paste  - 1 tbsp
• Tomato Puree - 1/2 cup
• Red chili Powder - to taste
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Garam masala or Rajma Masala Powder - 1tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Cilantro leaves - for garnishing
• Butter - 2 tbsp

Directions:

• Wash and soak Rajma overnight.
• Pressure cook it until it is done. Try to press a bean between your finger and thumb, you should be able to squeeze it easily. Keep aside.
• Heat butter in a pan or pot and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick,asafoetida and let the cumin seeds crackle.
• Add chopped onion and saute till they turn translucent.
• Now add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw flavour goes away.
• Add tomato puree and cook till then cook till the butter separates. 
• Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala ( or rajma masala ) and salt.
• Add a cup of water and cook for about 3-5 minutes.
• Now add the cooked rajma along with the water left inside the cooker. 
• Cook covered for about 5-8 minutes or till the gravy thickens.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Serve with roti, naan or jeera rice or even plain steamed rice.

Tip: You can sprinkle a tbsp of kasoori methi over the curry for a slightly different flavour. Try it :)

Methi Matar Malai

The fenugreek and peas curry made in the gravy of rich cream tastes absolutely wonderful with chapati or jeera rice.

Ingredients:

• Fenugreek Leaves ( Methi ) - 2 cups
• Peas ( Matar ) - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 small
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Curd - 3/4 cup
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Amchoor Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 2 pinches
• Cream - 1/2 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Directions: 

• Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
• Add finely chopped onions and saute till translucent.
• Add ginger garlic paste and saute for another minute.
• In a small bowl, beat the curd and add  coriander powder, cumin powder, amchoor, turmeric, red chili powder and mix well.
• Add this curd and masala paste to the pan along with salt.
• Add chopped methi leaves and peas.
• Cook covered on medium heat till methi and peas are done. I use frozen peas so it cooks faster.
• Add cream and cook for another couple of minutes. Adjust salt and turn off the heat.
• Serve with chapati or jeera rice.

Aloo Matar

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 2 medium 
• Frozen Green Peas - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 medium 
• Tomato - 1 
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garlic - 2 cloves 
• Ginger - 1 inch piece 
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Water - 1 cup
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh Cilantro - 3-4 springs
• Kasuri Methi - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste

Directions: 

• Heat oil in a pan and sizzle cumin seeds.
• Add ginger, garlic and saute for a few seconds.
• Add finely chopped onions and saute till onions turn translucent.
• Add finely chopped tomatoes , turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder. Add salt and give it a good mix.
• Cook till tomatoes are totally cooked.
• Peel the potatoes and dice them. Add these diced potatoes and frozen peas along with a cup of water.
• Cook covered on medium heat till potatoes are tender and cooked. Keep stirring in between. This would usually take 30-35 min.
• Add garam masala and kasuri methi, adjust salt. Turn off the heat and garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Serve with chapati or jeera rice.

zucchini Curry

Ingredients:

• Zucchini - 2
• Onion - 1 small
• Tomato - 1
• Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Kasoori Methi - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Water - 1 cup

Directions:

• Heat oil in a pan, sizzle cumin seeds.
• Add sliced onions. Saute till golden.
• Add chopped tomato. Cook till tender.
• Add garam masala, turmeric, chili powder.
• Add chopped zucchini and water. Add salt.
• Cook covered till zucchini is done and the gravy comes together.
• Crush kasoori methi in between your palms and add it to the curry. Cook for another 1 minute and turn off the heat.
• Serve with rice or chapati.

Variation:

• You can add other veggies  to the curry, like potato or carrots.
• You can make it in pressure cooker till 1 whistle .
• You can substitute kasoori methi with chopped cilantro.

Matar Paneer

Matar paneer is a beautiful combination of peas and cottage cheese, cooked in creamy gravy along with other spices.
It can be eaten with rice or roti or naan.


Ingredients:

• Paneer - 1 cup
• Peas - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 small
• Tomato - 1 medium
• Cream - 1/2 cup
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Bay Leaf - 1
• Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt -to taste
• Water - as needed
• Cilantro - for garnishing

Directions :

• Cut the paneer into 1 inch cubes.
• Heat very little oil or ghee in a small pan, and shallow fry the paneer cubes till brown on both the sides. Remove and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a bigger pan, sizzle cumin seeds, bay leaf and cinnamon stick.
• Add finely chopped onions and ginger garlic paste. Saute till onions turn golden brown.
• Add diced tomatoes and around 1/4 cup of water and cook till tomatoes turn into pulpy sauce. You can also use tomato puree instead.
• Add coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, red chili powder and mix well.
• Add another 1/2 a cup of water and peas . you can use either fresh peas or frozen peas.
• Cook covered till the peas are tender and cooked. Add salt.
• Add the paneer cubes and cream to the curry and stir lightly. Cook till the curry reaches the consistency you like. I like it to be watery. If you like it dry , use less water and cook till all the water dries up.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Eat with any rice preparation like jeera rice or roti or naan.

Sarson Ka Saag

Sarson ka saag is an authentic Punjabi dish traditionally paired with Makki ki roti ( Corn Bread ).


Ingredients:

• Mustard Greens - 1 bunch
• Spinach - 1 bunch
• Fenugreek Leaves - 1/4 bunch ( optional )
• Green Chillies - 2
• Grated Ginger - 1 tbsp
• Ginger Juliennes - a few
• Minced garlic - 1 tbsp
• Grated Onion - 1 medium
• Garam Masala - 1 tsp
• Maize Flour - 1 tbsp ( optional )
• Ghee / Butter - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste

Directions:

• Wash and clean mustard leaves. Separate the leaves from the stems. Use the top half of the stems if they are tender. Discard otherwise.
• Wash and clean spinach leaves. Spinach stems are usually tender, so they can be used.
• Similarly, separate fenugreek leaves from stems. Fenugreek leaves are optional.
• Chop all the leaves finely and cook them with 1 cup of water . Add ginger, garlic and green chillies into the pan while boiling the leaves. Cover and cook for around 10-12 minutes. Let it cool.
• Grind it into a coarse paste. Do not grind it into a smooth paste.
• In a separate pan, heat ghee or butter , add grated onions and saute till reddish brown. Add garam masala.
• Add ground greens, and give it a good mix.
• In a small bowl, take maize flour and add 2 tsp of water and make it into a paste. Add this paste into the greens. Mix well. This step will give thickness to the gravy. However, I have made even without it and it turned out good. The onion mix makes the gravy thick. So you can avoid it, if you do not have maize flour.
• Add salt. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Garnish with ginger juliennes and a dollop of butter.
• Serve hot with makki di roti. It tastes good even with simple chapati or naan.

Variation :  You can add paneer cubes to the curry to make Saag Paneer.

Enjoy !!!

Chole / Chana Masala ( Chickpea Gravy )

Chole , also known as chickpeas or garbanzo beans or kabuli chana is used to make this extremley tasty dish, chole masala or chana masala. This is a very popular dish in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, especially in Punjab.
This is the best side dish for puris or bhaturas or even rice.
You can get the dry chickpeas in any Indian grocery store which need to be soaked overnight.
Alternatively, I sometimes use the canned garbanzo beans when I am in a hurry and I do not have time to soak them overnight.
So here is the recipe for this delicacy:

Ingredients:

• Chole (kabuli Chana ) -  1 cup
• Tea Bags -2 ( optional )
• Cloves - 3
• Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
• Green Cardamom - 4-5
• Bay Leaves - 2
• Pomegranete Seeds ( anardana ) - 1 tsp
• Onion - 2 medium
• Tomato Puree - 1 cup
• Green Chillies - 2-3
• Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp
• Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin - Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chole Masala - 1 tsp ( store bought )
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Baking Soda - a pinch ( optional )

For Tempering :

• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Slit Green Chillies - 2 ( deseeded )
• Ginger - 1 inch  ( cut into juliennes )
• Carom Seeds ( Ajwain ) - 1/2 tsp

Directions :

• Wash and soak chole or kabuli chana in enough water overnight.
• In a pressure cooker, add soaked chana, with aound 4 cups of water, tea bags, and baking soda and cook for around 30 minutes till the chickpeas are soft and cooked. Press one chole in between your fingers to test if they are done. You should be able to squeeze it easily.
• Tea bags are totally optional. The only purpose of those is to add color to the chole. And the purpose of baking soda is to cook chole a little faster. You can avoid it, if you don't like it.
• In a pot, heat oil, add bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cardamoms and cloves. Saute for a few seconds.
• In a grinder, coarsely grind chopped onions, green chillies and anardana. Add this paste to the pot. Saute till onions mixtue is cooked.
• Add garlic paste, ginger paste. Keep stirring till the raw flavour of ginger, garlic are gone.
• Add tomato puree and cook covered till the mixture oozes oil. Keep stirring.
• Add all the dry powders ( red chili powder, garam masala, cumin- coriander powder , salt, turmeric and chole masala ). Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Discard the tea bags from the boiled chole and add the chole along with the left over water in cooker.
• Cook covered on medium heat for about 20 minutes, till the chole is very tender. Mash few of the chole with the back of the laddle. This will thicken the gravy.
• For tempering, heat ghee in a small pan, add carom seeds, green chillies, ginger juliennes. Saute for just 15-20 seconds and pour it over the chole and give it a mix.
• Serve hot with puri or bhatura or steamed basmati rice.

Note:  Adjust amount of water according to your choice. I like it more watery if I eat with rice. I like it with less water if I eat with puri or bhatura.

Aloo Kurma

Aloo Kurma goes well with puris, chapatis, jeera rice, coconut rice and many more.
Potatoes are cooked with various flavours and spices in the yogurt gravy.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 4 Large
• Onions - 2 medium
• Yogurt - 1 cup
• Green Peas - 3 tbsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Bay Leaves - 2-3
• Cloves - 2-3
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Green Cardamoms - 2
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
• Chili Powder - to taste
• Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Fennel Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Green Chillies - 2-3
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Cocunut - 1/4 cup
• Oil - for shallow fry
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnishing

Directions :

• Peel , wash and dice potatoes. Microwave them for 3-4 minutes till they are half cooked.
• Microwave green peas for 1-2 minutes and keep aside.
• In a wide pan, shallow fry the potato cubes with little oil till slightly brownish. Keep aside.
• Grind coconuts, green chillies and ginger into a thick paste. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in the big pan, add whole garam masala (Cumin seeds, bay leaves, Cloves, cinnamom, cardamom ) and saute for just few seconds.
• Add finely chopped onions and fry till brown.
• Add the ground paste of coconut, chillies and ginger. Saute.
• Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, fennel powder, garam masala, red chili powder. Also add just 1 tbsp of water, so that all these dry powder do not get burnt.
• Add beaten yogurt and mix rapidly so that the yogurt does not separate. Cook on medium for around 5-7 minutes.
• Add the fried potatoes and green peas and mix.
• Add water to the consistency of your choice. Don't make it too runny.
• Add salt.
• Cook covered on medium until the oil oozes.
• Add chopped cilantro.