Aloo Bhindi Subzi (potato okra masala)

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Number of servings. : 3

Ingredients.

1. Potatoes (medium sized) - 2 

2. Lady's finger - 10 nos

3. Chopped onions - 2 

4. Chopped tomatoes - 2

5. Finely chopped ginger - 1 tsp

6. Chilli powder - 1/2. Tsp

7. Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp

8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

9. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

10. Oil for seasoning - 1 tbsp

11. Finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

12. Roasted cumin powder 1/4 tsp

13. Salt - to taste

Method.

1. Peel the potatoes, cut into wedges and immerse in water so that they don't loose their original colour.

2. Wash okra and wipe each one of them thoroughly with a dry cloth. This is done to prevent them from becoming sticky while cooking.

3. Cut okra into 1 inch long pieces and keep aside.

4. Place a pan or a kadai on medium heat and pour oil.

5. When oil becomes hot, add cumin seeds and allow them to crackle. Crackling of seeds is very important because , it will release it's aroma into the oil. This in turn will give a good flavour to the vegetable.

6. Add chopped onions, coriander leaves, and ginger. Sauté till the onions are golden brown.

7. Add chopped tomatoes followed by dry masalas such as chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Sauté till the whole mixture becomes mushy.

8. Add potato wedges into the masala and sauté for about 5 minutes.

9. Then add lady's finger and sauté for a little more time.

10. Add salt, and sprinkle little water and cover the pan with a lid.

11. Cook on low fire till the vegetables are soft and water evaporates completely.

12. Add roasted cumin powder and mix thoroughly.

13. Transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Note.

It is a good side dish for phulkas and parathas.

Kollu Kuzambu (Horse Gram Curry)

                                

Preparation time : 20 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes


Ingredients :

1. Kollu (horse gram) - 1 cup.

2. Grated coconut - 2 tablespoons

3. Chopped onions - 2

4. Chopped tomatoes - 2

5. Garlic - 4 or 5 pods (crushed)

6. Cooking oil - 1 tablespoon

7.  Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

9.  Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

10. Finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tablespoon

11. Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

12. Coriander powder - 2 teaspoon

13. Turmeric powder  -  1/4 teaspoon

14. Tamarind paste - 1 tablespoon

   

Method :     

1.  Soak  kollu ( horse gram) overnight in water. The next day morning, pressure cook the grams in the same water.

2. Grind coconut  to a fine paste in a blender.

3. Heat a frying pan and pour oil.

4. When oil becomes hot, season with mustard and fenugreek seeds.

5. When the seeds start to crackle, add chopped onions, crushed garlic, curry leaves and sauté.

6. When onions turn golden brown, add chopped tomatoes. Sauté.

7. Add chilli powder, turmeric powder,coriander powder and sauté for 2 minutes. Sprinkle little water to the mixture and cover with a lid.

8. When the mixture becomes pulpy, add tamarind paste and cook for a few minutes to get rid of the raw odour.

9. Add coconut paste to the mixture.

10. Then add the cooked horse gram along with water in which it was cooked.

11. Add required amount of salt and cook for 5 more minutes.

12. When the curry is done, transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Note :

This horse gram curry will go very well with cooked rice. Horse gram is highly nutritive and suitable for diabetics.

                    

Punjabi Chole

   

Preparation time : 15 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Number of servings : 8 

              

Ingredients :

1.Kabuli chana - 2 cups

2. Finely chopped onions - 3

3. Finely chopped tomatoes - 2

4. Chopped ginger and garlic - 2teaspoons

5. Finely chopped green chillies - 3

6. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

7. Coriander powder - 2 teaspoons

8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

9. Garam masala powder 1/4 teaspoon

10. Amchur powder - 1/2 teaspoon

11. Cumin seeds - -1/4 teaspoon

12. Roasted cumin powder - 1/4 teaspoon

13. Kasuri methi leaves - a few strings

14. Oil for seasoning - 2 tablespoons

Method :

1. Soak chana overnight and pressure cook the next day in the same water till they become soft.

2. Take a handful of chana, and grind in a blender and keep aside. This paste will be used later to thicken the gravy.

3. Heat a frying pan and add oil. When oil is hot, add cumin seeds and allow to crackle.

4. Add onions and green chillies and sauté continuously till onions are golden brown.

                       

5. Then add chopped ginger and garlic and sauté.

6. Add chopped tomatoes and all the dry masalas such as chilli powder, coriandr powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and amchur powder. Sauté till the masalas blend with onions.

7. Add cooked chana into the masala mixture and mix well.

8. Add salt and enough warm water to bring it to gravy consistency.

9. Finally add mashed chana, roasted cumin powder and crushed kasuri methi and cook for about a minute.

10. Transfer into a serving dish and garnish with coriander leaves and  chopped onions.

Pakoda Kurma

     

Preparation time : 40 minutes

Cooking time : 45 minutes

Number of serving : 6

    

   

Ingredients for pakoras :

                         

1. Chickpeas  (Chana dal) - 1 cup

                    

2. Chopped onions - 2

3. Dry red chillies - 3

4. Chopped ginger - 1 teaspoon

5. Chopped garlic - 1 teaspoon

6. Salt - to taste

7. Curry leaves - 1 sprig (chopped)

8. Oil - for deep frying

       

Method to prepare pakoras :

               

1. Soak chickpeas in water for about an hour. 

2. Drain and transfer into a blender. To this add red chillies, chopped ginger garlic and salt.

3. Sprinkle just enough water to grind it into a coarse mixture.

4. Transfer into a vessel, add chopped onions and curry leaves and mix thoroughly. Now the batter is ready for making pakoras.

5. Heat a frying pan, and add oil.When oil becomes hot, make medium sized balls of the batter and deep fry them. Keep the fried pakoras aside.

Ingredients for Kuruma :

                              

1. Chopped onions- 2

        

2. Chopped tomatoes -2

3. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

  

4. Ginger garlic paste -2 teaspoons

5. Cinnamon sticks - 2 (small)

6. Cloves - 4

    

7. Bay leaves - 2

8. Green chillies - 4

9. Almonds - 6 nos.

10. Chopped mint leaves - 2 tablespoon

11. Salt - to taste

12. Oil for seasoning - 1 tablespoon

          

Method to prepare kurma :

                

1. Grind coconut, green chillies, and ginger garlic together to a fine paste and keep aside.

2. Place a thick bottomed pan on medium flame and add oil.

3. When oil becomes hot, add condiments such as cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves.

4. When the condiments start to give out their aroma, add chopped onions and mint leaves. Sauté.

5. When the onions become brown, add the ground coconut paste. Swirl it for a while and then add chopped tomatoes. Sauté.

6. Add almond paste and sauté once again for a minute.

7. Add enough water to make the gravy dilute. Then add salt and boil the gravy without covering to avoid spilling. Avoid over cooking or else the gravy will loose its aroma.

8. Remove the vessel from fire and add pakoras and cover with a lid.

9. In about half an hour time, pakoras will absorb the gravy and become succulent.

10. Now kurma is ready to be served with fried rice or chapatties.

      

Onion Chutney

      

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Serving : 4

   

    

Ingredients :    

1. Medium sized onions - 3 (sliced)

2. Garlic - 4 pods

3. Coriander leaves - 3 sprigs

4. Tamarind extract - 2 tsp

5. Urad dal - 2 tbs

6. Dry red chillies - 4 numbers

7. Oil - 1 tablespoon

8. Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

 9. Salt - to taste

         

Method : 

1. Place a shallow pan on medium heat and add 2 teaspoons of oil.

2. Fry onions, garlic pods, red chillies, coriander leaves and tamarind extract. Sauté for a while to eliminate the raw odour.

3. Transfer the contents into vessel and cool.

4. Place the pan once again on medium heat and fry urad dal to golden brown colour with a teaspoon of oil. Transfer into a plate and cool.

5. Transfer all the ingredients into a blender, add salt and grind to course consistency with little water.

6. Heat remaining oil in a seasoning pan and add mustard seeds. When mustard crackles, pour it on to the ground mixture.

7. Now chutney is ready to be served as a side dish for idlies and dosas

Matar Paneer

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Servings : 4            

    

Ingredients :

1. Matar (green peas) - 1 cup

2. Paneer (cottage cheese) - 1/2 cup (cut into small cubes)

3. Onions - 2 (sliced)

4. Tomatoes - 2 (chopped)

5. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

6. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

7. Coriander powder - 2 tsp

8. Almonds - 5 nos

9. Oil - 2 tbsp

10. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

11. Coriander leaves for garnishing - a few strings.

Method :

1. Heat a shallow bottomed pan and add 2 teaspoons of oil.

2. When oil becomes hot, add sliced onions and sauté.

3. When onions become transparent,add chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, coriander powder and ginger garlic paste one after the other and sauté for a while till tomatoes soften, and masalas loose 

their raw flavor.    

4. Remove pan from the stove,transfer the mixture into a plate and cool. Then blend the mixture along with almonds to a paste in a blender and keep aside.

5. Place another pan on the stove and add rest of the oil.

6. When oil gets heated up, add cumin seeds and allow to crackle.

7. Add green peas and sauté for a while. Then sprinkle little water and cover the pan with a lid and allow it to cook for about ten minutes

                 

8. When peas is half cooked, add the blended mixture and about a cup of water.

9. Then add paneer cubes and required amount of salt. Cover the pan once again with lid and cook for about five to seven minutes on low flame.

10. When peas and paneer are fully cooked, transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Pachai Karamani Porial (Long Beans Stir Fry)

  
           

  

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 15 minutes    

Number of servings : 6

Ingredients :

1. Pacchai karamani (long beans) - 1 bunch

2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

3. Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1/4 teaspoon

4. Urad dal (black gram) - 1 teaspoon 

5. Chana dal (chickpeas) - 1 teaspoon

6.Oil for seasoning - 2 teaspoons

7. Whole red chillies - 3   

                    

8. Salt - to taste.

9. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

10. Grated coconut - 1 teaspoon

           

Method :

1. Heat a pan on medium flame and add 2 teaspoons of oil.

2. When oil becomes hot, add mustard, cumin, urad dal, chickpeas and whole red chillies. Allow them to crackle.

                      

3. Add chopped karamani beans and salt and mix.

4. Sprinkle water on the vegetable mixture and cover with a lid.

5. Allow it to cook on low flame till beans become tender and water evaporates completely.

6. Transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with grated coconut and curry leaves.

Homemade Simple Garam Masala

Ingredients :

1. Cinnamon - 100 grams

  

2. Cloves - 100 grams

3. Green cardamom - 50 grams

4. Bay leaves - 2

       

5. Nutmeg - 1

Method :

Slightly warm all the ingredients in a pan, and grind them to fine powder in a mixer. Cool and store in air tight container.

Note :

This simple garam masala powder should be used in very small quantities while preparing any indian curries like korma and other vegetable side dishes.