Fish in Tamarind Sauce

A fish curry that's been tried, tested and polished off our plates quite a number of times is this quick and easy recipe from Sig's Live to Eat. The beauty of this recipe is the unique blend of tamarind and coconut milk that makes this curry very likable for its mild spiciness. While Sig used halibut in this recipe, I've tried it with both king fish and pomfret and both taste great. Frying the fish and then dunking it in the sauce leaves it crunchy and soft at the same time. The curry tastes great with rice and sliced onions rubbed with lime and salt.

You need:

For the Marinade:
4-6 pieces of king fish filets or 2 pomfrets, cleaned
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
salt to taste
1/4 tsp olive oil

For the Sauce:
1/2 cup shallots thinly sliced
1 tbsp diced garlic
1 green chili pepper slit
a few curry leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 cup coconut milk

Wash the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the fish pieces with the olive oil and season with pepper, paprika and salt.

To make the sauce, heat oil in a sauce pan, and saute the shallots, garlic and green chilli till soft. Add the curry leaves and saute for another minute. Reduce the heat and add the spice powders and saute till the spices are cooked well. Add the tamarind paste, salt and coconut milk and bring to a boil on medium heat.

In the mean time, heat some oil in a pan just enough for shallow frying. Fry the fish pieces, skin side down for four minutes on high heat. Turn the pieces and cook the other side on medium heat for four more minutes.

To serve, arrange the fish on the serving plate and top with two table spoons of sauce. Serve with rice or a salad.

Chhole

Chhole is white chickpeas cooked in a spiced onion-tomato gravy. It is another classic dish for cold winters and can be served with parathas, puris, tikkis, pattice or chaat .

You need:

250 gms white chickpeas/chhole soaked overnight
2 sticks of cinnamon
4 cloves
4 cardamoms
4 green chillies slit
1 large onion chopped
3 large tomatoes pureed
a few slices of ginger
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp amchur/mango powder
1/2 tsp anardhana powder
coriander leaves finely chopped

Pressure cook the chickpeas/chhole with plenty of water, salt and ginger slices. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, add the onion and fry till it turns golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and stir fry for a minute. Add the whole spices and spice powders and fry for a minute. Add the tomato puree and green chillies and fry till oil leaves the sides. Now add the cooked chhole/chickpeas along with the water and simmer for 15-20 minutes till the right consistency is achieved and the chhole soaks in the spice from the gravy. Alternatively you can pressure cook the gravy for two whistles. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with puris or parathas with sliced onions, tomatoes and pickles on the side.

Mattar Methi Malai

Bring in the New Year with a rich, mildly spiced and creamy gravy with peas and fenugreek leaves. This gravy is simple to make and is a clever way to make kids have methi. Read about the benefits of methi here. Mattar methi malai teams well with naan or kulcha and makes a hearty winter dish.

You need:

1 cup methi leaves finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
3-4 dry red chillies
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin seeds

4 tbsp cashew paste

salt to taste

1 tsp green chilli paste

1 tbsp mava

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup water

a sliced tomato for garnish

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, red chillies and onion and stir fry till light brown. Add chopped methi leaves, saute for a minute and keep aside. Boil the peas and keep aside. Heat ghee in a pan, add green chilli paste, cashew paste, mava and milk and stir together. Add the sauteed methi, peas, salt and water and let it cook for a few minutes till the gravy assumes the required consistency. Serve hot garnished with tomatoes.

Other methi/fenugreek leaves recipes featured earlier:

Methi Aloo

Saibhaji

Makki di Roti

A few of my favourite things: Sambar

What memories does a tamarind evoke? Of putting a tiny bit into the mouth and instantly shutting the eyes tightly and twisting the lips into a strange pout as the sharp tangy and sour flavours explode into the senses leaving a subtle sweetness at the same time....

Or of the tamarind tree in school, the meeting point which protected us from the sun and rain, waiting for friends after school before walking back home....

Or the lone tamarind tree, at the far corner of the house at my native village, which provides the entire family across three generations their annual supply of the fruit....

Or the delicious sambar exuding an enticing aroma of curry leaves, spices and tamarind?

Sambar conjures the image of a very satisfying, homely meal with rice, a thoran(stir-fry) and pappadam or a lavish sadya(feast) where one asks for endless servings of sambar to accompany every other item on the menu. Every South Indian household has its own version of sambar. The recipe given here is for sambar with freshly ground masala. A large variety of vegetables like pumkin, ashgourd, bottlegourd, carrots, taro, capsicum, small green/purple brinjals/eggplants, large onions or small pearl onions, drumstick, okra etc. Pearl onions are very popular with sambar lovers though I personally don't care much for them. Tempering the sambar with ghee makes it aromatic and tastier. Serve sambar with idlis, dosas or plain, steamed rice.

You'll need:
1/2 to 3/4 cup toor dal
1 1/2 cups of diced vegetables of your choice - red pumkin, ashgourd, bottlegourd, carrots, taro, capsicum, small green/purple brinjals/eggplants
a handful of pearl onions/shallots
1-2 drumsticks cut into 2 inch pieces
3-4 okra cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large tomato chopped into large chunks
A small lime-sized ball of tamarind - if using old, dark tamarind, a marble sized ball will do
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
a handful of coriander leaves for garnishing

For the sambar masala:
1/2 cup grated coconut
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp methi seeds
2-3 dry red chillies (the spicy variety)
a few curry leaves
1 tbsp oil/ghee for roasting

For the tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 dry red chillies
a pinch of hing/asafoetida
a few curry leaves

Wash and soak the toor dal so that it cooks fast. Place the toor dal with water, a pinch of turmeric and salt in a pressure cooker separator and the chopped pearl onions and vegetables except the tomatoes, okra and drumsticks, in another separator above the dal and pressure cook till the dal and vegetables are done. Cook the drumsticks in a vessel with sufficient water, some turmeric and salt till tender. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup warm water and extract the pulp, discarding the seeds. Then add the tamarind extract to the drumsticks and let it boil for a few more minutes.

Dry roast the coconut in a heavy bottomed pan till golden-brown and remove. In the same pan heat 1 tbsp of oil/ghee and roast the remaining spices for the masala till aromatic. Remove from flame and cool. Grind the spices and coconut with very little water to a fine paste.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil/ghee and add mustard and other items for the tempering. Add the chopped okra and fry till soft. Add the tomato, ground masala paste, drumsticks, tamarind extract and cooked vegetables and allow it to simmer till the tomatoes are soft. Add the cooked dal and adjust consistency. The sambar should neither be too thick nor too thin. Check salt and seasoning. Bring the sambar to a gentle boil and switch off the gas. Mix in the coriander leaves and serve hot sambar with rice, idlis or dosas.

Babycorn-Carrot-Koosa Masala

A packet of babycorn, a handful of baby carrots and koosa were languishing in the crisper. That is when Sia's Babycorn-carrot masala came to the rescue. The unusual combination of carrots and babycorn in a creamy gravy was enticing. One of the changes incorporated into it was the addition of koosa, the Arabic name for a pale green, cucumber-like vegetable also called "squash", "zucchini" and "marrow vegetable" on signboards in supermarkets - I have no idea what it is called in English. It is widely used in Lebanese cuisine and tastes great in curries.

For the ground masala, I replaced the cashew nuts and sugar with 1 tbsp of yoghurt which gave the gravy a creamy richness without the extra fat and sweetness. I also pressure cooked the vegetables along with the masala for 2 whistles. The carrots and babycorn were just tender and had absorbed the masalas very well.

The verdict: It was a change from the routine and we particularly liked the creamy gravy. The addition of kasuri methi and kitchen king masala lent a nice balance to the sweet taste of the vegetables. Next time I'll try adding a different combination of vegetables, paneer or chicken to the gravy or even cook the gravy with cashew nuts and some cream!

Here's the recipe with Sia's permission and my own changes. Thanks, Sia!

For Ground Masala:
1 small Onion, quartered
3 large Tomatoes
2-3 cloves of Garlic
¾ -1 inch Ginger, peeled and chopped
2-3 Dry Red Chilli
¾ -1 tsp Garam Masala
½-1 tsp Kitchen King Masala
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Coriander Seeds


Grind the above ingredients to a smooth paste and keep aside.

Other Ingredients:
One packet Baby Corn, cut into fingers
10-12 Baby Carrots
2-3 koosa, cut into fingers
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
2-3 Green Chillies, slit
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ tbsp Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp Yoghurt
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tbsp Oil/Ghee
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds to it. When cumin splutters, add finely chopped onion and slit chillies and sauté till it turns golden brown. Add ground paste, kasuri methi, yoghurt and sauté for 2-3 minutes till raw smell of masala disappears. Add salt, turmeric and the vegetables and sauté for a minute. Add sufficient water and pressure cook for two whistles. Turn off from the flame. When the cooker cools, open lid and adjust consistency if required. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rotis/parathas.

Doodhi Koftas

Growing up, most of the vegetables found on this planet fell into the category of vegetables I disliked. I can imagine how hard it was for my mother to come up with ideas to make me relish the ones on my "dislike" list. Much has changed since I've had to cook myself. The discovery of the fact that my husband too had a similar "dislike" list and the sheer lack of innovative ideas to come up with varieties with the veggies we liked, pushed me into experimenting with the ones we both disliked earlier. Doodhi/lauki/bottle gourd is one such vegetable that found acceptance rather quickly. The fact that it is tasteless by itself helps, as it absorbs flavours of the spices in which it is cooked. Our favourite way of consuming doodhi is making koftas which disguises the doodhi itself and whoever says no to koftas!

You'll need:

For the koftas:
1 cup grated bottlegourd
1/2 cup besan/chickpea flour
1 tsp garlic paste
1 green chilli chopped finely
3 tbsp coriander leaves chopped finely
1/4 tsp amchur/mango powder
a pinch of black pepper powder
salt to taste
oil for frying

Peel and grate the doodhi, keep aside for 15 minutes and squeeze out the excess water. (The water can be used to knead roti dough.) Add the remaining ingredients to the grated doodhi and mix well. Form tiny balls or koftas and deep fry in oil till done. Keep aside.

Koftas can be stored in the freezer for a month.

For the gravy:

1 cup tomato puree
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp chilli powder
a pinch of turmeric
1 tsp garam masala powder
salt to taste

For the garnish: (optional)
finely chopped coriander leaves
cream

Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the spices and tomato puree and cook till the oil separates. Add sufficient water, bring it to a boil and simmer to get the consistency you like.

Just before serving, add the koftas to the gravy and simmer for a few minutes. garnish with cream and coriander leaves and serve.

Saibhaji

There are days when I open the fridge and it seems I'm cooking for a marriage party at home! This feeling surfaces right after I've stuffed my fridge with the week's quota of vegetables, fresh from the wholesale market. The veggies are mostly wiped out by the end of the week with barely twos and threes of something or the other left. A nice way to use up veggies from a stuffed fridge is to prepare saibhaji, a Sindhi dish made of leafy greens, pulses and a variety of vegetables. Not only is it packed with nutrition, it is really delicious and you can even get the fussy ones eating their greens and veggies.

You will need:

2 cups spinach - washed, cleaned and finely chopped
1/4 cup fenugreek leaves/methi - washed, cleaned and finely chopped
1/4 cup green moong dal
1/4 cup yellow moong dal
1/2 cup onions chopped
1 tsp garlic chopped
1 tsp gingerchopped
1 tsp green chillies chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup doodhi chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped cluster beans
1/4 cup brinjal/eggplant chopped
a pinch of turmeric powder
a pinch of garam masala
salt and red chilli powder to taste

Note 1: You can substitute the moong dals with 1/2 cup channa dal.
Note 2: You can also add 1/2 cup chopped dill leaves(suva) and 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves for an enhanced flavour.
Note 3: You can also add vegetables like potato, capsicum, okra.



Method:

Heat oil in a pan and fry te onions till golden-brown. Add the minced ginger, garlic and green chillies and fry for a minute. Then add all the chopped vegetables and stir-fry for about 3 minutes. Now add the spinach, fenugreek leaves, dals, salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and little water and pressure cook for 4 -5 whistles. Turn off from heat. After the cooker has cooled, open the lid and mash the saibhaji lightly (it should not become a paste). Just before serving, temper with ghee and red chilli powder (optional). Saibhaji is served with rice but taste great with rotis too.

Puri Bhaji for a tea party

( With blogger behaving badly, I was refused access to my own blog! These posts-in-waiting have been delayed. )

When Anita invited us to make puri-bhaji for her tea party, puri-bhaji it was for the weekend breakfast! Being puri lovers, it takes all morning of rolling out puris before I can sit to enjoy some. Puris are always served hot, straight off the smoking oil. Yet I was beaming from ear-to-ear thinking of the beautiful puffed up puris and my favourite potato bhaji to accompany it. And the husband dropped the bomb. "No, not puris today. I want something light." "Are you alright?" I asked, all my ballooned dreams crashing. What was wrong with this puri lover I wondered? "I'm not exercising enough", he said. The puri-less weekend passed by and the husband left on a week long trip. On such occasions, I'd generally stick to a one-pot meal, but puris have the ability to melt my will power.

For the puris, I took 2 cups of flour and kneaded it into a stiff dough adding a little water at a time. Rest it for 5 minutes and roll out puris and fry in hot oil.

For potato podimas/ potato bhaji, boil 5 big potatoes, peel and mash them. Heat oil in a pan, add a tsp of mustard/jeera and let it splutter. Add a chopped onion, 2 chopped green chillies and fry till translucent. Add a chopped tomato and fry for a minute. Add water, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and a spoon of pav bhaji masala and let the tomatoes turn soft. Add the mashed potato and allow it to cook for a few minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Rongi / Lobhia / Black Eyed Beans Curry

Black eyed beans curry ( or rongi or lobhia or ravaan as it is called) is again a simple, protein packed dish suited for everyday cooking. This is my second entry to RCI Punjab, initiated by Lakshmi and hosted by Richa.

3 cups of black eyed beans/ rongi / lobhia / ravaan
3 onions
5 tomatoes
2 green chillies
1 ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
a pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
Salt as per taste
Coriander for garnish

Wash the black eyed beans well and soak for 2 hours. Drain the soaked water and pressure cook the beans with salt and slices of ginger till they are soft. While the beans are cooking, chop the onions and puree the tomatoes. Heat oil in a pan, add the asafoetida and sauté the onions till brownish red in colour. Add the ginger-garlic paste and slit green chillies and fry. Then pour the tomato puree, add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Cook the puree well till the raw smell disappears and the oil separates. Then add the cooked beans, mashing it slightly with the spoon. Add the garam masala and stir through well. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with rotis or parathas.

Here are some more Punjabi specialities – take a sneak peak!

Makki di roti and Sarson da saag

Amritsari Fish Fry

Rajma

Mushroom Mattar Paneer

Green Moong Dal

Arbi ki sabzi

Boondi Raita

Pinnie

Carrot Halva

Makki di roti and sarson da saag

Lush yellow mustard fields, girls dressed in brightly coloured salwar kameezes singing "Ghar aaja pardesi tera des bulaye….." a scene straight from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. The very mention of Punjab can conjure up the rich flavours of its renowned cuisine and the first thing that springs to your mind is makki di roti and sarson da saag. Typically prepared in winter when mustard leaves are abundantly available sarson da saag is a gravy prepared out of mustard leaves. Makki di roti is an Indian bread made from maize flour. I was quite newly married when I was introduced to this seasonal speciality. My inlaws and husband's grandma, who is affectionately called Pabiji were visiting us here. Apart from the gifts, pickles and sweets, they brought with them huge white radishes, spinach, mustard leaves, maize flour etc. "We thought you don't get any Indian things here," they said when we jokingly remarked that they had carried a grocer's shop with them! I was totally bowled over by Pabiji's zeal and affection, (she's way past 80) as she sat cross legged on the floor grating the radishes and kneading the dough as my mother in law prepared the saag. Needless to say the lunch was divine!

For Sarson ka saag you need:
3 bunches sarson/mustard leaves
1 bunch palak/spinach
1 bunch bathua/ Chenopodium album, (a small leafed winter green supposed to have medicinal properties, usually used in making parathas in North India)
4 onions chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
3 green chillies minced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp wheat flour
2 tbsp pure ghee
Salt and red chilli powder to taste

Remove stems and wash the mustard leaves, spinach and bathua well. Chop finely and pressure cook them on slow flame for half an hour. Cool and grind coarsely.

Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onion till golden brown. Add garlic, green chillies and stir fry. Add the tomato and cook till tender. Add the coarse sarson mixture, salt and cook for about 20 minutes. Add wheat flour diluted in 2 tbsp water and for for a minute or two. Temper with red chilli powder and ghee and serve hot.

Here I do not get mustard leaves or bathua, so I use spinach and follow the same method to cook the saag. Tastes great!

For makki di roti you need :
2 ½ cups maize flour
1 cup grated radish
1 cup methi/fenugreek leaves
3 tbsp coriander leaves
2 green chillies
salt to taste

Chop the fenugreek leaves, coriander leaves and green chillies finely. In a bowl add all the ingredients and mix well. Knead into a dough adding just sufficient water. Now take a small lump of the dough, roll into a ball and flatten between the palms to make thick small rotis. Roast on both sides on a hot tava, applying ghee on both sides. This takes time to cook, so keep the flame medium/slow. Serve hot, smearing white butter/makhan on the roti with sarson da saag, dahi/curds and pickle.

This is my entry to RCI – Punjabi guest hosted by Richa of As Dear As Salt. RCI is the brainchild of LakshmiK of Veggie Cuisine.

Updates :

1. You may also add suva/dill to the saag - it imparts a great flavour.

2. Ready to eat, canned sarson ka saag ( I forget the brand) is also available in the market. For those who have never tasted sarson ka saag, this is a good option.

3. Other ways to make rotis: press the ball on a flat surface and flatten to make a roti OR roll the ball between two plastic sheets to form a roti.

4. If any of you know what bathua is called in any other language, please let me know too. :)

Pineapple Morukootan

Summer's arrived here and so have all the yoghurt based curries. It is somehow very enjoyable to have a yoghurt based curry with steamed rice on a warm summer noon. I had pineapple on hand and thought pineapple pulisheri. Wait a minute, we never made pulisheri at home. It was not made by any family member either. I had only heard the terms pulisheri and errissery but had no clue what it was. I was told it was made in South Kerala region. My grandma did give me a recipe for pulisheri but it was the same as morukootan. Can anyone help me with the differences between pulisheri /morukootan /errisseri /kaalan ??? Well, whatever the difference, we thoroughly enjoyed it. This is my entry to Green Blog Project hosted by Mandira. (Thanks for hosting Mandira!) No, I didn't grow pineapples, but I do grow the curry leaves which I use in tempering my curries, in chutneys etc. I do believe my home grown curry leaves have a lovely aroma than the huge store bought ones. Touchwood, it's the only plant has survived the harsh Middle East summers and always given me a steady supply of leaves.

To make the morukootan:

- Clean, chop into dices and cook 1 cup of pineapple (I added a tsp of sugar while cooking the pineapple.) You can also substitute with equal amount of mango, nendran pazham/banana, white pumkin/kumbalanga, yam/chenna or tomato.
- Grind together ¼ coconut grated, ¼ tsp cumin, 2 green chillies into a fine paste.
- Mix 1 cup curd with salt and turmeric and keep aside.
- In a pan, mix together the cooked pineapple/vegetable, coconut paste, and curd and cook till it starts boiling around the corners. Stir well and do not allow the curd to separate by over cooking. Remove from the flame.
- To temper, heat some oil and add ¼ tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp cumin, 2 red chillies broken and a handful of curry leaves and allow it to crackle. Pour over the morukootan and serve with steamed rice.

Here's a sneak peak at my tulsi/holy basil, methi -it died during a sandstorm :(- and this flowering plant thechi poovu –don't know the English name.

Do take a look at the Safety Moment here and leave your comments and suggestions there. I am taking a blogging break, will be back soon! See ya!

Rajma/Red Kidney beans in Tomato Gravy

First a reminder : Please send in your contribution to the Safety Moment before March 31. The theme for the month is General Safety.

Rajma or kidney beans are high in starch, protein and dietary fibre and is an excellent source of iron, potassium, selnium, thaiamine, vitamin B6, and folic acid.(Wiki) Rajma-chawal, an absolute comfort food is a part of Punjabi cuisine from North India. Kidney beans are of different types, the once I use are white kidney beans or Jammu rajma. In this recipe, I've used Jammu rajma which looks like this.

Red Kidney Beans in Tomato Gravy or Rajma is my entry to JFI – Tomatoes, hosted by RP of My Workshop. Rajma won't be rajma without all those tomatoes in it!! I use tomatoes every single day, but I didn't find anything picturesque enough to post for JFI. Then I realized I'm running out of time. So here's my rajma which I prepared when I had guests over for lunch last week. They were happy to see a spread different from their own home cuisine, they loved the rajma and they clicked pictures – yay, I got a picture too so my work was easy!

You need:
3 cups of rajma
3 onions
5-6 large tomatoes
2 green chillies
1 ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
a pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
Salt as per taste
Coriander for garnish

Wash the rajma well and soak overnight. Drain the soaked water and pressure cook the rajma till soft with salt and slices of ginger. While the rajma is cooking, crush onions in a crusher and puree the tomatoes separately. Heat oil in a pan, add the asafoetida and sauté the onions till brownish red in colour. Add the ginger garlic paste and slit green chillies and fry. Then pour the tomato puree, add the red chilli powder and coriander powder. Cook the puree well till the raw smell disappears and the oil separates. Then add the cooked rajma, little by little mashing with the spoon. There are 2 ways now.

A} Add the coriander leaves and check for seasoning. Add the garam masala and stir through well. This is sukhe rajma, which go well with rotis or parathas.

B} For more gravy, add sufficient water and salt. Allow the rajma to boil and simmer a bit. Add the garam masala and coriander leaves for garnish. Serve hot with jeera rice.

Mushroom Mutter Paneer

Mushroom is a fungus, we learnt in school - how can you eat fungus, I asked my mushroom-loving hubby. I enjoy it, he replied. I'm still to figure out what attracts him to mushrooms! All the same I use mushrooms in various dishes. Commonly believed to have little nutritional value, many varieties of mushrooms are high in fibre and protein, provide various vitamins, and minerals like iron, selenium, potassium and phosphorus. Mushrooms are also being researched for medicinal properties. For more on mushrooms, read here.

For mushroom, mutter paneer you need:

8-10 mushrooms chopped
½ cup onion sautéed and ground to a paste
1 cup boiled green peas
100 gm paneer lightly sautéed
½ tbsp ginger paste
½ tbsp garlic paste
½ cup tomato puree
3 tbsp curd
Whole garam masalas – bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns
3 tbsp milk
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
½ tsp jeera powder
Red chilli powder and salt as per taste

Heat ghee/oil in a pan. Add whole garam masalas and sauté. Add onions, ginger- garlic paste and fry to a golden colour. Add the tomato puree, curds, salt and spices and fry till the oil separates. Add the mushrooms and peas and fry for 5 minutes. Add milk , paneer and 2 cups of water and cook till the vegetables are done. Adjust the consistency as per your liking. Serve hot with palak puris, rotis or naans.

Green Moong Dal

A powerhouse of nutrition and good health, green moong dal (whole) finds a place practically in all kitchen shelves. Consuming dal with rice or rotis which supplement essential amino acids, enhance the intake of proteins contained in dals. It is easy to digest and also contain traces of vitamins, fibre and minerals.

Finding its place in everyday cooking, this dish is simple to prepare and served with roti.

Ingredients:
1 cup green moong dal whole
1 onion chopped finely
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 small piece of ginger
2 green chillies slit
1 large tomato pureed
1 tsp jeera
½ tsp red chilly powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp dhania powder
2 tsp oil
Salt as per taste
Chopped coriander for garnishing
½ tsp garam masala powder
Ghee for tempering

Soak dal in sufficient water for ½ an hour. Pressure cook dal with salt, red chilly powder, turmeric and ginger piece till well cooked. In a pan, heat oil and sauté onions and ginger-garlic paste. Add dhania powder, slit green chilly and tomato puree and sauté till the oil separates. Add the cooked dal and adjust spices, salt and consistency. Heat ghee in a pan, add jeera and let it splutter. Add red chilly powder to this and pour over the dal. Garnish with garam masala powder and coriander leaves.

A twist to the tale : If this dal is left over, heat the dal till it is thick and the water evaporates. On a plate, keep a slice of bread, spread some dal over it, add chopped onions and amchur/mango powder over it. Place one more slice of bread over it to sandwich it and enjoy!!

My entry to My Dhaba's VCC:VCC Q4-2006:FAHC:FAHC-campaign

Sindhi Kadhi

Having Sindhi neighbours resulted in my mother-in-law being an ace at making Sindhi curry. This wholesome and nutritious curry is made with easily available ingredients.
Served with rice, curds and pappad, this is a complete meal in itself as it consists of so many vegetables.

Ingredients:
Brinjal – 1
Carrot -1
Potato – 1
Doodhi/Bottlegourd – 1 piece
Yam/suran - a small piece
Okra/Bhindi – 2
Drumstick – 1
Cluster beans – 10-12
French beans – 5-6
Cauliflower – a small piece broken into florets
Fresh green peas with pods – 5-6
Capsicum – 1
Green chillies – 2
Tomato – ¼ kg
Asafoetida - a pinch
Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
Besan/chickpea flour – 2-3 tsp
Curry leaves – 8-10
Turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt as per taste

Wash, clean and chop all the vegetables. Puree the tomatoes, strain the puree to remove the skin and seeds and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, add asafoetida, curry leaves, methi seeds, green chillies and besan. Fry till the besan is pink and aromatic. Add the tomato puree, salt, turmeric powder and red chilly powder and cook for a minute. Add a glass of water, potato, brinjal, doodhi, carrot, cluster beans, French beans, cauliflower, peas and the pods, yam and cook on medium flame for around 45 minutes. When these vegetables are ¾ th done, add okra, drumstick and capsicum and cook till done. Serve hot with rice, curds and pappad.

This is my entry to My Dhaba's VCC: VCC Q4-2006: FAHC: FAHC-campaign

Malabar Chicken Curry

The aroma of this chicken curry is still lingering in my nostrils! I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw my uncle make this absolutely delicious dish. Very simple to make and I add again – delicious!

For this you need:
1 whole chicken cut into small pieces
6 medium sized onions sliced
4 green chillies sliced
1 potato chopped
A handful of curry leaves
1tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp chicken masala powder
Salt to taste
1 ½ cups coconut milk
Handful of coriander leaves for garnishing

For the marinade:
Juice of 1 lemon
1tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp chicken masala powder
Salt to taste

Rub the marinade into the chicken and set aside for half an hour. Heat oil in a pan and sautee the onions, green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Add potato, curry leaves, chilli powder, turmeric, chicken masala, coriander powder, salt and fry for a minute. Add the chicken and stir fry for a minute. Then add the coconut milk and cover and cook for 20 minutes till done. Add more coconut milk if you want more gravy. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis, appams, idiappam.