Baingan Bharta

I didn't always like the taste of smoked brinjals. I love brinjals otherwise, but this one method of cooking was never a favourite. If Amma wanted to make thogayal/thuvayal, she would steam the brinjals in the cooker. Now, I have come to appreciate the flavour a lot more. When Amma was here sometime back, she made this Baingan Bharta. Even my Punjabi colleagues said it was to die for.

1 large Brinjal, roasted on an open flame

1 Onion, chopped finely
1 Tomato, chopped finely
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Place the roasted brinjal in a bowl of water. Remove the charred skin and keep the brinjal aside. Mash the cooked brinjal a little.

Heat the oil in a kadhai. Add the onions and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the ginger paste along with the turmeric, coriander and chilli powders. Add the salt and the tomato and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the mashed brinjal and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add the garam masala and garnish with some chopped coriander if you like. Serve hot with chapatis/phulkas.

Makai Palak

Restaurant menus always give me plenty of ideas. Even if I never order many of those dishes listed, I have made a note of the combinations and give them a shot when I can. At the very least, these dishes help break the monotony. And it's only uphill from there on.

I tried this very pretty combination for dinner one night. The combination with rotis was nice. Not as nice as Palak Paneer, but nice nonetheless.

1 bunch Spinach, cooked and pureed

1 cup Corn, steamed

1 Onion, ground to a fine paste

2 tbsp Tomato Puree

1 tsp Green Chilli Paste

1 tsp Ginger Paste

1 tsp Garlic Paste

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/4 tsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Oil

Salt to taste

Heat the oil and fry the onion paste for a few minutes. Add the ginger, chilli and garlic pastes and fry for a minute. Add the tomato puree, salt, chilli and turmeric powder and fry for a couple of minutes before adding the spinach puree. Add the steamed corn. Bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.

While this tastes great with rotis, the leftovers can also be mixed with rice to make Spinach and Corn Rice.

Aloo Matar

Whenever I think of aloo matar, I remember the Vanaspati advertisement which went like this:

आज मेरी बिटिया रानी क्या खायेगी? (What will my daughter eat today?)

आलू मटर और बहुत सारे मटर। (Potato-peas with loads of peas)

I can't remember if it was for Dalda or Rath, but I remember the rest of the advertisement very well. I don't make aloo matar that often. In fact this is the only time I made it. But it features very regularly on our lunch table as at least two of my lunchmates bring this at least once a week.

1/2 cup Potatoes, diced

1/2 cup Peas
1 Onion, chopped finely
1 Tomato, chopped finely
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a pressure pan. Add the cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the onions and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the ginger paste along with the turmeric, coriander and chilli powders. Add the salt and the tomato and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add half a cup of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the potatoes and peas and cook for 3 whistles. Open the pressure pan when the pressure is released and add the garam masala. Mix well, cook for 1-2 minutes and serve immediately. You could, of course, garnish it with chopped coriander.

This is perfect with chapattis. If you're in the mood for some deep frying, make poories. This would have to be the ideal monsoon breakfast number.

Amritsari Aloo Wadi

The first time we went to Amritsar, I didn't know much about wadis. So I came back with a packet of papads and a whole lot of fake chicken legs. Later, I learnt about these little wadis that are very similar to the vathal made in the southern part of the country. I remembered reading in Asha's blog that the north indian cousins aren't meant to fried and eaten. Quite like the vathal that go into Vathal Kuzhambu.

One evening, on the long ride back home from work, I asked my colleague how to use the wadis I brought from Amritsar this time around. She gave me her recipe and I followed it mostly. It was quite easy to make and tasted very nice. I am sure to make this more often, especially when I am out of vegetables.

2 Potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 cup Amritsari Urad Wadis, crushed

1 Onion, chopped finely
1 Tomato, chopped finely
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Chilli Powder

1" stick Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a pressure pan. Add the cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the cinnamon stick and onions and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the ginger paste along with the turmeric, coriander and chilli powders. Add the crushed wadis and fry for another 3-4 minutes. Add the salt and the tomato and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add a cup of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the potatoes. Cover and cook for 3 whistles. Open the pressure pan and add the garam masala. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot with rotis. This protein packed dish had me licking my lips after lunch. Thanks Namrata for a keeper recipe.

Rajma

When I first planned to visit VaishnoDevi in November 2000, some colleagues said to me, "वहाँ पर राजमा चावल और छोले पूरी ज़रूर खाके आना।" (You must eat Rajma Rice and Chhole Puri there.) When I did eventually go a month later, I decided that I would try these two things. When we got there, I figured that these were the ONLY dishes available, on the way and at the venue. If I had to eat, I had to eat one of these. I am told that things have changed a great deal in the last decade.

Anyway, that was probably the first time I tasted rajma chawal outside my office cafeteria. I liked it quite a bit. There's also something about being tired and hungry during the climb in the cold that makes food taste extra special. I didn't try making it at home because our cafeteria made it at least 3 times a week. In fact there's this other story that's linked to Rajma.

One Sunday afternoon, I was rather sick of all the dal makhani, chhole, paneer and rajma. I didn't feel like making an elaborate lunch. (I didn't own a fridge then and stashing away leftovers in the August heat in Gurgaon isn't exactly a cakewalk.) I made myself some Tomato Rice. Just as I sat down to eat my lunch, my landlady's 7 year old rang my doorbell. He said, "मम्मी ने कहा की आप अकेले खाने के बजाय हमारे साथ खा लें।" (Mummy says that instead of eating alone, you should come have lunch with us.) I told him to thank her but also tell her that I'd already made my lunch. He was back in 2 minutes saying, "मम्मी ने कहा की आप अपना खाना लेकर नीचे आ जाएँ। हम साथ बैठकर खायेंगे। (Mummy says that you bring whatever you have cooked and we shall all eat together. Now, there was little I could do. I took my pressure pan downstairs and we got ready to eat. My landlady had made a special Sunday lunch: Rajma Rice. My tomato rice was polished off in no time by the four of them and we can all eat I was served more rajma rice. So much for wanting to not eat something.

1 1/2 cups Kidney Beans (Chitra Rajma), soaked overnight

2 Onions, ground to a paste

1/4 cup Tomato Puree

1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 tsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/4 tsp Garam Masala

Salt to taste

Coriander Leaves for garnish

Pressure cook the kidney beans with 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste in 3 cups of water. Drain the beans and retain the water.

In a pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the onion paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and fry for a minute. Add the tomato puree and fry until the oil leaves the mixture. Add the cooked beans and the garam masala. Add the reserved water and boil the entire mixture. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve this with plain rice or Jeera Rice. I was serving it with rotis and so made it rather thick. When serving with rice, make sure that it has a pouring consistency.

I made rajma several times before and found that the beans didn't cook. I soaked the beans over night and then pressure cooked them for 20 whistles once. Rock hard! My colleague, P, told me to buy Chitra Rajma and ever since, the rajma I make is creamy. Thanks P.

Kadhi and (No Fry) Pakoda for a Milestone

Remember my post on Palak Kadhi? This post is directly connected to that. Let me rephrase that. This post is a direct outcome of the comments that my namesakes, Arundathi and Arundati made on that post. One of them was happy that there was no deep frying and the other thought that fried koftas would have been nice. I couldn’t help remember this picture that was sent with some forward I received. But it got me thinking. For a week or so I thought about how I could have pakodas in my kadhi and yet avoid the pain of deep frying. Since S was traveling again, I had plenty of milk and curd in the house and decided to make kadhi yet again. I decided to make mixed vegetable pakodas to put in my kadhi.


So far, so good. But I didn’t want to heat oil to fry the pakodas. I did the next best thing. I brought out my appey kayli and made my “pakodas” in that. It tasted really nice and once the pakodas soak up the kadhi, you can’t tell that they weren’t fried. It is amazing what blogging does to you. One post and its comments led to my experiment and this way I can have my cake (err pakoda) and eat it too.

Pakodas (Dumplings):
2/3 cup Gram Flour
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 Onion, finely chopped
½ cup Mixed Vegetables, chopped and steamed
1 tsp Green Chilli Paste
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped
Salt to Taste
A few drops of oil


Kadhi:
1 1/4 cups Curd/Yogurt
3 tbsp Gram Flour
2/3 cup Water
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic Paste
1 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder

Tempering:
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
4 Red Chillies

To make the dumplings, mix the gram flour with the chilli powder, salt, baking soda, onions, mixed vegetables, green chilli paste, and coriander leaves. Add enough water to form a thick batter. Heat the appey patra and lightly oil the moulds. Drop a spoonful of the batter into each mould. Fry until golden brown, turning once and using a few drops of oil if necessary.

To make the kadhi, whisk the curds with the gram flour and water. Add all the spices and salt and mix well. Bring this mixture to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly.

For the tempering, heat the oil in a frying ladle and add the cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the red chillies and take off the flame.

To proceed:

Add the pakodas to the kadhi. Add the seasoning and serve hot with rice.

This experiment couldn’t have come at a better time. This is my 300th post and, in my opinion, it is extremely reflective of the essence of blogging and all its associated joys. Thank you all.

Palak Kadhi

I always say that "Necessity is the mother of invention". I was going through some cookbooks to see what to make for dinner and came across a recipe for palak kofta kadhi. I didn't want to deep fry anything. I had a lot of curd and a lot of spinach, but was feeling terribly lazy. Instead of making koftas, I decided to add the spinach directly to the kadhi. I loved the end result.

1 cup Spinach, boiled and chopped

For the Kadhi:

1 1/4 cups Curd/Yogurt
3 tbsp Gram Flour
2/3 cup Water
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic Paste
1 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder

To make the kadhi, whisk the curds with the gram flour and water. Add all the spices and salt and mix well. Bring this mixture to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Add the cooked spinach to this and boil for another 5 minutes. Serve hot with rice.

This is a great way to use up any leftover curd and the entire dish comes together in just a few minutes. I cook the spinach in the microwave and it is cooked by the time the kadhi comes to a boil. This recipe is a lifesaver on busy weeknights and is off to Siri for her Frozen Yogurt event.

Karele Ki Sabzi (Bittergourd Curry)

Bittergourd is one of those vegetables that I don't exactly love. It does not fall under the same category as tinda, but I'll admit I'm not as find of this vegetable as many people are. A friend of mine made stuffed karela once and I really loved it. Sometime back, when S was traveling to Goa, I bought a couple of bittergourds because I wanted to make stuffed karela. I ended up making this simple side dish that a friend taught me. Her mantra was simple: lots of onions!

2 medium Bittergourds, sliced finely

2 Onions, sliced

¼ tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp Garam Masala

1 tbsp Oil

¼ tsp Asafoetida

Salt to taste

Heat oil in a kadhai and add the asafoetida and the onions and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and ginger paste. Fry the entire mixture for 2-3 minutes. Add the bittergourd slices and the salt and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. When done, add the garam masala and cook for a minute before serving.

Simple and satisfying. And it is something I don't mind making even just for myself. Thanks A, your recipe is a keeper.

Raw Jackfruit Curry

I have always liked raw jackfruit a lot more than the ripe one. So when someone goes gaga over ripe jackfruit, as they did at the JFI last May, I cannot relate to that feeling at all. I also prefer breadfruit to jackfruit. Both were not easily available when I was growing up. Yet, I managed to rank them in my order of preferences. It was not like there was ever a situation when I had to pick one over the other. No, I’ve never been asked, “Would you like this or that?” Outside of the fritters, that always manage to make me go weak in my knees, I have not attempted making anything with jackfruit or breadfruit. I have eaten sukke, an amchi dish, but that’s it. I remember having eaten other dishes, but I am unable to recall them. Chips made out of raw jackfruit, I eat regularly. My colleague recently brought back a big bag from Kerala and we devoured them.

I have this lady in my team: D. She HATES cooking and on days when her cook doesn’t turn up, she’s really one big mess. But I find her lunch the best on days when her cook doesn’t turn up. That’s because D is a wonderful cook. I always tell her, “If this is how you cook when you HATE cooking, I wonder how you’d cook if you actually loved it.” She brought this dish in her lunch box a couple of times last month and I was tempted to try. Since raw jackfruit is sold precut, she finds it easy to prepare. I took the ease to a different level altogether by making it in a pressure cooker. I also added asafoetida to the preparation because I didn’t want to fly back to Gurgaon after work on my own. I’m not too sure of my landing skills yet.


250g Raw Jackfruit pieces
2 Onions, sliced
1 Tomato, chopped
¼ tsp Ginger Paste
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tbsp Oil
¼ tsp Asafoetida
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
Salt to taste



Heat oil in a pressure pan and add the cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the asafoetida and the onions and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and ginger paste. Fry the entire mixture for 2-3 minutes. Add the raw jackfruit pieces and the salt and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Add a little water and pressure cook for 1 whistle. When done, add the garam masala and cook for a minute before serving.



This pairs very well with rotis and I know I’m going to make this very often. One more of the tasty and quick recipes, so hard to resist. And with this post, I have reached a mini milestone on this blog. This is my 250th post.

On Day 3 of the Recipe Marathon, these recipes have been put up:

Srivalli: Majjiga Mirapakaya/Dahi Mirchi

Ranji: A Blueberry Muffin

Lakshmi: Onion Kulchas

Dhivya: Spicy Rotis

Arundathi: Grape Jam

Swati: stuffed bell pepper with makhani gravy

Divya: Sour Cream Corn Cranberry Muffins

Bhags: Vegetable stock

Siri: Middle Eastern Appetizer

Lasuni Chhole

There’s this friend of mine. We worked together in Hyderabad and lived about 5 streets away from each other. We spent many evenings together, cooking and eating at home, or checking out the many restaurants that kept mushrooming in the twin cities. But one thing irked me. She’d always try out their chhole-bhature. And then say that they didn’t know how to prepare it. We argued endlessly about why she had to bother ordering the stuff at all, but you know how these arguments go, don’t you?


One day, I decided to make chhole at home and she gave me this recipe over the phone. Being the ardent devotee of garlic that I am, I fell for it. It is simple and every time I make it, I get nice compliments. Now, that’s not easy to resist, is it? This may not be the recipe that she gave me, but it is what I remember and make time and again!

2 cups Chickpeas, soaked and boiled
3 tbsp Garlic, chopped finely
3 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped finely
2 Onions, chopped finely
2 Tomatoes, chopped finely
1 tsp Ginger, julienned
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
2 tsp Chilli Powder
½ tsp Pomegranate Seeds, powdered
1 tsp Chana Masala (optional)
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to Taste


Mix the chickpeas with the garlic and coriander leaves and keep aside for an hour or two.

Heat the oil in a pressure pan. Add the onions and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes along with the ginger and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander powders along with the chilli powder. Add the salt and the powdered pomegranate seeds. If you are using the chana masala, add it now. Add the marinated chickpeas and about 1 ½ cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles (7 minutes).

When done, add some water depending on the consistency you're looking to achieve and mash a few chickpeas to thicken the gravy.

Serve with pooris, rotis or parathas. This is off to Sra for her A Fruit A Month (AFAM) - Pomegranate event. I used the seeds of this fruit... finally something different.

Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda

There are cookbooks and then there are cookbooks. And then there's this book called Favourite Vegetarian Dishes. I have talked about this book often as I have tried out several recipes. I found this recipe for "Dumplings in Yogurt Sauce" and was intrigued. One look and I knew I had the recipe for Kadhi Pakoda. Why would I use a British book printed in China to make a dish that is as local to Saddi Dilli as the Idli is to Madras? Because I found it in a book I trust. I'd marked Anita's recipe to make at home, but couldn't open my machine that morning. So, I made this to go with rice. Many Punju colleagues of mine tasted this and said they couldn't tell it was the first time I'd made it. S called from work and said his colleagues said this was much better than the dabbawalla's stuff and as good as the stuff made in their homes.

I quite liked it and think of it as a lovely way to use of sour curd. I have, in the recent past, made all the dishes I know of that help use up sour curds: Punjabi Kadhi, Gujarati Kadhi, Mor Kuzhambu and Avial. I enjoyed this stuff while growing up, but had my own reservations about making them. I am glad they all turned out great and I'll be posting them one by one.

Pakodas (Dumplings):

2/3 cup Gram Flour

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 tsp Green Chilli Paste

2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

Salt to Taste

Oil for frying

Kadhi:

1 1/4 cups Curd/Yogurt

3 tbsp Gram Flour

2/3 cup Water

1 tsp Ginger Paste

1 tsp Garlic Paste

1 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp Cumin Powder

Seasoning:

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

4 Red Chillies

To make the dumplings, mix the gram flour with the chilli powder, salt, baking soda, onions, green chilli paste, and coriander leaves. Add enough water to form a thick batter. Heat the oil and drop spoonfuls of the batter into it. Fry until golden brown, turning once. Drain on absorbent paper.

To make the kadhi, whisk the curds with the gram flour and water. Add all the spices and salt and mix well. Bring this mixture to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly.

For the seasoning, heat the oil in a frying ladle and add the cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the red chillies and take off the flame.

To proceed:

Add the fried pakodas to the kadhi. Add the seasoning and serve hot with rice.

I really enjoyed this dish and I am certain I will not be ordering this at a restaurant. If I feel the urge, I'll make some for myself, right here, at home.

I am home with a nasty cold and fever. I hope to get well real soon and be back in full swing. I've been missing all of you.

Palak Paneer

It has been ages since I posted anything here. I made my last post a week ago and didn't even upload the picture on to it yet. I haven't had a chance to transfer photos from my camera to the laptop. I haven't even had a chance to take pictures of stuff I'm making these days. While I am admitting so many things, I must also admit that I haven't been visiting too many blogs. So, please don't take offense if I have not visited any of you recently or if I haven't left any comments.

And thanks to all of you who've dropped by asking if I'm fine because this blog has never witnessed such low posting levels. I have been known to make 17 posts in one day, so to have an entire month go by with just 13 posts would classify as an all time low. I am fine. I am just terribly busy with work and reach home just in time to make dinner at the earliest. There have been days when a glass of milk and a cracker have been my dinner. I think all will be well very soon and that I'll be back to posting on a regular basis in about 2 weeks' time.

I have a simple recipe to share with all of you. Palak paneer is a dish I love (with or without the paneer really). It's one of those fun ways of eating spinach.

1 bunch Spinach, cooked and pureed

1 Onion, ground to a fine paste

1 tsp Green Chilli Paste

1 tsp Ginger Paste

1 tsp Garlic Paste

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/4 tsp Chilli Powder

2 tbsp Curds

1 tsp Oil

Salt to taste

1/2 cup Paneer, cubed

Heat the oil and fry the onion paste for a few minutes. Add the ginger, chilli and garlic pastes and fry for a minute. Add the salt, chilli and turmeric powder and fry for a couple of minutes before adding the spinach puree. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the paneer cubes and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add the curd and mix well.

Serve hot with phulkas.

I'll be back as soon as I can with recipes that are lying in my drafts folder.

Egg Bhurji

Perhaps, the Indian cousin of scrambled eggs. This one, though, has no resemblance to the popular breakfast dish. Eggs, paneer and soya always come in handy when I am hard pressed for time.

Egg bhurji is one of the few egg dishes available in most restaurants and I've eaten this at restaurants and dhabas in Hyderabad. When one vegetarian and one non vegetarian go out for dinner, egg is usually what ends up on the table. Satisfies both! My friend and I used to eat out a lot in Hyderabad and that's where I rediscovered this dish that I'd probably eaten once before when a classmate brought it in her dabba at school.

Continuing with my Eating out while eating in series, I made egg bhurji. The earlier ones in this series being Kothu Roti, French Bread Pizza, Macaroni and Potato Wedges.

Ingredients:

1 Eggs

1 Onion, chopped

1 Tomato, chopped (optional)

1 tsp Green Chilli Paste

1/2 tsp Ginger Paste

1/4 tsp Chilli Powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/4 tsp Cumin Powder

1/4 tsp Coriander Powder

1/4 tsp Kitchen King Masala

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Salt to taste

1 tsp Oil

Chopped Coriander for garnish

Heat the oil in a kadhai or a saucepan. Add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. When the cumin seeds crackle, add the onion and fry till the pieces turn translucent. If using the tomato, add now and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powders and fry for another minute. Add the ginger and chilli pastes and salt and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the Kitchen King Masala and fry for a minute. This is one of my entries to the RCI: Punjabi Cuisine which is being guest hosted by Richa of As Dear As Salt.

Break the eggs into the onion spice mixture and whisk thoroughly. Allow the mixture to cook for a few minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy it with rotis.

Dal Palak

A simple, nutritious dal that goes well with rice and rotis alike. If you have cleaned spinach ready, this dal is ready in a jiffy. Else, it can be a bit of a pain.

Ingredients:

½ cup Toor Dal, washed
1 bunch Spinach, cleaned and chopped
1 tsp Oil
1 Onion, sliced
¼ tsp Cumin Seeds
¼ tsp Mustard Seeds
¼ tsp Asafoetida
½ tsp Chilli Powder
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Green Chilli paste
1 tsp Ginger Paste
½ tsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Cumin Powder
Salt to taste


Heat the oil in a pressure pan. Add the mustard, cumin and asafoetida. When the mustard splutters, add the onions, ginger and chilli pastes and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the chilli, turmeric, coriander and cumin powders and fry for a minute more. Add the chopped spinach, dal and salt. Fry for a 1-2 minutes and add 1.5 cups of water. Cover and cook for 3-4 whistles. When the pressure is released, open the cooker and mix the dal well. Serve with rice or rotis.

If you like thicker dal, or would like to make this as a side dish rather than a runny dal, reduce the amount of water in the recipe.

This is one of my entries to the RCI: Punjabi Cuisine which is being guest hosted by Richa of As Dear As Salt.

Paneer Paratha

Another very simple stuffed paratha that makes for a light meal. Breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, I can eat these at any time of the day.

Ingredients:

For the dough:
1 cup Whole wheat flour
1 tsp Oil
1/4 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste

For the stuffing:
100g Paneer, crumbled
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Green Chilli paste
1/4 cup Coriander Leaves, chopped
Salt to Taste

Oil for frying

Flour for rolling

Take a little water in a bowl. Add the salt, sugar and oil. Mix well until the sugar crystals dissolve. Add the flour and mix well. Knead the dough, adding a little water at a time as needed. Keep aside.

Mix all the ingredients for the stuffing.

Roll out small portions of the dough. Place a little bit of the stuffing in the centre and bring the edges together and seal. Roll these using a little flour taking care to ensure that the filling doesn't spill out.

Toast on a tawa on medium flame using a little oil for each paratha. Enjoy with tomato sauce or curd and pickle.

This is one of my entries to the RCI: Punjabi Cuisine which is being guest hosted by Richa of As Dear As Salt.

Also, since W is for Whole Wheat Paneer Parathas, this is my fourth W entry to Nupur's A-Z of Indian Vegetables.

Misi Roti with leftovers

During my trip to Punjab, my friend’s mother made this roti for breakfast. I asked her if this contained besan. She laughed and said, “Among other things”. She said she puts any leftover stuff in it and makes the dough.

A day or two before the burglars cleaned my house, I had decided to clean my fridge and kitchen. I had loads of stuff in my fridge and decided to use them all.

I had some left over wheat atta in the fridge. To this I added some maida, besan, paneer paratha stuffing, the leftover kadhi from gatte ki kadhi, dal palak and moong dal sambar. I kneaded this dough thoroughly and rolled out the rotis. I toasted them evenly on both sides and served them for breakfast with curd and Punjabi mango pickle.

This is one of my entries to the RCI: Punjabi Cuisine which is being guest hosted by Richa of As Dear As Salt.

Aloo Paratha

Another of Amma's treasures. The ready boiled potatoes that come in handy when hunger strikes. But Amma's only worry has always been that in our family, hunger rarely ever strikes! But she is a true Girl Guide as she is always prepared for the opportunity that may never arise :-)

This is a simple, time-tested recipe that is filling and tasty all at once.

Also, W is for Whole Wheat parathas stuffed with a spicy potato stuffing. This goes to dear Nupur's A-Z of Indian Vegetables.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 cup Whole wheat flour

1 tsp Oil

1/4 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

For the stuffing:

2 Potatoes, boiled and mashed

1 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Green Chilli paste

1/4 cup Coriander Leaves, chopped

Salt to Taste

Oil for frying

Flour for rolling

Take a little water in a bowl. Add the salt, sugar and oil. Mix well until the sugar crystals dissolve. Add the flour and mix well. Knead the dough, adding a little water at a time as needed. Keep aside.

Mix all the ingredients for the stuffing.

Roll out small portions of the dough. Place a little bit of the stuffing in the centre and bring the edges together and seal. Roll these using a little flour taking care to ensure that the filling doesn't spill out. (Actually, the portions where it does spill out are tastier than the rest as the potato stuffing gets toasted directly on the tava. So, don't pay much attention to this one!)

Toast on a tawa on medium flame using a little oil for each paratha. Enjoy with tomato sauce or curd and pickle. I enjoy these parathas with the Gujarati Gorkeri pickle.

This is one of my entries to the RCI: Punjabi Cuisine which is being guest hosted by Richa of As Dear As Salt.

Mutter Paneer

This is one of those dishes that I had eaten many times, but had never attempted to recreate. I set out 2 days ago to recreate the Cilantro Peas on Arundathi's foodblog. I didn't have the time to go back and check the recipe, but I cleaned a whole lot of coriander leaves and told myself I will just make it from memory.

I usually make a peas curry with ground coriander and coconut milk. I will put the recipe up sometime. I wanted this to be a variation. Then I remembered that I had fresh paneer at home. So the experimental side of me took over. The end result was a lipsmacking dish that I simply had to share with all of you.

Ingredients:

200g fresh Paneer, cubed

1/2 cup Peas, cooked

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

100 ml Tomato Puree

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/2 tsp Coriander Powder

1/2 tsp Cumin Powder

1 tsp Kasuri Methi

To be ground to a Paste:

1 Onion

2 pods Garlic

1/2 cup Coriander Leaves

Salt to Taste

Heat oil in a kadhai and add the cumin and asafoetida. When the cumin seeds crackle, add the onion coriander paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the chilli, turmeric, cumin and coriander powders and fry for a minute. Add the tomato puree and the kasuri methi and bring the mixture to a boil. Add salt, paneer and peas. Garnish with coriander leaves if you like. And eat this with rotis.

The addition of coriander leaves to the masala gave the dish a unique flavour and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Paneer Butter Masala

At a time when North Indian food wasn’t easily available in Madras, I fell in love with the combination of Naan and Paneer Butter Masala. When I was attending the Canning and Preservation classes conducted by the Ministry and Food, Amma gave me Rs. 20 one day and told me to have lunch outside. I relished the Naan and Paneer Butter Masala combo that I had at Gitanjali restaurant in T. Nagar. I still remember that day!

I have never attempted to make Naans as I am certain that it will be beyond me (even Amma hasn’t been very successful, so as if I stand a chance!) But sometime during my two and a half weeks of unemployment in Gurgaon last year (when I moved here after marriage), I decided to make something special for S. After all, I was sitting at home all day doing nothing but job hunting. A good meal is the least I can prepare. So I decided to make Paneer Butter Masala and Jeera Rice.

When I looked up recipes, I found that despite the name, butter was almost non existent in the dish. That got me even more excited. Less butter = less guilt. This recipe I picked up from Tarla Dalal’s book and modified the proportions. I have even ditched the butter altogether since the first time I made it.

Here’s a recipe for a side dish that is an absolute favourite. Although I am big vegetable and fruit lover, this remains one of those happy foods of mine.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Oil (Or ½ tbsp butter and ½ tbsp Oil)
1 Onion, ground to a fine paste
1 cup Paneer, cubed
¼ cup Tomato Puree
¾ cup Slim Milk
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Kasuri Methi
1 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste

Heat the oil. Add the onion paste and fry for a few minutes. Add the turmeric and chilli powder and fry for another minute. Add the tomato puree and salt. Mix well until the mixture bubbles. Add the milk and bring to a boil while stirring. Add the kasuri methi, sugar and the paneer pieces. Cook for 5 minutes. Garnish this with coriander leaves if you wish and enjoy with rotis or naans.


Thanks to a restaurant Vilas Venue at Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad that was very close to where I stayed, I have made variations of this dish: Mushroom Butter Masala and Babycorn Butter Masala. The best part is that this dish is ready within minutes.