RAJMA URAD DAL

Ingredients:

1 cup rajma (kidney beans)

1/2 cup urad dal

1 large onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoon ghee

1 tablespoon thick cream

1 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste

1 teaspoon chilly powder

2 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

METHOD:

Soak the rajma overnight and urad dal for 3-4 hours. Wash the dals together and cook in pressure cooker until it is soft. Heat 2 tablespoon ghee or oil and add the ginger/garlic paste and fry. Now add chopped onion and fry until it turns golden brown. Add the tomatoes and fry until it leaves the oil. Now add the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, and the garam masala and fry for a little while. Pour the cooked dal mixture and simmer until it blends well. Finally add the fresh cream so that you get a thick creamy rajma urad dal sabji.

Baingan ka bhartha

Ingredients

1 big eggplant (brinjal)
5-6 onions finally chopped
7-8 green chillies
2 tablespoon fine cut ginger
5-6 tomatoes finally chopped
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
2 teaspoon coriander powder
salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon jeera

Green coriander to garnish
1 tsp garam masal and a pinch of heeng

Method:

If you have an oven, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease the brinjal with some oil and wrap in the baking sheet and put in the oven. Keep checking it by pressing it with some stick. If you have a gas burner, put the brinjal directly on the burner and keep turning it till the outer skin starts cracking and can be peeled off easily.

Allow the brinjal to cool a little. Peel the outer skin and mash it well

Put some oil in a pan. When hot put heeng and Jeera (cumin seeds) into it. After 5 seconds put the finely chopped onion into it. When the onions are light golden brown, add the finely cut green chillies and ginger into it. Fry it for two to three minutes. Then add chopped tomatos and stir until the masala leaves oil Add all the masalas and add the brinjal to it. Stir it well and crush the brinjal as much as possible. Let it heat until the brinjal mixes well into this onion and tomato paste. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with parathas or rotis.

Bitter gourd pickle

Ingredients:

2 medium bitter gourds, sliced into half-moon shape
1 tablespoon.ginger peeled and julienned
10 green chillies, chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon grated jaggery
1 tablespoon oil

Mix together to make masala
2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder
1 teaspoon.(total) mixed crushed fenugreek seeds, aniseeds,
cumin seeds, mustard seeds
salt for the masala

Method: Mix bitter gourd pieces, ginger, chillies, lemon juice, and salt. Pour it in an airtight glass jar. Let it marinate for two to three days. Keep shaking the jar so that the pieces are evenly marinated in salt. Drain out all the water in a dry colander. Spread the bitter gourd pieces on a kitchen towel for two to three hours. Now take the pieces in a large bowel and mix it with the masala mixture and jaggery. Heat oil in a small frying pan. When it is very hot add the asafetida. Once the seasoning gets cool, add it to the bitter gourd mixture and mix well. Now store it in an airtight jar and start using it after two to three days.

Mushroom-green peas-paneer sabji

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup boiled and sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon peas par boiled
1/2 cup paneer cubes shallow fried
1 cup tomato puree
2 tablespoon cream,
2 tablespoon milk,
1/2 tsp khus khus ,
2 teaspoon ginger-garlic-chilly paste
salt as per taste,
1/4 teaspoon red chilly powder
1/4 teaspoon corriander powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masal powder
1/4 teaspooon turmeric powder,

METHOD:

Heat oil in a pan and add poppy seeds (khuskhus). When it starts to crackle add ginger-garlic-chilly paste.and fry for a while. Add tomato puree and saute it till oil separates. Now add all dry masala powders. Now add cream and saute it till oil separates. Add half milk and saute it until oil separates and gravy leaves the sides of the pan. Now add mushroom and peas and simmer it for some time and add the remaining milk and then add paneer pieces and let it simmer for 5 to 8 min. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients

600 grams tender spinach washed
2 green chillies chopped
2 cups cottage cheese cubes
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
salt to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons cream
lots of finely chopped fresh coriander to garnish

Method

Blanch the spinach in lots of boiling salted water for about 3 minutes. Refresh in chilled water. Squeeze out excess water gently and blend to a fine paste with the green chillies. Deep-fry the cottage cheese cubes in moderately hot oil till light golden in color. Drain on absorbent paper.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add the garlic and ginger. Fry briefly till the raw smell goes away.

Add the chopped spinach puree, salt and mix well. Add water if required to get gravy of desired consistency and bring to a boil. Add the deep fried cottage cheese cubes and stir to mix gently. Mix in the lemon juice. Simmer for about 4 minutes. Put off the heat and mix in the cream.

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with chapati or rice.

Dal Fry

Ingredients

3/4 cup toor dal.
Two medium tomatoes
A bunch of coriander leaves.
2 tsp coriander powder.
Some red chillies(around 10) or
2-3 teaspoons of chilli powder.
2-3 flakes garlic.
A small piece of ginger.
1/4 stick butter.
Three small onions.
1 teaspoon cumin seeds or powder.
1 each cardamom, cinammon, cloves.
salt to taste.

Method

Boil the toor dhal in the cooker for only two whistles.
It should be just boiled and not too soft.
In the blender, grind together two onions, garlic,
ginger, coriander leaves, tomatoes,cumin seeds,coriander
powder and the red chillies(or powder).
Slice the other onion finely.
Melt the butter in a pan and fry the sliced onion with
the cardomom,cinammon and cloves.When the onions are turning
a little brown, add the ground masala and fry for around
15-20 minutes(all the water should have evaporated, and the
paste should be dry). Now add the boiled dhal to it and add a little water to
make a gravy. Add salt to taste. Boil for a while till you get the required consistency.


Eat it hot with rice and papad!!!