Chana Masala (Choley/chickpeas)

 

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup chana (chickpeas) soaked overnight 

2. 2 red onions 

3. 2 hot house tomatoes 

4. 4-5 cloves of garlic 

5. 1 bay leaf 

6. 1 black cardamom 

7. 1 anise seed 

8. 1 stick of cinnamon 

9. 1 tablespoon cumin powder 

10.  2 tablespoons chana masala ( MDH or Badshaah or Shaan) 

11. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 

12. 1 tablespoon coriander powder 

13. pinch of red chilli powder 

14. 1/2 teaspoon of Amchur powder ( dry mango powder)

15. 1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves 

16. salt to taste 

17. 4 teaspoons of cooking oil- mustard, canola, avocado, ghee 

18. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 

19. Chopped fresh coriander 

Method- 

1. In an instant pot or pressure cooker put the soaked chana with the water it was soaked in. Add more water if needed. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, anise seed, and salt.  Let it whistle at least 10 to 12 times. 

2. Chop/grind the garlic and red onions together, and keep them separate. Grind the tomatoes separately. 

3. In a deep, thick bottomed pan (nonstick or iron cast) heat the oil. Add cumin seeds. Once they begin to splutter add the onion garlic paste. Turn heat to medium and fry until golden brown. 

4. Add the other dry spices. Keep mixing until you see some oil separate on the side. 

5. Add tomatoes puree and continue stirring.

6. Add the boiled chanas from the cooker to the mix. 

7. Keep stirring until you see the oil come up and it begins to bubble. Slow cook it but stir occasionally. 

8. In the end add fenugreek leaves and chopped coriander to garnish. 

Serve with naan bread or white basmati rice. 

******If cooking in an instant pot then fry the above mix and add raw washed chanas to the mix, add 4 cups of water for every cup of chana. If you want more sauce then add another cup of water and cook for 20-30 mins in the instant pot. When you open it the chanas should mush in between your fingers, if not then let it go for another 20 mins. 

Rajma (Red Kidney Beans curry)

 Rajma ( Red Kidney Beans curry)

Ingredients- 

1. 1 cup Red kidney beans 

2. 1 large red onion 

3. 2 large house tomatoes 

4. 4-5 cloves garlic 

5. 1 green chilli or more (optional)

6. 1 stick cinnamon 

7. 1 big black cardamom 

8. 1 bay leaf 

9. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 

10. 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder 

11. 1 teaspoon coriander powder 

12. 1 teaspoon garam masala 

13. 1 tablespoon salt or salt to taste 

14. 4-5 tablespoon cooking oil or ghee 

15. 1/2 cup tomato cooking sauce or paste 

16. 2-3 sprigs of fresh coriander chopped finely. 

Method - 

1. Pressure cook the kidney beans in 5-6 cups of water with the salt in a pressure cooker or instant pot on medium heat for 15-20 mins 

2. Let the beans sit in the pressure to soften. When you open the cooker if the beans are still a little hard then give another 10 minutes of pressure. Set aside 

3. In a frying pan, add oil and heat on medium, add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and cardamom to the oil until they crackle. 

4. Grind the garlic and onions beforehand together and add to the heated oil. 

5. Keep frying the onions on medium heat until they change colour to light brown. Do not leave them unattended or they will burn. 

6. Grind the tomatoes and green chilli together and add to the frying onions. 

7. Add the rest of the spices to the sauce including the tomato paste/sauce. 

8. Let the mix simmer until the oil separates. 

9. Add the boiled kidney beans to the mix. 

10. Stir and keep mixing for 10-15 mins. 

11. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve on a bed of rice or with naan. 

Kofta Curry

Koftas 

Ingredients 

1. 1 Lauki (Bottle gourd)
2. 3 boiled potatoes 
   
3. 1 cup chickpea flour 
4. 3-4 cloves of garlic
5. 1-inch ginger 
6. 1 large or 2 medium onions 
7. 4 tomatoes 
8. 2 green chillies (optional)
9. 1 teaspoon chilli powder 
10. 1 teaspoon turmeric 
11. 2 teaspoon coriander powder 
12. salt to taste 
13. vegetable oil 1 cup to fry the dumplings 
14. 2 tablespoon vegetable oil for the curry 
15. fresh coriander for garnish 

Method 

1. Medium grate the lauki and ginger, with clean hands take ball sizes of the lauki and squeeze out all the excess water as much as possible in a bowl, keep the squeezed lauki in a separate bowl. We will use the squeezed liquid later.
2. Add boiled potatoes to the squeezed lauki. Crush and knead it in. Add spices- salt, 1/2 spoon chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder. Add chick pea flour and knead all well. Do not use water as lauki has its own water. Keep the mixture as dry as possible. Roll into meatballs size balls. 
3. Heat oil in a pan and when it reaches medium heat start frying the balls (pakodi). Do not fry on high flame or they will burn from the outside and stay raw in the middle. 
4. Keep aside. 
5. For the curry grind the garlic and onions together. Heat oil in a pan and add the onion-garlic mixture. Fry until golden brown. 
6. Grind tomatoes separately and add to the onion-garlic mix in the pan. 
7. As it comes to splatter, add spices and green chillies sliced. 
8. Add 2 cups of water. 
9. Simmer 5-10 mins. 
10. When ready serve the curry over the balls in a separate bowl and garnish with fresh cut coriander. For best results let the lauki balls (Pakodi) sit in the curry for 5 minutes before beginning to eat.
11. Eat with roti, naan or basmati rice. 

Don’t forget to tell me how it turned out. 

Palak-Corn-Paneer

Palak-Corn-Paneer

Ingredients

1. 1 bag or 2 bunches of Spinach (Palak)
2. 1 slab of paneer 
3. 1 cup of frozen corn or 2 fresh grated corn (optional)
4. 1/4 cup tomato puree 
5. 3-4 cloves of garlic
6. 1 teaspoon cumin
7. 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder 
8. 1 tablespoon coriander powder 
9. salt to taste 
10. 2 tablespoons cooking oil
11. 2 tablespoon sour cream (optional)

Method 

1. Boil a big pot of water 
2. Put in the spinach once it comes to a boil.
3. Boil for 5-10 mins, strain and keep to cool
4. Roughly puree the spinach in a mixer once cool
5. In a pan heat the oil, add cumin and garlic.
6. Once it begins to splutter add red chilli powder and coriander powder 
7. Add the spinach and stir until it begins to change colour. 
8. Add corn and tomato puree
9. Mix well and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes
10. Add paneer and cream and stir until the paneer is covered with the palak.
11. Turn heat off and serve with warm naan bread 

Don’t forget to tell me how it turned out. 

Stir Fried veggies/chicken with steamed rice

Stir Fried Veggies/ Chicken with White Steamed rice

Ingredients 

1. 1 Celery stalk
2. 1 carrot
3. 1 red onion
4. 2-3 stalks asparagus
5. 1 Floweret or Broccoli
6. 1 Bell Pepper Red/Green
7. 2-3 cloves of garlic
8. Handful of raw peanuts
9. 2-3 table spoons olive oil
10. 2 table spoons soy sauce
11. 2-3 table spoons Worcester Sauce
12. 2 Table spoons vinegar
13. pinch of salt
14. Garlic and red pepper hot sauce (optional)
15. 1 table spoon sesame seeds.
16. Steamed rice cooked and put aside.
17. ( pre cooked chicken or dice/shred boiled chicken with a pinch of salt)

Method

1. Dice all the above veggies .
2. Heat the wok on medium heat.
3. Put in the oil.
4. Drop in the garlic. Fry them a little.
5. Pour in all the diced veggies/ chicken and peanuts
6. Sautee for 5 mins
7. Put in all the above sauces and toss well until all veggies are coated on low heat
8. Put in the sesame seeds
9. Cover and turn off heat.

Serve with steamed white/brown rice and garnish with chopped coriander for flavor.

TIP- Adjust sauces as per flavour.