Spicy Aloo Mutter

Aloo mutter is probably the easiest of curies to make and also calls
for ingrdients which are almost always there at home. Though I knew all this,
I have never bothered to try this at home.
Today, when there were no other veggies at home, I had no other option
but to try this and make it for lunch with chapathis!
I have just guessed the taste and added ingredients, but the output was good.
That's all that matters for me..:-)

Ingredients:

Potato: 3 medium half cooked in cooker
Peas(I used frozen): about 1/2 to 3/4 cup
Oil: to temper
Jeera: 1 tsp
Asafoetida: a pinch
Turmeric: a pinch
Green chilli: 1 finely minced
Ginger: 1 tsp finely minced
Coriander powder: 2 tbps
Fennel seed pwdr: 1 tsp
salt: to taste
Amchoor pwdr: 1 tsp(can also be replaced with 1/4 tsp tamarind concentrate
Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 tsp
Tomato: 1 sliced
Coriander leaves: to garnish

Procedure:
1) Mix turmeric, g.chilli, ginger, coriander powder, saunf powder
    with 1/4 cup water.
2) When the oil heats up, add jeera and hing and also the spice mix.
     Keep stirring for a min till oil separates.
3) Now, add peas and half a cup water till peas cook.
4) Add the potatoes, mash a few of them to thicken the gravy.
5) Add salt
6) Add some more water if more grav is required and let it simmer
7) Lastly, add garam masala powder, amchoor, cilantro chopped and
   the sliced tomatoes.
8) Put off the gas after a few min. Let the tomato cook in
   the steam.
9) Serve hot with any bread.

Masala Pulao

This is a very easy pulao recipe which tastes great when had hot with raita.


Ingredients:
Basmati rice 1 cup
Coriander seeds 1/2 tea spn
Cumin seeds 1/2 tea spn
Cloves 4-5
Cinnamon 2″ piece
Pepper 3-4
Fenugreek(Methi) seeds 1/4 tea spn
Turmeric a pinch
Ghee 1 tea spn
Chilli powder 1 tea spn or green chillis 3-4
Cardamom pods 2
Onion 1
Vegetables 1 cup
Coconut 2 tbl spns
Coriander leaves 4-5 strands
Salt

Procedure:

- Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, 2-3 cloves, 1″ cinnamon, pepper, fenugreek seeds and turmeric. Powder them.

- Heat ghee and fry remaining cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods and onion. 

- Add chillis (or chilli powder) and fry till the onions turn brownish. Now add rice and fry for around 5mins.

- Add vegetables and powder. Fry for a minute, add around 2 and half cups of water and cook until done. 

- Garnish with coriander leaves.

- Serve with salad or raita.

Spinach stir fry

Made this for the first time when I wanted a change from the usual spinach with coconut combination.
Tried this and it was huge hit. This tastes yummy with just some hot plain rice. I had it like that and made sambar for hubby.

Ingredients(for 2 people):
1 big bunch spinach
1 big onion finely chopped
turmeric pwdr
1 tbsp besan (chickpea flour)
salt
Oil

To temper:
- Jeera
- mustard seeds
- Urad dal
- 2 red chillies
- 1 green chilli slit
- curry leaves

Procedure:
- Wash the spinach well and chop it
- Heat oil. Add the 'to temper' items
- Saute the onions. Add salt and turmeric.
- Add spinach and let it cook.
- Once done, add besan and turn off the heat.

This tasted just yummy!!!

Cabbage-Potato Stir fry

"Cabbage sabzi with chapathis?" was the question popped by my husband when he came to know that I am making cabbage dry sabzi with chapathis for dinner. But I didnt reply and asked him to wait till he has it. And, I was right, he loved it. Cabbage made in a North Indian style to go with chapathis.

Ingredients(for 2 people):
Cabbage- cut 2 cups
Potato- 1 cubed
paste of green chillies and ginger as per spice reqd
turmeric pdr
red chilli pdr- 1/4 tsp
coriander pwdr- 1/2  tsp
salt
lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp
coriander leaves

Tempering items:
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Hing
Curry leaves

Procedure:
- Heat oil and add mustard, cumin, hing, turmeric and curry leaves
- Add ginger-green chillies paste and potato. Fry till it cooks well.
- Now, add cabbage and salt and cook in low flame so it does not burn.
- Once it is 3/4th cooked, add red chilli pwdr, coriander pwdr and stir fry.
- Put off the heat and add lemon juice.
- Garnish with coriander leaves.

Onion chutney

I made this wonderful chutney with idlis today morning for breakfast. Much different from the usual coconut chutney, this has sweet and sour  taste. Sure it was lip-smacking...

Ingredients (Was enough for 2 of us):
1 cup onion- roughly chopped
3 red chillies-(long variety)
1/8 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp jaggery(I added little sugar)
mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
oil
salt

Procedure:
- In little oil, fry mustard seeds and curry leaves
- Grind along with rest of the ingredients
- Then in low flame, saute the mixture till the color changes and the moisture evaporates completely.
- Serve with idli or dosas.

                                    

Kadai Paneer-second version

The earlier version which I have posted involves only coriander seeds in whole spices. This calls for fresh roasting of whole spices. Here it goes:


Ingredients:

Paneer– 14oz (approx 400gm)
Whole Coriander Seeds – 1 tbsp
Fenugreek Seeds – 1/4 tsp
Whole Dry Red Chilli – 1 or to taste
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Whole Black Peppercorns – 1/4 tsp or to taste
Oil – 1 tbsp
Onion – 1, small, finely chopped
Tomatoes – 2, med. finely chopped
Garlic – 4-5 cloves, finely chopped
Green Chillies – 3-4, finely chopped
Salt –
Coriander Leaves – for garnish

Procedure:

1. Put the whole spices (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorn, dry red chilli, fenugreek seeds) in a skillet, turn the heat on medium to low and dry roast till you get a nice aroma.
2. Transfer to a bowl and allow it to cool down.
3. Once it has cooled down, coarsely grind the roasted spices.
4. Meanwhile, heat the Oil in a medium skillet on medium heat.
5. Once the Oil is hot, add in the Onions and cook till they turn translucent.
6. Add in the Garlic, Green Chillies, Tomatoes, Ground Spices and Salt.
7. Mix well and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes.
8. Add in the Paneer, mix and cover and cook till the moisture has been soaked in by the paneer.
9. Stir in between to make sure it does not burn.
10. Once done, remove cover, turn off the flame and garnish with Cilantro.

Serve this hot with chapati as I did...

Mixed vegetable curry

I make this whenever there are lots of veggies remaining. Goes well with chapatis.


Ingredients:

MIXED VEGETABLES-1 CUP
TOMATO-2 NO-CHOPPED
ONION-2 NO-CHOPPED
CAPSICUM-1/2 NO CUBED
GARLIC-4 NOS.
GINGER(OPTIONAL)-A VERY SMALL PIECE
PANEER-FEW CUBES
CHILLI POWDER-1/2 TSP
CORIANDER POWDER-1/2 TSP
GARAM MASALA-1/4 TSP
OIL
MILK-1/4 CUP
KASTURI METHI-A PINCH
SALT


Procedure:
- In a kadai, add a tblsp of oil and saute the paneer, capsicum and vegetables seperately for 5mins.
- Saute the onion and tomatoes in the kadai,for 5-7 mins or till the onion turns brown.
- Transfer everything in to the mixie and make it into a smooth paste by adding the coriander powder, chilli powder and garam masala.
- In a kadai, add 1 tblsp of oil and saute the ground masala.
- Add the veggies,paneer and capsicum to it.
- Add salt
- Mix well and allow it to boil for 3 mins.
- Add the milk and boil for 2 mins.
- Switch off the flame and add the kasturi methi to it.
- Serve hot with chapathis or just plain rice/pulav