Green Peas Masala

Ingredients

Dry green peas : 1 cup, soaked in water for a few hours
Onion : 1 big, finely chopped
Tomato : 1 big, finely chopped
Ginger : 1" piece
Garlic : 4 flakes
Green chillies : 2 small
Coconut milk : 1 cup
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder : 2 tsp
Garam masala powder : 1 tsp
Sambar powder : 1 tsp
Coriander leaves : 2 tbsp
Curry leaves : 1 sprig
Fennel seeds (Saunf) : 1 tsp
Oil : 2 tbsp
Butter : 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat oil in the base of a pressure cooker and add fennel seeds. Add finely chopped onions and saute till slightly brown. Add tomatoes, finely chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies and saute well.
2. Add cumin powder, garam masala powder, sambar powder, turmeric powder and chilli powder and saute for a few minutes. Toss in the curry leaves.
3. Add soaked peas and salt mix well and put the butter on top.
4. Pressure cook on medium-high heat for 4 whistles.
5. Allow pressure to settle and add coconut milk and let it boil for about 5 min on medium heat.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapathi or puri.

Mushroom Kurma

Ingredients

Mushroom : 1 lb
Onion : 1 big, chopped very fine
Tomato : 1, chopped fine
Curry leaves : 10
Salt to taste
Oil or ghee to shallow fry mushroom

To be ground to a paste (Paste 1)

Poppy seeds (Khus Khus) : 1 tsp soaked in a little milk
Cashew : 5
Roasted Chana Dal (Pottu kadalai) : 1 handful

To be ground to a paste (Paste 2)

Pepper corns : 1 tsp
Green chillies : 2
Cumin seeds (Jeera) : 1 tsp
Fennel seeds (Saunf) : 1 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder : 1 tsp
Coconut : 1/4 cup
Ginger : 1" piece
Garlic : 3 flakes

Method

1. Cut mushroom into quarters and shallow fry in oil or ghee. Keep aside.
2. Take oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves
3. Add chopped onion and saute well till slightly brown.
4. Add tomato and paste 1 and saute very well.
5. Add the fried mushrooms and allow to boil for 10 min.
6. Add paste 2 and salt and allow to boil for 10-15 min on medium flame.
7. Serve hot with chapathi, aapam or dosa.

Chole

Ingredients

Garbanzo beans (Kabuli chana) : 1/2 cup, soaked in water for 6-8 hours
Onion : 1 big
Tomato : 1
Ginger : 1" piece
Garlic : 2 flakes
Sambar powder : 2 tsp
Everest Chole Masala : 1/2 tsp
Tamarind extract : 1 gooseberry size
Butter : 2 tbsp
Oil : 2 tsp
Jaggery or sugar : 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method

1. Saute onion, ginger and garlic in a little oil and grind to a fine paste.
2. Pressure cook garbanzo beans for 6-7 whistles and keep aside.
3. Take butter in a pan and add the onion paste and saute well till raw smell goes completely.
4. Add chopped tomatoes and saute well.
5. Add sambar powder and saute till the paste starts leaving the edges.
6. Add tamarind extract, salt and boiled garbanzo beans and bring to a boil.
7. Add chole masala and boil well.
8. Add jaggery/sugar, mix well and allow to boil.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves.
10. Serve hot with chapathis.

Vegetable Kurma

I bet this dish will have your mouthwatering guests asking for the recipe!

Ingredients

Carrot : 1/2
Beans : 4
Peas : 1/8 cup
Turnip (Green skin variety) : 1/2
Cauliflower : 4-5 florets
Tomato : 1
Onion : 1 big
Ginger : 1"
Garlic : 2 flakes
Grated Coconut (preferably fresh) : 5 tbsp
Poppy seeds (khus-khus) : 2 tsp
Fennel seeds : 1tsp
Cinnamon : 1/2" piece
Cardamom : 1
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder : 2 tsp
Butter : 1 tbsp
Oil : 1 tbsp
Sour Curd : 2 tbsp
Milk : 1/8 cup
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method

1. Saute onion, ginger and garlic in a little oil. Grind to a paste and keep aside.
2. Grind coconut and poppy seeds to a smooth paste and keep aside.
3. Chop carrot, beans, turnip and cauliflower into tiny cubes and pressure cook for 1 whistle along with peas.
4. Heat the butter in a pan and add fennel seeds, cardamom and cinnamon. Add onion paste and saute well. Toss in the chopped tomato and saute for a minute.
5. Add turmeric powder, boiled vegetables, salt and chilli powder and bring to a boil.
6. Add coconut paste and bring to a boil.
7. Add milk and curd and bring to a boil.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
9. Serve hot with chapathis.

Masoor Dal

Ingredients

Masoor Dal (with husk) : 2 cups
Onion : 2 medium
Tomato : 2 small
Ginger : 2" piece
Garlic : 4 flakes
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Sambar powder : 2 tsp
Garam masala : 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves : 1/4 bunch
Salt to taste
Oil as required

Method

1. Grind onion, ginger and garlic - all raw - to a smooth paste.
2. Take 2tbsp oil in a pressure cooker and add chopped tomatoes and the ground masala and saute well till the raw smell goes.
3. Add sambar powder and garam masala and saute well.
4. Toss in the uncooked masoor dal and add 2 cups of water.
5. Give it a good mix and close the lid and put the weight.
6. Pressure cook in medium for 3 whistles.
7. When the pressure settles, open the cooker, add salt and let it boil till u get a thick consistency. It has to get really thick. Add a blob of butter (optional) and chopped coriander leaves.
8. Serve hot with rotis or parathas.

Mixed Veggie Delight

Ingredients

Yellow Moong Dal : 1/4 cup
Onion : 1
Potato : 2
Capsicum : 1 small
Carrot : 1 big
Aval (Beaten rice/poha) : 1 handful [If aval is not available use oats instead]
Sago (Jevvarisi/Sabudana) : 1 handful
Tomato : 1 small
Lime : 1
Chilli powder : 2 tsp
Cashew bits : a few
Coriander leaves : 2 tsp, chopped
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

1. Soak aval, sago and moong dal separately in water for half an hour.
2. Take oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add turmeric powder and chopped onions and saute well.
3. Add chopped tomato and capsicum and saute well.
4. Add chilli powder and cashew and mix well.
5. Add grated carrot and mashed potato and saute for a minute.
6. Add soaked aval, sago, moong dal and salt and mix well.
7. Add juice of 1 lime and chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
8. Serve with chapathis or use as a spread on toasted bread.

Cauliflower Kurma

Ingredients

Cauliflower : 1 big, cut into florets
Onion : 1 large, cut into cubes
Tomatoes : 3 medium, cut into cubes
Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Coriander seeds : 1 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Oil : 1/4 cup
Yoghurt (plain) : 1/2 cup
Cardamom : 1
Curry leaves : 10
Coriander leaves : 1/2 bunch
Poppy seeds : 3 tsp
Cloves : 3
Ginger-Garlic paste : 3 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Fresh cream (optional) : 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

1. Powder together cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom and poppy seeds and keep aside.
2. Mix onion and tomatoes and grind to a smooth paste.
3. In a large dish, add the above paste and powder from step 1, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, yoghurt and cauliflower. Mix well and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan, add curry leaves and coriander leaves and immediately add the cauliflower mixture and fry for 5 min on high.
5. Reduce the heat to just below medium and add 1 cup water, stir and cover.
6. Cook till sauce thickens. Add 2tsp fresh cream (optional).
7. Serve hot with rice, chapathi, dosa or puri.

Butter Paneer

Ingredients

Paneer : 250 g
Fresh Cream : 2 tsp
Milk : 1 cup
Tandoori colour : 1 pinch
Onions : 3, chopped
Tomatoes : 2, chopped
Ginger : 1" piece
Garlic : 4-5 flakes
Cumin seeds : 1/4 tsp
Tomato ketchup : 1 tsp
Chilli powder : 1 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Peppercorns : 3-4
Cloves : 2
Cardamom : 2
Bay leaf : 1
Cinnamon : 1" piece
Cashew : 2 tsp
Poppy seeds (Khus khus) : 2 tsp soaked in 3 tsp milk for 1 hr
Butter/Ghee : 1 tbsp
Oil : 1 tbsp
Coriander powder : 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

1. Cut paneer into triangular pieces. In a container mix tandoori colour with 1tsp water and spread it over the paneer pieces. Set aside for 2 min. Now spread a few drops of milk on the paneer pieces. Keep aside.
2. Take 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add bay leaf, cardamom and onion and fry till pink in colour.
3. Take the fried onions, tomato, ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, black pepper, chilli pdr, turmeric powder, cloves, cinnamon, poppy seeds and coriander powder and make a paste with 1/2 cup water.
4. Fry this paste in remaining oil and add tomato ketchup, ghee/butter, cashew, paneer pieces, fresh cream and cook for 5 min.
5. Add milk and cook for 2 min.
6. If necessary, add 1/2 cup water and boil for 5 min on low flame.
7. Serve hot with chapathis.

Shahi Paneer

Ingredients
Paneer : 250 g
Butter or Ghee : 3 tbsp
Onion : 1, chopped into strips
Ginger : 1/2", chopped fine
Green chillies : 2, chopped fine
Tomatoes : 4, chopped fine
Cardamoms : 2, crushed
Beaten curd : 1/4 cup
Garam masala : 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder : 1/2 tsp
Milk : 1/2 cup
Tomato sauce : 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

To Garnish
Grated paneer : 2 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves : 1 tbsp

Method

1. Chop paneer into 2" fingers
2. Heat half of the ghee. Add onion, ginger, green chillies and cardamom. Fry for 3-4 min
3. Add tomatoes and cook for 7-8 min, covered
4. Add curd and cook for 5 min
5. Add 1/2 cup water and cool. Blend in mixie till smooth
6. Heat remaining ghee, add gravy and other ingredients except milk and paneer
7. Boil to get a very thick gravy
8. Just before serving, heat gravy, add milk and paneer fingers and boil for 3-4 min
9. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and grated paneer
10. Serve hot with phulkas or parathas