Accompaniments

Stuffed Aloo Masala

My invention of this stuffed aloo masala is a must-try for all potato lovers.... 
Ingredients
  • Small Aloo - Slit into 4 pieces... Do not cut, but slit till 3/4 of the potato.
  • Onion - 1 large , finely chopped
  • tomato - 1 large , chopped
  • Garam Masala
  • Tava fry masala
  • Chaat masala
  • Red chilli powder,
  • turmeric powder
  • Dhaniya powder, 
  • Jeera powder
  • salt
  • Curry leaves- chopped
  • Green chillies - slit into 2

Method
Mix all the dry powders & Salt in a plate and stuff the potatoes with this. Keep the remaining powder for use in the next steps.
Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera, hing to it... Add the onions and fry until golden brown.
Then add the stuffed Aloo and mix... Add lil' more salt and small quantities of water to help the potatoes cook. 
When the potatoes are cooked 50 %, add the remaining powder, green chillies and chopped curry leaves .... and keep cooking the potatoes in a low flame..
When the potatoes are almost done, add the tomatoes and mix well. Let the tomatoes cook on the low flame.. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rice and dal or rotis...


Green Onion Zunka (with a twist)

Not sure if this is the traditional zunka recipe. But this is my own version of it. 
  • Besan - mix in water, jeera powder, dhaniya powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt
  • Green onions - 1 bunch
  • Kala masala (recipe below )
  • Green chillies - 4 or 5
  • Garlic cloves 
Crush green chillies and cloves together in a mortel. Heat oil in a pan. Add hing, mustart seeds and green onions. Fry until it becomes soft. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, kala masala, salt and then the besan mixture. Fry until the mixture becomes thick.


Kala masala

50 gms byadige red chillies(for color)

1 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp khus khus
15-18 cloves
4" cinnamom 
12-15 bay leaves
4-5 dagad phool/black stone flower
8-10 black cardamom
5-6 star anise
5-6 nutmeg
1/2 tsp saunf
1/2 tsp shahjeera
turmeric powder

Dry roast the ingredients and grind into a fine powder. 

Rajma

This is the Punjabi style of cooking Rajma and trust me it is very very tasty

Ingredients
Rajma - 2 cups
Big onion - 1
tomatoes -2 or 3
ginger-garlic paste
garam masala - 1 tbsp
jeera powder - 1 tbsp
dhaniya powder - 2 tsbp
kasuri methi- 2 tbsp
whole garam masala (dalchini, badi elaichi)
dry red chillies - 1 turmeric powder - 1tbsp jeera - 1 tbsp red chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp


Method
  • Soak rajma over night or for atleast 6-8 hrs. 
  • Cook rajma in pressure cooker until very soft. I usually wait for 3 whistles and cook rajma in sim for 20 mins..
  • Heat oil in a kadai. Add jeera and when it starts to splutter, add the whole garam masala, onions and fry for 1 minute.
  • Then add ginger garlic paste and fry for a couple more minutes.
  • Add tomatoes and mix well. Close the kadai with a lid for a minute or two. Open the lid and before mixing, add all the dry powders including red chillies, kasuri methi, turmeric and salt. Mix well..
  • Now add the cooked rajma without water and mix very well.. After a minute or two, add the water that was used to cook rajma to get the right consistency as desired. Close the lid and allow it to cook well.
  • If the rajma was not cooked very tender, you can again cook in pressure cooker until 1 or 2 whistles.
  • Dry roast dhaniya seeds and jeera. Coarsely powder this and add it to Rajma.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with jeera rice.

Stuffed Capsicum Masala
Ingredients
  • Whole capsicum
  • boiled and pureed Onions - 1 big
  • Tomato puree - 2 medium ones
for the stuffing,
  • potatoes - mashed - 2
  • cashews
  • garam masala - 1 tbsp
  • red chilli powder
  • dhaniya powder
  • jeera powder

Method
  • Wash the capsicum and put it in a hot oven for 30 mins or until the skin turns slightly black.
  • Take the skin off and allow the capsicum to turn cool
  • Take the seeds and the center of the capsicum head.
  • Mix all the stuffing ingredients together and stuff within the capsicum.
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera, onion paste. Fry the onion paste for a few mins until it turns golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for some more time.
  • Add the tomato puree and fry until the oil separates.
  • Add red chilli powder, dhaniya powder, kitchen king masala, garam masala and freshly ground dhaniya and jeera powder. and salt to taste
  • Mix well.
  • Add water as desired. If the stuffing mixture is left, add the same and mix well.
  • Now place the capsicum in this gravy and allow it to cook on a low flame.
  • At the end , add heavy whipping cream or half and half cream and mix well..
  • Serve hot with naan or rotis.

Barwa Baingan - Stuffed Brinjal, a variation

This is a variation of the stuffed brinjal recipe. I attribute this recipe to my friend here in the US.

Ingredients

  • Salt to taste
  • Dhaniya powder (Preferably freshly roasted and ground) - 3 tbsps
  • Jeera powder (Preferably freshly roasted and ground) - 2 tbsps
  • Red chilli powder (Preferably resham patti) - according to your taste
  • haldi - 1/4 tsp
  • tava fry masla - 1 tbsp
  • Chaat masala - 1/4 tsp
  • kitchen king masala - 1/2 tsp
  • dried methi leaves - 1/4 tsp
  • Brinjal = 8 to 10 (small ones usually used for making this )
  • baby potatoes - 6
  • Fresh tomato paste (made out of 2 medium sized tomatoes)

Method:

  • Mix all the dry ingredients and keep it aside.
  • Slit the brinjal into 4. Dont go deep into the brinjal. Slit such that you have space for stuffing the mixture into it
  • Slit the potatoes into 2 similarly.
  • Stuff 1/4 tsp of the mixture or as desired into the brinjals and potatoes.
  • Heat oil (be a lil' generous) and add hing, jeera , ginger-garlic paste. Then add the tomato paste and allow it to cook.
  • When the oil starts to separte out from the tomatoes, add the remaining dry powder mixture to it and keep mixing.
  • Add the vegetables and mix a few times
  • Transfer this to a baking dish and cover the dish with a aluminium foil or a lid if you have
  • Allow the mixture to cook well till the vegetables are cooked properly.
  • If you do not have a oven, you may choose to cook on the stove. But in this case, add 2 tbsps of water to prevent the gravy from burning.
  • Serve hot with rotis or even rice

P.S: I did not click a picture of this. I will post the picture the next time :-(


 

Raw Mango thokku



IngredientsGrated Raw Mango - 2 jeera- 2 tbsp
methi seeds - 1 tbsp
dry red chillies - 7

Method


  • Dry roast jeera, methi seeds and the red chillies separately.
  • Grind them to a fine powder. Mix the grated raw mango along with this powder in the mixture.
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add currey leaves and mustard. allow it to splutter. When done, add the turmeric, salt and the above mixture and fry well until oil separates.

 

Onion Tomato gojju

Ingredients
  • Chopped Onions or green onions - 2
  • chopped tomato - 1
  • tamarind water - 1 tbsp
  • red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
  • dry red chillies -2
  • groundnut


Method
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, chana dal and urad dal.
  • Add groundnuts and fry until they all turn golden brown. add dry red chillies.
  • Add chopped onions and fry till they turn golden brown. Tehn add tomatoes and fry until oil separates. Add turmeirc powder and chilli powder.
  • Add tamarind water and salt. Add lil' sugar if desired. Serve hot with rice or roti



Spinach chutney

Ingredients
Spinach - 2 cups cleaned cut and washed
Onion - cut into 4 pieces - 1
garlic - 2 cloves
green chillies -4
tamarind
jeera

Method
  • Cook all the above ingredients in a pressure cooker.
  • Grind them to a fine paste.
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard, chana dal, urad dal and dry red chillies. Pour this on the above chutney.
  • Serve with rice, dosa or idli.


Peanut chutney

  • Powder roasted and peeled peanuts coarsely in a mixer.
  • In a bowl, mix curds (free of lumps), peanut powder, salt, a pinch of sugar.
  • Heat a lil' oil and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once it is done, add this to the above curd mixture

Pineapple gojju

Its been such a long time since I have posted something new on my blog. Its not that I havent been cooking..I have been cooking a lot but havent found time to post them on my blog though..Here is a new recipe of pineapple gojju that I tried sometime back.
Ingredients
pineapple-1 small or 1 tin
Chana dal -1 1/2 tsp
Urad dal-1 1/2 tsp
methi seeds-1/2 tsp
hing-1 small grannule
dhania-1 tbsp
jeera-3/4 tsp
red chilles-6 to 8
white till-3 tsp
bella-2 lemon size
coconut or grated dry coconut -1/2 cup
curry leaves -few


Method
Fry all ingredients except jaggery, coconut and pineapple .
Powder this in a mixie. Add coconut and grind to a fine paste.
Heat 2 tblsp of oil in a kadai. Add mustard and when it splutters add pineapple pieces. Ffor 2 seconds Add the ground mixture, salt and jaggery and boil well until you get gojju consistency


Here are a few recipes that I cook on a day-to-day basis and few on occassions as well... My friends here like the Mixed Veg gravy and jalapenos gravy... However, my favourites are anyday aloo , aloo and aloo ..hehe
My friend Deepthi wanted a few palya/gravy recipes ... Here they are for you!!!!!! . Hope you like them!!!!!

Dry Aloo Gobi

Ingredients
Potatoes - 2 (washed, peeled and cut into medium sized cubes)
Cauliflower florets
Chopped Tomatoes - 1 cup
Chopped Onions - 1 cup
Ginger-garlic paste
Jeera powder - 1 tbsp
dhaniya powder - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp
tumeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

  • Boil Water. Add oil and a lil' turmeric and immerse the cauliflower florets for 5-10 minutes or until they are tender.
  • Cook potato separately until they are tender(but not very soft. You can microwave them as well)
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera. Add onions and fry well until it turns golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a while
  • Add tomatoes and fry well until oil starts separating.
  • Add all the dry powders and mix well.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapatis.


Aloo Gobi gravy

Ingredients
Potatoes - 2 (washed, peeled and cut into medium sized cubes)
Cauliflower florets
Tomatoes - 1
Onions - 1
Ginger-garlic paste
Jeera powder - 1 tbsp
dhaniya powder - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp
tumeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

  • Cook cauliflower florets and potatoes as mentioned in the above recipe.
  • Boil onions and tomatoes in water separately and grind them separately to a fine paste.
  • Heat oil in a kadai. Add jeera, bayleaves, ginger garlic paste and saute. Add onion paste and fry well.
  • Add tomato paste and fry well until oil separates.
  • Now, add all the other dry ingredients and fry well.
  • Add aloo and gobi and mix well. Add water to obtain desired consistency and cook on a low flame.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis , puris or even rice


Maatodi Palya

My MIL's famous recipe and our favourite too... Mouth watering when served hot with hot rice (Ofcourse my choice of how I want to relish this palya)...

Ingredients
Beans / Gori kayi / Chapparada avarekai(indian field beans) - 2 cups
Chana dal - 1 cup (soaked overnight)
Jeera
Green chillies - 2
dry red chillies -2
turmeric powder -1 tbsp
hing
Salt to taste

Method

  • Cook the mentioned vegetables in boiling water or microwave them for 10-12 minutes.
  • Grind together chana dal, jeera, turmeric powder, green chillies, red chillies, hing to a not so fine paste.
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves. Once it is done add the paste and fry well till the raw smell of the mixture goes off.
  • Add salt, vegetables and mix well.
  • Serve hot with chapati or rice.

Mixed Vegetable Gravy

This is one of the favourite dishes of my guests usually. Recipe is a slightly modified version of my sister's.

Ingredients
Chopped Vegetables (Carrots, beans, cauliflower, potato) - 3 cups
Paneer cubes - 1 cup
Onions - 2
Tomato puree or fresh tomato paste.
Half & Half cream (Optional)
a paste of coconut, cashews, khas khas
Ginger-garlic paste
Jeera powder - 1 tbsp
dhaniya powder - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp
tumeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

  • Cook all the vegetables.
  • Mix together the cream and turmeric powder. Marinate paneer in it. (if you dont have cream, skip this step)
  • Boil onions in water and grind it to a fine paste.
  • Heat equal quantities of oil and ghee in a kadai. Add jeera, bay leaves and whole elaichis. Add ginger garlic paste and saute.
  • Add onion paste and fry until it turns golden brown. Add tomato puree or fresh tomato paste and fry well until oil separates.
  • Add all the dry powders, salt and saute. Then add the coconut cashew paste and mix well.
  • Then add all the vegetables and paneer (along with cream) and mix well. Cook the gravy on a low flame.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapatis or puris.
Sounds very rich!! trust me it also tastes rich!!!!!!!!

Baigare Mirch (Spciy Jalapenos)

This is my sister's recipe. Not sure if this is a common name or a name they have given :-) .. But an awesome recipe for sure.


Ingredients
Jalapenos - 4 (in kannada bajji menasinakai)
Potatoes - 2 (cut into medium sized cubes and half cooked )
Peanuts - 4 tbsps
dhaniya powder - 2 tbsps
jeera powder - 2 tbsps
green chillies - 4
garlic cloves -2
Onion - 1 chopped
Method
  • Cut jalapenos into medium sized pieces. Heat lil oil in a pan. Add lil' salt and turmeric powder and fry the jalapenos till they turn crispy.
  • Fry the cooked potatoes again in a lil oil until they turn golden brown.
  • Fry onions and grind it to a fine paste with all the other ingredients.
  • Heat oil in a kadai. Add jeera, methi seeds curry leaves. Then add the paste and fry well.
  • Then add the jalapenos and potatoes and a lil' water and allow it to cook on a low flame till the desired consistency is obtained.

Potato Stew



Ingredients
Potato - 2
Ginger - 2 tbsp chopped Green chillies - 3
whole elaichi - 2
cloves -2

Coconut milk - 1/2 can or 2 cups

Method

  • Dice the potatoes to medium sized cubes and cook them.
  • Heat a lil' oil in a pan. Add elaichi, cloves, Onions, ginger, green chillies and saute. Then add cooked potatoes and salt. Add water and cook until all the water evaporates
  • Add coconut milk and cook on a low flame until desired consistency is obtained.
  • Serve hot with appams. (Please see dosa section for appam recipe)

 

Dal Palya (Muddu palya)

Padma aunty makes this palya well.. I remember she cooking it for me once...
Here is the recipe in my own words..

Ingredients
Beans / Gori kayi / Chapparada avarekai(indian field beans) - 2 cups
Toor dal - 1 cup
mustard seeds
curry leaves
chana dal - 1tbsp
urad dal - 1 tbsp
hing - 1 pinch

Method

  • Cook the vegetables and toor dal separately in a pressure cooker.
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once the seeds splutter add chana dal and urad dal. When they turn golden brown, add the cooked vegetables , salt and fry for 2 mins.
  • Add the cooked toor dal and mix well.
  • Serve hot with rice or chapatis.



Mushroom Masala

It is now that I have started eating mushrooms and trying out recipes of mushroom. One of the recipes is this. People who dont like to eat mushrooms can substitute it with any vegetable of their choice.
Ingredients
Cashew - 1 cup
dalchini - 1"
badi elaichi
Cloves - 2
khus khus - tbsp
till - 1 tbsp
Ginger - Garlic paste
Mushrooms - 1 cup (cut into 4 pieces)
Onions - finely chopped 1 big
kasuri methi - 1 tsp
Tomato - chopped -1


Method
Grind together all the above ingredients except mushrooms, onions, kasuri methi, tomato to a fine paste.
Heat oil in a kadai. Add Onions, the ground paste, kasuri methi, and tomato. Fry well until they are all cooked.
Add mushrooms. Add little water and boil. Garnish with cilantro when done.


Malai Kofta

Ingredients
For Koftas
Vegetables cut into very small cubes(carrot, beans, cauliflower) - 2 cups
Potatoes -1 big boiled
1 green chilli
salt to taste
1" Ginger chopped finely
1 tbsp flour for binding

Method

  • Overcook the vegetables and mash them along with potato. Add ginger, chilli salt and flour and mix well.
  • Make balls of this mixture and deep fry them in oil until they are brown and crispy.


For Curry
Thick Cream -1 cup
Fresh thick curds beaten - 1/4 cup
butter - tbsp
Tomato puree - 1 cup
milk - 1/2 cup
1 tbsp oil,
1 tbsp flour
cloves -2
elaichi -2
cinnamon - 1"
Peppercorns - 2
REd chilli powder - 1/4 tbsp
garama masala powder - 1/4 tbsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
bay leaf - 1


Method

  • Dry roast the flour until it turns pinkish.
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add all the dry whole spices.
  • Add tomato puree and fry. Add all the dry powders, bayleaf , salt and sugar. Fry well until oil separates
  • Add curds and stir well. Simmer and add roasted flour disoolved in water. The gravy thickens a little/
  • Add the thick cream and stir well. Cook until desired consistency is obtianed.
  • 15 minutes prior to serving, add the koftas into the curry and simmer for a few minutes.
  • Serve hot with naan, roti or chapati

Chutney Pudi

Ramya, recipe of chutney pudi and red chutney for masala dosa for you... Hope you like it!!!

Ingredients

Urad dal - 1 cup
chana dal - 1 cup
Jeera - 2 tbsps
black pepper - 2 tbsps
grated dry coconut - 2 cups
dry red chillies - 10 or 12
hing - 1 pinch
tamarind - small sized ball

Method
  • Dry roast urad dal, chana dal,jeera and black pepper separately on a low flame until they turn golden brown.
  • Heat a lil' oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and hing. When it splutters, add the curry leaves, red chillies and tamarind and turn off the flame. If desired, you can also add a small piece of jaggery ...
  • When the pan is still hot, fry the coconut for a few seconds.
  • Remove only the red chillies, jaggery and tamarind from the oil and mix it with the dal and coconut.
  • Grind this mixture in a mixer until it becomes coarse powder.
  • Mix this powder with the mustard seeds (mentioned above)
  • Store it in a air tight container and can be used with rice, dosa or idli...
  • Altenatively, this can be soaked in oil for 10 mins and can be served with dosa and idli..

Tomato uppinkai (pickle)

Ingredients
Tomatoes - 4 or 5
mustard seeds - 2 tbsp
methi seeds - 1 1/2 tbsp
turmeric powder
hing - 1 pinch
curry leaves
red chilli powder

MethodChop tomatoes into medium sized cubes. Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves. When done, add the tomatoes and let it cook.
Meanwhile, heat another pan, add mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. keep it aside.
Fry methi seeds until they turn golden brown along with hing.
Powder the roasted mustard and methi seeds along with turmeric powder and hing into a fine powder.
When the tomatoes are thoroughly cooked, oil starts to separate. Now add the above powder , red chilli powder and mix well.
Cook further for about 10 mins in low flame.
Allow it to cool. and store it in a container 



Indian Breads

Naan
 
Ingredients
All purpose flour - 2 cups
Baking soda - 1 tbsp
sugar
milk
yogurt - 2 tbsps

Method
  • Sift together flour, soda, salt.
  • Mix in all the other ingredients until a soft dough is formed.
  • Cover with a wet cloth and let the dough rest for an hour or two or until it has doubled.
  • Roll it on a floured surface.
  • Brush some olive oil and bake in oven until bubbles appear.
  • If you dont have an oven, cook on a tava with its front side facing the flame.

 

Gobi rotti

I tried to make gobhi parathas.. but the stuffing became soggy.. Hence, I turned the parathas to rottis... The dish was very tasty and I served with palak chutney, the recipe which I have shared in one of my posts..

Ingredients
Cauliflower florets - washed and ground coarsely in a mixer
jeera powder - 1 tbsp
dhaniya powder - 1 tbsp
rice flour - 1 cup
onions - chopped -1
green chillies - chopped -2


Method
Heat oil in a kadai. Add jeera and the cauliflower mixture.. Mix well..
Add salt, all other dry powders and coriander leaves. 
Add rice flour and form into a nice dough of chapati consistency. Spread the mixture on a flat tava and roast well.
Serve hot with any chutney.I served with spinach chutney.

 

 

Aloo Paratha

Ingredients
Wheat flour
Boiled and mashed Potatoes - 3
Dhaniya powder - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - coarsely powdered
jeera powder - 1 tsp
Corainder leaves chopped - 1 tbsp



Method
Make a soft dough of wheat flour. Similar to dough made for rotis and keep it aside...
Heat oil in a kadai on a low flame and when slightly hot, add the dhaniya powder and jeera powder..
Immediately add the boiled potatoes and mashed it very well with a masher.... Add the coarsely powdered red chilli powder and salt and mix well...
Add the corainder leaves and leave the mixture aside covered.
Make balls from the dough and stuff the above mixture generously. Roll out chapatis and cook them on the tava until they turn golden brown..
Serve hot with curds and pickle...


 

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