Methi-Matar-Malai -Fenugreek and green peas in creamy sauce

0

Methi matar malai is a popular dish from Punjab, India. It's a creamy, smooth, delicious and healthy curry made with fresh ingredients. Fresh fenugreek leaves and green peas cooked with fresh herbs and spices and fresh cream makes it finger licking good. 

Ingredients:

Fresh fenugreek leaves /methi : 1.5 cups

Boiled Green peas : 1 cup

Fresh cream : 1 cup

Oil: 2 tbsp

Garam masala: 1/4 tsp

Sugar :1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

To grind to smooth paste:

Medium Onion: 1

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Ginger: 1 inch

Garlic: 3-4 cloves

Green chillies : 3-4

Cashew : 1/4 cup

Green peas : 2 tbsp

Method: 

1. Roughly chop onion, ginger, garlic and green chilli and grind them with cumin seeds, green peas and cashew in a blender to smooth paste with a little water.

2. Heat oil in a wok and add the ground paste. 

3. Fry it on medium flame until the oil separates. Takes about 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle little water if the masala is sticking to the pan.

4. When the masala is cooked add chopped fenugreek leaves, 1/2 cup water and cook for 2 minutes. 

5. Next add boiled green peas, salt, sugar, garam masala powder and mix well and cook it for 2 minutes.

6. Add fresh cream, mix well and bring the curry to boil on a low flame. (Add a little water if the curry is too thick). Boil for 2 more minutes and turn off the gas.

7. Garnish with a tsp of fresh cream and serve hot with roti/paratha or flavored rice of your choice.

Notes:

1. You can cook it with clarified butter/ghee instead of oil.

2. You can totally skip the garam masala powder or add whole spices like cardamom, clove and cinnamon while making the paste.

3. If you don't have fresh cream available you can mix 2 tsp of corn flour in a cup of whole milk and add it or simply replace it with 1 cup beaten thick yogurt.

Read More »

Spicy Kiwi Chutney

0

Kiwi fruits are considered super fruits and have been named as immunity boosters! It has more Vitamin C than an Orange. Tiny black seeds of the fruit are rich with Omega -3 fatty acids. All in all a very healthy fruit. I tried to make a dish out of it in Indian style. Here is a simple yet delicious spicy kiwi chutney recipe. This spicy, tangy chutney goes really well with idli, dose or even with roti. Do try it out and let me know how you like it. 

Ingredients: 
Kiwi Fruit : 1
Green chilli: 1
Dry red chilli : 1
Small Onion : 1
Oil: 1 tsp
Salt to taste

For tempering: 
Oil: 1tsp
Mustard: 1/2 tsp
Split Blackgram (uddinabele/urad dal) : 1/2 tsp 

Asafoetida: 1 pinch
Broken dry red chilli: 1
Curry leaves: 1 Sprig

Method:
1. Heat oil in a small pan and add roughly chopped onion, broken dry red chilli, and green chilli  and saute for a min.

2. Add sliced kiwi fruit and mix well. slighly mash it up and saute for 30 seconds and turn off the flame and let it cool down.

3. Put the cooled mixture in a blender, add salt and grind it. 

4. For tempering, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when they splutter add split black gram and fry until they turn slightly golden in color. Next add Asafoetida, broken dry red chilli and curry leaves and fry everything and pour it on the chutney. 

Notes: 

1. For a slightly different flavor  you can fry 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 2 cloves of garlic along with onion and grind. 

2. If the fruit is sour, add a pinch of sugar to beat the sourness. 

Read More »

Ragi mudde - Soppina saru : finger-millet balls and dill curry

0

Dill leaves, sabbasige soppu in Kannada is also known as dill weed, this is a green herb with wiry, thread-like leaves that grow in clusters. It has a strong, distinctive taste that is like a combination of fennel, anise and celery. Dill leaves are highly nutritious with many anti oxidants, vitamins and dietary fibers.

Here is a simple recipe of a comfort food that's dill curry and finger millet balls aka Ragi mudde.

Dill curry /Soppina saru: 

Ingredients:

Dill leaves :3 cups

Yellow Pegion peas (togaribele/Toor dal) : 1 cup

Dry red chillies : 4-5

Peppercorn : 1 tsp

Coriander seeds : 1 tsp

Cumin seeds : 1 tsp

Small onion : 1

Garlic : 4-5 cloves

Dry coconut : 2 tsp

Tamarind : 1 small marble size

Oil: 1 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Jaggery : 1 tsp

Method:

1. Wash and cook toor dal with a pinch of turmeric and few drops of oil.

2. Clean and wash dill leaves, remove hard stems and finely chop the leaves and keep aside. 

3. In a mixer jar add red chillies, coriander - cumin seeds, peppercorns, garlic, onion, dry coconut and tamarind and a little water and grind to a coarse paste.

4. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pot and add cumin seeds.

5. When the cumin seeds sizzle,  mix in ground masala and jaggery and sauté until the oil separates.

6. Add chopped dill leaves and 1/2 cup water and cook until the leaves wither, takes about 2-3 minutes.

7. Now add cooked dal and salt and bring to boil. Turn off after 4-5 minutes

For tempering:

Clarified butter /ghee : 1 tsp

Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida : 1 big pinch

Broken dry red chili : 1

Curry leaves : 1 spring.

8. In a small tempering pan, heat clarified butter and add mustard seeds, when it crackles add asafoetida, curry leaves and broken red chilli and fry.

9. Add this tempering to the curry and close the lid. Let it sit for 5 minutes so that all the flavors are combined well.

10. Serve hot with Ragi balls or plain rice.

Ragi balls:

Finger-millet or Ragi balls or Ragi mudde is a very popular dish in south Karnataka. It's made by cooking Ragi flour with hot water until there is soft dough like consistency. It's then rolled into balls served with soppina saru/huli (spinach/greens curries). Nonvegetarian also relish with chicken/mutton curries.

Ingredients:

Ragi/finger-millet flour : 3 cups

Salt: 1 tsp

Water: 6 cups

Oil: 1 tsp (optional)

Method: 

1. In a thick bottomed pot add water and bring to boil, add salt and oil.

2. Reduce the flame and start adding the Ragi flour slowly and keep mixing it continuously until cooked. It will take about 8-10 minutes. 

3.Taste a small pinch of dough, if it feels rubbery let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. 

4. Remove it on a wet cloth and let it cool down a bit.

5. Wet your fingers and palm with water and take a big pinch of dough and make mudde/balls. Take care not to burn your fingers. Serve hot with dill curry.

Notes:

1. You can make the curry with Indian spinach (palak) or round spinach (dantina soppu).

2. You can skip the ghee tempering totally, but it enhances the taste of the curry.

Read More »

Garlic dal

0

Garlic Dal is one of the easiest and quickest recipes. Preparing the gravy takes only 5 minutes. A perfect blend of garlic and aromatic spices combined with dal gives it a unique taste. It goes very well with jeera rice (cumin rice) or any flavored rice. 

Ingredients:
Pegion peas (toor dal/togari bele): 1 cup
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice : 1 tbs
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Sliced Garlic: 1 pod
Coriander leaves
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1/4 tsp
Oil: 2 tb

Method:
1. Cook dal with turmeric, few drops of oil and enough water in pressure cooker.
2. Heat butter in a pan and add cumin seeds and fry.
3. Add sliced garlic and sauté until the raw smell disappears.
4. Add turmeric and fry garlic until it turns golden in color.
5. Add chopped coriander leaves and add red chilli powder, coriander and cumin powder  and garam masala powder and mix it quickly. Keep the flame low so the spices don't burn.
6. Add dal and salt and mix well
7. Bring it to boil and garnish with coriander leaves
8. optional: Add a tempering of sliced garlic and dry chillies on top.

9. Serve hot with rice of your choice :)

Read More »

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

0

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour:1 ¾ cup
Granulated Sugar :1 cup
Unsalted Butter at room temperature: 115 gms or 1 stick
medium size Ripe Bananas, lightly mashed : 4
Ground Cinnamon : ½ tsp
Baking Powder : 1 tsp
Baking Soda: 1 tsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Eggs: 2
Whole Milk: 2 Tbsp
Vanilla Essence: ½ tsp


Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degree celcius.

2. Grease a loaf pan with butter and dust with dry flour. Pat and remove excess flour and keep it aside.

3. In the bowl cream together the butter and sugar with an electric whisker.

4. Add the eggs and whisk to combine.

5. Add the mashed bananas and vanilla essence and whisk. 

6. Sift the dry ingredients through a sieve (wheat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt)

7. Whisk the dry ingredients with the wet mixture together until just combined by adding milk. Do not overmix.

8. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. Test it by inserting a toothpick in the center and if it comes out wet than let it bake until 1 hour.

9. When ready, let it cool for about 20 minutes. Slice and serve with butter and honey.

You can save it refrigerated for a week. Wrap it in an aluminum foil and refrigerate. Reheat in the microwave and serve hot.

Read More »

Tandoori chicken

2

Ingredients:

Chicken leg pieces: 4

Red chilli powder : 1 tsp

Coriander powder: 1 tsp

Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

Garam masala powder : 1/4 tsp

Pepper powder: 1/4 tsp

Kasuri methi(dry fenugreek leaves): 1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste: 1 tsp

Lemon juice: 1 tbsp

Curd: 4 tbsp

Salt to taste.

Method:

1. Wash and clean the chicken pieces and make gashes on it.

2. Mix 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, lemon juice, turmeric powder and salt and rub it on the chicken pieces and leave it for 15 mins.

3. In a mixing bowl add yogurt,ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, pepper powder, crushed kasuri methi, salt and the remaining red chilli powder and whisk well.

4. Apply the paste on chicken pieces and refrigerate over night or at least 4 hours.

5. Grease a baking tray with butter and line the chicken pieces and apply butter on chicken with a greasing brush.

6. Grill it in the preheated oven for 15 mins on maximum temperature.

7. Flip the chicken pieces and apply butter on the other side and grill again for another 10 mins or until the chicken is done.

8. Sprinkle chat masala and mint powder on top.

9. Serve hot with Green Chutney.

Read More »

Green chutney

0

Green chutney is a very simple dish that enhances the taste and adds zing to any dish. Spread it on bread pieces to make sandwich or serve it with chats, tandoori chicken or chicken tikka, it will taste great with green chutney.

Ingredients:

Coriander leaves : 1 cup

Mint leaves : 1 cup

Green chillies: 2-3

Ginger: 1 inch

Lemon juice: 1 tbsp

Roasted Bengal gram: 2 tbsp

Black Salt or regular salt to taste

Sugar : 1 tsp 

Method: 

Put all the ingredients in a mixer jar and blend to smooth paste by adding very little water.

Store in an airtight jar in the fridge and use when you need it.

You can save it for 2-3 weeks.

Adding roasted Bengal gram gives nutty flavor and good body to the chutney.

To serve with tandoori dishes:
1. Beat 1/2 cup curd in a bowl, add 1/4 tsp rock salt, 1/2 tsp cumin powder and 1/2 tsp dry mango powder and mix well.

2. Add green chutney to the curd mixture and mix well.

Read More »

Roasted chicken masala

2

Roasted Chicken Masala is a spicy, delicious chicken dish where chicken is marinated in a paste made with spicy red chillies, rich and flavorful whole spices, yogurt and Garlic. It's then roasted on a low flame until all the masala paste is absorbed and stuck to the chicken. You can use any boned chicken to make this dish although drumsticks or thigh pieces are preferred. It can be served as an appetiser or as a side dish with any Indian flat bread.

Ingredients: 
Chicken : 1 kg
Dry red chillies: 12-15
Green Cardamom:  5-6
Cloves: 6-8
Cinnamon: 2-3 inches
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Garlic: 8-10 cloves
Thick Yogurt: 1 cup
Finely chopped Coriander leaves : 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Oil : 3 tbsp

Method:

1.  Soak Red chillies in warm water for 15 minutes.

2. Grind soaked chillies with Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves and Garlic to a slightly coarse paste in a blender.

3. In a large mixing bowl add yogurt, salt, turmeric powder and the ground paste and mix well.

4. Marinate cleaned chicken pieces in the yogurt mixture and refrigerate for minimum 2-3 hours.

5. In a deep non stick pan heat oil, once the oil is smoking hot add chicken piece by piece saving all the extra marinade paste for later use.

6. On a low flame saute chicken in hot oil until the masala has almost dried up.

7. Now add in the remaining marinade paste and coriander leaves.

8. Mix well and saute again for 8-10 mins. Keep mixing in between. 

9. Turn off the flame when all the masala has dried up and serve hot.

Notes:

1. I have dried it completely as I am serving it as a starter, keep a little gravy if you would like to serve with chapathi/roti.

Read More »

Ghee Rice

0

Clarified butter or ghee rice is a very popular one pot rice dish. Rice grains roasted in ghee along with whole spices, cashew and raisins gives it a very unique taste. In coastal Karnataka it's usually served with spicy meat curries like chicken ghee roast, mutton korma or any other chicken curry. It also goes well with potato or any veg curry.

Ingredients:

Long grained rice: 2 cups

Ghee (clarified butter): 1/2 cup

Onion: 1 medium

Green chilli:1 (optional)

Green Cardamom: 3-4

Cloves : 3

Cinnamon : 1 inch sticks 2

Cashews : 10-12

Raisins : 2 tbsp

Lemon juice : 1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

Water: 4 cups

Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice in enough water for 30 mins. Drain water and keep aside until needed.

2. Slice onion and slit green chilli and keep aside.

3. In a nonstick pan heat ghee and fry cashew and raisins for 30 seconds.

4. Add cardamoms, cinnamon and clove and sauté until the ghee becomes aromatic.

5. Add sliced onion and green chilli and sauté until the onions turn golden brown.

6. Add soaked rice and fry until all the rice grains are covered with ghee and get roasted, it takes about 2-3 mins.

7. Add 4 cups of hot water, salt and lemon juice and mix well. Lemon juice helps to keep the grains separate.

8. Cover with lid and cook until the rice is done.

9. Serve hot with spicy curry of your choice.

Notes:

1. You can cook it directly in pressure cooker, in that case add 3.5 cups water and turn off after 2 whistles.

Read More »

Fried Modak for Ganesha festival.

0

Fried modak is a sweet fried dumpling usually filled with coconut jaggery stuffing. It can be made with many different fillings like mawa, chocolate etc. it has crunchy outer cover and a chewy coconut filling inside. It's also believed to be Lord Ganesha's favorite snack and 21 modaks are offered on Ganesha festival.

Ingredients:

For filling:

Fresh coconut: 1.5 cup

Jaggery:1/2 cup

Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp

Powdered pistachio: 2 tbsp (optional)

For cover:

All purpose flour: 1 cup

Semolina/Rava: 1/2 cup

Oil :  2 tbsp

Milk: 1/4 cup

Makes about 21-23 modaks.

Method: 

1. In a mixing bowl combine all purpose flour, semolina and salt to taste. 

2. Add 2 tbsp of hot oil and mix well with a spoon. Knead it into a soft dough by adding little milk at a time. Cover with cling wrap and keep it aside for 30 mins.

3. To prepare the filling, add powdered jaggery and grated coconut in a pan and cook on low flame for 2-3 mins.

4. The mixture will become a bit dry then turn off the flame and add cardamom powder and powdered pistachio and mix well.

5. Take a marble sized dough and roll it into a thin sheet (poori size).

6. Put a spoonful of coconut filling in the center of the rolled sheet.

7. Apply little water to the edges and start pinching the edges as shown in the picture and join all the pinched edges in the center and seal it.

8. Follow the same steps and make other modaks.

9. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry modak on medium flame until they turn golden brown in color

10. Drain them on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil.

11. Cool the modaks before serving. 

Note:

1. Roll the dough into very thin sheets so the outer layer will be crispy.

2. You can replace fresh coconut with dry/ desiccated coconut, add 1-2 tsp milk while making the filling.

Read More »