Crunchy Ladyfingers (Kurkuri Bhindi)

Deep fried, crunchy and crispy- a great way to serve ladyfingers. So here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 350-400 grams ladyfinger/okra
• 2 tablespoons gram flour (besan)
• 2 tablespoons rice flour
• 1/2 tablespoon carom seeds (ajwain)
• 1/2 tablespoon turmeric (haldi)
• 1/2 tablespoon dry mango powder (amchur)
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
• Oil to deep fry
• salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and dry the ladyfingers well to remove any excess water.
• Trim the ladyfingers and cut them into half vertically and remove the seeds. Then further slice it vertically into thin strips. 
• Put the ladyfinger strips in a bowl and mix all the dry ingredients listed above except salt.
• Add salt just before frying.
• Heat oil in a thick bottom pan. Once the oil is hot, add the lady fingers in small batches. 
• Fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes and then reduce heat to medium high. Fry till it turns light golden brown.
• Remove the fried ladyfingers on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
• Serve hot and enjoy.

Shahi Gobhi Mussallam

It's hard to figure what can you do much with a cauliflower - this recipe is a great way to present the so not very interesting vegetable - cauliflower. Pick small sized cauliflowers for this dish. Cauliflower is low in fat, low in carbohydrates but high in dietary fiber, folate, water, and vitamin C and possesses compounds that protect from cancer.

This recipe will serve 2-3 people.

Ingredients:

• 1 very small whole cauliflower
• 4 tablespoon oil
• 1/4 cup boiled peas
• 2 medium sized onions finely chopped
• 3 small tomatoes
• 2 tablespoon fresh ginger garlic paste
• 2 tablespoons cashewnuts ( soaked in 1/4 cup for 10 minutes and ground to paste)
• 1/2 teaspoon shah jeera
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon amchoor ( dry mango powder)
• salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1 teaspoon tandoori chicken masala
• 2-3 choti elaichi ( green cardamom) seeds crushed
• 1/4 cup paneer
• 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
• 1/4 cup low fat milk

Method:

• Remove stem of the cauliflower from the bottom and boil it whole with 5-6 cups of water and 2 teaspoon salt for 7-8 minutes. Turn off heat and leave it covered in hot water for another 10 minutes. Remove from water and wipe dry with a towel.
• Heat 2-3 tablespoons oil in a kadhai ( deep wok ). Once the oil is hot add the whole cauliflower with the flower side in the oil. Cover and cook on medium flame , stirring occasionally till the cauliflower turns golden brown from most sides and is cooked. Remove from oil and keep aside.
• Add 2 tablespoons oil in a non stick pan and add shah jeera. Saute and then after a minute add onions and saute till they turn golden brown. Then add tomatoes and ginger garlic paste. Saute till the mixture is dry and the oil seperates. This will take 8-10 minutes. Then reduce the flame and add coriander powder, mango powder, garam masala, tandoori chicken masala, paneer and green cardamom seeds. Mix well and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
• Add cashew paste and then grind the entire onion tomato mixture to a paste a for smooth gravy.
• Pour this paste back in the non stick pan. Reduce heat. Keeping the flame low, add milk stirring occasionally. Stir for 4-5 minutes till slightly thick. Add salt to taste.
• Insert a little of this thick masala gravy in between the florets of the cauliflower.
• To the remaining masala, add enough water to get a thick gravy. Bring this to boil and then simmer for 5-7 minutes till slightly thick. Boil and adjust salt to taste. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from fire.
• To serve, arrange the whole cauliflowers on a platter. Pour the thick masala over the cauliflower and sprinkle boiled peas over it and on the sides. Serve hot and enjoy.

Chana Masala ( Spicy Chickpeas)

A very popular and common dish mainly in the Punjab region of northern India, these are good source of protein, zinc and folate. Soaking these in water with a tea bag overnight gives it a lovely dark color and flavor.

This recipe will serve 2-3 people.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chana (chickpeas)
• 2 tablespoons channe ki daal ( split gram)
• 2 moti elaichi (big cardamom)
• 1" stick dalchini (cinnamon)
• 1 tea bag or 2 teaspoons of tea leaves tied in a muslin cloth
• 1" piece ginger crushed to a paste
• 4 cloves of garlic crushed to a paste
• 2 teaspoons anardana ( pomegranate seeds) powdered
• 2 medium sized onions finely chopped
• 2 big tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon chana masala ( available in any Indian grocery store)
• 1 teaspoon dhaniya powder ( coriander powder)
• salt and red chilly powder to taste
• 1/2 small lemon's juice
• 4-5 tablespoons oil
• 4-5 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander leaves for garnish
• 1 tablespoon of ginger juliennes for garnish

 Method:

• Soak chana and channe ki daal with moti elaichi, dalchini, tea bag and enough water, overnight or for 8 hours in a pressure cooker.
• Remove the tea bag after the chana has been soaked.
• Pressure cook all the ingredients together to give 3-4 whistles. After that keep on low flame for about 20 minutes. Then keep aside.
• Heat oil in a non stick pan. Add onions and saute them till they turn dark brown. Be careful not to burn them.
• Add chopped tomatoes. Cook and mash occasionally till they turn brownish in color.
• Add ginger, garlic, anardana powder, dhaniya powder and red chilly powder. Mix well and cook for a 3-4 minutes.
• Add the boiled chanas with the whole spices to the onion-tomato mixture. Add salt and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add garam masala, lemon juice and chana masala. Mix well and keep on low flame for another 10-15 minutes.
• Serve hot and enjoy.

Egg and BabyCorn Fried Rice

This classic Chinese dish is fast, easy and vegetarian. It’s also a good way to use up leftovers, especially cold rice. This recipe will serve 4-6 people.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 eggs beaten
• 2 cups of white rice
• 1 medium sized tomato finely chopped
• 1 medium sized onion thinly sliced
• 2-3 tablespoon soy sauce ( can adjust as per taste)
• 2-3 tablespoon vinegar (can adjust as per taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder
• 1 large spring onion finely chopped
• 8-10 babycorns -slit in half
• 1/4 cup green moong bean sprouts
• salt to taste

Method:

• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok/non stick pan, then add the eggs and scramble it for 1-2 minutes. Transfer the scrambled eggs to a plate and set aside.
  
• Reheat the wok/pan and add the remaining vegetable oil. Add the sliced onions and saute till it becomes translucent and is slightly cooked. 
• Then add chopped tomatoes, sliced babycorn and green sprouts and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
• Return the egg to the wok along with the rice, and season to taste with salt, pepper, soy sauce and vinegar. Add the sesame oil to this mixture. Stir for 2-3 minutes carefully to avoid the rice from becoming mushy.
• Stir in sliced green onions and serve hot.

Bengali Aloo Posto

Poppy seeds are used in a lot of Bengali dishes and this is the first time I 've used it in a dish. Posted below is a picture of poppy and nigella seeds for your reference. This is an easy to prepare dish with simple and mild flavors. This recipe will serve 2 people.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
• 3 tablespoon khus-khus / posto (poppy seeds)
• 1 tablespoon mustard oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon kalonji ( nigella seeds)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1-2 green chillies or red chillies ( optional as per taste)
• Few curry leaves 
• A pinch of sugar
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Soak the poppy seeds in 1 cup warm water for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain using a tea strainer and grind to a smooth paste. Add water by the tablespoon while grinding if it gets too thick. 
• Heat the oil in a pan and add kalonji, curry leaves and cumin seeds. Fry for about a minute. 
• Then add the potatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Make sure that your flame is kept to medium. 
• Now add the poppy seed paste and the red chillies, broken into halves (or the green chillies ). Fry for few minutes and then top off with about a cup of water and cook covered for 10-12 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through. 
• Stir in salt and sugar. The mixture should be thick and the poppy seeds paste should be sticking to the potato pieces by now. 
• Remove from fire and serve warm. 

Lauki Chana Daal ( Bottle Gourd and Lentil Curry )

The combination of lentil and vegetable makes this a healthy dish.
This recipe will serve 3-4 people.


Ingredients:

• 1 medium bottle gourd (lauki, ghiya, doodhi)
• 1/2 cup yellow split gram (chana daal)
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 2 tablespoon shredded ginger (adrak)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 medium sized tomato chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor) adjust to taste
• About 3-4 tablespoon finally chopped cilantro (hara dhania)
• 1 cup of water adjust as needed

Method:

• Wash and soak chana daal for 1 hour or more.
• Peel, wash and cut bottle gourd into ½ inch cubes.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if seed cracks right away oil is ready.
• Add the cumin seeds. As they crack add asafoetida and stir for few seconds.
• Next add ginger, tomato and turmeric and stir for few seconds.
• Add chana daal, bottle gourd, salt, garam masala, chopped cilantro and 1cup of water. Water can be adjusted depending on how much gravy one prefers.
• Cook till gram daal and bottle gourd become soft. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Chola Tikki ( Chickpea Patties)

These make a great snack for any time of the day.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of boiled chickpeas
• 3 medium potatoes
• 1 tablespoon shredded ginger
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (hara dhania)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Oil to shallow fry

Method:

• Boil potatoes until they are tender.
• Once cooked, drain the water and let the potatoes cool down. Note: Do not cool the potatoes under running water because the potatoes will absorb the extra water, making potatoes mushy. 
• After potatoes are cool, peel the skin off and mash the potatoes. 
• Drain the water out of the chickpeas and dry the chickpeas using paper towel making sure there is no excess water in chickpeas.
• Mash the chickpeas coarsely; do not make smooth.
• Mix all the ingredients together; adjust salt and pepper to your taste.
• With oiled hands, divide the mixture into 8 to 10 equal portions.
• Make them into the shape of patties keeping them about a half inch thick.
• Heat the oil in a flat bottom non stick saucepan on medium high heat ( oil should cover the surface of the pan generously). To check oil temperature, place a little piece of tikki in the oil, this should make the oil sizzle. 
• Place the tikkis in the pan and shallow fry on both sides until both sides are golden brown. You may have to adjust the heat while cooking as needed.
• Serve Tikki hot. Drizzle some whipped sweet yogurt, tamarind chutney or hari chutney over the Tikki, or use any combination you prefer. You may also serve them with ketchup. Tikki can be made before hand and refrigerated for two or three days. Just before serving, heat the Tikki in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until they are hot. 

Kale Channe ke Kebabs ( Black Gram Kebabs)

These Kebabs taste awesome with mint chutney. You can serve these as snacks or with the main course.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup kale channe ( black gram)
• 1 tbsp channe ki dal ( split gram)
• 1/4 tsp jeera ( cumin)
• 1" stick dalchini ( cinnamon)
• seeds of 1 moti elaichi ( brown cardamon)
• 3-4 laung ( cloves)
• 2 flakes garlic 
• 1/2 " piece ginger
• 1 dry whole red chilly
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 slices of bread dipped in water and squeezed
• 1/4 tsp amchoor ( dry mango powder)
• salt to taste

Method:

• Soak channas and channe ki dal together in about 2 1/2 cups water, for 6-8 hours.
• Pressure cook channas with jeera, dalchini,moti elaichi, laung, kali mirch, garlic, onion and red chilly to give 3-4 whistles. Open the lid and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
• If any water if left dry channas on fire just leaving enough water to grind.
• Grind to fine paste. Add bread, amchoor and salt to taste.
• Chill the mixture in the fridge for some time.
• Make small flattened round kebabs.
• Deep fry or shallow fry in medium hot oil. Drain on absorbent paper.
• Serve with lemon rounds. Goes great with mint chutney.

Chinese Noodles

Ingredients:

• Noodles – 16oz pkt (approx 500 gm), cooked per pkg instructions
• Sesame Oil – 1 Tbsp
• Oil – 2 Tbsp
• Garlic – 1 Tbsp, minced
• Ginger – 1 Tbsp, minced
• Onion – 1 small, sliced
• Carrot – 1 large, cut into matchsticks
• Cabbage – 1.5 cups packed, shredded
• Bell Pepper – 1/2 large, cut into strips
• Baby Corn – 8, cut
• Egg – 1 (optional)
• Black Pepper – 1/2 tsp or to taste
• Soy Sauce – 2 Tbsp or to taste
• White Vinegar – 1 Tbsp
• Hosin Sauce or any Chinese Sauce – to taste
• Red Chilli Sauce (Sambal) – to taste
• Green Onions – 2 stalks, cut diagonally – for garnishing

Method:

• Cook noodles per package instructions (usually 3-4 minutes), drain, rinse with cold water and toss with 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil. Keep aside.
• Heat 2 Tbsp Oil in a large wok style pan on HIGH heat.
• Add Ginger and Garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add Onions and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add Carrots and allow them to soften just a little.
• Add Cabbage, Bell Pepper and Baby Corn. Toss well and cook for 1 minute.
• Push veggies to one side of wok and break an egg in the pan.
• Scramble the egg until cooked and mix together with the veggies.
• Add Black Pepper and mix.
• Toss Noodles once before adding them to the pan.
• Add White Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce and Red Chili Sauce. Mix well to coat all noodles.
• Taste and adjust any of the sauces.
• Garnish with Green Onions and serve hot.

Shahi Paneer

The touch of cashewnut powder makes a big difference..loved it !

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb paneer (approx. 1-1/2 cups cubed)
• 12 cashew nuts
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1/4 cup onions chopped
• 1/4 inch of ginger
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder, adjust to taste
• 1/3 cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Method:

• Slice paneer into 3/4 inch cubes. Keep aside.
• Grind cashews into powder-like consistency. Keep aside.
• Puree tomatoes, onions and ginger. Keep aside.
• Increase heat to medium-high and test the oil by adding one cumin seed. If it cracks immediately, the oil is ready.
• Add cumin seeds to the oil and as they crack, add asafoetida and bay leaves. Stir for a few seconds.
• Add tomato and onion puree, coriander powder and turmeric. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. It will reduce to half its volume and start separating from the oil.
• Add sugar, cashew powder and yogurt. Cook for another minute then add 1 cup of water and salt and bring to boil.
• Add paneer and cover the pan. Simmer for a few minutes over medium-low heat, till gravy is slightly thick in consistency .
• Remove from heat, add garam masala and chopped cilantro. Mix gently, cover the pan and let it sit for a couple of minutes.Shahi paneer tastes best if it is served hot.