Veggie Cucumber recipe

Ingredients:

Procedure:

Mughlai Paalak (Cooked Spinach)

Ingredients:

Procedure:

Indian Tomato Soup 

Ingredients:

Procedure:

Cumin Potatoes (Jeera Aloo)

Baigan bhurta, sometimes spelled baigan bharta, is kind of like an Indian version of the Middle East's baba ghanoush. The eggplant is roasted and the pulp mixed with tomatoes and spices. Serve as a side dish or spread on chapati or naan.

4 to 6 servings

Tadka

2 Tbsp Ghee

2 tsp black mustard seeds

1/2 tsp asafoetida

8 curry leaves

Melt ghee and cover. When hot, add mustard seeds (they will pop).

Take off heat, add curry leaves and asafoetida.

Stir, add to dhal, soup, or stew.

Cilantro Baghar

4 Tbsp mustard oil

3-4 tsp cumin seeds

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Heat oil 'til smoking. Turn off heat, allow oil to cool briefly.

Reheat oil and fry cumin until they change color.  Add onion and cook 'til golden.

Add cilantro, stir, and pour over dhal, soup, or stew.

Spicy Beet Curry

Ingredients

Beetroot 1/2 kg

Onions 2

Green chilli 4

Garlic 3

Cardamom 3

Cloves 3

Corriander powder 1tsp

Chilli powder 1 tsp

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp

Cinnamon 1 inch piece

Poppy seeds 1 tsp

Ginger chopped 1 tsp

Coconut 1/4 cup

Curry leaves a few

Coriander leaves a few

Salt as required

Directions

Peel beetroot and cut in to small pieces.

Grind onions, green chilli, ginger, garlic, coconut, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, corriander powder,poppy seeds and salt in to a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves.Then add the paste and fry until it turns to golden brown. Add beetroot pieces along with chilli powder and enough water to cook the beetroot. Cover and simmer until beetroot is well cooked. Take it off of the heat and garnish with corriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice or chappathi or roties.

Sri Lankan Curry Powder

6 Tbsp coriander seeds

3 Tbsp cumin seeds

1 Tbsp fennel seeds

2-inch piece cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

8 green cardamoms

6 dried curry leaves (refrigerated aisle of Indian store)

1-2 tsp chili powder

Roast in pan w/ 1 Tbsp oil, before adding food.

South Indian Stir-fried Potato

Ingredients:

• 6 large potatoes cut into halves and then sliced thinly
• 2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 7-8 curry leaves
• 2 green chillies chopped fine
• 1 large onion chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

Aaloo Paratha (potato paratha)

Ingredients:

• 5 medium-sized boiled, peeled and well mashed potatoes
• 2 tsps coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• 3 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
• 2" piece of fresh ginger grated fine
• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 tbsps vegetable, sunflower or canola oil
• Water to mix

Preparation:

Roti (bread)

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour (Chapati Flour) – 2 cups
Salt – 1/2 tsp (optional)
Oil – 4 tsp
Warm Water – 3/4 cup
All-purpose flour – for rolling and dusting

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix Chapati Flour and Salt well.
2. Add Oil and mix until all lumps are gone.
3. Add Warm Water a little at a time to form a medium soft dough ball. Do not overwork the dough.
4. Add few drops of Oil and coat the dough ball. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.
5. Heat Tawa or skillet on medium heat.
6. Knead the dough once and divide into golf ball size balls.
7. Dip one ball into the All-purpose flour to coat and roll it out into a thin disc. Keep dipping the rotli into the dry flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling surface.
8. Shake or rub off excess flour from the rotli and place it onto the hot tawa.
9. Flip to the other side once you see bubbles appear on the surface. Allow it to cook for 10-15 seconds.
10. Increase the stove heat to High, gently pick the rotli up with tongs, remove the tawa off of the flame, flip the rotli over and place onto an open flame.
11. The rotli should balloon up. Flip it over and cook on the other side.
12. Place the cooked rotli into an insulated container and smear it with Ghee or clarified butter and repeat the process for the remaining dough.

Makes approx 12 rotlis.

Coriander-Cilantro Naan

Method

1

Dry roast the seeds until aromatic

2

Crush them coarsely using a Mortar and pestle, or use that coffee grinder that has been lying around unused for a while now :) They are perfect for this.

3

Put them into a pan with the water and bring it to a boil. Set aside.

4

Put the yogurt into another bowl, add the yeast. Pour the seeds+water mixture and stir well

5

Add 1-1/2 cups of flour and stir it well until blended. Cover the bowl and let it prove for 30minutes.

6

Then add the salt, oil and the remaining flour. Knead it well on a lightly floured surface until smooth and place it back in the bowl. Cover it and let it double - approx 1 hour.

7

Then punch it down, turn it down on a lightly floured surface and slowly add in the chopped cilantro into the dough.

8

Divide the dough into small balls and then using a rolling pin, roll it out into oblong shapes

9

On a skillet, place the naan, brush it with little oil.

10

once its done on one side, turn it the other side.

Baingan Bhart(H)A (Eggplant)

Method

1

Wash your eggplant, wipe it dry and then coat it with some oil.Turn your stove on with flame med-high and place the eggplant on it. This will burn out the skin of the eggplant while making it soft.

2

Oven Method : If you want to use the oven, put maximum temp, prick the oil coated eggplant all over and place it until the ggplant is tender. You can use broiler too for this purpose.Let it cool and then remove the skin from the eggplant. Remove its flesh, mash it well and keep it aside.

3

Saute onions, ginger garlic paste along with the spices until soft in 1 tsp oil.

4

Add the chopped tomatoes and saute until tomatoes are soft.

5

Finally add the mashed eggplant, mix well until combined and serve hot garnished with cilantro. 

Chole (chickpea curry)

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of chickpeas (400 gm each)
• 2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 5-6 cloves
• 3-4 green cardamoms
• 5-6 peppercorns
• 3 large onions, sliced thin
• 2 large tomatoes chopped
• 2 tbsps garlic paste
• 1 tbsps ginger paste
• 2 tsps coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsps garam masala
• 1" piece of ginger, julliened
• 2 tbsps fresh coriander leaves chopped fine

Preparation:

Ingredients:

• 6 large potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp raw mango powder
• 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander
• 2 onions finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1 can of chickpeas roughly mashed
• 6 cloves
• 3 pods cardamom
• 8 peppercorns
• 1 cup Tamarind Chutney
• 1 cup Mint-coriander Chutney
• Coriander chopped fine to garnish
• Chaat masala to garnish
• Vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil to shallow fry

Preparation:

Malai Kofta (vege-balls in a thick sauce)

Ingredients:

• For the koftas:
• 2 cups peeled and diced boiled potatoes
• 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, beans, peas, sweet corn) boiled
• 1 cup paneer cubes
• 2 tbsps of thickened/ heavy/ double cream
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts and cashewnuts)
• 1/4 raisins chopped fine
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil to fry the koftas
• For the sauce:
• 3 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 2 large onions quartered
• 2 tomatoes quartered
• 2 tbsps garlic paste
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 2 tsps coriander powder
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp poppy seeds lightly roasted and ground into a powder
• 3 tbsps nuts (cashews and almonds) ground into a thick paste
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsps garam masala

Preparation:

Poha (Rice Flakes Breakfast)

Flattened Rice Flakes (available in all Indian grocery stores) – 150 gm
Onion chopped – 1
Tomato chopped – 1 (Optional)
Potato boiled and diced – 1
Mustard seeds – 1 Tsp
Green Chillies chopped – 1
Curry leaves – 5
Turmeric powder – 1 Tsp
Salt – 1 Tsp
Peanuts- 3 Tsp
Lime juice – 2 Tsp
Vegetable Oil – 2 Tbsp
Coriander chopped – 2 Tsp

Preparation Method:
Wash the rice flakes under running water. Drain the water and keep aside.

In a frying pan heat the vegetable oil, add mustard seeds when they start crackling add the curry leaves.

Add the chopped onion to the pan now fry till it becomes soft; add green chilies, peanuts and diced boiled potatoes.mix well. Cook for two minutes.

Now add the washed flattened rice flakes, put in the turmeric powder. Mix thoroughly so that the turmeric is evenly coated on all the rice flakes. Cook further for two minutes.

Pour lime juice over the Poha. Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot

Paneer Pasanda

Ingredients:

1 cup of cubed paneer / cottage cheese
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup fresh curd
1 tsp Bengal gram flour (besan)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
About 2 pinches of dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp oil
Salt, as per taste
A handful of chopped coriander (optional)

For the paste:

1 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
2 green chillies
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1-2 stick of cinnamon (dalchini)
1-2 clove (laung)
1-2 green cardamom (elaichi)
1 cup of milk

Method:

In a pan, combine all the ingredients for the paste and cook on medium flame for about 10 minutes. At this point, the onions and the cauliflower should have softened and the nearly all the milk should have evaporated.

Once the mixture has cooled a bit, purée it to a smooth paste in a blender. Keep aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, curd and the gram flour. Whisk briskly to avoid lumps being formed.

In a separate non-stick pan, heat the oil. Keeping the pan on a low flame, add the kasoori methi and cumin seeds. As they brown slightly, add the paste. Sauté the mixture for about 5 minutes.

Add the curds and gram flour mix along with the salt and garam masala powder. Keep the flame on low while adding the curd mix. Continue to cook on medium flame.
Add the paneer and chopped coriander. Mix well.
Serve hot.

Samosas

All Purpose Flour- 500gm or 2Cups

Potato boiled-2

Peas boiled- 1/2 cup

Onion chopped- 1

Turmeric powder-1/2Tsp

Cumin seeds- 1/2 Tsp

Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp

Chilli chopped- 2

Corriander chopped-1 Tbsp

Salt- 1 tsp

Vegetable Oil- 2 Tbsp(extra oil will also be needed for deep frying)

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In a bowl take flour; add 1Tbsp oil and a pinch of salt. Knead the flour into soft dough along with some water. Keep refrigerated for 10 minutes.

Roughly mash the boiled potatoes, to it add the chopped onions, chopped chillies and boiled peas.

Heat some oil in a frying pan, add cumin and mustard seeds. When the seeds start crackling put the mashed potato mix into the frying pan. To the potato mix, add salt and turmeric. Mix well; sprinkle chopped coriander and keep aside to cool down.

To make the samosas, take a ball of the previously made dough. Roll it flat with the help of a rolling pin and cut the rolled out dough in the middle so that you have two almost equally sized portions in the shape of a ‘D’.

Make a cone out of each half. Fill the prepared potato stuffing into this cone and seal off the open portion by applying a little water and pinching the edges together. Repeat the process till all the dough is used up.

Deep fry the samosas in vegetable oil till they turn crisp and golden brown.

Kadhai Paneer (Cheese Dish)

Yummy , flavorful and creamy – are the three words for this mouth watering punjabi dish . Today I prepared this dish and served with parantha. This delicious dish goes well with any bread.

Paneer( cut into any shape that you like)
1 finely thin sliced onion
2-3 finely chopped tomatoes
1-2 bay leaves
1tbsp cumin seeds
4-5 finely chopped green chillies
2tbsp ginger garlic paste
Capsicum/Pepper cut into square
2 tbsp Kasuri Methi
1/1 tbsp coriander powder

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and fry onion and capsicum till onion turn translucent.
Remove them from oil and keep aside.
Now add finely chopped garlic,ginger and chilli to the same pan.Fry it for a while and then add sauteed onion and capsicum into it.
Stir in coriander powder.Then add the tomatoes,mix well and cook until tomatoes melt and the oil seperates.

Add kasuri methi and salt and stir them together.
Finally add the paneer pieces mix well,cover the pan with a lid and simmer for few minutes.
Now add chopped coriander leaves and if you want add sliced garlic,stir and switch off the heat.

Kheer (Indian style rice pudding)

Zunka

Zunka is ideal for these who love their food spicy. A Maharastrian speciality, this dish is generally served with Bhakri and onions but you may also enjoy it with rotis if you do not care for Bhakri.

1 1/4 cups besan (Bengal gram flour)
2 cups chopped onions
1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
2 tsp chopped ginger
2 tsp garlic, chopped
1 tsp chopped green chilli
2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 cup chopped coriander (dhania)
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method

Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
Add the cumin seeds, asafoetida and onions and cook till the onions are tender.
Add the ginger, garlic and green chilli and cook for some more time.
Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, Bengal gram flour and salt and cook over a slow flame till the flour is lightly browned.

Add 2½ cups of water, stirring continuously, till the Bengal gram flour thickens and leaves the sides of the pan. Cook over a slow flame for 4 to 5 minutes till the besan smells cooked.

Add the coriander and mix well.
Serve hot.

Ginger Chutney