Chatpate Chole

Since I have started cooking, I have tried several different recipes of chole.  Each time I add/eliminate some ingredients.  Even the quantity varies each time.  This recipe is not authentic but the result is some thing all my family & friends like.

Ingredients:

1 cup Chole(chikpeas)/Garbanzo beans soaked overnight

2 Onions chopped finely

2 Tomatoes chopped finely

1 tsp Red chilli powder

2 tsp Coriander powder

1 Green chilli slit lengthwise
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tsp Chole masaala
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil

Method:
Cook the soaked chickpeas with some salt till soft but not mushy, keep aside.

In a pan heat oil and add onion and green chilli saute till onion turns brown.

Add turmeric, chilli powder and coriander powder saute.
Now add the finely chopped tomatoes saute till the mixture leaves oil.
Add the cooked chickpeas with the water.  Mash some of the chickpeas with the back of the ladle.
Add the chole masala.
Mix well and let it boil on a slow flame & simmer for 5 minutes 
Adjust salt.
The trick is do all the procedure on a low heat.
Serve hot with Kulcha, tikki, Paratha, Bhatura, Puri or even chapati.
I served mine with Shrikhand & Puri.

Happy Mothers Day and Bottal gourd kofta in spinach gravy

Happy Mothers Day!!!!!!

I always buy bottle gourd to make halwa.  But till date I could never make it either it ends in dust bin or it goes into curry/sambar/dal.  But this time, I thought of using it differently.  I thought of making koftas in spinach gravy.  The koftas turn really melt in mouth, and both my sons and dear H enjoyed and ate them without any complain.

Ingredients:
For Koftas:
1 cup bottle gourd peeled and grated
1 cup paneer crumbled/grated
3 tbsp Besan/bengal gram flour
2-3 green chillies
2 tsp coriander leaves
salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

For gravy:
2 bunch Spinach leaves
1 medium onion(Chopped)
1/2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup Tomato Puree
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp Kitchen king masala
1 tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp oil

Method:
Wash the bottle guard and pill it.
After peeling it, grate the bottle guard, and squeeze it to remove the water.  Add the curmbled paneer.
Put gram flour in bottle guard along with salt, green chilies and coriander leaves. Mix it well .The mixture should be appropriate for making kofte.  Make golf-ball sized ball and fry the koftas on low flame.
You can adjust the thickness by adding or reducing the gram flour.  Remember not to burn the koftas.

Wash the spinach leaves properly.
In a kadhai, add 1/2 tsp oil, add the spinach leaves and a little salt, stir, and close the lid of the pan.
Remove the wilted spinach on a plate and allow it cool down. Then grind it with ½ spoon of sugar.
Now in a pan heat butter and remaining oil, add ginger garlic paste into it. Fry it for 2 minutes.
Then add onion in this and fry till it turn golden brown color.
Once onion turned brown in color add tomato puree and turmeric powder, chilli powder, Kitchen King masala and salt.  Fry it well till the masala starts leaving oil on the sides.  Now add spinach puree in this.
Keep stirring it properly so it should not get burned.
In a serving plate place the koftas and pour the gravy on top of it.
Serve hot with steamed rice/roti/parathas.

Stuffed brinjal curry

The other day, when I went to indian grocery store, I saw those green small brinjals.  In last few years, this was the first time I saw the green brinjals in USA.  Immediately I purchased them, because I love them a lot.  This is my aunt's recipe.  For this curry, use small green brinjals as far as possible.  If you can't find the green brinjals you can use the other variety, but it tastes great with the green brinjals.

Ingredients:
8-10 Green small brinjals.
2 Med sized onions
8-10 garlic cloves
1 cup peanuts powder
1 inch ginger
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Goda Masala (Recipe some time later)
1 tsp Red chilli powder
2 tsp Coriander Powder
2 tsp cuminJeera Powder
A key lime sized jaggery or according to your taste(Optional)
Salt
1 tsp Coriander Leaves chopped
Oil
1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
4-5 curry leaves

Method:
Trim the stems of the brinjals but don't remove them.  Make a deep +-shaped cut without cutting all the way.  Take care not to cut the brinjal in 4 pieces.  Keep the slitted brinjals in salt water.
Chop oniions finely.  Add peanut's powder, grated coconut, Goda masala, Chilli powder, Coriander and Cumin powder, jaggery and lemon juice.  Now grate the ginger and garlic and mix everything.  Add coriander leaves and salt.  Add a tbsp of oil and mix everything together.
Stuff this mixture in the brinjals.
In a small pressure cooker or in a kadhai, heat oil.  When the oil is hot eanough, add mustard and cumin seeds.  Add the curry leaves and all the brinjals one by one carefully.  Sprinkle some salt on the brinjals.
Now this is a most important and crucial stage.  Only experts can do this.  Hold both the handles and shake the brinjals.  In this process, you should lift the cooker/kadhai off your gas and.  Ideally all the brinjals should get turned up side down.
If you have any stuffing left out add now.  If using pressure cooker add 3/4 cup water and close the lid of the cooker.  Switch off the gas after two whistles.  If using kadhai, close the lid and when cooked enough switch off the gas.
Serve hot with steamed rice/chapati/roti/bhakari.

Note: 
1.  If  you do not have goda masala you can use MTR Multipurpose Curry Powder.
2.  If you have Kanda Lasun masala use that and omit the chilli powder.

Kaala Chana-Aloo Masala

When I was a child every friday my mom used to make this something with kala chana.  Either kala chana Aamati or masala curry or just boiled with salt and sprinkle some chat masala and chili powder over it.  Sometimes she used to add some chopped onions, tomatoes and coriander and serve as chaat.  In the evening while returning from office my Dad used to get some salted and roasted chana-shengadana,
packed in a paper cone still little warm.  As soon as he is home we all used to sit together and finish our share while it is still hot/warm.  Oh, those olden, golden days will never be back.

This friday I made this curry to go with some pooris. 

Ingredients:
1 Cup kala channa soaked overnight and cooked
2 Medium Potatoes boiled, peeled and diced
2 Tomatoes diced
1 big Onion finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1.5 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder
2 tsp Dhania Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Jeera
1 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Ghee (Optional)
2 tbsp Chopped cilantro to garnish
Salt to taste

What to do: 
Heat the oil and ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and season with jeera. Add the chopped onions and ginger garlic paste. Fry till dark brown. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till soft.  Add the diced potatoes.
When the tomatoes turn soft, add turmeric, chilli powder, dhania powder, cumin powder and salt. Add the cooked channa and a cup of water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Add garam masala, cover and cook till oil separates.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with puris/rotis/pulav varieties.

Malai Kofta

This is one of my favorite dish in indian restaurants.  From childhood I used to eat this in restaurants and appreciate the cook who makes them really soft & like melt in mouth.  Now a days, even my 3 yr old also knows what to order in a desi restaurant first is "cheese balls in gravy". 

List of ingredients:

For the koftas

2 Red Potatoes, boiled 

1 green chilli, finely chopped

1 small carrot grated

1 cup soft & freshly made Paneer grated

2 tbsp Besan/chana flour
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

For the Gravy
1 red onions, medium sized
2-3 tomatoes, big size

1 tsp homemade ginger paste

3-4 green chillies ground to paste
10 cashews soaked in water for 30 minutes

1/4 cup grated paneer (Optional)

1tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

1 cup, whole milk or 1/2 cup cream

Method:

 

Peel the skin and cut onions to chunk pieces. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet. Add onion, and saute to brown on high heat, stirring in-between.  Blanch the tomatoes to remove the skin.  Make a paste of the onions and puree the tomatoes.  Keep aside.

Make a fine paste of cashew, ginger and chillies.  Adding a little water if required.
In a bowl, mash the boiled potatoes, grate the carrot & paneer.  Add the chopped green chilli and besan flour.  Mix everything together. Shape the koftas, either round or cylindrical shape.  If making round they should be about ping-pong ball size. 
Heat oil in a kadhai or deep frying pan.  Deep fry the koftas till light brown.

Place a wide, deep pan on the stove-top. Add and heat a tablespoon of oil. When oil is hot, add the roasted onion paste, cashew paste. Saute for five minutes on medium heat, constantly stirring. Add the tomato puree, turmeric, milk or cream. Combine well. Have a taste and add salt and garam masala. Cover and simmer the sauce on medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring in-between. Avoid high heat and take care not to blacken the sauce at the bottom of the pan. When the sauce starts to thicken, turn off the heat.

Place the koftas in the serving dish, pour the gravy on the koftas 10-15 minutes before serving.  Decorate with the left out grated paneer if using.

Delicious malai kofta ready to be served with any flat bread or flavoured rice like Saffron rice or Jeera Rice. 
 
                            

Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda

Kadhi is made differently in different regions in India. The Maharashtrian Kadhi is hot and spicy. The Gujrathi Kadhi is a little sweetish to taste. The famous Sindhi Kadhi has only the name Kadhi but no buttermilk.  South Indian Mor Kuzhambu is nothing but Kadhi with occasional addition of vada in it (I will blog it sometime later).

This is not an authentic recipe and I have made some changes to suite to my family's taste buds.

Ingredients

For Pakoda

3/4 Cup Besan / Gram flour

1 tbsp Rice flour

1 medium Onion chopped
1 tbsp fresh Coriander/cilantro leaves
1 Green chilly chopped
1/2 tsp Ajwain/Ova/Omam
1 tsp Chilly powder
Salt to taste

A pinch of Baking Soda(optional)

Water required

Oil to deep fry

For Kadhi-

3 Cups Curd beaten with 1/2-1 cup water

1/4 cup Besan/Gram flour
2 whole Dry red chili
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Chilly powder
A pinch of Hing
½ tsp ginger garlic paste
½ tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
3-4 green chillies, chopped
1/2 tsp Jeera seeds
1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
Few curry leaves
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Dhania/Cilantro leaves for garnishing (Optional)
Method

For Pakoda :
Mix all the ingredients for the Pakora except the oil.  Heat oil in a kadai for frying the pakodas.  Add 1 tbsp of hot oil to the pakoda mixture.  Add water and mix nicely to make a thick batter.  Check if the oil is sufficiently hot by putting a drop of the batter in the oil.It sizzles right away and floats on the top.  Using a spoon (teaspoon) drop portions of the batter in the hot oil and fry till golden brown.  Drain on a paper napkin.

For the Kadhi :
Mix the buttermilk with the besan and blend it thoroughly, ensuring that no lumps are formed.  Add salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.  In a wok/kadai heat oil.  Add the mustard seeds and once they crackle add the cumin seeds and the dry red chillies.  Add the fenugreek seeds and then the ginger garlic paste and the chopped green chillies.  Now add the buttermilk- besan mixture heat the mixture on a medium.  Bring to a boil continuously stirring.  If you won't stir, the curd will split.  The Kadhi will thicken after a few minutes.  Switch off the gas and add the Pakodas.  Garnish with coriander leaves. 

Serve hot with Steamed Rice. 

Veg. Manchurian

This is also one such family favorite recipe. I make it atleast once a week. My elder son who is a poor eater loves this. He eats the manchurian balls without the sauce while I am still frying them. He says they are like pakodas. So I always make some extra batches of manchu balls.

For Manchurian balls
Cabbage- 2 cups finely chopped
Carrots- 2 grated
garlic-2 cloves chopped finely
green chilli- 1 chopped finely or Green Chilli sauce 1 tsp
spring onions(scallions)- 1/2 bunch chopped finely
cornstarch- 3 tbsp
Pinch of Aji-no-moto
salt to taste
chilli powder- 1 tsp
oil for deep frying

For Manchurian Sauce
Spring onions- 1/2 bunch chopped finely
ginger- 1/2" piece chopped finely
garlic - 2 cloves chopped finely
green chilli- 1 chopped finely
chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Soya sauce- 2-3 tsp
cornstarch- 1 tbsp
water- 1.5 cup
salt to taste
oil-4 tsp

This is how I make it-


Mix all the ingredients under the for manchurian balls except oil for deep frying in a bowl with hand and no need to add water as the water from vegetables are enough to bind.
Make small balls out of this mixture and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.

For the manchurian sauce heat oil in a pan. You can use the same oil in which manchurian balls were fried. Add ginger, garlic and the spring onions. saute for a minute and add salt. Meanwhile make a mixture of chilli powder, corn flour and soya sauce. Add water to it and pour the paste in hot oil carefully. Boil till bubbles arise.

When the sauce starts to thicken add the manchurian balls and remove from the stove immediately. If you like add some top green portion of the spring onions. Serve right away with Fried Rice.

If not serving immediately make the sauce when you have plans of servings as it thickens immediately.

Shahi Jackfruit Kofta

These kofta's I made for my son's birthday for the first time and was a major hit. It won't take long time to make these & very easy.

Ingredients required:

For Koftas

1 tin green jackfruit

2 Med Potatoes

4 Tbsp Besan/Chana dal flour

3-4 Green Chillies finely chopped

2 Tbsp Cilantro finely chopped

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

For gravy:

1/2 finely choppped onion

1 tomato finely chopped

10-15 Cashew nuts soaked in water

5-7 Almonds soaked in water

3-4 Tbsp Sour cream

3-4 Tbsp Heavy whipping cream

4-5 green chillies

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/2 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp Oil

1 Tbsp Ghee/clarified butter

Salt to taste

1 Tbsp chopped Cilantro (Optional)

How to make:

Koftas:

Boil potatoes & drained jackfruit pieces. Squize out the water from jackfruit even after boiling to the maximum possible extent. In a bowl, mash both of them together. Add the chillies, salt & cilantro. Sprinkle the besan & make soft golf-ball sized balls. Heat oil in a kadhai. Deep fry the Koftas/balls in the hot oil & remove on a tissue paper.

Gravy:

In another kadhai/pan, heat the oil & ghee. Add the cumin seeds, chillies, onion, sprinkle the sugar & keep stirring till onions are soft. Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, salt. When the onion & tomatoes become very soft almost like paste add sour cream. Meanwhile make a thick paste of cashew & almonds. Add the paste of cashews & almonds. Add a cup fo water cover & let boil. Now in a serving bowl, arrange the koftas, pour the gravy on the koftas. Decorate with the heavy cream & cilantro.

Serve with rice, roti or parathas. Goes well with anything.