Rajma Masala

Ingredients:

• Kidney Beans: 1 cup
• Onions(Finely chopped): 3/4 cup
• Tomatoes(finely chopped): 3/4 cup
• salt to taste
• Red Chilli Powder: 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder: 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder: 1 tsp
• Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp
• Aamchur Powder: 1/2 tsp
• Oil: 3 tbsp
• Cilantro(finely chopped): 3 tbsp
• Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
• Ginger Garlic paste: 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
• Kasuri Methi: 1 tsp

Procedure:

1. Soak the kidney beans in water overnight and pressure cook them until you get 7-8 whistles.
2. Add little salt to the water when cooking the kidney beans in the pressure cooker.
3. The kidney beans should be thoroughly cooked but they should not become mashed.
4. Add oil to pan and when the oil is heated add the cumin seeds.
5. Then add the onions, ginger garlic paste and the turmeric powder.
6. Cook the onions add little salt, until they become very soft and start oozing out oil. Now add the tomatoes and cook until the too become soft.
7. Now add the cumin powder,coriander powder and aamchur powder.
8. Now add the pressure cooked kidney beans along with the water and mix well.
9. Add the red chilli powder, kasuri methi and adjust the salt.
10. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes.
11. garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with hot steamed rice or roti.

Note:
You can add small amounts of the spices - garam masala, coriander powder and cumin powder to the water when cooking the beans in the pressure cooker.

Read more »

Alu Palak/Potato Spinach Curry

Other day when we were watching the soccer finals, hubby asked me if I knew why Holland dress color was Orange. I was like may be it was a color from their flag or a random color that they chose. Honestly, I did not know the answer. Then he told me that Dutch were the first ones to make orange carrots!
I laughed and said Carrots were supposed to be orange and what was it that they had to make specially. He then said that carrots were originally in purple color and the Dutch made the first orange carrots. I did not buy that. How could they even make an orange carrot from a purple carrot and even if they did what happened to the original purple carrot? They should have co existed right? How could a new invention totally eliminate an existing breed of carrots? There were so many questions in my mind and I quickly did a google search to find the answers.

To my surprise what my hubby said was true. Dutch created the orange carrots in honor of the House of Orange, the Dutch Royal Family. They created this by cross breeding pale yellow with red carrots and not from purple carrots. Hmm...so carrots existed in red and yellow colors too other than purple. Reading few more results I learned that carrots existed in purple, white, red and yellow colors. So what happened to all those now? I have seen a purple cabbage but never a purple carrot.

I have never seen a carrot any in any other color other than orange. May be I have seen some red carrots in India. We call them gajar. You can read more facts about the on carrots here. Well.... it was interesting to know about the different colors that carrots were/are available.

Okay, coming to the recipe part, it is not a carrot recipe. I just thought the carrot story was interesting to share.



Ingredients:

• Potato: 1
• Spinach (chopped): 1 cup
• Tomatoes(small): 1
• Onion(large): 1/2
• Salt as required
• Green Chillies: 3
• MDH Kitchen king masala or any curry powder: 1 tsp

Seasoning:

• Oil: 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves: 3
• Asoefetida(hing): a pinch

Procedure:

1. First chop the onions, potatoes and tomatoes into small pieces and keep aside.
2. Finely chop the spinach.
3. Add oil to a pan and when the oil is heated, add the seasoning ingredients in the order mentioned.
4. When the seeds start spluttering, add the chopped onions, add salt and cook until they turn golden brown in color.
5. Now add the potatoes and 1/2 cup of water and let the potatoes cook well.
6. when the potatoes are like half cooked, add the spinach and cover the pan with a lid and cook for few minutes.
7. When the potatoes are cooked well, add the tomatoes, green chillies and the kitchen king masala.
8. Add another 1/2 cup of water,cover with the lid and cook for another 5 minutes.
9. Make sure that you add tomatoes only after the potatoes are cooked. Potatoes do not cook well in the tomato gravy.
10. Remove the lid, mix well and adjust the salt.
11. Serve with roti or steamed rice.

Read more »

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken..........the name itself makes my mouth water. Who doesn't like butter chicken? Butter chicken and naan......can there be a better combo?
This recipe is by my friend 'S'.
Vegetarians can substitute chicken with paneer and that makes Paneer butter masala.



Ingredients:

• Chicken – 1.5 lbs, boneless skinless thighs
• Lemon Juice – 3 tbsp
• Red Chili Powder – to taste
• Salt – to taste
• Yogurt – 1/2 cup
• Ginger & Garlic Paste – 4 tsp
• Tandoori Masala – 2 tsp
• Unsalted Butter – 1.5 tbsp
• Garam Masala – 2 tsp
• Big Cardamom – 3
• Green Cardamom – 4
• Cinnamon Stick – 1″ pc.
• Bay Leaf – 2
• Tomatoes – 3 large, pureed
• Sugar – 1 tsp or to taste
• Dried Methi Leaves (Kasoori Methi) – 1 tbsp
• Green Chili – to taste, finely chopped
• Heavy Whipping Cream – 1 cup or to taste
• Cilantro – 3 sprigs, finely chopped

Procedure:

1. Cut the Chicken to bite-size pieces and wash it well.
2. In a bowl add the following to the chicken pieces – Lemon Juice, 2 tsps of Ginger & Garlic Paste, Tandoori Masala, Red Chili Powder, Salt and Yogurt.
3.  Mix well and marinate in the refrigerator overnight for best results or atleast a couple of hours.
4. Grease a broiler dish with ghee, oil or cooking spray and layer the Chicken in a single layer. Broil on high for 5-7 minutes on each side. Keep an eye on it as every oven varies.  The size of the chicken pieces makes a difference and where you place the rack in the oven plays a big role in how long the chicken needs to be cooked.
5. For the gravy, in a medium size pan on medium heat, melt and heat the Butter.
6. Once hot, add the Cardamoms, Bay Leaf and Cinnamon Stick. Fry for 1 minute.
7. Add the balance of Ginger and Garlic paste and fry of 30 secs.
8. Add in the Green Chilis and the Tomato Puree. Mix well.
9. Add in the Salt, Red Chili Powder and Garam Masala and mix well.
10. Allow it to come to a boil and then lower the heat and let the gravy simmer for 10 minutes till most of the juice from the tomatoes evaporates.
11.  Add in the Sugar and the Dried Methi Leaves and allow it to cook for another 2 minutes before adding broiled Chicken pieces. Mix well to coat Chicken.
12.  Add the Whipping Cream, mix and allow it to come to a boil and take it off the flame.
13.  At this point, do a taste test and adjust the salt, sugar and the liquid in the gravy.
14.  Mix in half the Cilantro in the dish and garnish the balance while serving.

Alternatives-

  If you don’t have access to a broiler dish …use metal skewers or wooden ones (soaked) or just barbeque them on the grill.
* Use Oil instead of Butter. But butter gives good flavor for butter chicken.
* Substitutes for Heavy Whipping Cream – Half and Half, Evaporated Milk, or Milk Powder

Read more »