Chhole

Ingredients:

Chick peas - 1/2 kg (kabuli channa)
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Chhole masala powder - 3 tsp
Salt to taste
Tamarind Paste - 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1 medium finely chopped
Potato - 2 medium
Cilantro finely chopped

Preparation:

Wash and soak the channa overnight. Take a pressure cooker put the kabuli channa, remove the skin of the potato, put them in the pressure cooker along with the kabuli channa and enough water to cover the channa and potatoes and pressure cook them for 3-4 whistles. Then lower the flame for a few minutes before taking off the flame. Once the steam escapes from the pressure cooker, don't drian the water.

Take the potatoes and mash them properly and keep them aside. Take a pan add 2 tbsp of oil, add onions and fry them till little golden colour. Then add turmeric, chilli powder, chhole masala and salt. Saute for a few seconds then add kabuli channa, mash potatoes, tamarind paste and mix it well. Then on a lower flame cook for 10-15 minutes. Add a little water if u require gravy. Garnish it with cilantro and serve it with rice or puri.

Paneer Fried Rice.

Ingrediant:

Basmati rice - 2 cup
Paneer - 1 cup
Onion - 2 medium
Capsicum - 1/2 cup
Carrot - 1/2 cup
Peas - 1/2 cup
Green Chilli - 5
Butter or Oil - 4 tbsp
Salt to taste

Cilantro finely chopped

Preparation:

Wash and soak the rice with 3 cups of water for half an hour. Cut the onions, green chilli, capsicum and carrot and keep them aside.

Take a pan add oil, onions, chillies and fry it till soft. Add paneer and fry till they turn brown colour, then add all the vegetables one by one stirring for a few seconds.

Add all this to the rice, add salt and cook the rice till its done. Garnish it with cilantro and serve it with a spicy side dish.

Sorakaya Curry (Bottle Gourd Curry)

Ingredients:

Bottle gourd - 3 cups
Channa dal - 2 tbsp
Tomato - 1
Onion - 1 medium
Methi leaves -1/2 cup
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Cilantro finely chopped - 1/2 cup


Preparation:

Wash channa dal and soak in water for 15 minutes. Remove the skin of the bottle gourd, wash and cut them into small cubes. Take a pressure cooker add oil, onions. Fry the onions till golden brown then add methi leaves, channa dal, tomato and saute them till the tomatoes get soft.

Then add turmeric, coriander powder, chilli powder, little water and saute it for few seconds.Add bottle gourd, mix it well, add milk and pressure cook it for 15 minutes. Garnish it with cilantro and serve it with roti or rice.

Mushroom Dum Biryani

Ingredients:

Fresh button mushrooms, quartered 15-20 medium
Basmati rice, soaked - 3 cups
Bay leaf - 1
Cloves - 4
Green cardamoms - 2
Black cardamoms - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Mace - 1 blade
Salt to taste
Oil - 5 tbps
Onions, finely sliced - 2 medium
Ginger paste - 2 tps
Garlic paste - 2 tps
Red chilli powder - 1 tps
Coriander powder - 1 tbps
Peppercorns, crushed - ½ tps
Cumin powder - ½ tps
Turmeric powder - ½ tps
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Skimmed milk yogurt, whisked - ½ cup
Garam masala powder -1 tps
Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped - ¼ cup
Fresh mint leaves, torn - ¼ cup
Saffron a pinch
Skimmed milk - ¼ cup

Preparation:

1. Disslove saffron in the milk and keep it aside. Bring four cups of water to a boil in a thick-bottomed vessel. Add bay leaf, cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cinnamon, mace and one teaspoon salt. When the water starts boiling, drain the soaked basmati rice and add.

2. Cook for eight to ten minutes, stirring frequently or until the rice is three fourth done. Drain in a colander.

3. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add sliced onions and stir-fry over high heat until the onion turns translucent. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and sauté briefly.

4. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, crushed peppercorns, cumin powder and turmeric powder. Stir-fry briefly and add the tomatoes.

5. Continue cooking over high heat for another two to three minutes, stirring continuously or until masala is fairly thick.

6. Add the whisked skimmed milk yogurt, garam masala powder and half the quantity of chopped fresh coriander and mint leaves. Stir well and cook for two minutes more.

7. Add the quartered button mushrooms and salt to taste. Stir-fry over high heat for two to three minutes and remove from heat.

8. Arrange the cooked rice and mushroom masala in alternate layers in an oven proof dish (or Biryani handi), sprinkling the remaining chopped fresh coriander and torn mint leaves and saffron dissolved in skimmed milk after each layer. Ensure that the top most layer is of rice.

9. Cover the assembled biryani with a tight fitting lid and seal the edges with kneaded atta dough (if required).

10. Keep the sealed dish on a medium hot tawa and leave for 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, leave the sealed dish in a preheated oven at 200?C for 10-15 minutes.

11. Break the seal and open the biryani, just before serving

Tomato Chutney.

Ingrediants:

Tomatoes - 6

Red chilli's - 20

Garlic - 1 tps

Cumin seeds - 1 tps

Coriander seeds - 2 tbps

Turmeric - 1/2 tps

Urad dal - 1/2 tps

Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Grind coriander seeds, 1/2 tps of cumin seeds and red chilli's to a fine powder. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Add 1 tbps of oil and cook the tomatoes, add salt. Continue cooking until there is not water left in the tomatoes. Let the tomatoes to cool down. Grind the tomatoes, garlic and add the powder that we prepared before, to a fine paste. Take a pan add 1 tbps of oil, cumin seeds, curry leaves, urad dal and turmeric. When it starts to splutter of the stove and add the tomatoes paste and mix it well.

Brinjal Fry.

Ingredients:

Brinjal - 1 pound
Onion - 1
Urad dal - 1/2 tps
Coriander powder - 1 tps
Chilli powder - 1/2 tps
Turmeric a pinch
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
Cilantro finely chopped

Preparations:

Cut the brinjal to small pieces and onions. Take a pan add a little oil, urad dal, onions and fry it till golden brown. Add curry leaves, turmeric, coriander powder, saute for a few seconds then add the brinjal mix them well. Close the lid and cook it on a medium flame without adding water. When it is almost done add chilli powder and salt and fry it for another 10 minutes. Garnish it with cilantro.

Potato Curry.

Ingredients:

Potato - 1 pound
Peas & Beans - 1 cup
Poppy seeds - 1 tps
Coconut - 3 tps
Cashew nuts - 1 tbps
Green chilli's - 10
Chilli powder - 1/2 tps
Salt to Taste
Cinnomon - 1 inch
Clove - 1
Cardamon - 1
Jeera - 1/2 tps
Curd - 2 tbps

Cilantro finely chopped

Preparations:

Cut the potatoes, mix them with a pinch of turmeric and salt. Fill half the pan with oil, when the oil gets hot put the potatoes, fry them till golden brown. Grind poppy seeds, coconut and cashew nuts to a fine paste.

Take a little oil in a pan add jeera, clove, cinnomon, cardamon and wait till they splutter. Then add onion, G.chilli's, fry them till they turn golden brown, add turmeric, ginger & garlic paste, chilli powder, salt, potatoes, peas, beans and mix them well. Saute them for 1 minute then add the paste that we prepared before and curd. Close the lid and cook them till the vegetables are done. Garnish it with cilantro and serve it with rice or roti.
Garnish it with cilantro and serve it with jeera rice or roti.

Tindora Fry.

ingredients:

Tindora - 1 pound
Curry leaves
Peanuts - 1 tbps
Coriander powder - 1/2 tps
Cashew nuts - 1 tbps
Coconut powder - 1 tbps
Besan - 3 tbps
Chilli powder - 1 tps
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tps
Ginger & garlic paste - 1/2 tps

Preparation:

Mix tindora with chilli powder, salt, besan, ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder and turmeric. Fill half the pan with oil. When the oil gets hot, fry the tindora on a medium flame till it turns light brown. Remove it from the oil and leave it to drain on absorbent paper towels.

Take a pan put 1 tbps of oil add peanuts, cashew nuts, curry leaves, add fried tindora and coconut , mix everything well and fry it for 1 time.