Tag: Main Dishes

Serves: 5

Ingredients:

1 potatoes (medium-sized and finely sliced) –Blanched

1 cup French beans (chopped)- Blanched

1 head of cabbage (medium, chopped)

½ Cup Tofu Cubed

1 Capsicum Diced

2 Tbsp. ginger paste

1 Tbsp. Corn Starch Slurry

1 Tbsp. Soy sauce

1 Tbsp. Garlic Paste

1 Tbsp. Spring Onion

salt to taste

3 cups water

Method:

Heat oil in a wok , on high heat, add chopped onion , in a minute add other veggies garlic paste , toss for a minute, add soy sauce and salt to taste . Add Water and bring to boil . Mash potatoes with a spoon to thicken gravy and stir in ginger paste and corn starch slurry. Garnish with Spring Onions.

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients:

10-12 Parwal (Wax Gourd)- Slit and deseeded

Cooking oil to deep fry

The Filling:

100 gm Bengal gram flour (Besan)

½ Tbsp. turmeric powder

2 Tbsp. clarified butter

½ Tbsp. cumin seeds

½ Tbsp. Fennel Seed

1 medium size onion (chopped)

4 green chillies (chopped)

½ Tbsp. fresh coriander(chopped)

½ Tbsp. dry mango powder

¼ Tbsp. black pepper powder

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, fennel seeds wait for splutter, add onions, fry till golden brown. Add turmeric powder and Bengal gram flour , reduce heat. Roast well , add salt to taste. Once cooked, separate from the pan, add green chilies, fresh coriander, mango powder and black pepper. Mix well. Stuff the parwal with the filling. Shallow fry the stuffed parwal in a frying pan on medium heat , use clarified butter . Fry on all the sides of parwal , however be careful when frying on the open side.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

250 gm bitter gourd

2 Tbsp. Mint Paste

2 tsp ginger paste

2 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp turmeric powder salt to taste

Stuffing of Bitter Gourd:

100 gm Roasted Gram Flour

50 gm peanuts

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

1 onions (large, chopped and roasted)

2 inch piece of ginger (ground to a paste)

1 Tbsp. Spice Mix (garam masala)

2 green chilies

1 Tbsp. fresh coriander

1 Tbsp. tamarind pulp extract

1 Tbsp. jaggery (crumbled)

salt to taste

For Tempering:

1 Tbsp. oil

¼ Tbsp. cumin seeds

¼ Tbsp. mustard seeds

¼ Tbsp. fennel seeds

For Shallow Frying

2 Tbsp. Mustard Oil

Method:

Wash the bitter gourd, slit, rub salt and set side for 1 hour. Heat water in a bowl, add salt, ginger and garlic pastes and turmeric. Bring to a boil, add bitter gourd and blanch until soft. Drain and marinate with Mint Paste , keep aside.

Take peanuts, sesame seeds, cumin seeds and a roasted onion, in a blender, add little water and make a paste. Add ginger, green chillies, coriander, jaggery, tamarind paste and spice mix masala and salt with the paste and mix well.

Heat oil in a frying pan add cumin, fennel and mustard seeds, fry until they begin to splutter. Remove and pour over the paste, mix well

Stuff the mixture in each of the blanched bitter gourd and keep aside. In a shallow frying pan take 2 Tbsp. of Mustard oil, shallow fry the stuffed bitter gourd, be careful not to flip the open side. You can alternately bake the stuffed karelas (Bitter Gourd),arrange stuffed bitter gourd in a greased roasting tray with the open end on top, cover with foil, punch a couple of holes in the foil and cook in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Remove and uncover.

Ingredients:

250 gm bajre ka atta (millet flour)

2 Tbsp. Butter

salt to taste

100 ml lukewarm water

Method:

Sieve the atta with salt into a tray. Make a bay in the centre, pour water in it and start mixing gradually. When fully mixed, knead to obtain a soft dough. Cover with a moist cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Divide into 8 equal portions, make balls of cover it for 10 minutes.

Flatten each ball between the palms to make a round disc, place the roti on a preheated griddle and bake for about 1 minutes on medium heat. Turn and continue to bake, gently pressing with a cushioned pad. Remove when the bread begins to puff up, it changes colour and is marked with dark patches. Serve with butter.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1Cup Yellow Lentil ( Reg Gram, Tuvar, Arhar) soaked in water for 30 minutes

¼ Tbsp. turmeric powder

1/2 Tbsp. coriander powder

2 tsp garlic (chopped)

2 tsp ginger (chopped)

¼ Cup Chopped Tomatoes

2 Tbsp. ghee/clarified butter 3-4 cloves

Pinch of asafoetida

salt to taste

Fresh coriander (chopped)

3 cups Water

Method:

Boil water in a pan and add the soaked dal with coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Cover and continue boiling till the water has almost evaporated and the dal softens. Add some boiled water and chopped tomatoes ,cover again and leave on a slow fire till it is soft to touch, but not overcooked.

Heat ghee in a pan and splutter the cumin seeds, cloves and asafoetida. Now add the chopped garlic and ginger pieces. Fry till golden brown and pour them over the dal. Garnish it with fresh coriander. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Makes: 8

Ingredients:

500 gm plain flour (maida)

1/2 cup clarified butter (desi ghee)

200 gm potatoes (peeled and grated)

175 gm cauliflower (washed and grated)

2 Tbsp. cottage cheese (grated)

2 tsp ginger (chopped)

1 Tbsp. coriander (fresh and chopped fine)

1 tsp coriander (seeds, broiled and crushed) | Tbsp. green chillies (deseeded and chopped) 1/4 cup onion (chopped)

1 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp dried pomegranate seed powder (anaardaana) 1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp carom seeds

1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves

1 tsp garam masala

salt to taste

Method :

Mix all the Ingredients: except the salt, plain flour and clarified butter in a bowl and divide it into 8 equal portions.

Sieve the refined flour with salt into an open stainless steel platter (paraat). Pour some water in the sieved refined flour and start mixing till a soft dough is made. Keep aside this dough for about 30 minutes covered with a moist cloth. Add half the clarified butter, knead again and cover and keep aside the dough for another 10 minutes. Now, make eight balls from the dough and put aside for about 5 minutes. Now, put the balls on a floured surface one by one and go on flattening with a rolling pin into round discs of about 4-5 inch diameter. Put some filling in the middle of each such round disc, enfold the filling and then seal the edges. Flatten the disc again with a rolling pin, taking care not to let the filling ooze out. For cooking, one can either use a tandoor or an oven. In a tandoor, place the flattened disc on a cushioned pad and stick inside a moderately warm tandoor. Let the disc bake for 2-3 minutes and then take it out with tongs. While using an oven, place the disc on a greased baking tray and let it bake for about 10 minutes. After removing the baked kulcha, apply clarified butter or butter and serve hot.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

250 gm bottle gourd (peeled and grated)

50 gm gram flour

50 gm paneer

2 Medium Size Potato (boiled and peeled)

5-6 Tbsp. cooking oil

1/4 cup clarified butter

2 green chillies (seeded and finely chopped)

1 inch ginger pieces (1 inch, finely chopped)

1 cup milk

4Tbsp. Cream

100 gm onions (pureed)

2 tsp garlic paste

1tsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly roasted and coarsely ground)

1/2 tsp black cardamom powder

8-10 dried apricot

10 blanched pistachio

2 green cardamoms

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

salt to taste

Method:

Put the bottle gourd in a pan, add a little salt and boil until cooked. Drain and then squeeze in a napkin to remove moisture.

Mix gram flour, potatoes, paneer, green chillies, ginger, pepper and salt with bitter gourd and knead well. Divide into 8-10 equal portions and make balls. Flatten the balls between the palms, place an apricot and piece of pistachio in the middle and make balls again.

Heat oil in a wok and deep-fry the balls over medium heat until golden brown. Drain out extra fat by using absorbent paper.

Now, heat clarified butter in a pan, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf and stir over medium heat until cardamom begins to change colour. Add onion puree and stir until it is golden brown. Add ginger and garlic pastes and stir

Next, add cashew paste and stir-fry until specks of fat begin to appear on the surface. Add about 1 cup milk and 4 Tbsp. Cream add salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the fried balls made earlier and let it simmer for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle cardamom powder and garnish with ginger juliennes and apricot slices.

Ingredients:

300 gm potatoes, (Small to medium size) Boiled and peeled

2 Tbsp. mustard oil

1 Tbsp. Jakhya seeds

a pinch of turmeric powder

salt to taste

For Garnish: Fresh red chillies and a sprig of fresh green coriander.

Method:

Heat the oil in a kadhai or thick bottomed pan and bring it to a smoking point. Reduce heat and sprinkle the Jakhya seeds, and wait till they crackle, add the pinch of turmeric powder and boiled potatoes. Stir well and sprinkle very little water just to moisten. Add salt cover and cook on very low heat till the potatoes are tender. Uncover and stir once or twice, sprinkling very small amounts of water whenever required. Serve hot, garnished with fried or roasted red chillies and fresh coriander leaves.

Ingredients: 

Marinating Paneer and Veggies 

200 gm paneer (cottage cheese) 

1 Cup Capsicum  (green or yellow or red Cut in big chunks) rinsed and pat dried  

1 large onion (cut into big chunks) 

150 grams thick  yogurt  (hung curd)  

½ Tbsp. turmeric powder (haldi) 

½ Tbsp. black pepper powder (kali mirch powder) or white pepper powder 

½ Tbsp. carom seeds (ajwain) 

½ Tbsp. kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) 

1 Tbsp. coriander powder  

1 Tbsp. cumin powder  

1 Tbsp. Tandoori masala powder 

½ Tbsp. dry mango powder (amchur powder) 

1/2  Tbsp. kashmiri red chili powder  

1 Tbsp.  ginger garlic paste  

½  Tbsp. lime juice 

1 Tbsp. Oil  

¼ Tbsp. Rock Salt 

Regular salt to taste 

For Tandoori sauce  

1 onion (medium size chopped finely)  

½ Tbsp.. Ginger Garlic paste   

1 tsp. red chili powder  

1tsp turmeric powder  

 1 tsp. garam masala  

½ tsp. dried mango powder  

1 green chili chopped   

½ cup Full Cream   

1 Tbsp.. of tandoori masala  

½ cup tomato puree  

Salt to taste  

¼ Tbsp.. brown sugar   

1 Tbsp.. cooking oil  

1/4 cup water  

 Method 

Whisk the yogurt in a bowl, add all the above listed spices, ginger garlic paste, lime juice, salts and ½ Tbsp. oil . Use your  hand to mix well.  You may like to check for seasoning at this point , adjust as required. Now add the diced vegetables (onion,  capsicum) and Paneer cubes . Make sure the marinade coats the veggies and paneer evenly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for at least few hours. I keep it for overnight. Prepare your charcoal barbeque, skew the marinated vegetables, paneer, potato and Mushrooms, keep it on the  red hot charcoal, on the stipulated place. Flip , check it the  grilling is even , in between coat  ghee or oil on the grilling veggies etc.  Once you get charred marks on the paneer etc., its time to take it off from heat and serve hot with mint –yogurt chutney and onion rings, with generous 

Tandoori Sauce  

Heat the oil in a pan, add chopped onion and chopped chilies, sauté for 2 minutes. Blend the sautéed onions by using as little water possible. Once paste is done, pore it again on the pan, add ginger garlic paste, stir for a minute, add tomato puree, stir for a minute, and now add turmeric, chili powder, dry mango powder, tandoori masala and salt to taste. Keep stirring for 3 minutes, add water and boil just once. Remove pan from the heat. Now blend the entire onion tomato curry in a blender. You will get sauce like consistency. Put pan on heat and pour the entire mixture into the pan use high heat, add brown sugar, if possible flambé by turning your pan side wise closer to the flame. Add cream, stir and remove from the heat. Tandoori sauce is now ready , add grilled paneer along with other veggies. Saute for a while, garnish with green coriander and green chili.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice (soaked for 20 minutes)s

1/4 cup red gram (Pigeon Pea arhar dal)

2 Tsp coriander seeds

½ Tsp fenugreek seeds

1 Tbsp. coconut sgrated)

1 Tbsp. Bengal gram (chana dal)

1 lime-sized tamarind extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

250 gm tomatoes (chopped)

50 gm fried onion paste

1 drumsticks (cut into pieces)

1 carrots (cut into pieces)

5 beans (cut into pieces)

2 potatoes (cut into pieces)

2 green chillies (slit)

250 gm small onions ( optional)

1 Tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

For the Tempering: 1 Tbsp. oil

6-8 curry leaves

1 Tsp mustard seeds a pinch of asafoetida

2 dry red chillies

Method:

Dry roast the coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, coconut, and Bengal gram. Grind to a powder and keep aside. Squeeze out tamarind pulp and strain.

Heat the oil in a pan; fry all the vegetables, keeping the onions whole. Add the tamarind extract, the powdered spices, turmeric powder, and salt.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the curry leaves, mustard seeds, asafoetida, and dry red chillies, stir fry till dark brown. Remove and add to the vegetable mixture. Add rice and red gram and 3 cups of water. Cook till rice and gram are done. Remove and serve. This dish can also be made in pressure cooker.