Puttu with kadala kurry

Puttu with Kadala curry ( Kadala curry is ideally made with brown chana but I used kabuli chana)

This recipe is from Kerala, and all in my family love south Indian food. We had puttu with kadala curry in Kadmat island, Lakshadweep for the first time  and my folks just loved it...Puttu is a popular breakfast in Kerala and people in Lakshadweep cherish kerala cuisine especially the seafood. Since last two months I had been trying to source puttu kudam (puttu maker) in Delhi and finally managed to get it from a local street vendor. Then began my search for puttu and kadala curry recipes.....sifted a couple of blogs before I decided to make it in my way.....drawing something from each of them ..but I largely followed this source-(http://www.sharmispassions.com/2011/08/kuzha-puttu-kadala-curry.html)

While kadala kurry is made with brown chana or kadala, I decided to use kabuli chane as  I had puttu with white kabuli chole in Lakshwadeep and we liked it that way, infact I was a little wary if my folks will cherish brown chana...you can use either...

To make puttu you need-
Rice rava- 3 cups
grated coconut - 1 cup
curd- 1/2 cup (nowhere it was mentioned to use curd but I used it and it came out well)
salt to taste

• To make puttu, add curd (optional) and very little water till the flour resembles breadcrumbs...when you tighten it in your fist, it should take shape.
• Let the flour soak for 30 mins to one hour and if you find the flour too dry, sprinkle some water. I added a little more water in the first go and had the right thing after an hour.

• Let water boil in puttu maker (or cooker, if you use the one used over cooker), and fix the lower perforated disc well. Add alternate layers of grated coconut (1/4 inch) and puttu flour (11/2 inch) till the rim (leave an inch from top).

• Steam the puttus for ten minutes and when it is cooked push it using a wooden stick from the bottom on the serving dish.

To make kadala curry-

Brown chana (1 1/2 cups) or kabuli chana (white chick peas)- 1 1/4 cup (soak overnight for 8 hrs)

Add salt and water to kabuli chana and pressure cook it for four whistles on high flame and ten minutes on low flame.

For curry take-

Shalots 8-9 or one large onion 

tomatoes- 2 medium (make a paste)

Dry red chilly- 2 nos

ginger paste- 1 tspn (you can use garlic also)

garam masala- 1 tspn

grated coconut- 1/2 cup

coriander seeds- 1 tbspn

cloves- 2

cinnamon- 1 inch piece

coriander powder- 1 tbspn

red chilly powder- 1 tspn

turmeric- 1 tspn

mustard seeds- 1 tspn

heeng (asofoetida)- pinch

oil- 3-4 tbspn

• Heat one tbspn oil and add garlic paste,  4-5 shallots cut into half (or slices of half medium sized onion), stir for a  minute or two. Add coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon and roast all till onions are pink. Add grated coconut and roast for 2-3 mins. 

• Add garam masala and take off the flame. Grind it in mixer with some water.

•  For tempering- heat 3 tbspns oil, add mustard seeds, asofoetida, curry leaves and 4-5 shallots (onion). Cook till golden brown and then add tomato paste. Cook till the paste leaves oil and then add coriander powder, chilly powder and turmeric powder. Saute for a minute, add the coconut paste prepared above and salt , mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.

 Add boiled chana and mix well and cook for 10 mins till required consistency.

• Serve with hot puttu.
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Mushroom Peas Curry (Instant)

Another recipe for Toshini darling who called from Germany and asked me to put down the recipe for Mushroom Peas curry using maggi bhuna masala.
Take- 100 gms button mushroom.
Peas- 1 cup
Sugar- 2 tspn
Pepper powder- 1 tspn
Maggi bhuna masala- 1 packet
1" Cinnamon,
2-3 brown cardamom (badi elaichi);
1 tspn shahi paneer masala
Milk- 1 cup
Creme- 1 tbspn
Butter 2 tbspn

• Cut each mushroom into four pieces and microwave it covered with half cup water for 4 mins. Remove from oven, strain.
• Microwave peas covered with half cup water, 1/2 tspn sugar and 1/2 tspn white salt for 4 mins. Remove from oven and strain.
• Heat 1 tb spn butter in thick bottom pan, and saute mushrooms for 3-4 minutes till they dry. Add 1/2 tspn pepper and 1/2 tspn sugar and mix well. Remove from fire. Take out from pan.
• In the same pan, heat another 1 tb spn butter and saute peas for 2-3 mins till they dry.   Add 1/2 tspn pepper and 1/2 tspn sugar and mix. Remove from fire. 
• • Heat  bhuna masala in a thick bottom pan.
  • Add cinnamon and brown cardamom and mix.
  • Add shahi paneer masala and mix.
  • Add milk, mix well and bring to boil.
  • Add creme/malai and mix well.
  • Slide the mushrooms and peas in curry, mix well and cook covered on slow flame for 8-10 mins.
  • Serve hot.

Bharwan Karele (Stuffed bittergourd)

I just love karele in all forms. This one is a very tasty recipe taught to me by Mrs Shrivastava, my colleague's wife who is an amazing cook.  Use of methi dana and onion reduces the bitterness and imparts a unique sweet flavour to karele. Well try it and let me know how it turned out in your kitchen.
You need:
Chhote Karele (small/medium sized bittergourd) : 8-10
Chhote pyaz (Small onion) : 5-6
Tel (Cooking Oil): 3 tbspn
Rai (mustard seeds): 1 tspn


Baravan masala (stuffing)
Pyaz (onion): 1 large
lahsun (garlic cloves): 7-8
Adrak (Ginger): 1 " shoot
Hari mirch (green chilly)- 2-3

methi dana (fenugreek seeds): 12-15 seeds
saunf (aniseeds): 1 tspn
Dhania (coriander) powder: 1 tb spn
Lal mirch (Red chillly) powder: 1 tspn
Amchoor (dry mango) powder: 2 tspn
haldi (turmeric powder): 1 tspn
salt to taste (use lesser than what you would use in normal course as we rub salt on karele which makes them little salty).

• Peel karele (bittergourd), slit on one side longiitudinally, remove hard seeds.
• Keep the peel, chopp it finely.
• Take 2-3 tspn salt and rub it on each of the karelas (bittergourd) and on peel. Keep for 1 hr. This helps to reduce the bitterness.
• Peel the small onions, and put two slits half way from top crossing each other  .  
• Grind onion, ginger, garlic, green chilly, fenugreek seeds and aniseeds. Add rest of the stuffing ingredients and mix well.
• Wash karele and peel seperately.
• Mix the peel in the stuffing/masala.
• Fill all the karelas with the stuffing and tie them with thread so that the masala stays inside.
• Heat oil in a large flat bottomed pan, add mustard seeds and gently place the karelas and small onions in it. 
• Cook it on slow flame for 30-45 mins stirring occassionally till karelas are cooked evenly.
• Serve them with chopped green coriander garnishing. You can store these karelas for 2-3 days in refrigerator.

Methidana curry (Fenugreek seeds: sweet and sour curry)

Methi (fenugreek) is very good for health in all forms. This recipe is from my mom's kitchen. She would make it during "Paryushan parva"- the ten day fasting festival for Jains, when we don't eat green vegetables. There are other things that she would make during paryushan- kharak-kishmish ki launji, mogar ki subzi, ker saangri, which I will try to bring up here. 


You need:
Methi dana (fenugreek seeds): half cup soak for 5-6 hours.
Oil/ghee: 3 tbspn
Asofoetida (Hing): 1 pinch
Coriander powder (dhania powder): 2 tspn
Turmeric powder (haldi powder): 1/2 tspn
Red chilly powder: 1 tspn
Tamarind paste: 1 tspn
Jaggery (gur): 1" cube (you can use less if you want it less sweet)
garam masala: 1/4 tspn.
chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
salt to taste

Heat ghee, add a pinch of asofoetida, coriander powder and turmeric powder.Add boiled fenugreek seeds. Add salt red chilly powder and mix well. Add tamarind paste and jaggery. Mix well, cook covered for five minutes. Add a pinch of garam masala and remove from fire. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Chat ke chhole

Chaat needs no introduction in India; its hot, sweet and spicy(chatpata) recipe from North of India. Chaat includes many items and this is one among them, can be used with alu tikki (potato cutlets), mathri or hotdog.

To make chhole you need:
1 cup: Kabuli chane (white chickpeas)
Imli/ tamarind paste: 2-3 tb spn
Jaggery (gur): 1" ball
Cumin seeds (zeera): 1 tspn
Dry coriander powder (dhania powder): 2 tspn
red chilly (lal mirch) powder: 1 tspn
Roasted cumin seed powder (bhuna zeera powder): 1 tspn
Black salt (kala namak): 2 tspn
black pepper powder (kali mirch powder): 1 tspn
Chhole masala: 2 tb spn
salt to taste
oil: 2 tbspn
Green coriander (hara dhania) chooped: 1/2 cup for garnishing

Preparation:
Soak chane overnight or  for 6-8 hrs. Cookwith 4-5 cups of water in pressure cooker for 4 whistles on high heat and  10 minutes on low heat. The chane should be cooked but not meshed. Take out half a cup and mesh them.
Heat oil, add zeera to crackle. Add dhania powder and saute for some time, add the boiled chane with water. Make a well in the centre using a steel mug, water will collect in the centre. Add Imli paste, gur, bhuna zeera powder, kala namak, kali mirch powder, salt, red chilly powder, chhole masala. Add the meshed chole also. Mix well. Let the chane cook on low flame for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If required add more water to get the desired consistency).
Serve it with alu tikki, or Alu tikki hotdog (picture).

Khatte Meethe Karele (Sweet and Sour Bittergourd)

Good to be back after a long time with a very traditional recipe from my mom's kitchen. Karele or bittergourd is very good for health, but most of us fail to cherish it because of the typical bitter flavour. Here is something my mom used to do to make them tasty for us when we were small kids and since then I have developed liking for karela.

Take:
Karela (bitter gourd): 4 large
salt: 3 t spn
Hari mirch (green chilly): 1 large chopped
Adrak (ginger): 1 tspn grated
Dhania powder (coriander powder): 2 tspn
saunf powder: 1tspn
Haldi powder (turmeric powder): 1 tspn
garam masala (Kitchen king): 1 tspn
oil: 3 tbspn
mustard seeds: 1 tspn

• Take four large karela (Bitter gourd), peel them (keep the peel separately, we will use them ) . Cut each karela in four round pieces and then slit each piece longitudinally to get four pieces. Rub one tea spoon salt on these pieces and one tea spoon salt on the peel. Keep them for 15-20 mins. This helps to reduce the bitterness in karela.
• After this wash the peel and karela pieces to remove salt.
• Take oil, heat it and add mustard seeds till they splutter, add green chillies, ginger and turmeric to oil. Add the karelas and cook them covered for 5-8 mins till they are crunchy.
• Add the peel, and add about 1/2 tspn salt (less salt is needed as we had already kept them in salt for some time).
• Keep the karela and peel on slow flame, tossing in between, till they are soft and cooked well.
• Add coriander powder, saunf powder, red chilly powder and mix well in curry. Saute it for 1-2 minutes. 
• Add 1" x 1" jaggery cube and 1 1/2  tspn tamarind paste and mix well.
• Saute it for 2-3 mins add garam masala, mix well and transfer in a serving dish. garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve it in meals along with dal, curry and chapatis.
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Vegetable Jalfrezz

Take:
French beans: 4-5 (Cut it diagonally into oblique slices)
carrots (Orange): 2 medium sized (Cut it diagonally into oblique slices)
capsicum: 1/2 large, cut 1" square pieces.
Peas: 1/2 cup
Onion: 1 medium sized (cut into four pieces from top and then remove each layer)
mushrooms: 6-7 (cut into four longitudinally)
baby corn: 3-4 (Cut it diagonally into oblique slices)
Onion paste:  Take 1 medium sized onion and grind it with 1 green chilly.
1/2 " shoot of ginger, 3-4 garlic cloves: chop into fine pieces
Pepper: 1 tspn
Subji masala: 1 tbspn (I use MDH kitchen king). Alternately you can use 1 tspn garam masala.
Tomato: 1 medium sized pureed
Tomato sauce: (3-4 tbspn)
salt to taste
cheddar cheese/ cottage cheese and coriander leaves for garnishing.
Oil: 5 tbspn

• Boil 800 ml water with 1 tspn salt and 1 tspn sugar. Remove from burner and add beans, carrots, peas and baby corn to blanch.
• After 3-4 minutes, take off the vegetables from water, leaving the water in vessel.
• Heat the same water for 2-3 minutes and then add mushrooms to blanch for 3-4 minutes. Remove mushrooms from water.
• Heat 2 tbspn oil in a pan, and add chopped ginger and garlic and saute for a minute.
• Add onion and capsicum. Saute on high flame for 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute again till all water is drained. Add the remaining vegetables and saute it again for 2-3 minutes.
• On another stove heat 3 tb spn oil and roast onion paste till golden brown. 
• Add tomato paste and roast it till for 4-5 minutes stirring continuously.
• Add the sauted vegetables to this masala. 
• Add pepper powder and subji masala and mix it on high flame for 1-2 minutes.
• Add tomato sauce and mix it well.
• To give the burnt tandoori flavour to the curry, slightly displace the kadhai/pan from heat, take a spoonful of vegetable in porous/slited steel laddle and keep it on flame for 30 seconds. Mix this back in kadhai and take another spoonful of jalfrezzi. Do this 3-4 times.
• Mix the jalfrezzi again, transfer it in a serving dish.
• Garnish it with grated cheese, paneer and serve hot.
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Maithi ki kadhi

Maithi ki kadhi is a curd based recipe which is one of my favorites since childhood. It is generally made in winters and tastes good with rice.

You need:
curd: 500 gms
gram flour (besan): 3 tb spn
Fenugreek leaves dried (Kasuri maithi): 3 tbspn
(You can use fresh green leaves also, will need 1/2 cup chopped)
fenugreek seeds (maithi dana): 1/2 tspn
mustard seeds (rai): 1 tspn
asofoetida (heeng): 1 pinch
turmeric powder (haldi powder): 1tsp
coriander powder: 2 tspn
green chilly chopped: 1 large
curry leaves: 8-10

How to proceed:

• Beat curd well, add gram flour and mix well so that no lumps are there. 
• Heat oil, add mustard seeds to splutter, add green chilly and curry leaves.
• Add fenugreek seeds, asofoetida, coriander powder, turmeric powder and saute.
• Slowly add the curd mixture stirring continously. Add 500 ml water, and keep stirring continuously on high flame till one boil. (The curd will split if you stop stirring)
• Add salt and let the kadhi simmer for 10 minutes on low flame. In between  add fenugreek leaves after two-three boils.
• Add garam masala and let it cook for 3-4 minutes or till desired consistency is achieved.
• Serve hot with rice.

Baigan lababdar (Eggplant marinate recipe)

This is a yum curry made of small brinjals/baigan/eggplant. simple and easy..just try it out...

You need:
Brinjals (Eggplant): 6-7 small sized cut into four pieces (vertically )
ginger (grated): 1tspn
green chilly: 1 chopped
Onion: 2 medium sized (thin long slices )
tomato: 1 large sized (thin long slices)
turmeric powder/ haldi: 1/2 tspn
oil: 4-5 tbspn
salt
mustard seeds: 1/2 tspn
Marinate: 1/2 cup thick curd, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tspn red chilly powder, 1/2 tspn garam masala, salt
green coriander: for garnishing

• Heat 2 tbspn oil, add brinjal pieces, turmeric powder, salt and saute. Cook covered till brinjals are cooked well. For better taste you can deep fry these brinjals...I avoid deep frying.
• Marinate cooked brinjals. Keep in refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Heat 3 tbspn oil, add mustard seeds, green chilly, ginger and saute onion till they are cooked well.
• Add tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Add brinjals pieces and mix well.
• Add the remaining curd mixture from marinate and half cup water, cook covered for 3-4 minutes.
• Transfer in a serving dish and garnish it with chopped coriander

Carrot do Pyaza

This is a quick preparation and tastes well when hot. It takes 10 minutes to cook and it is advised to make it in the end and serve directly from the pan to table.

You need: 
Carrot Grated: 1 cup
Onion (sliced): 1 cup
Peas: 1/2 cup
green chilly: 1 chopped
Cumin seeds: 1 tspn
coriander powder: 1 tspn
turmeric: 1/2 tspn
garam masala: 1/2 tspn
salt: to taste
Oil: 1 1/2 tbspn

• Heat Oil in pan. Add cumin seeds to crackle, add green chilly, coriander powder, turmeric and saute for a minute.
• Add Onion, saute continuously till they are brown.
• Add peas and carrot, salt and cook covered for 5-6 minutes (stirring in between).
• Add garam masala, and cook uncovered for 2 minutes, sauting .
• Serve hot.

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji is a simple, quick and very tasty delicacy from western India. It is healthy as well. My daughter likes it very much.

Bhaji is a mixed veg curry which is served with Pav (white bread/ bun). Pav are cut in two, toasted on a flat pan with  butter and served hot with hot bhaji.

Things you need to make Bhaji: (six servings)
Onion : 2 medium sized grinded
garlic: 5-6 flakes finely chopped/ meshed
green chilly: 1 large chopped
ginger : 1" grated.
Tomatoes: 4-5 medium sized (pureed)
Potatoes (boiled and meshed): 5-6 medium sized
Capsicum, peas, carrot, french beans, cauliflower(all chopped): 1 cup each
Bottle guard, white raddish (chopped) : 1 cup each (optional)
Pavbhaji masala: 4 tbspn
dry mango powder: 1 tspn
black salt: 1tbpn
salt: to taste
oil: 5-6 tbspn
butter: 100 gms.

Onion: 1 chopped for garnishing.

green coriander: 1/2 cup chopped for garnishing

Lemon: 1 cut in two pieces.

• Mix all the chopped vegetables and boil them for a whistle in pressure cooker or cook covered in a pan with water. Make sure they are cooked but don't mesh.
• Heat oil, add ginger, garlic and green chilly. Saute for a minute.
• Add onion paste and cook till golden brown. 
• Add tomatoes and cook till the masala leaves oil. 
• Add 3 tbspn pav bhaji masala, dry mango powder and saute for a minute.
• Add the boiled vegetables, salt,  and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add 4-5 cups of water and let the bhaji simmer for 10-15 minutes, till you get the desired consistency. The more the bhaji simmers on low heat, tastier it gets. 
• Add black salt, 2-3 tbspn butter (optional)
• For tempering: heat 2-3 tbspn butter in a thick pan, add 1 tbspn pav bhaji masala and top it on bhaji.
• Mix the tempering well, transfer in serving dish and garnish it with chopped coriander, spate of butter.
• Serve bhaji with toated pav.
• Chopped onion and lemon juice are topped on bhaji suiting to individual taste.

Chilly paneer

Things you need:

Paneer (cottage cheese): 250 grams (3/4"dices)

Capsicum: 2 medium sized (cut into 3/4" pieces)

Onion: 2 medium sized (cut lengthwise into four parts and layers peeled)

green chilly: 1 chopped

Garlic flakes: 5-6 chopped

Flour (maida): 3 tbspn
red chili powder: 1 tspn
pepper: 1/2 tspn
Vinegar: 1 tbpn
soya sauce: 2-3 tspn (depending on the colour desired)
tomato sauce: 4 tbspn
aginomoto: 1/4 tspn
sugar: 1/2 tspn
Oil and salt

Mix maida, salt and red chilly powder. Add 5-6  tbspn water to make batter . Marinate paneer pieces in this batter for 30 minutes. Deep fry coated paneer pieces till golden brown.

Heat 3-4 tbspn oil. Add green chillies, garlic and saute them for 1 minute. Add capsicum and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add Onion and again cook till both capsicum and onion are crunchy. 

Add salt, sugar, aginomoto and pepper and stir. Add vinegar, soya sauce, tomato sauce and mix well. Add 1/2 cup water and boil. Add the fried paneer pieces, mix them all well, cook on heat for 1-2 minutes.

Serve hot.

( To taste it a little different try this: In the end, slightly shift the pan from fire, take some mix on jhara (laddle with pores), burn it over fire for 7-8 seconds. Mix it back. Take another scoop and repeat this 4-5 times. This gives a different flavour and smells good. Serve immediately.)

Malai Kofta

This is a very tasty slightly sweet tasting curry...impressive to serve it over dinner...

Things required for making Kofta: (for six servings)
Potaoes: 5-6 (large) boiled
araroot/ arrow root: 3-4 tspn (used as binder for koftas)
Paneer (cottage cheese): 50 gms
Raisins: 15-20
cashew nuts: 7-8 broken
Pepper: 1 tspn
sugar: 1 tspn
green coriander (chopped): 2 tbspn
salt: to taste
Oil: to fry
Boil potatoes in microwave. In case you are boiling in pressure cooker, strain to drain water as soon as the pressure cooker cools, let the potatoes cool in uncovered on strainer. This helps to keep potatoes dry. Mesh potatoes, add arrow root and salt.
Filling: Mesh paneer, add coriander, pepper, raisins, cashew nuts, sugar and salt.
Take a small 11/2 " ball of potato mesh, flatten it, place 1tspn of filling and roll over to make oval koftas. Heat oil, and fry koftas 2-3 at a time in very hot oil turning once or twice only.
Lay the koftas in a flat serving dish.

For Curry You need

poppy seeds: 1 tspn

fresh/dry grated coconut: 2 tbspn

makhane (fox nut): 1/2 cup

cashew nuts: 5-6
onion: 3 medium sized
ginger: 1"
green chilly: 1 medium sized
tomatoes: 4 (pureed)
mustard seeds: 1 tspn
creme: 3 tbspn
milk: 1/2 cup
oil: 5-6 tbspn
Garam masala: 1 tspn
(to make fresh garam masala slightly roast 2 cloves, 4 black pepper corns, small piece of cinnamon, 4-5 seeds of cardamom, Mix all the ingredients, roast for a minute on pan and then grind coarsely)

White masala: Soak poppy seeds, coconut, foxnuts and cashew nuts in 1/2 cup water for 2 hours, grind to a paste.

Grind onion, ginger, green chilly in mixer. Heat oil, add mustard seeds to splutter, add the onion mix. Roast this masala till golden brown, stirring in between. Add tomato puree and cook till dry, stirring in between. Add 1/2 cup of water and again roast till the masala leaves oil. Add white masala and milk. Add water to get desired consistency of curry. Boil once.
Add creme, garam masala and boil.

Just before serving , pour hot curry over the koftas. Garnish it with grated cottage cheese, creme, tomato sauce.

Low Cal Dal Makhni

Hi,
I am resuming activity on my blog after  a long gap.. was preoccupied mostly with travel and work.. else wise I was busy trying new designs in crochet...today I am posting recipe of Dal Makhni, which comes from North India and Punjab, in particular. Though like any other Punjabi delicacy, Dal Makhni is also very rich in butter and spices, I am putting down an adaptation for low cal lovers..I made it in the evening today and my family enjoyed it..

Things required: (serves five)
Black Urad dal: 1 cup
Rajma (red kidney beans): 1/4 cup
Onion: 1 cup chopped
Ginger: 1 " piece
Garlic: 7-8 flakes
tomato (mid sized): 2 nos (puree)
dal makhni masala: 1 1/2 tspn
amchoor (raw mango powder): 1/2 tspn
red chili powder: 1/2 tspn
tomato sauce: 2 tbspn
malai/ creme (optional): 2 tbspn
milk: 3/4 cup
salt as per taste
butter: 25 gms (can take more for garnishing)


What next:
Soak Dal and Rajma for 6-8 hours.
Pressure cook dal and rajma with onion, garlic and ginger in 4 cup water. Take 5 whistles on high flame and cook it in low flame for about 20 mins to cook the dal and rajma properly. Let it cool for 10 mins before opening.
Open the cooker and put in on low flame. Add tomato puree, and cook for 10 mins.  Add garam masala, amchoor, red chili powder, salt and cook further for 5 mins. Add milk and creme and cook further for 5-10 mins till desired consistency of dal.
Tempering:
Heat 25 gms of low cholestrol butter in a pan and add cumin seeds and cook till brown. Put the tempering on dal, mix well and serve hot. You may like to top it up with chopped coriander, creme and butter for garnishing.
Serve it with naan/chapati and rice.

Baked Spinach Mushroom

Another spinach mushroom recipe.. two in sequence.. but I couln't resist posting it.. I tried it last evening and it worked wonders..

what you need:(serves 2)
Button mushrooms: 7-8 washed and cut in four pieces
spinach: 200gms chopped
tomatoes: 2 small sized or one medium (finely chopped)
milk: 1 cup
ginger: 1/2 " piece grated
garlic: two flakes finely chopped (optional)
white floor (maida): 2 tspn
butter: 60 gms.
salt to tase
pepper: 1/2 tspn
sugar: 1/2 tspn
grated cheese: 25 grams approx.
what to do with these:
Take mushrooms with one cup water in a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Heat 20 gms (1/3 of total)butter in a pan till it melts, saute mushrooms till no water is left.
Heat 20 gms butter till it melts, add ginger and garlic, cook for one minute on slow flame add tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes till they are soft, add spinach and cook covered for 5 minutes.
Heat remaining butter in a pan, add white floor and roast it on slow flame till it turns brown, add milk and mix well till it thickens. Add sugar, pepper and salt. Add spinach and mushroom. Transfer it in  a bowl and top it with grated cheese. Grill it for 5 minutes in microwave or in a pre heated oven. Serve hot.
(The filling also tastes well in sandwiches)

Methi Matar Malai

This is a sweet tasting rich recipe of peas in fenugreek leaves.

Things required:

Fresh green fenugreek leaves (Methi): 500 gms.
Peas (boiled): 1/2 cup
cream (can use malai ): 1/2 cup
khoya (can use 1/4 cup milk powder): 25 gms
sugar: 1 tspn
ginger paste: 1/2 tspn
green chilly chopped: 1 medium sized
coriander powder: 1 tspn
saunf powder: (aniseed powder): 1 tspn
garam masala : 1/2 tspn
(to make fresh garam masala slightly roast 2 cloves, 4 black pepper corns, small piece of cinnamon, 4-5 seeds of cardamom, Mix all the ingredients, roast for a minute on pan and then grind coarsely)
mustard: 1 tspn
salt to taste
oil: 2 tbpn

Preparation:
Boil peas in cooker for one whiste or in microwave for 2 mins in water with 1/2 tspn sugar and 1/2 tspn salt.
Heat oil, add mustard seeds to splutter, add green chilly and ginger and fry for few seconds. Add coriander powder, saunf powder and then add fenugreek leaves (methi). Add salt and cook covered stirring in between till methi is cooked. If some water remains, dry it by cooking it uncovered.
Add peas, cream, khoya and sugar. Cook for 2 -3minutes, add garam masala and serve hot.

Rajasthani Gatte

Making Gatte:

You need: Besan (gram flour): 2 cups
Oil: 3-4 tbspn
Salt: to taste
Ajwain (Carom seeds): ½ tspn

Preparation: Mix all ingredients in flour and knead it with warm water. Make 20 balls and roll each ball into a long stick of ½"  diameter. In a flat bottomed pan boil 1 ½ lts. water and lay gatte sticks side by side at the bottom of the pan (gatte should be properly immersed in water). Cook covered for 15-20 minutes till gatte are cooked well. You can check it by cutting it with a knife. Take out gatte from water and let them dry and cool for 10 minutes. Keep the water for curry. Cut them in ¾” long pieces of equal size.

Tempering

Green chilly : 1 chopped
Coriander powder: 3tspn
Saunf powder (aniseed powder): 3 tspn
Beaten curd: 1 cup
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tspn
Mustard: 1 tspn
Salt: to taste
Garam masala : 1 tspn
(to make fresh garam masala take 2 cloves, 4 black pepper corns, small piece of cinnamon, 4-5 seeds of cardamom. Mix all the ingredients, roast for a minute on pan and then grind coarsely) 
Oil: 3-4 tbspn

Heat oil, add mustard to splutter, green chilly, coriander powder, saunf powder, turmeric. Add gatte pieces and mix well. Add the leftover water in which gatte were boiled. Add curd . More water can be added to bring it to desired consistency. Bring it to boil add garam masala, garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Low Cal Spinach Corn

This is a easy to make and low calorie tasty curry.

Things Required:
Spinach: 500 gms

Fresh or frozen American corn: 3/4 cup
Ginger: ½"  piece grated
Green chilly : 1 chopped
Coriander powder: 1 tspn
saunf powder (aniseed powder): 1 tspn
Turmeric powder: 1.2 tspn
Mustard: ½ tspn
Sugar: 1 tspn
Salt: to taste
Garam masala: ½ tspn
(to make fresh garam masala slightly roast 2 cloves, 4 black pepper corns, small piece of cinnamon, 4-5 seeds of cardamom, Mix all the ingredients, roast for a minute on pan and then grind coarsely
Oil: 1 tbspn

Preparation:

Sort spinach to remove stems. Boil 1 ½ lts of water, add 1 tspn salt and sugar in water. Add spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes and remove from fire. After 5 minutes drain spinach, let it cool and grind it to paste in mixer. (The colour of palak is preserved green by adding salt and sugar). Similarly microwave covered corn in 1/ 2 cup water with a pinch of turmeric for 2 minutes.

Heat oil, add mustard to splutter, add green chilly, ginger, coriander powder, saunf powder, turmeric and roast the masala for ½ minute. Add spinach paste. Add sweet corn ; salt and stir it well. Cook covered for 4-5 minutes and add garam masala. Serve hot.

It can be garnished with grated cottage cheese (paneer). Baking it in preheated oven for five minutes gives a sweet flavour to the curry.

Crispy Arvi

Things required:
Boiled peeled Arvi: 500 grams
green chilly : 1 (chopped)
rai (mustard): 1/2 tspn
turmeric powder: 1/4 tspn

coriander powder: 3 tspn
saunf powder: 1tspn
mango powder (amchoor): 1 tspn
black salt: 1/2 tspn
black pepper: 1/4 tspn
oil: to fry
garam masala: 1/2 tspn
sugar: 2 tspn
green coriander chopped to garnish
salt to taste

Preparation
Flatten each arvi with hands and fry all arvis till crispy. Heat 2 tspn oil, add rai till it splutters, add green chilly, turmeric, coriander powder, sounf powder, amchoor, 2 tb spn green coriander in same order. Add black salt, black pepper and arvi. Mix well till masala coats each arvi well and cook covered on slow flame for 2-3 minutes. Add garam masala and sugar. Remove from fire, garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.

Malwi Kadhi

Things required:
Pakodas:
Besan: 1 cup,
curd: 1 tbspn
ajwain: 1/2 tspn
Haldi (turmeric): 1/4 tspn
salt to taste

Kadhi:

Thick curd: 500 ml

Besan (gram flour): 3 heaped tspn
methi dana (fenugreek seeds): 14-15
rai (mustard): 1 tspn
coriander powder: 2 tspn
haldi: 1 tspn
garam masala: 1/2 tspn
salt as per taste
green chilly: 2 chopped
curry leaves: 8-10
sugar: 2 tspn
heeng: 1 pinch
Cooking Oil: 3 tbspn

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients of pakodas and add enough water to make a thick paste. Heat oil, add 1 tbspn hot oil to this batter and  make round pakodas.

Beat curd, mix besan in it so that no lumps are formed. Add 750 ml to 1 ltr water depending on the thickness of kadhi you prefer.

Heat oil, add rai till it splutters, add methi dana, green chilly, curry leaves in same order. Add haldi and coriander powder. Add the curd and besan mix with continous stirring on high flame. Keep stirrring continuously till one boil else the curd will split. Add salt and let the kadhi boil for 15 minutes on medium flame, stirring in between. Add sugar and mix it. Add garam masala, pakodas and remove from fire. Serve hot with rice.

Additional tempering ( tadka) can be done to add more taste and flavour.

Tadka (Tempering):

Things required- 1 tbspn oil , 1/2 tspn rai, 4-5 curry leaves, fresh green coriander and 1 tspn red chilly powder.

Heat oil in a small tadka pan, add rai curry leaves. Remove from fire add some green coriander and then red chilly powder. Adding some green coriander reduces the temperature of oil so that red chilly doesn't burn. Pour this tadka on top of kadhi and serve.