Aloo Achari – A Tangy, Spiced Potato Delight Inspired by Indian Pickles
Ingredients
Potatoes – 4 medium, boiled, peeled, and cubed
Mustard oil – 2 tbsp
Fennel seeds (saunf) – 1 tsp
Nigella seeds (kalonji) – ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds (methi) – ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Ginger – 1 tsp, finely chopped
Green chillies – 2, slit
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1½ tsp
Salt – to taste
Curd (yogurt) – 3 tbsp (whisked)
Amchur (dry mango powder) – 1 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves – a handful, chopped
There are some dishes that don’t just sit on your plate, they awaken memories.
Aloo Achari is one such humble yet bold creation, where everyday potatoes are elevated with the magic of pickle spices.
The aroma itself is unmistakable, sharp mustard, earthy fenugreek, the gentle bitterness of nigella seeds, all coming together in a symphony that instantly reminds you of homemade achaar jars sitting in the sun.
This is not your regular potato sabzi.
This is attitude in a kadhai, rustic, tangy, and unapologetically Indian.
The Tempering Magic (Achari Soul of the Dish)
Heat mustard oil till it reaches its smoking point, then let it cool slightly.
Golden, crisp, and irresistibly aromatic, Aloo Methi Cheese Paratha is comfort food at its most indulgent. Imagine a perfectly rolled whole wheat flatbread, gently roasted on a hot tawa until it develops beautiful golden-brown spots, each one hinting at the deliciousness tucked within.
As you tear it open, a warm and fragrant filling reveals itself, soft, spiced mashed potatoes blended with fresh fenugreek leaves, bringing their signature earthy depth. Then comes the most tempting surprise: molten, gooey cheese melting through the mixture, adding a rich, creamy contrast to the rustic flavours.
The aroma is simply irresistible, nutty from the ghee, herby from the methi, with delicate notes of cumin and green chilli in the background. Every bite is a perfect harmony of crisp edges, soft layers, bursts of spice, and indulgent cheesy goodness.
More than just delicious, this paratha is wonderfully nourishing too. Rich in protein, calcium, and wholesome goodness, it is a hearty meal that comforts, satisfies, and energises in every bite.
Served with chilled yogurt, tangy pickle, or melting butter, this is not just a meal, it is pure homemade bliss on a plate.
Fresh methi leaves (fenugreek), finely chopped – 1 cup
Cheese (grated mozzarella/processed/cheddar) – 1 cup
Green chilli, finely chopped – 1
Ginger, grated – 1 inch
Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Roasted cumin powder – ½ tsp
Salt – to taste
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped – 2 tbsp
For Cooking
Ghee or butter – as needed
Method
Begin by preparing a soft and supple dough. In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, salt, and a teaspoon of oil. Slowly add water and knead into a smooth dough. Cover it and allow it to rest while the filling comes together beautifully.
For the filling, take the warm mashed potatoes in a mixing bowl and add the fresh chopped methi leaves, grated cheese, green chilli, ginger, red chilli powder, garam masala, roasted cumin powder, salt, and coriander leaves. Mix everything gently until you have a fragrant, flavour-packed stuffing that smells absolutely heavenly.
Now divide the dough into equal portions and roll each into a smooth ball. Flatten one ball slightly, place a generous portion of the filling in the centre, then carefully gather the edges and seal it. Gently roll it out again into a thick paratha, ensuring the filling spreads evenly inside.
Heat a tawa or pan over medium flame. Place the paratha on the hot surface and cook until light golden spots appear. Flip, drizzle with ghee or butter, and cook both sides until crisp, golden, and beautifully speckled.
As the cheese melts into the spiced potato and methi filling, the aroma becomes impossible to resist. Serve piping hot with chilled curd, pickle, butter, or a cup of masala chai for the ultimate comfort meal.
Every bite is soft, flaky, cheesy, and bursting with wholesome Indian flavours.
Storage Tip
You can prepare the filling in advance and refrigerate for up to 1 day for quick breakfast or lunch preparation.
MOONG DAL PALAK YELLOW
SPLIT LENTIL WITH SPINACH Moong dal palak - another healthy
recipe from my kitchen. I got introduced to dal palak as a variation to the
plain dal that we used to order in the restaurants thanks to our kids who end
up eating Plain basmati rice and dal in the restaurant as well with great relish.
I particularly liked the dal Palak
that I ate at the Gokul restaurant here in Singapore.
I liked it because I could savor
the taste of the dal. The dal still felt like dal and I could savor the palak
separately with a slight crunch. The palak is just lightly cooked, blended
nicely with the dal but not mashed into one green paste.
I googled up for the recipe but
what I found in most websites was not the recipe I was looking for. Many were
cooking the palak and mixing it with the Toor dal/moong dal, some looked like
the south Indian keerai molaghutal minus the coconut. This was not what I
wanted, so I went once more to the restaurant to savor the dish and realized
that the palak was not cooked separately or overcooked or blended into a mix
with the dal. The palak was used as coriander like a dressing and didn’t get
overwhelming into the taste of the dal and I loved it. So here’s the recipe of
dal palak restaurant style with a crunch.
Ingredients
Yellow split lentil(moong dal) -1
cup Split pigeon peas
(Toor Dal) – 2 tbsps Spinach – 15 leaves Onion - 1 Tomato – 2 ripe Green Chilly – 4-5 Ginger – ½ inch Turmeric – 1 tsp Asafetida(hing) – ½tsp Coriander powder – 2tsps Cumin powder – 1 tsp Red chilly powder – 1 tsp Dry mango powder (Amchur powder) –
½ tsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Cumin seeds – 1 tsp Dried Red chilly whole - 2 Oil – 2 tbsps Lemon – 1 whole Curry leaves – A sprig Fresh green coriander leaves – 2
tbsps Salt as per taste
Method Wash, rinse and Pressure cook the
lentils upto 3 whistles with a pinch of turmeric. Once cooked, mash the lentils
well with the back of a ladle. Keep aside. Chop the onions, tomatoes. Cut the
green chillies into halves. In a wok (kadhai), Add some oil and when the oil is
hot, add in the mustard seeds and cumin seeds, when it begins to crackle. Add
in the onions and sauté until translucent, then add in the curry leaves and
chilly and sauté for a minute, Add in the tomatoes and sauté until squashy. Now
add Asafetida, Coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilly powder, Amchur powder,
salt as per taste and mix well. Now add the boiled lentils. Add 3 cups of water
and let it boil for 15-20 minutes until all the spices and dal combine into one
uniform mixture. You can adjust the consistency by either boiling more till
thicker, or adding water slowly, until the desired consistency is reached,
simmering slowly over low heat. Cook further for 10-15 minutes,
stirring occasionally. When you know that the dal is to the desired consistency
you seek and well cooked. Squeeze the juice of a lemon without the seeds. Add finely chopped fresh green spinach (palak) and
cook for another 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and 2 red chillies
fried in oil until plump and serve. Since the spinach is not overcooked and
just gets blanched on top of the dal it will still have the crunch and not melt
into the dal. This is the consistency I want. This helps to retain the
nutritional value and add a subtle flavor to my dal not changing the taste of
the conventional dal by grinding in the spinach and yet having a new flavor to
it which is not overwhelming or does not overpower the taste of the dal.
Serve hot with Roti or rice. Do
try this method and enjoy the Dal Palak.
Tips:
-You
can add garlic as well for extra flavoring, I don’t use much garlic in my
cookinghence I avoided it.
-You
can add the seasoning (tadka) of mustard, cumin & Red chillies at the point
of serving
-You
can replace the moong dal with Toor dal
-You
can use 1 cup of Toor dal and 2 tbsps of moong dal, moong dal usually gives a
thickness to the dal.
-You
can adjust the gravy according to your desired consistency. Some like their dal
thick and some like it a bit watery.
I first tasted Paneer Lababdar in
a restaurant here in Singapore. I liked the dish so much that I decided to try
making it at home. Being a Hindi teacher I started searching for the meaning of
Lababdar and couldn’t find it in the Shabdkosh (Hindi dictionary) as well.
There are some words that we have which are imports from Urdu & Arabic.
This must be one such word. After much research I got something which describes
what ‘Lababdar’ means. ‘Lababdar’ means a strong desire for
something and a desire to indulge in it. I wonder if this is a dish with
some Mughal influence hence I categorize it under Mughlai and Punjabi dishes. I
love the creamy red sauce in which the cottage chesse is cooked. The tenderness
of the paneer, the texture of the light creamy tangy sauce. It’s truly a
delight.
Ingredients Malai Paneer (Cottage cheese) -
500 gms Onions – 2 big sized Tomatoes – 5 / 15oz Can of Tomato
Puree Ginger - ½ tsp Green chillies – 3-4 Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
– 1tsp Cumin seeds – ½ tsp Coriander powder - ½ tsp Red chilly powder – ½ tsp Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp White Sesame seeds (White Til) – ½
tsp Full Cream Milk – ½ cup Fresh Cream – 200gms Butter - 1-2tbsps Cardamom powder – ½ tsp Dry Red Kashmiri Chilly -2 pieces Oil – 2 tbsps Fresh Green Coriander leaves (chopped)
- 1/2 tbsp Mint leaves – 3-4 leaves Salt as per taste
Method For the paneer I recommend making this dish with
the fresh Paneer as the texture of the Paneer will be smooth and silky. I used frozen paneer in this dish
and I usually soak them in some hot water for about 15-20 minutes until they
become soft like fresh paneer and drain the water after a while through a
colander. Cut the paneer in small cubes and
keep aside. In a Wok (Kadhai), add 2 tbsps of
butter, lightly sauté the paneer and keep aside. The reason we sauté the paneer
lightly in butter is to make it tough and not so easy to crumble inside the
gravy.
For the tomato puree
You can either use 5 big red, ripe
tomatoes and make a puree in the blender. I have used the tomato puree from the
can as they have a deep red color and I usually stock a few cans in the case of
an emergency. Make a coarse paste of one onion,
ginger and the green chillies. Finely chop the other onion. Meanwhile dry roast the white
sesame seeds and once it cools down make a powder, Don’t grind until the oil
comes out. In a Wok (Kadhai), add 2 tbsps of oil,
add the cumin seeds and the carom seeds. Once it crackles, add the finely
chopped onions, once it is transparent, add in the onion-ginger-green chilly
paste. Add in salt and sauté until the oil comes out of the masala. This indicates that the masala
done. Now add the tomato puree, red chilli powder,
turmeric powder and cardamom powder and cook for 4-5 minutes until the oil
separates and the gravy becomes thick. The tomato paste makes the gravy thick.
Now add the powdered sesame seeds and mix well. After this add the milk and mix
well. Let it boil for a while, till you feel the gravy becomes thick again and
the color becomes uniform. Now add the Paneer cubes. After this add garam masala
powder. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes. Mash the Kasuri Methi (dried
fenugreek leaves) with your hands and add into the gravy. Cook for another minute or 2. Then, add the fresh cream and let
it cook on sim. Now in a small pan, melt some
butter and add the dried red Kashmiri chillies and pour into the gravy. This is a dressing and looks
better on top so don’t mix. Garnish with finely chopped fresh green coriander leaves,
mint leaves and some ginger strips. Serve hot with fulkas, roti, Naan,
kulcha, paratha or even rice. Tastes best with Indian breads.
Tips:
-You can add garlic as
well for extra flavoring, I don’t use much garlic in my cookinghence I avoided it. If incase you are adding
garlic, make a paste along with the onion-ginger-chilly and follow the recipe.
-Instead of using the
full cream milk, you can use low fat milk or skimmed milk.
-You can completely
avoid fresh cream or use low fatfresh
cream
-If the gravy is very
thin, the paneer will crumble, so you must ensure that the gravy is thick.
RONGI MASALA / MASALEDAAR RONGI / LOBIA CURRY / BLACK EYED BEAN CURRY This is a dish I learnt from our
Punjabi neighbors too. Rongi Masala or Masaledaar Rongi or Lobia or Black eyed
bean / black eyes pea as it is called is highly nutritious. It has a high fiber
content, it also has potassium, iron, protein and is low in fat and calories. It’s
a good addition to your menu and when you cook it the way the Punjabi’s
cook…masaledaar, then nothing like it. I actually forgot to make Rongi masala for
quite a while until we had it in the flight from Singapore to India and my maid
absolutely fell in love with it and when we came home she asked me to make it
atleast once. So, one day I finally made it and it was a hit at home. This dish
can be had with fulkas or with plain white basmati rice. It’s quite filling.
Enjoy the Rongi Masala.
Ingredients Black Eyed Beans – 250gms Soda bicarbonate – a pinch Onions – 3 Tomatoes – 3 Green chillies – 2 Ginger – ½ inch Salt as per taste Garam Masala - 1 tbsp Rajma Masala – 1 tsp Kitchen king masala – 1 tsp Coriander powder – 1 tsp Cumin powder – 1 tsp Amchoor powder – 1 tsp Red chilly powder – 1 tsp Yogurt - 1 tablespoon (optional) Fresh green coriander leaves – 1
tbsp
Method Soak the lobia / black eyed
beans/peas in water overnight with a pinch of Soda. In the morning rinse out
the lobia, add some salt and ginger and add water till the lobia is completely
immersed. Cook it in the Pressure cooker for
up to 3 whistles. Those who don’t have a pressure cooker can cook it in a pan
covered with a lid. Cook for about 30 minutes till the Black Eye Beans are
soft. Make a coarse paste of 1 onion, the
tomatoes, 2 green chillies and ½ an inch of ginger. Now in a wok, heat 4 tbsp. oil,
add 2 onions (finely chopped) and sauté till transparent. Add the ginger-chilly-onion-tomato
paste and sauté till the oil comes out of the masala. Now add Kitchen King
Masala / Rajma Masala and Garam Masala. Also add the Coriander powder, Cumin
powder , Amchoor powder and Red chilly powder. Saute until everything gets mixed
and the oil starts to separate from the mixture.Now add the boiled Black Eyed
Beans. Mix well. Simmer for 15-20 minutes on medium heat till the masalas get
mixed well with the beans. Add yogurt and heat for 5 more
minutes. I didn’t add yogurt, I instead added Amchoor powder. Serve garnished with fresh green
finely chopped coriander leaves. Enjoy.
PUNJABI CHAI MASALA / PUNJABI
TEA SPICE POWDER I
would like to share this wonderful and healthy chai masala recipe that I got
from my Punjabi friend here in Singapore. Being
born and brought up in the state of Maharashtra I learnt to savor tea infused
with spices known as “Masala Chai”(Tea infused with spices) back in Mumbai. The
spice mix would always manage to give a punch to the otherwise normal cup of
tea. So
when it’s raining and we are totally drenched or having a cold we would always
go for a ginger laced tea or Masala tea. Even
the street stalls and restaurants serve the masala chai, its commonly available
in India. What
totally surprised me was when I found a version of the Masala chai at the McCafe
at Singapore known as the Himalayan Tea Latte - A hot and calming exotic milk
tea with a soulful infusion of spice flavor. They claim it to be a hot
favorite. I nudged Yo (my husband)
and pointed to the Menu feeling proud to find our Masala chai being
internationalized and described so beautifully. So
what should be the ideal mix of spices one may ask. The
spices vary according to the place, the climate conditions in a particular region
and sometimes due to personal preferences. But a typical Indian tea masala includes
a combination of the following spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger
and peppercorns. They may also include Bishops weed, fennel seeds and other
variants in some recipes. Ideally
if the spices are ground fresh and added to the tea it would taste good, But,
since I belong to the generation which hardly has time for such luxuries. I
made my tea masala for keeps. I made a small batch which I could use over a
period of a month. The
spices in the tea masala are known to aid in digestion, provide heat during
cold weathers like winters or rains, they are believed to chase a fever or cure
a cold. I
believe that they are soothing and refreshing and add a zing to your regular
cuppa. My
friends recipe doesn’t have peppercorns, but mine has. Here
is my recipe for Punjabi Tea masala, do make it and savor your tea with the
soulful infusion of the spices.
Ingredients
Cinnamon
stick – 1 whole stick Big
Cardamom (Badi Elaichi) – 3 Small
Cardamom (Choti Elaichi) – 10-12 Cloves
(Lavang/Laung) – 3-4 Dried
Ginger (Saunth / Soonth) – 1 piece or alternatively you can use the ginger
powder about 1 and a half tablespoon. Bishop’s
weed (Ajwain) – a pinch Black
peppercorns – 5-6 Fennel
seeds(Saunf) – 1 tablespoon
Method Dry
roast all the ingredients for 7-8 minutes until you can get a faint aroma of
the spices. Let it cool completely. Once it is cool run it in the dry jar of a
mixer/blender and grind into a fine powder. Cool completely and store in an
air-tight container. Use the masala as and when required to make tea.
Indian Masala Tea
To
make 2 cups of Masala tea. Boil 2 cups of water in a pan. Add sugar, Tea leaves
and the powdered masala and let it come to a boil. Once it starts boiling, add
some milk and let it boil for a couple of minutes. Strain and serve piping hot.
Enjoy this with some biscuits while catching some news in your morning
newspaper.
ALOO DHANIAWALLE (POTATOES INFUSED WITH FRESHLY ROASTED AND GROUND CORIANDER SEEDS)
Potatoes are an all time favorite with my kids and I like to try new recipes with this vegetable. My friend usually cooks this and sent some for me to sample and I told myself I must try this. I do add coriander powder when I usually make potatoes, but this recipe had loads of freshly roasted and coarsely ground coriander seeds. The aroma was magical and so was the taste. Do try this recipe and enjoy some hot Aloo Dhaniawalle with some hot and fluffy fulkas.
ALOO DHANIAWALLE
Ingredients
Potatoes – 5-6
Green Peas - 1/2 a tea cup (optional)
Wash, boil and peel the potatoes. Mash them and keep it aside. Don’t mash the potatoes into a paste, just crumble them. If you are not good at mashing well, just dice them into chunky cubes. It works both ways.
Freshly dry roast 2 tablespoons of coriander seeds and coarsely grind them.
In a Kadhai (wok), heat some oil add the cumin seeds, once it starts to fry, add the ginger paste and chilly paste and let it fry well. Keep the gas on sim and then add the freshly roasted coarse coriander powder(1 tbsp), coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and amchur powder, you can add anardana powder as well(optional, I haven’t used this in my recipe as I didn’t have it at home), asafetida, and salt as per taste, then add the green peas and let it cook for a while after which add the mashed potatoes. Mix well, check for salt, if less, add now and mix. While mixing don’t mash the potato just turn it gently. Ensure the masala is evenly mixed. Let this cook covered for a few minutes.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and the freshly roasted coarse coriander powder(1tbsp). Yopu can squeeze some lemon on top if you like. Mix well and serve hot with Poori/ chappati or hot rice and sambhar/rasam/dal.
There are some seasonal ingredients that instantly bring back memories of places, people, and moments spent together as a family. Fresh green chickpeas, known as Harbhara, Hara Chana, or Choliya, are one such winter delicacy for me.
Whenever I visit Pune, my husband never misses an opportunity to buy fresh harbhara from roadside vendors. They are usually sold in bunches, and one has to patiently split open each pod to remove the tender green chickpeas hidden inside.
I would often see people casually walking along the roads, happily peeling and eating fresh harbhara almost like peanuts during the winter season. My husband absolutely loves them and would always insist that I try some too. Somehow, I never quite took to the taste initially. I suppose certain traditional seasonal foods are acquired tastes that one slowly learns to appreciate over time.
This dish is especially made for my dear husband and my little one, who constantly trouble me to prepare dishes using fresh green chickpeas whenever they are available.
Preparing fresh harbhara from scratch is quite a lengthy process. The pods need to be opened one by one, the chickpeas sorted carefully, and then washed thoroughly in a colander. To get even a decent quantity of green chickpeas, one needs several bunches of the plant. Unfortunately, fresh green chickpeas are not commonly available in Singapore. So for this recipe, I used the frozen variety available at Mustafa Centre under the Greentech brand, where it is sold as Choliya. They work beautifully and save a lot of preparation time.
For those who cannot find the frozen variety, dried green chana is available throughout the year in most Indian grocery stores. If using dried green chana, soak them overnight and pressure cook them for about 3 whistles before proceeding with the recipe.
Since I personally was never overly fond of the earthy taste of green chickpeas, I decided to flavour the curry generously with aromatic spices and added soft crumbled paneer to make it richer and more comforting.
To my surprise, the dish turned out so delicious that I completely changed my opinion about green chickpeas. The combination of spices, paneer, and the tender choliya created a hearty, wholesome curry that I now truly enjoy making and relishing again and again.
This protein-rich North Indian style curry pairs beautifully with hot phulkas, rotis, parathas, or even simple steamed rice.
Fresh green sorted whole chickpeas-Image courtesy Wikipedia
Now for many like me who didn’t know what’s hara chana, they are whole green chick peas packed with a lot of nutritional value. Typically, these are available only a few weeks a year.
Fresh green whole chickpeas-Image courtesy Wikipedia
Finely Chop the onion and tomatoes. Make a coarse paste of the ginger and green chillies in a blender. Soak the frozen paneer in some warm water. After a while crumble and keep it aside.
Blend the spinach leaves with some water and keep aside.
Rinse the frozen choliya (whole green chick peas), drain and keep aside. For those who are using the fresh green chickpeas or the dried ones kindly read above the ingredients list, the method to cook it.
Heat oil in a wok (kadhai), add the cumin seeds, badi elaichi, cinnamon stick & star anise.
Once the cumin is fried, Add in the coarsely grounded ginger and chilly paste and fry, after a minute add the finely chopped onions and sauté, once the onions are transparent, add the finely chopped tomatoes and sauté until it is totally squashy and fried.
Add in the Kasuri Methi powder, Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Garam Masala, Chole Masala and Chaat Masala, asafetida and salt and fry for a minute. The masala should get fried well, At this point add in the blended spinach leaves paste, sauté until the oil comes out of the puree.
Now add the whole green chickpea without any water and mix well with all the masala.
If you are not using spinach for color, you can add in 1-2 drops of green color just for the color (this is optional)
Cover and cook in a low flame. Let the green chana cook in its own juices.
When you see the water is getting dried.
Add in 2 teacups of water and let it cook on a slow flame.
Keep adding water everytime you see that the chana is dry until you can see that the chickpeas are cooked.
Once the chickpeas are cooked and can be mashed easily with the back of the spatula, add the crumbled paneer, cook covered for a while.
While cooking, keep mashing a few chickpeas with the back of the spatula for a mushy thick gravy.
Cook for about 10-15 minutes on a slow flame.
Ensure that the mix has gravy by adding water and letting the mix boil.
When you see that it is an even mix and has enough gravy to your heart’s desire. Put off the flame.
Garnish with finely chopped fresh green coriander leaves and serve hot with fulkas or rice.
Variations
You can add garlic to this recipe.
You can skip the onions as well for a no onion - no garlic recipe (Jain)
Blanch the spinach for a greener colour.
You can add in 1-2 drops of green color just for the color (this is optional)
My kids absolutely love this dish, it’s not spicy and tastes yummy and the best part is it can be cooked in a jiffy. Bombay is very famous for its stalls selling bread and anda burji (scrambled eggs).
The way you cook Paneer burji is similar to the way anda burji is made is what my dear hubby says.
Since we don’t eat eggs we enjoy the richer version of the burji, “scrambled cottage cheese”. Anything which has cheese does sound luxurious doesn’t it? LOL!!!!!
Paneer Burji
Ingredients
Paneer – 500 gms
Onions – 2 small or 1 big
Tomatoes – 1 ripe and big
Green chillies – 2-3
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil – 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves 1-2 tbsps for garnish
Close up
Method
Soak the Paneer chunks/cubes in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Rinse well and crumble the paneer using your hand. Keep this aside. Meanwhile finely chop the onions, tomatoes, green chillies and coriander leaves.
In a wok(kadhai). Add 1 tbsp oil, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and when they start to splutter, add in the green chillies and when they are fried add in the onions and sauté until transparent, now, add in the tomatoes and some salt and sauté until you see the oil comes out of the masala. Now add the crumbled paneer, add salt, turmeric powder and toss everything well till you see the masala is mixed well with the crumbled paneer. Now keep the flame of the gas low and cook it covered for about 5-7 minutes. The paneer gets further softened and the masala enters into it during this time. Garnish liberally with finely chopped fresh green coriander leaves. Toss well and serve hot with fulkas/ parathas.
Leftover specials
If Paneer burji remains until the next day.
Just make a Frankie (Recipe coming soon) out of it or
Make a paratha with the mix and it becomes Paneer paratha and a tastier version of Paneer paratha at that.
I would like to apologize to all the people who visit my blog regularly as I am not able to blog these days although blogging is one of my favorite hobbies or pass time as you may call it.. Partly due to work and family pressures and partly due to Facebook which has slowly but surely taken a lot of my leisure time. I promise myself that I would atleast retain the habit of posting one recipe a month. Here is a recipe everyone in my house loves. I could call this version of Bharva Bhindi a more south indianized version or a fusion between south and north Indian. Do try this recipe and enjoy the bharva bhindis.
BHARVA BHINDI WITH A DIFFERENCE
Ingredients
Okra / Bhindi -1/2 kilo
Cumin seeds – 2 tsps
For stuffing:
Coriander powder – 1tbsp
Cumin powder – ½ tbsp
Amchoor ½ tbsp
Red Chilly powder – 1 tbsp
Bengalgram / Chana dal -2 tbsp
Black gram dal /White lentil /Udad dal – 1 tbsp
Sesame seeds – 1tbsp
Salt as per taste
Method
Dry roast the Chana dal and udad dal and make a coarse powder. Dry roast the sesame seeds and when it starts to splutter, allow it to cool down and make a coarse powder in the mixie. Mix the above 2 powders and all the other ingredients (cumin powder, coriander powder, amchoor powder, red chilly powder and salt as per taste). Keep it aside.
Now rinse, wipe and make a slit on each okra/ bhindi and set side. Stuff the powdered masala into the slit in the okra. If the masala is not enough, make more, if remaining keep aside.
Heat 3 tbsps of cooking oil. Add the cumin seeds and when they splutter. Add the stuffed okra pieces. Place them in the wok in such a way that all get the heat. Sprinkle some water and a bit of salt, the remaining masala powder and cook covered on a low flame for about 30 minutes, being careful not to burn them in the process. Keep turning the okra occasionally.
When it is soft and done, remove from the fire and serve hot with Fulkas / chappatis ot Rice and dal.
Tips : -
You can add some roasted coconut as well to the masala powder mixture and stuff in the okras. This gives a very nice and fresh coconutty flavor to the okras.
You can also add some onions sautéed in oil to the powder mix.
Okra is a very delicate and fast to cook vegetable so please ensure that while cooking on the gas stove you keep the flame low.
MICROWAVE VERSION
This recipe comes out nicer in a microwave as the okra get cooked evenly and there is no stickiness too.
If you are using a microwave oven, please keep the okras on a plate and microwave on high for 10 minutes. Open the microwave after 5-7 minutes and turn the okras. Check if done, if not keep for another 5 minutes.
And serve as above.
I would like to send this recipe to Charitha’s C- for Colourful Curry’s event that she is hosting in her blog Woman’s Era 2008.
MATHRI / MATHI - A North Indian Layered savory cookie
Joys of staying in Mumbai and a cosmopolitan neighborhood is that you get to taste the best of all the worlds. I still remember when my neighbor aunty used to be back from Punjab, she used to come back with loads of Mathi (that’s what they call this dish in Punjab). Big crispy ones and trust me they used to make the best tea time snack for days to come. This introduced me to the Mathi.
Mathi or Mathri is an Indian snack. It is mostly made in Northern part of India. It’s a savory snack. Crispy, salted and flaky usually served with tea. Mathris are served even at marriages and poojas. Mathris are served with pickles. It’s a snack which can made and preserved for days, and is ideal to carry with you for long distance journeys. Nowadays, we get mathris off the counter, but try making them fresh at home it tastes much better. You can also make it flavored with methi (fenugreek leaves), Pudina (Mint leaves) or Dhaniya (coriander leaves).
You can make small lots of the mathris and keep them in airtight containers and savor these lovely layered cookies as and when you want them.
Mathris
Ingredients
All Purpose flour (Plain flour or maida) -2 cups
Semolina(Rava/Suji) - 1/2 cup
Bishops weed(Ajwain)-1/2 tsp
Butter /Ghee / Margarine – 2 tbsps
Salt as per taste
Oil to fry
Method
In a wide mouthed vessel, Add in the all purpose flour and semolina, salt as per taste( add very little salt, as your mathri will become salty otherwise). Add the ajwain and butter and mix well. The flour should look crumbled. This means that the butter is mixed well. Now add a little lukewarm water and mix well, add the water little at a time, kneading into a firm dough. Cover the dough and set aside for 15-20 minutes.
Divide the dough into about 40 equal parts.
Take each part of the dough and make a flat ball shape. You can roll them neatly with a rolling pin, but I chose not to, so that, it looks ruffled and handmade. You can involve the kids in this. They will actually enjoy pressing flat shapes of dough balls using their palms. Imperfect is Perfect. Too perfect looks like you bought it from the shop. The homemade ones should always look a bit imperfect but with loads of love packed in it.
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Ensure the oil is not fuming hot but just medium hot(you can do a dough test and if the dough rises immediately you know the temperature of the oil is just perfect). Put in some of the handmade or rolled out mathris. Don’t over crowd the oil, just put enough mathris to cover the frying oil. Fry on a low flame so that they get cooked well and form into layers of crispy biscuit.
Fry the mathris until both sides are a light golden-brown.
Enjoy with pickles or a cup of tea
Tips:
Prick each mathri with a fork in 5 to 6 places, so the mathris do not puff when frying.
If the mathris are cooked on high heat, they will be soft.
Mathris can be stored for a couple of months in airtight containers.
Matar Paneer or Mutter Paneer this yummy dish hails from the North of India curry but is most popular now with one and all. I even see Europeans eating this with much relish thanks to it not being so spicy or because the paneer & the cream beats the spice and makes it mild and palatable. It’s a simple dish and anybody can make it.
Ingredients
Paneer - 500 gms (cut into cubes of 1 inch each)
Green Peas - 250 gms
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Onions – 2
Green Chillies - 2
Ginger paste -1 tbsp
Tomato puree - 3 tbsp
Garam Masala – 2 tsps
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp if required
Garam masala - 2 tsps
Oil – 2-3 tbsps
Salt to taste
Cream – 2 tbsps
Coriander leaves chopped fine to garnish
Method
Heat 2-3 tbsps of oil in a pan and gently stir-fry the cubes of paneer till golden. Remove onto a paper towel and keep aside.
Grind onions, green chilly and ginger into a fine paste in a mixie. Keep aside.
Using the same oil in which we fried the paneer cubes. Add cumin seeds and when they get fried, add the onion, green chilly, ginger paste and fry it till it turns light brown.
Add the tomato puree and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Add the coriander, cumin, red chilly powder, turmeric and garam masala powders and fry, stirring continuously till the oil begins to separate from the masala (spice mixture).
Add the peas to the masala and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Then add the paneer, water and salt, reduce flame to a simmer and cook till the gravy thickens.
When the gravy is as thick as you would like, turn off the flame and stir in the cream.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
Mutter paneer tastes great with parathas, naans and even jeera rice.
This being a authentic Punjabi dish I would like to send this "Flavors of Punjab" event hosted by Pari in her blog, this event was originally started by Nayna Since this is Tried and tasted I would like to send this to Ria's Tried and Tasted event which was started by Lakshmi
Since kids will enjoy this with chappati or rice in their lunch box and it also nutritious and healthy, I would like to pack some to "Lunchbox Treats" event by Smitha.
Whenever I announce to Yo( my hubby dear) the menu for the day with some exotic restaurant dish name he gets highly excited about coming home for lunch.
Gone are the days when a simple rasam and beans curry could seduce a man away from his work. Women have to resort to other gastronomic charms to get them to leave their work and at least spend some quality time with their family. After all as the old saying goes a way to the man’s heart is through his stomach.
Here is a very simple recipe for Paneer Makhani, its so easy to make that it will be ready in a jiffy and be impressive at the same time. Quick to cook and good to eat as the Maggi noodles advertisement in India claims.
Ingredients
Paneer - 250 gms
Fresh Cream - 200 gms
Tomato Puree - 200 gms
Butter - 2-3 tbsps
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Kasuri Methi (dried Fenugreek leaves) - 2 tbsps
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Green Chillies - 2-3
Salt as per taste
Method
Melt the butter in a pan, add cumin & slit green chillies, When it is slightly fried , add the tomato puree, kasuri methi, salt, red chilli powder and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Add the cream and garam masala powder and cook further for 2-3 minutes. Don’t cook for too long after you add the cream.
Add the paneer pieces and cook for a minute. Serve hot garnished with coriander. It’s that simple… Serve hot with phulkas or poori.
A puri or poori or boori is a South Asian unleavened bread prepared in many of the countries in South Asia including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is consumed for breakfast, or as a snack or light meal. Puri is also the Georgian name for bread.
Puri is most commonly served at breakfast. It is also served at special or ceremonial functions; they sometimes are part of ceremonial rituals along with other vegetarian food offered in prayer as prasadam.
Puri can be made with Whole wheat flour (Atta) or with all purpose flour (Maida). Puri is often served with potato masala, chana masala, korma, and goes well with most North Indian gravies. In some Indian states it is served with halwa and in Maharashtra it is relished with Aamras.
In the north east of India, Puri is served with a special mixed vegetable which is prepared during puja and its also eaten with mistanno, a special kind of dessert prepared with rice, milk, sugar.
A variant of the puri is the bhatura which is three times a puri and thus a single bhatura, served with chole (spicy chick peas), often constitutes a full meal.
Another variant of the puri popular in the eastern states of West Bengal and Orissa is the Luchi.
(Some of the info courtesy:-Wikipedia)
Ingredients
Mix together in a bowl:
2 cups Indian whole wheat flour
1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Method
Slowly add about 3/4 cup warm water, just enough to form a firm dough, and knead till smooth. Cover, let rest at least 1/2 hour, and knead again briefly. If resting more than 1 hour, punch and knead dough again before rolling out.
Divide into small balls about golf-ball size, and roll out into 6" rounds on an oiled board. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or saucepan. Add a little salt to the oil to keep it from smoking. Fry the puri one at a time, holding them under the oil on the first side until they puff. Turn and fry till light brown; drain. While frying, the bread puffs up. After they become golden-brown in color, they are removed and served hot along with some accompaniment.
Serve as soon as possible as Puris are not so good later.
For spicy puris:
When making the dough, add the below mentioned dry ingredients:
Turmeric – a pinch
Red chilly powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – ½ tsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Salt as per taste
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mix the dough well then add water and mix and follow as above.
AWARDS & A TAG
Coming to the awards, I received the Kreative Blogger Award from Priti.
Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful awards with me I truly appreciate this.
The
Kreativ Blogger awards have some rules …
1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog
.
3. Link to the person who has nominated you for the award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated
So 7 things about myself.. Let's see if you find this interesting...
• I am a very social person
• I love blogging and in the panel to write for a few other blogs as well.
• I am a real estate agent which was not my field of study and I was featured on TV in Singapore
• I love singing and have won many accolades in the past.
• I love to cook and especially find street food extremely tempting.
• Iam a vegetarian and always find alternative recipes that vegetarians can enjoy.
• Iam a very straightforward and emotional person and expect people to be the
same with me.
And here are some of the tags I received:
•What is your current obsession?
Real estate & blogging
•What are you wearing today?
Iam at home and wearing my well worn and comfortable cotton gown
•What’s for dinner?
Pav bhaji
•What’s the last thing you bought?
Pants
•What are you listening to right now?
Teri Ore from Singh is King
•What do you think about the person who tagged you?
I think she is very talented
•If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Mumbai anytime - Amchi Mumbai is where my heart is
•What are your must-have pieces for summer?
I think 4 quarter cotton pants and soft, pastel colored Cotton kurtis, I love to wear pastel colored Lucknowi Suits, Iced Sugarcane with ginger and lemon (my favorite) gallons of cold water.
•If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
I think I would love to go to Venice
•Which language do you want to learn?
Mandarin, Telegu & Kannada
•What’s your favourite quote?
God helps those who help themselves
•Who do you want to meet right now?
God
•What is your favourite colour?
Blue
•What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own clo
set?
I think my latest wine color formal top which looks professional & slick.
•What is your dream job?
Cook and serve people with no expectation in return except for compliments
•What’s your favourite magazine?
Womans Era
•If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
Buy a decent purse and wallet as both of what I have are worn out.
•What do you consider a fashion faux pas? (faux pas mean error in etiquette.. )
To wear bindi and jumkas with western outfits
•Who are your style icons?
I like Simi Garewal…she is class personified…..
•Describe your personal style.?
Classic & simply elegant
•What are you going to do after this?
Watch TV
•What are your favourite movies?
Jaane Bhi do yaaron, Khubsoorat, Jhooti, Golmal, Amol Palekar movies are my absolute favorite.
•What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without?
Bodywash, Face Powder and Lipstick
•What inspires you?
Compliments, gratitude and encouraging words.
•Give us three styling tips that always work for you:
Hairstyle that you are comfortable in, Eyeliner to define your eyes and lipstick to define your lips. As Priti said I would like to say the same, Know what's suits you, never overdo your makeup, try to keep it simple and comfortable.
•What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?
Go Shopping
•Coffee or tea?
Tea
•What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Hug my little ones. Listen to some soothing music or try to catch up on an old comedy movie
•What is the meaning of your name?
Sukanya means “A good girl”
•Which other blogs you love visiting?
There are millions of blogs and every blog is creative
•Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Gulab jamun and Gajar ka halwa
•What's the best feeling?
To love and be loved in return
•Who do you love most and why ?
I love my kids the most, because they are the most perfect beings in the world to me
Here is my new question: Reason(s) for you to blog?
I love blogging
Respond and rework – answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, and add one more question of your own. Then tag eight or ten other people.
I would like to send Puris to the Festive food event organized by Purva & Priti, as Puris are cooked during most festivals in many parts of India
I would like to send this recipe to Raks "Cooking for Guests" Event as I make these when guests come over and serve it with aaamras, potato masaala or chole.
I would also like to send Puris to EC’s WYF: Festive treat as Puri is a festive treat.
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