Paneer Butter Masala

Siri Pulipaka decided this months theme for us, Free-Spirit Bloggers. To say she took us down memory lane is one thing, but here's what she did. She left us there to wander about all those memories and the restaurants we'd visit as children. And, the most important thing she made us do: Re-live the moments in that restaurant eating the one dish that always made its way to the waiter's order note-pad. 

For me it's always been Paneer Butter Masala. The moment we'd grab our seats in any restaurant, the one thing we knew we were going to order was this. Everything else did not even matter. I still remember us driving up to the Karnataka State Billiards Association (KSBA) on weekends for Bingo Nights. I was very young to understand the game. So I'd sit there munching on appetizers, trying to understand the game, telling Dad and Mom  I see the number on their sheets, knowing well what followed for dinner.

While I spent all of my childhood and teenage years, gorging down this North Indian delicacy, things changed after I stepped into wed-lock. Once I learnt the basics around the kitchen, I wanted to, for certain, learn to make this favourite. I still remember the very first time I made it (a pretty home-y version sans cashews and cream) and was super excited. Almost as if I had created a new being or something. Then on, I explored various ways of making paneer butter masala - From recipe books, magazines and the internet. I've come down to one recipe, a combination of a little bit of everything I've read. And, this one works every time and gets me the results I'm looking for.

Mildly spiced, creamy cashew sauce with succulent paneer cubes. What wouldn't go with it? Roti - Yes! Naan - Yes! Kulcha - Yes! Plain white/brown bread - Yes! Rice - Yes. In fact, I could down bowls of Paneer Butter Masala all by itself!!

Saucy Indo-Chinese Coriander Garlic Chicken

There's definitely something about the fusion of Indian ingredients with Chinese delicacies. Something that makes one wants to go back for more than one serving. And, that's exactly what happened to me when I ate this dish at an Indo-Chinese restaurant. The combination of a garlic-y sauce with lots of fresh corainder all done up into a gulp-me-down chicken gravy cannot be resisted by a die-hard Indo-Chinese food fanatic like me!

A few days after we devoured this, I began getting haunted by the flavours - almost as if they continued to linger over my tastebuds, daunting me. I simply had to try making my version of the same at home - and soon! So, I did and here it is, just for you!

So, quickly prepare yourself some fried rice to go with this and lay the table for a hearty meal!

Chicken Manchurian

I have'nt till date met a person who despises Manchurian - chicken or otherwise. It's no surprise that this dish has found its way to the streets of India. And, as always, we Indians manage to add our 'tadka' to everything that hits our shore - be it food or anything else! Indo-Chinese cuisine is one such product. Like Chinese food itself was'nt hearty and filling, we jazz it up to suit our tastebuds and churn out plate after plate on every other street/restaurant.

I can still feel the heat from the chillies in the Cauliflower Manchurian and Vegetable Noodles I used to eat at least twice a week at the street-food vendor back in my college days. Some metabolism I had, eh?! Oh, that feels like ages ago and I am beginning to feel old saying all this. So , before I get way too nostalgic, let me get down to sharing this scrummy recipe with you!

Ingredients

2 lb Chicken breasts (You can use bone-in or boneless) - Washed and cut into bite sized pieces

1/4th Cup Cornflour dissolved in 3/4 cup of water
5 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2inch stick of Ginger, grated
1 Cup Onions, julienned
3/4 Cup Chopped Scallions (Green Onions)
3 Green Chillies, chopped
1/4 Cup Fresh Coriander sprigs, chopped
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
2-3 tbsp Chilie sauce
1/2 tsp Red Chillie powder
1/2 tsp Ajinomoto (I just use very little to give the dish some authentic Chinese flavour. This is optional. You can use only regular salt, too, if you're not feeling that indulgent)
Oil
And, of course, some salt to taste!

Method
- Heat oil in a wok/kadai
- Stir the cornflour in the water to form a thin batter. Add some salt and the red chillie powder to this to give it some flavour
- Dip the chicken pieces in this batter and deep fry. Place fried chicken pieces on paper towel drain any excess oil. Oh, yeah let's try to get a wee bit close to being healthy at least at one step ;)
- Now in a shallow saucepan, heat about 2 tbsp. of oil and add the green chillies, garlic, ginger and onions and stir until the onions are transparent
- Add the coriander and stir further
- Lower the flame and pour in the sauces
- Now add ajonomoto and some more salt and fry for a good minute on a medium flame
- Toss in half the scallions and fry for about 30 seconds
- Add fried chicken pieces and fry until well coated with sauce mixture
- Sprinkle left over scallions and serve hot

SERVES 2-3

Green Beans and Egg Burji

It's the beginning of the week (yet again!) and you're oh-so-bored already. The last thing on your mind would be to slave in the kitchen to fix yourself a meal. Yet, you don't (and cannot if you have kids, especially!) want to sacrifice on healthy food. Green Beans and Egg Burji should be the answer to all these questions. Healthy, hearthy and filling it is! I am sure you thought I was talking about two different dishes. Well well.. this is just a new take on the plain old scrambled egg. And what's more, this little side dish provides you with your daily dose of protein and fiber. With a few chapathis or phulkas to accompany this burji you have a great dinner, ready in less time than you think!

Ingredients

1.5 cups Chopped green beans

2 Eggs, beaten lightly

3 Green Chillies, slit  (Add more if you desire!)

1/2 Cup Onion, chopped

1 tsp Jeera

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

1 tbsp Urad Dal

1/2 tsp Ground pepper

Oil

And, of course, some salt to taste!

Method

- Boil/Microwave green beans until cooked and set aside

- In a non-stick saucepan, heat oil  and add the mustard seeds

- Once, they splutter add jeera and urad dal and fry for a few seconds
- Throw in the green chillies and fry them for a couple

- Add onions and stir until translucent

- Toss in the beans, add salt and stir for about 30 seconds

- Now, lower the flame, add some salt and the ground pepper to the beaten egg and stir it into the beans mixture in the saucepan

- Increase the flame to medium and continuously stir as the egg begins to cook, so as to scramble it along with the beans

- Continue doing so until all of the egg is completely cooked

- Adjust salt and pepper as desired and serve hot with chapathis/phulkas

SERVES 2

Veggie Thai Curry - Customized!

Thai cuisine was as new to me as the country itself. Not that I have ever been there, but coming to the US sure did give me scope enough to hog on different types of cuisines. I heard that making Thai food at home was pretty easy. Besides, considering preparing our Indian food itself is so elaborate, I knew it could not get anything more detailed. So, I called up my friend Sathya who happens to love to explore new dishes and has loads of cook books and recipes (Sath, you really should start blogging!) and borrowed this recipe from her. Thai food, just like Indian, has many flavours working simultaneously - making eating a feast in itself!

Although the orginal version called for a lot of peanuts, I slightly customized this recipe as per my family's needs since my hubby is not too fond of these. I have mentioned where exactly you toss those nuts in, so that you wont be missing out on a single thing!

 

Ingredients
Choice of vegetables - Washed and chopped/julienned (I have used brocolli, carrots, cauliflower. You could add tofu as well. I did not have it on hand so I went ahead without it)
1/2 Onion (Medium sized) - Julienned
1 Cup/8 fl. oz - Coconut Milk
2-3 Whole dried red chillies (Use more if you want to increase the spice quotient)
1 tbsp Cumin seeds
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
1 inch stub of Ginger
6 Cloves of garlic
1 tbsp peanuts, skin-off (I have not used this)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Oil
And, of course, some salt to taste!!

Method
- Steam your veggies until soft. I had to fully cook mine to make sure my little son was able to eat! You could even opt to microwaving or boiling the veggies depending on how well cooked you want them to be.
- Grind together, in a blender, the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic, red chillies, onion and peanuts into a fine paste using minimum water
- With your blender running, slowly pour in coconut milk to make a smooth gravy like fluid
- In a non-stick sauce pan, heat oil and pour the gravy
- Allow it to reach a  rapid boil and then simmer for a few seconds
- Toss in the cooked veggies and salt. You could also add raw veggies at this point instead of cooking them beforehand and allow them to cook in the gravy itself
- Add the lemon juice
- Serve hot with a fresh tub of steamed white rice or try it along-side Asian Style Fried Rice, like I did.
Heaven on your plate!

SERVES 2-3

Chicken Chettinad

Yeah, yeah Chicken Chettinad. Sounds great I know. Tastes even better. But dont begin to assume I knew it the moment I got my hands on the chicken. (*thud* There goes my image in the dumps). We all love this dish, and it is on almost every menu card in nearly every Indian restaurant that serves up non-vegetarian Indian cuisine. So, over the past few weeks I was taken over by a sudden obsession to try out a new type of a gravy using Chicken. Something other than my regular C Cubed. It just had to be something spicy so this one came to my mind. I chanced on this recipe on Indian Food Forever, a website that I think carries quite a decent collection of recipes. The original recipe calls for poppy seeds. I normallly do not use them and did not have them on hand. If you do, then go ahead and 'pop' them in when you try this out. I am sure they'll render a great flavour!

Ingredients
For the masala
1/2 Cup Grated coconut
1" stick Cinnamon
1tsp Fennel seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1tsp Coriander seeds
3pcs Cardamom (Badi elaichi)
2 Cloves
1 Star anise
6-8 Whole red chilies
2 tsp Poppy Seeds (Optional. I have not used this)

Other Ingredients
2lbs Chicken, washed and cleaned, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
 1 Cup Onion, chopped
1 tbsp Ginger, chopped
2 tbsp Garlic, chopped
1 tsp Red chili powder
3/4 Cup Tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp Lemon juice
10-12 Curry leaves
Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
1/2 cup Oil
Salt To Taste

Method

- In a large wok/kadai, dry roast the ingredients for the masala
- Grind the roasted masala ingredients to a fine paste in the blender using minimum water
- Add the ginger and garlic to this paste in the blender and run it further to make a smooth paste/masala
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel
- Fry the onions till golden brown
- Toss in the curry leaves and allow to splutter
- Now add the ground paste and sauté for about a minute
- Add the tomatoes, red chili powder and turmeric powder and sauté.
- Add the chicken, mix and cook for 5 minutes and then add 2 cups of water and lemon juice
- Stir
- Add salt and cover and cook till the chicken is done. You could opt to pressure cook at this point.
- Serve piping hot chicken chettinad, garnished with coriander leaves along-side steamed rice, rotis or pooris

SERVES 4

Kheema Balls And Coconut Gravy

This happens to be one of my husband's favourite dishes. Sadly, for him I do not make it too often. Not because I do not want to..but simply because it carries with it way too many calories, which he too agrees is not good for us. But, whenever we make it, the fried kheema (minced meat) balls find their way into our tummies before even taking the plunge into the gravy. So, basically this is like a two in one preparation. You can serve the fried kheema balls as an appetizer and dunk some of them (if they escape everyones hands!) into the gravy.

This is my mother-in-law's all time hit recipe and holds a special place in my heart. During my newly-wed days (and even now!) I remember, she would undoubtedly make this for us whenever she would get her hands on kheema in the market ....even after a long, tiring day at work! I would stand there looking at her work her magic in the kitchen...at the most helping with peeling garlic cloves. Shame! With no prior cooking know-how, the making of this specific dish seemed far too complicated for me to even think of trying on my own. Ingredients all over the kitchen...some being blended, some chopped. I was simply dumbfounded, for all I knew back then was to fix a cup of tea for myself. But, she made it all seem so simple and always told me, "Cooking is no rocket science. Just keep trying and you will learn it all". And thanks to her support, I've finally - finally - mastered this preparation! Here it is for you all to try and enjoy.

Before you start, let me give you a heads-up on the basic method employed to make this. You make two separate fine ground masalas - One for the gravy and one to add to the kheema/minced meat to flavour the balls.

Also, if you intend making only the fried kheema balls as an appetizer then you can skip reading the coconut gravy part of this recipe.

But, if you plan to make the gravy and add the kheema balls in it then make sure you first semi-fry some kheema balls (for curry) and then deep fry rest. By semi-fry, I mean, fry for about a minute on low flame just to allow the outsides of the kheema balls to turn light brown (and to bind the kheema ball together) and set aside.

That being said I will take you through the recipe now.

Ingredients for the Kheema Balls Masala
1/4 Cup Coconut, grated(I use thawed frozen coconut flakes)
2 tbsp Garlic, grated
1 tbsp Ginger, grated
1" stick Cinnamon
4-5 Cloves
1 Cup Fresh Coriander
1/2 Cup Chana Dalia (Putane)
1.5 tsp Turmeric powder
1.5 tbsp Dhaniya powder/Coriander seed powder
1.5 tbsp Red Chilli powder (adjust to suit your taste)
2lb/1kg Kheema/minced meat(mutton/goat/lamb)- Washed
And, of course, some salt to taste!

If kheema is not very fine then you can add it in the mixer too along with masala and grind it more. You might have to do this in batches to ensure that the entire bulk of kheema is well mixed with the masala.

Method
- Add all the ingredients (except kheema) in the mixer/blender and make a fine paste with minimal use of water
- Add this to the kheema and mix thoroughly
- Make balls (about 1" in diameter) and deep fry (Semi-fry a couple, if you intend to make the gravy, and set them aside right now...else they will be eaten up. Just a word of caution!)


Ingredients for the Coconut Gravy Masala
1/2 Cup Coconut, grated(I use thawed frozen coconut flakes)
1/2 Cup Onion, diced
1/2 Cup Tomato, diced
2 tbsp Garlic, grated
1 tbsp Ginger, grated
1/2 cup Fresh coriander leaves
1" Cinnamon stick
4-5 Cloves
1 tbsp Dhaniya powder
1 tbsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
And, of course, some salt to taste!

Method
- Add all these ingredients in the mixer/blender to make a fine masala using minimum water
- In a pan/cooker, heat oil and add the ground masala and stir
- Add turmeric and salt and bring to a boil
- Once the raw smell goes, simmer add the half fried kheema balls
- Cover and simmer, stirring occassionally, allowing the semi-fried kheema balls to absorb the masala flavour and get cooked through (remember they were only half done when they were fried!)
- Serve hot with either plain white or Ghee rice

NOTEWORTHY NOTES
1. You can add mutton pieces/bones, if you have any left from the kheema to this gravy, but ensure you cook them well before you add the semi-fried kheema balls.
2. The gravy thickens with time, so if you plan on making it before-hand you might want to add more water and heat it just before you serve

SERVES 4-5

Maratha Style Ambat Kadan (Sour and Spicy Gravy)

Just a word of caution before you start reading this introduction to the recipe...I am going to delve into a little bit of history. Yes! So, if you are interested ONLY in the recipe I would suggest that you jump to it right now. But if you want to know a little more about how this dish came into existence, continue reading up.

India is well known for its variety of foods which is the outcome of the diverse regions with their varied terrains, food habits and customs. Some of them are very well known and very distinctly identified, but there are loads of them that are existing as overlapping layers between two states or regions. Marathas too, are one such group of people. Here, I share my two cents on Marathas.

We Marathas are a set of people who speak Marathi but do not reside in Maharashtra. This spread of Marathi speaking people, mostly into South India, happened under the reign of Chatrapati Shivaji Bhosle, who fought for the independence of Marathas from the Mughal Empire and then became the King of the Maratha Empire. We mostly comprise of Kshatriyas (Warriors) and Rajputs who share surnames that are very Maharastrian sounding ones. My surname for instance is Pawar. My maternal surname was Moray. And then we have Bhosle, Jhadav, Chauhan, Kadam, Rao, Mohite, Ghatge, Ghorpade to name a few.

All of these Marathas speak different accents of Marathi, which in most cases is a mix of the local regional language in which the Marathas reside. For instance, (as in my case) a Maratha in Karnataka would speak Marathi with Kannada intonations and words. So, when we Maratha's meet people we end up telling this whole story which can be extremely confusing for people who have one sturdy foundation/background from which they hail.

So, now why did I get into all this? Because the point that I wanted to drive here is that since there is so much of a mix up of cultures that happend over the generations, it is most evident that even our cuisines got fused. Here, what I term as Ambat Kadan is made on the similar lines of Bas Saaru which is a dish from Karnataka. You first make the side dish called Shepu Chi Bhaji using this recipe and then proceed to making the gravy and finally devour the entire thing with steaming hot white rice. How yum is that?

Phew, that was one exhaustive intro!



Ingredients
1/2 Cup Coconut - Flakes/Grated (I have used frozen coconut flakes)
3/4 Medium Tomato, Cubed
1/2 Medium Onion, Diced
1 tbsp Tamarind Pulp
1.5 tsp Sambar Powder (I use what we make at home. You can use store bought powder, too)
4-5 Garlic pods, slit
1 tsp Jeera (Cumin seeds)
Water left from making Shepu Chi Bhaji
1 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
3-4 Curry Leaves
And, of course, some salt to taste!

Method
- Dry roast the jeera, garlic, onions and coconut until fragrant
- Once cool, toss the roasted ingredients into the mixer/blender
- Add the tomatoes, tamarind pulp and sambar powder and grind to a smooth paste (masala) and set aside
- Now heat oil in a saucepan
- Once hot, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter
- Add curry leaves and stir about 30 seconds
- Lower the flame, pour the ground masala and stir
- Now add salt and pour the water that was left from making the shepu bhaji
- Allow to boil for about 2 minutes or until the raw masala smell goes away
- Add more water if you think the gravy is still too thick. It should be of sambar like consistency and not too thick or too watery
- Slightly cover and simmer for another 1 minute
- Serve hot with white rice and shepu bhaji

SERVES 4-5

Panchratna Daal

Looking for a way to spruce up your daily daal? Look no further! Eat just one spoonful with a bite of a hot roti and you will find yourself reaching for second and third servings of this slurpy gravy. It is packed with proteins due to the five types of daals (from where it gets its name) and is high on taste. So, what is your excuse? Hit the kitchen now!

Ingredients
3 tbsp each of Toor, Urad, Moong, Matki Masoor and Split Channa Daal - Washed and soaked in water for about 2 hours
1 Cup Tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup Onions, finely chopped
1/2 Cup Fresh Coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp Turmeric powder (Haldi)
1 tsp Coriander powder (Dhania powder)
1 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Sabji Masala (Optional - I used Everest brand)
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
A pinch of hing/asafoetida
Oil
And, of course, some salt to taste!!

Method
- Pressure cook all the daals with half a teaspoon of turmeric powder, half a cup of tomatoes, cumin seeds, a few drops of oil and the hing/asafoetida
- Once the daals are done, pour any excess water left over the cooked daals in a separate bowl and set aside
- Mash the cooked daals to a thick, paste like consistency
- In a large non-stick saucepan, heat oil
- Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter
- Add the chopped onions and fry until translucent
- Add the chopped coriander leaves and fry until they wilt
- Now toss in the remaining half cup of tomatoes and fry until soft
- Add each dry/powdered ingredient one by one and give a stir after each addition(Turmeric, Coriander, Garam Masala, Sabji Masala)
- Pour the water that was obtained on cooking the daals
- Add salt
- Allow to boil
- Now slowly stir in the cooked daals, cover and simmer
- Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rotis or jeera rice

SERVES 4

Neer Dose and Vegetable Saagu

Making dosas was once a very skillful task for me. Soaking various dals and rice in the right proportions. Then, grinding it to a fine mixture and then allowing the concoction to ferment to the right level. And as the grand finale, pouring the perfect dosa on the griddle - All seemed like a humongous task. Not that I am an expert now, but I have learnt the simple tricks of the trade to end up with some lip-smacking ones. In fact, it has been only about two years now since I have started making idli and dosa batter at home. Among the umpteen number of dosa recipes I have seen/eaten I think my personal favourite is the Neer Dosa, which if I am not wrong is an authentic Mangalorean dish. Back in India, I had a friend from Mangalore who lived in the same apartment building as us, where I used to eat this dosa very often. It pairs amazingly well with non-vegetarian and vegetarian gravies alike. I had almost forgotten this childhood favourite of mine...but Madhuri posted a different version of the same on her blog, which refreshed my memory. In this post, I've whipped up vegetable saagu that is normally served along with puris in South Indian hotels as the famous Puri-Saagu combo. The crispy yet soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture of the Neer Dosa beautifully compliments the entire experience of eating this side dish.

Ingredients for Neer Doses
1 Cup Rice, soaked for one hour (I have used Soona Masoori. You can even use Basmati)
2 tbsp. grated coconut
A pinch of baking soda
Water
And, of course, some salt to taste!

Method
- Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste in the blender/mixer
- Add about 2 glasses (16oz) more water to the ground paste to make the batter watery
- On a hot griddle/tawa, first sprinkle water to cool off temporarily
- Once the water evaoprated, on a high flame, spread oil and pour the batter in a sprinkling action to form a complete circle
- Turn the flame to medium, hold on to your patience and wait for the dosa to cook. It will slowly form the net a net-like texture and come off from the sides indicating that it has cooked on the lower side
- Flip and fry the other side
- For every subsequent dosa, repeat by cooling off the griddle/tawa by sprinkling water and then spreading oil before you pour (sprinkle) the dosas
- Serve hot with vegetable saagu or any spicy gravy/chutney


Now that we've mastered the Neer Dose, let's discover the Vegetable Saagu recipe.

Ingredients for Vegetable Saagu
For the Masala
1/2 Cup Coconut (I used frozen coconut slices)
1/2 Cup Channa Dalia (Phutane)
2 Green chillies
2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste (You can substitute for fresh grated ginger and garlic)
3/4 Cup Coriander/Parsley
1 tsp Jeera

For the Gravy
2 Cups choice of vegetables - Boiled (I have used potatoes, carrots, green beans and peas)
1 Cup Tomato - Finely chopped
1 Cup Onion - Finely chopped
2 tsp Tamarind pulp
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Asafoetida/Hing
6-8 Curry leaves
Oil
And, of course, some salt to taste!

Method
- Grind all the Masala ingredients to a smooth paste
- In a deep saucepan, heat oil
- Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter
- Toss in the asafoetida and the curry leaves and stir a few seconds
- Add the onions and fry until translucent
- Add the chopped tomatoes and stir until done
- Pour the ground masala and stir well
- Cook for about a minute, stirring occasionally
- Add the chopped vegetables (along with the water in which you boiled it to retain the goodness) and salt and cook another 3 minutes (keep an eye and stir, as it may boil and fly all over your stove)
- Pour the tamarind pulp and simmer for about a minute
- Stir again and if needed, add water to adjust the consistency of the saagu if it is to thick (It should not be too runny, too)
- Garnish with fresh coriander sprigs and serve hot

SERVES 4 (Makes a good 15-20 dosas. You can comfortably tuck in about 4 dosas for breakfast!)

Daal not-so-Makhni

Just like Paalak Paneer, Dal Makhni too comes with oodles of fat. So I converted this North Indian delicacy to a more healthy version. Which explains why I call it Daal not-so-Makhni. But, by all means, if you choose to add on those calories... go ahead and use butter instead of oil and throw in some fresh heavy cream in the gravy just before you close it for cooking! This version of the dish is packed with proteins and when combined with whole wheat rotis can sure fill you up like nothing else.

Ingredients

1/2 Cup - Whole Black Gram (Kaali Urad Dal)

1/8 Cup - Red Lentils (Matki Masoor)

1/8 Cup - Raajma (Red Kidney Beans)

1/2 Large Onion - Finely chopped

4 pcs Green Chillies

3 tbsp - Ginger garlic paste (You could grate fresh ginger and garlic too)

1.5 tsp - Corriander Powder (Dhania powder)

1 tsp - Red Chillie Powder

1 tsp - Jeera (Cumin seeds)

1 tsp - Garam Masala Powder

A pinch of hing (Asafoetida)

Oil

And, of course, some salt to taste!!

Method

- Soak the dals over night.

- The next morning pressure cook the dals with salt, green chillies, hing and a drop of oil.

- Once the dals are cooked, mash them to a gravy like consistency. Do not overdo this step if you like the chunky dal taste (I do!) in this dish. If there is excess water drain it out before you mash the dal but do not throw it. Save it for some further steps.

- Now in a saucepan, heat oil

- Add the jeera and allow it to splutter

- Now add the onions and fry until transclucent

- Toss in the ginger garlic paste and fry further

- Add the garam masala, dhania powder and red chillie powder and fry for a few seconds

- Now add the cooked dals and stir. If it happens to be too thick then pour the water left from draining the dals. If you had no water left simply add some fresh water to dilute the gravy to the consistency you want.

- Adjust spices and salt based on your requirement

- Cover and cook on a very low flame for 20-30 minutes

Serving Suggestion

Serve hot with home-made rotis, lemon wedges, onions and salad.

SERVES 4

C Cubed

If I've left you wondering what kind of dish this is...well here is the explanation. If there is anything you can taste when you eat this - it's the chicken, coriander and chilies. So, that's how I coined 'C Cubed'!! While the combination itself may seem pretty common, this recipe will tingle your taste buds leaving you longing for more. And, I cannot find an easier way to make super delicious chicken curry.

Ingredients
10 to 12 pcs Chicken - washed and cleaned
1 Onion - Finely chopped
1/2 Tomato - Roughly chopped
1 large bunch (about 3 cups) Coriander - washed (You need not remove the stem)
5 pcs - Green chillies
8 cloves - Garlic
1 tbsp - Ginger, grated
1 tbsp - Coconut
2 tbsp - Coriander powder (Dhania powder)
1 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Pepper powder
Oil
And, of course, some salt to taste

Method
- In the blender, toss in the ginger, garlic, pepper, coriander, coconut, green chillies and tomato and grind to a very fine, smooth paste. Use minimum required water so that the texture turns out very smooth. Set aside.
- In a pressure cooker (or any regular vessel), heat oil and add the onions and fry until they turn translucent
- Now slowly add the chicken pieces. Fry on a low flame for about 3 minutes
- Add salt, turmeric powder and coriander powder and further stir until the chicken starts to cook up and release its juices
- Now add a little water (about 1 fl. oz) to prevent the chicken from burning
- Pour the ground paste and stir
- Cover and cook until chicken is done

Noteworthy Notes
1. You can add more water to the dish after its done in order to adjust the consistency of the gravy

2. If you are using the pressure cooker, you could add some more tomato pieces just before you close the dish for cooking. This adds further taste.

Serving Suggestion

Serve hot with rotis/rice

SERVES 3

South Indian Style Fish Curry

What do I do with left-over fish after I've had enough of fried fish? Yes. You got it. Make fish curry. The best part of this recipe is although it seems like too many things going in, the time consumed is surprisingly very less! Try it... you will know what I'm talking about.

Ingredients
1lb Fish, cleaned and cut into pieces (I've used King Fish)

For Gravy (Masala)
1 Onion (medium sized) - Roughly chopped
1/2 Tomato - Chopped
5 Cloves of garlic
A handful of washed coriander leaves
1/2 Cup Coconut (Pieces or Flakes)
2 tbsp Sambar Powder (My Mom-in-law made this for me. I'm lucky)
1 fl. oz. - Tamarind Paste
1/2 tsp. - Mustard Seeds
1/4th tsp. - Fenugreek Seeds (Methi seeds)

For Seasoning
1/2 tsp. - Mustard Seeds
5 pcs. Curry Leaves
1/4th Cup - Onion, finely chopped
Oil

And, of course, some salt to taste!!

Method
- In a frying pan, heat a few drops of oil and add 1/2 tsp of Mustard seeds and the methi seeds and fry for about a minute on a low flame
- Add the coconut, onions and garlic and fry on a medium flame until the coconut flakes turn brown on the egdes OR until you get the fragrant aroma of all the ingredients releasing their flavours. I recommend the latter!
- Allow this fried muxture to cool
- Now, in a blender toss in all the fried ingredients, tomato, tamarind paste and sambar powder
- Grind to make a smooth paste and set aside
- In a saucepan, heat some oil and add the remaining mustard seeds and allow to splutter
- Toss in the curry leaves and then the onions
- Fry until the onions are translucent
- Pour in the ground paste and stir
- Add water just enough to make the paste into a gravy texture
- Add salt and allow to come to a rapid boil for about 5 minutes
- Now lower the flame and put the fish pieces
- Slightly cover and allow the fish to cook in the gravy

Serving Suggestion
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with either rice or rotis.

SERVES 4