Pindi Chole

Chole / Garbanzo - a favorite with everyone. There are so many different ways of cooking this nutty bean. It is near impossible to go wrong with this bean. This recipe is from my friend T's mom, Aunty C. Her Chole-Bhatures are by far the best I have tasted till date. She would make this everytime T and I went home. I was very enamoured by the fact that her choles would have a rich chocolatey-brown color. Now I know her secret :) which I am going to share with you.

1 cup dry garbanzo, soaked overnight in warm water
1 large onion, sliced lenghtwise
1 tea bag
2" ginger, grated
1 fat clove garlic, grated
3 tomatoes, chopped fine
1/2 tsp turmwric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp Anardana (Pomogrante seed)powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste
Oil
To Garnish
1/2" ginger, sliced thinly
Chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp oil

Drain the water from thegarbanzo, rinse a couple of times. In a pressure cooker, add garbanzo + tea bag + 3 cups water and cook for 3 whistles. Remove from heat and keep aside. When the cooker cols, drain the garbanzo beans and reserve the cooking liquid. Discard the tea bag.

In a pan, heat oil and add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the onion and cook till the onion tuens brown. Add garlic + grated ginger. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the tomato + turmeric powder + chilli powder + coriander powder + cumin powder + anar dana powder + salt. Mix well and cook till the tomato-masala paste is cooked and oil separates. Now add the cooked garbanzo bean + 1 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Cook till the water has almost dried. The gravy should be thick at this point.

To serve : Heat oil in a pan till it is almost smoking. Add the sliced ginger and cook till the ginger begins to brown. Add this to the cooked Chole, sprinkle some chopped coriander and serve hot with Bhature / Paratha. Enjoy !

Potato Kadhi

Kadhi comes under the "comfort food' category for me. In my house, kadhi is universally loved and Ma would sometimes add Pakoras (fritters), sometimes Potato, sometimes plain Boondi ... served with plain rice and pickle ... it was pure bliss.
This is my sister's recipe. Instead of the Pakoras, I added 2 potatoes, but the basic recipe remains the same. I generally make a large batch and have it over the next couple of days :)
2 cups yogurt
1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
Few curry leaves
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 dry red chillies, broken into two
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp amchoor powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder, divided
4 cups water
Salt to taste
Oil
In a mixing bowl, mix yogurt and besan till smooth and there are no lumps in the batter. Now add 4 cups water and turmeric powder and mix well.
Heat oil in a large pan. Add the hing + mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, add the cumin seeds + curry leaves +methi seeds + dry red chilli + chopped onion. Cook on medium heat till the onion begins to brown. Now add the yogurt-besan mix, cubed potato, salt, coriander powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, amchoor powder. Bring to boil, lower heat and cook till the yogurt-besan mix and potatoes are cooked, stirring occasionally. In a small pan, heat a little ghee/ oil and add 1/2 tsp red chilli powder. Mix and pour over the kashi. Garnish with coriander leaves (optional), and serve hot with plain boiled rice and Mango pickle. Enjoy!

Panchratan / Panchmel Dal

The afternoon rain left me craving for something that was wholesome and comforting. I always associate cold weather with Kadhi, Pakoras and this Panchratan / Panchmel dal. Made with 5 dals and a generous use of tomatoes, this Dal is nutritious and very, very comforting. I generally have this by itself, without any Rice or Roti. This is my contribution for the JFI:Tomato event over at RP's Workshop.

1/4 cup Split Urad dal
1/4 cup Chana Dal
1/4 cup Sabut (Whole) Masoor Dal
1/4 cup Split Moong Dal
1/4 cup Tur / Arhar Dal
3 medium tomatoes, chopped (I used 2 handfuls of grape tomatoes, cut into half)
2 cloves
1/2" dalchini (cinnamon)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2" ginger, grated
6-7 curry leaves
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
Chopped coriander to garnish (Optional)
Salt to taste
Oil
Clean and wash all the dals. In a pressure cooker, add the dals, 3 cups of water, turmeric powder, a few drops of oil and cook till the dals are cooked. Remove from heat and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick. When the seeds begin to sizzle, add the grated ginger, green chillies and curry leaves.Cook for abut a minute and then add the tomatoes and Salt. Mix well and cook till the tomatoes are mushy and cooked. Add the Dal to this tomato tadka, mix well and on low heat let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot. Enjoy !

Simply Red - Tomato Curry

This recipe is from Dad - my father in law. He is truly a foodie. He enjoys not only eating good food, but also cooking. What I like best about his cooking is the use of minimal ingredients and is big on flavor. Thanks to him, I have learnt some Mangalorean recipes and manage to surprise K once in a while :)
Ripe, juicy tomatoes, a few curry leaves, browned onions and green chillies - they all come together in this immensely satisfying and comforting curry. RP of the wonderful My Workshop is hosting the JFI for this month which is tomatoes. This is my contribution for this fun event.

Lunch today : Garlic Naan, Baked Potato, Tomato Curry

8 large tomatoes, slice into 8 pieces each and remove the skin
2 medium onions sliced and brown in oil
3-4 green chillies, sliced
6-7 curry leaves
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till brown. Add the curry leaves and sliced green chillies. Cook for a minute, then add the sliced tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt. Mix well, cover and let cook till the tomotoes begin to break down. Add one cup water and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are cooked and the gravy is thick. Serve hot with Roti /Paratha. Enjoy !!

Bharwa Baingan - Stuffed eggplant

K had got these beautiful eggplants from the local farmer's market last weekend. Thankfully, even after a week of lying in the 'fridge, they were fresh. I was craving for "Bhare (Stuffed)Baingan" but did not want to use an elaborate recipe. Surfing the Net I found this simple recipe from this blog. I made a few minor changes and believe you me, the taste was divine :)
8-10 pieces of tiny eggplants
1 tbsp red chili powder
2 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp jeera powder
1 tsp chaat masala
Salt, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Chopped coriander leaves, to garnish
Mix red chilli powder + coriander powder + garam masala powder + jeera powder + salt + lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside. Wash the eggplants, pat dry and slit them through the middle (see picture). Now put the filling into the slits of the eggplants. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add the eggplants. Cover cook on medium heat, turning them once in a while so that the eggplans are evenly cooked. Sprinkle chaat masala, and the chooped coriander leaves and serve hot with Rice - Dal or with piping hot Parathas and Raita. Enjoy !

Cabbage Stir-fry

I have been travelling extensively the last couple of days, surviving solely on artery-blocking, cholestrol increasing food. My entire system was crying out for something simple, yet healthy. Afterall the body can survive only so many meals from Denny's, Mickey D and the like.
This recipe is courtesy my brother in law D

1 medium sized cabbage, finely chopped
2 green chillies
1 tbsp mustard seeds
5-6 curry leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and when the seeds begin to pop, add the curry leaves + cabbage + turmeric powder. Mix once, cover and cook till the cabbage is almost done, stirring occasionally. Now add salt to taste and lemon juice. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes or so. Serve hot with Roti / Paratha and Raita. Enjoy !

Masoor Dal

When I saw Sandeepa's post "Masoor Dal", I took a trip down memory lane. I always associate this Dal with the Rains or cold, bitter winter. Ma would do the tadka with tomatoes and garlic - heavenly taste. This dal is a simple one, with no masalas (spices) - the Panch phoran, tomatoes and garlic give it the delightful flavor.
(Recipe adapted from Sandeepa)

Split Masoor Dal

1 cup Masoor Dal
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 green chilli, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 fat cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp Panch phoran
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander to garnish
Oil
Pressure cook the Dal with turmeric powder, Salt and 3 cups of water for 2 whistles. Remove from heat and let cool. Whisk the dal gently, till mixed, adding 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water to make the dal a little thin. Keep aside.
In a pan, heat oil and add the Panch Phoran, garlic, green chillies. Cook for a couple of minutes, till the garlic turns light brown. Now add the tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are cokked and oil separates. Add this mix to the dal, bring to boil and simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. (You can add some more water, if you want a thinner consistency). Now add the lime juice, mix well, garnish with the chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot with plain rice. Enjoy !!

Say No to Plagiarism

Image courtesy : Sandeepa of A Bong Mom's cookbook

Yahoo! India believes it is right to pass off other people's work as its own. Read the details about this here and here. We take a lot of time and effort to work on our blog(s) and it pains me to see a certain section of people take such a casual attitude to our hard work. It just takes a moment to ask permission or give credit where it is due. Is that so difficult ?
Please join me and my fellow bloggers to protest against this crime.

Happy Holi

Lal Chana - Red Garbanzo Curry

Both K and I like Garbanzo. As a student, many a meal was made using the combination of Rice, Spinach and Garbanzo beans. For variety we used to switch between the white, green and reddish brown garbanzo. Hummus, Garbanzo curry, as a snack ... there was no end to how we used this versatile bean.
One of my favorite garbanzo curry is the way Ma makes it. Today, I am going to share her recipe with you.

1 cup dried garbanzo, soaked overnight in warm water
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 onions - 1 onion sliced fine; 1 onion chopped fine
2 garlic pods, chopped
1" ginger, grated
2 Bay leaves
1 black cardamom
1" stick cinnamon
2 cloves
2 green cardamoms
1 potato, cubed (I used Red potato)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
To garnish : 2 green chillies, sliced lengthwise & chopped coriander leaves
Oil
In a pressure cooker, put garbanzo beans, chopped tomato, chopped onion, garlic, ginger, bay leaf, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, cloves, cubed potato, 1 tbsp oil, 3 cups water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Remove from heat and cool.
Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When the seeds begin to sizzle, add the sliced onion and cook till the onion turns brown. Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt and cook till the masala is cooked. Keep sprinkling water occasionally so that the masal does not stick to the pan. Add this masala to the garbanzo curry and cook on medium low heat for about 10 minutes, till all the flavors have blended. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and green chillies and serve hot with Rice / Paratha / Roti. Enjoy !!!

JFI:Aloo Parwal Bhujiya - Potato-Indian Gourd Stir Fry

Parwal or Potol(as it is called in Orissa) was the constant vegetable during the hot summer months back home. This tiny little green gourd ( similar looking to the Tinda ) along with Opo Squash was what you got in abundance and my mother constantly had to improvise in cooking methods to get us to eat this vegetable.
When I saw Trupti post a recipe with this vegetable, I walked down nostalgia lane. Imagine my delight when I found a packet of Parwal in the frozen food aisle of the Indian grocery store. I called up Ma and got this recipe from her. This is my entry for JFI-Potato.
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into long slices
1 packet frozen Parwal
1 small red onion, sliced fine
1 dry red chilli, broken into two
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Chopped coriander leaves, for garnish (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil
Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they begin to sizzle, add the sliced onions. When the onion turns pink, add the potatoes. Cook till the potatoes are half done. Now add the Parwal, turmeric powder, coriander powder and dry red chilli. Mix well and on low heat cook till the potatoes and parwal is cooked, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste, mix well, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Roti/ Paratha. Enjoy !