RAJMA RICE

  

 

 Rajma Rice

Kidney beans or rajma is a flavourful and very popular Indian dish cooked in thick tomato based curry and many spices. The dish is mainly had with rice or roti. This aromatic and spice dish is favourite among all. The tender and spicy beans just melt in mouth and give heavenly experience.

Ingredients:-

500 grams rajma, soaked overnight

2 onions chopped

1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

4 tomatoes pureed

2-3 black cardamom

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

2 green chillies chopped

Salt to taste

2 green chillies chopped

4-5 cloves

½ tsp. cumin seeds

2 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. turmeric powder

1 tsp. red chilli powder

1 tsp. coriander powder

1 tsp. garam masala

1 litre water

Method:-

• Pressures cook the rajma in water and add salt and turmeric. Cook until they are soft and tender.

• Take a wok and heat oil. Add whole spices like bay leaf, black cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf.

• Add onions and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add all spices except garam masala.

• Add a pinch of sugar to caramelise and give a brown colour to masalas.

• Add tomato pure and saute the gravy over high flame for 8-10 minutes till fat separates.

• Add the cooked rajma to this gravy mixture and mix well. Let it simmer on low flame for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. You may adjust consistency by adding more water if required.

• Turn off the gas and add garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.

• Serve hot.

PALAK PANEER

Palak Paneer

Palak paneer is a simple dish cooked in different ways and loved by all. It’s a flavourful dish full of iron, protein and vitamin a.Spinach provide minerals as well. We present here a way in which paneer coats the Palak yet has its own flavour and melts in mouth with every bite.

Ingredients:-

750 grams spinach, blanched and coarsely pureed

350 grams cottage cheese cut in chunks

1 bay leaf

2-3 black cardamom

1 stick cinnamon

3 onions chopped

3 tomatoes chopped

2tsp chopped ginger and garlic

2 chopped green chillies

2 tbsp. oil

Salt to taste

1 tsp. red chilli powder

1 tsp. coriander powder

Method:-

• Heat oil in wok and add all whole spices in it. Saute them for a minute and add chopped onions in it.
• Saute onions till they turn golden brown and add tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chillies.

• Add all the spices except garam masala.

• When oil separates and masala is cooked, add pureed spinach into masala and mix it up well in wok.

• Take a non-stick pan and grill cottage cheese chunks in 1tsp. oil just to give them colour. Add the cooked cottage cheese chunks in spinach gravy.

• Add little water if required and simmer for 9-10 minutes.

• Add garam masala in the end. Serve hot with paranthas/roti/naans.

RESHAMI PANEER

 Reshami Paneer

Cottage cheese chunks in silky and smooth gravy which is a delight for fast watchers as well. The gravy needs few ingredients, possess a natural colour and has a wonderful taste which goes well with paneer/champ/chicken. Tomatoes are rich in beta-carotene which has anti-cancer properties and paneer is rich source of calcium and protein.

Ingredients:-

350 grams cottage cheese

10-12 tomatoes (750 grams) peeled

2 tbsp. fresh cream

Salt to taste

½ tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. tomato ketchup

2 tsp. kasoori methi, roasted and crushed

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. jeera

2 tsp. ghee

1 litre water

Garnishing:-

Coriander leaves

2-3 split green chillies

Method:-

• Take cooker and add water. Pressure cook the tomatoes till one whistle.

• Blend the tomatoes using a hand blender and don’t dispose of the water.

• Add cream and blend for 5 more seconds.

• Strain the entire water-cream-tomato mixture using a soup strainer. We need smooth gravy out of it with orange color.Dispose of the seeds and remaining skin.

• Heat a wok and boil this puree.once it comes to a boil,add salt and ketchup and let it cook over slow flame till 40-45 minutes.

• When gravy reduces to 60-70% and cream is converted into fat(as shown in pic),add kasoori methi, sugar and black pepper.

• Heat tawa and fry paneer cubes on it using 1 tsp. of ghee just to give colour to paneer.

• Transfer the paneer into gravy. Heat remaining 1 tsp. ghee in a non-stick pan. Add jeera and when it splutters, add it to gravy as tempering.

• Check seasoning garnish it with coriander leaves and slit green chillies.

 

PINDI CHOLE

 Pindi Chole

Pindi chole is a dry dish which originated from Rawal pindi made with kabuli channa. This is dry dish coated with masalas. The color is usually dark brown or black. This power packed dish is rich source of protein too. Channa can be served with almost anything like rice, poori, kulchas and also samosa,tikki etc.

Ingredients:-

500grams chickpeas (Kabuli channa),soaked overnight

3 onions, chopped

3 tomatoes, chopped

1tsp chilli powder

1 tsp. coriander powder

1 tsp. black salt

2 tsp. pomegranate powder

2-3 tbsp. channa masala

1 tsp. dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)

2 tbsp. oil

Salt to taste

Method:-

• Pressure cook channa with salt, red chilli powder, pomegranate powder and little oil. Take water up to the level of channa so that they are soaked in it. 
• It will take approximately 5-6 whistles on high flame. 
• You may cook longer in case your channa is not fully cooked.
• In a wok heat oil. Sauté onions till golden brown. 
• Add all the spices and sauté for a minute more.
• Now add  tomatoes. Keep stirring and cook for 5-8 minutes till masala leaves oil.
• Add cooked channa into the masala and mix it well. 
• Add kasoori methi and cook it on low flame for 10 more minutes till water dries up completely.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with your choice of bread or rice. 

 

VEGETABLE MANCHURIAN

 Vegetable Manchurian

Manchurian is a Chinese delight which has small balls made of chicken/vegetables which are deep fried and cooked in soya sauce based gravy. Manchurian recipe is bit modified so that it can suit Indian tastes. The recipe is purely vegetarian. You may make gobhi Manchurian or chicken Manchurian in similar way.

 

Ingredients:-

For making Manchurian balls:-

2 cups chopped vegetables (carrot, cabbage, paneer, cauliflower)

1.5 cups gram flour/all-purpose flour

Salt to taste

1 tsp. pepper powder

Water as per requirement (1/2 cup)

Oil for frying

For Manchurian gravy:

1 tbsp. oil

2 onions, sliced

½ cup vegetables of choice, thinly sliced

Salt to taste

3 cups water

2 tbsp. corn flour

1 tbsp. tomato ketchup

1 tbsp. soya sauce

1 tsp. chilli sauce

2 tsp. sugar

Method:- 

• Mix chopped vegetables with 1 tsp. salt and drain out water by compressing them in hands after 10 minutes.

• Make a thick batter of flour which has a consistency of soft dough by adding little water and add vegetables to the batter.

• Add salt and pepper.

• Make circular balls not bigger than a table tennis ball.

• Deep fry the balls till golden brown on high and then low flame. Keep aside. Alternatively you may use air fryer or appe pan technique to make a healthier version.

For Gravy:-

• Heat oil in wok and add sliced onions to it.Saute it for a minute and add sliced vegetables of choice. I used carrots, beans, capsicum.

• Sauté for another 2 minutes and add water. Let it boil.

• In a separate cup of water mix corn flour, ketchup, soya sauce, chilli sauce and sugar.

• Add this to wok and stir it for 2 minutes.

• Check the consistency and salt.

• Serve hot with fried rice or Hakka noodles.