Baingan Bartha

Baingan Bartha is a spicy vegetarian curry made from Eggplant. Eggplant is baked/cooked on direct flame to impart a smoky flavour to it and the same is cooked with other spices and vegetables. It really is a great side dish to Rotis. I got this recipe from my friend Jahnavi.







Ingredients:-
Eggplant - 1
Tomato - 2
Onion - 2
Cumin/saunf - 1/2 sp each
Turmeric- pinch
Garam Masala - 1 sp
Cumin Coriander Powder - 1 sp
Red chilli powder - 1 sp
Salt
Curd - 1 Tbsp
Cilantro/Coriander - to garnish

Apply a spoon of olive oil on the egg plant all over, poke some holes using fork and bake it in 350' for about 30-40 minutes or till done. Peel the skin off from the eggplant.

Mash it or chop it coarse depending on how you want to feel the eggplant. Set aside.

In 2 spoons of ghee/oil, splutter cumin,saunf, add chopped onions and saute till pink. Add tomato and cook till done. Add tumeric , Garam masala powder, Cumin Coriander powder, Red chilli powder and salt, top it with a table spoon of curd and give a good mix.

Add mashed or coarsely chopped egg plant and cover cook for couple of minutes till the flavour blends.

Garnish with coriander/cilantro. A spoon of lime juice is optional.Serve hot with Rotis.

Paneer - Indian Cheese - Home Made

Paneer, the most common Indian cheese is a protein rich food. It is made by curdling boiled milk by lemon juice and from there on, the making of paneer differs from state to state /for each variety of food.

The one I made is the common way of paneer-making, ideal for dishes like Paneer tikka, Kadai Paneer, Palak Paneer and Paneer Butter masala.

Fresh made paneer will sure give a great taste to the dish.



Ingredients:-
Whole Milk - 2 cups
Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp
Muslin Cloth / Cheese Cloth

Heat the milk.
Once milk is boiled, set stove on low and add half Table spoon of lemon juice , stir.
If you dont see the milk seperating into solid lumps(cheese) and a thin greenish liquid (whey) , you can add some more lemon juice.
Wait till milk curdles, stir till the whole of the milk is sepearted into cheese and whey. This might take a couple of minutes.
Strain the cheese from the whey.
(Do not discard the whey, it helds the nutrient. Whey contains protein, this water could be used for cooking. )
Use a clean cloth / muslin cloth / cheese cloth, if nothing at all is available you can try using a thick paper tissue as well.
Hung the cheese tied in muslin cloth for about an hour.
(If paper tissue is used, Strain the liquid out of cheese and change the paper tissue couple of times to take out maximum moisture before it is set for an hour, else paper becomes very very soggy and sticks to paneer).
Wrap the paneer in clean cloth/tissue, carefully place a heavy weight on top of it. It can be a pan fully filled with water.
Set it for minimum 3-4 hours.
Once set, it could be cut into cubes or required shape and used. Else refrigerate.

Chow Chow Kootu / Chayote in coconut gravy

Chayote also known as chow chow or Bangalore Kathirikkai is considered a squash variety. It will be light green in color and pear shaped. I generally peel the skin and use.

The cooked chayote will taste close to Bottle Guard.

I love chayote when its cooked soft and tender. It is a very comforting food. This kootu is mild and pleasing to our taste buds and very apt when you want to give spicy curries a rest. The combo of coconut+cumin+green chilli gives a wonderful taste. This goes as a perfect side dish for Rotis.



Many people cook this kootu with moong dal, But I had gotten used to cooking it as a plain gravy with the grounded spices.

Ingredients:-
Chayote - 1
Moong Dal (Opt) - 1 Tbsp
Grated Coconut - 1 Tbsp
Green Chilli - 3-4 depending on the hotness
Cumin - 1 sp
Roasted Gram - 1 sp

Rice flour - 1 or 2 sp (If required)

Wash, peel skin and chop chayote to small cubes.
Grind coconut, chilli, cumin and roasted gram with little water.
Pressure cook with little water. (Can cook it with moong dal).
Add ground paste with cooked chayote, add salt, cook for 5-6 minutes.
If it is not thick enough, add 1 sp of rice flour mixed in few tablespoons of water. Cook for few mins till done. Serve hot with Rotis.

Capsicum Subzi

Colorful subzi with Avocado Rotis..

Ingredients:-
Capsicum - 1 Big
Tomato - 2 (Med sized)
Onion - 2 (Med sized)
Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 sp
Garam masala powder - 1 sp
Cumin Coriander powder - 2 sp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 sp
Salt
Coriander - few leaves
Butter/oil

In 1 Tbsp of butter/oil, saute the onions till translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
Add chopped tomatoes , saute for few minutes.
Add the spice powders, give a good mix and add capsicum and green peas.
(Add little water if required)
Cover and cook, add salt when vegetables are partly cooked.
Cook closed till done.
Garnish with coriander.
Serve hot with Rotis.

Potato Dry Subzi

I equally like both dry and gravy subzi made with Potato. Both are yummy...

Ingredients:-
Potato - 3
Tomato - 2
Onion - 2
Red chilli powder - 1 sp
Cumin Coriander - 1 sp
Salt
Oil

To Temper:-
Mustard - 1 sp
Cumin - 1 sp
Saunf (opt) - 1 sp

In little oil, temper the ingredients, add chopped onions and saute till translucent, add chopped tomatoes and close cook till done. (add little water if it sticks to bottom).
Add cubed tomatoes and cover cook till done.
Half way thru, add salt and other spices.
Cook till done.
Serve hot with Roti/Poori.

Chick peas Gravy / Channa Masala

Chick
Ingredients:

Channa / Garbanzo beans / Chickpeas - 2 cups
Tomato -2
Onion -2
Turmeric Powder - A pinch
Coriander powder - 2 - 3 sp
Channa masala / Garam Masala powder - 1 sp
Red chilli powder - 1 sp
Chopped Ginger Peices - 1 sp
Garlic - 3-5
Cumin - 1 sp
Saunf - 1 sp
Salt

Raw Masala Ingredients: -
Cinnamon - 1 med stick
Cardamom 4
Cloves - 4
Bay Leaf - 2


One can use raw masala ingredients or masala powder or combination of both.

-Soak the channa over night.
-Pressure cook channa till soft.
-In 2 sp of oil, Fry onions,garlic,ginger till onions are pink. Add tomatoes and cook till done.
(- Add water if the mass becomes too thick. Use up the water from the boiled channa till tomatoes are cooked well. )
- Let this cool for few minutes, once cooled, blend it to find gravy along with few of the boiled channa.
-In a tava, add 2 spoons of ghee/butter/oil, fry little cumin,saunf and add the grounded gravy.
- Add coriander powder, garam masala powder, chilli powder and salt.
- Mix in the boiled channa and let the whole mixture cook for 7-8 mins till channa is well absorbed.
-Garnish with coriander.

**Need not necessarily add some channa while blending. But this gives some thickness to the gravy and also makes the dish more gravy. Need not grind channa if you prefer more of solid channas in your dish.

Potato Subzi - Simple, Quick and tasty

This is one recipe I usually end up when I want to make a quick side dish for rotis.


Ingredients:-
Potato - 3
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Coriander leaves - few
Red Chilli powder - 1 sp
Sambar powder - 1 sp
Salt

To temper:
Mustard - 1 sp
Cumin - 1 sp
Saunf - 1 sp
Curry leaves - few

Wash well, grate the skin, chop the potatoes into cubes.
In a spoon of oil, temper the mentioned ingredients.
Add chopped onions, saute till translucent.
Add chopped tomatoes cook covered till tomatoes are mashed.
Add 2 cups of water, add red chilli powder, sambar powder, mix well.
Add chopped potatoes and cook covered.
Once potatoes are boiled, add salt and mix well and garnish with coriander.
Serve hot with Rotis.

** Adding of potatoes will generally thicken the subzi by itself. If required, add a spoon of rice flour/corn flour/gram flour mixed in cold water to thicken.
** Based on choice this could be made as spicy curry or a mild one.

Tindora / Kovakkai Fry

Kovakkai / Tindora has become one of the rare delicacy after coming to US.
Though it take quite an effort of cutting thin slices , the final product is well worth it :)



Ingredients:-
Sliced Tindora - 2 cup
Chilli Powder - 1 sp
Sambar Powder - 1 sp
Salt
Oil - To shallow fry

In a wide pan, pour 2 spoons of oil, once hot, add the tindora.
Saute them couple of times to coat them evenly with oil.
Leave undisturbed and cook on medium-high. Keep a check else it may stick to bottom.
Every five minutes saute them slightly so that they fry evenly.
Once half done, add salt.
Finally add chilli powder + sambar powder , add 2 spoons of oil, saute for 5 mins.
Switch off.
Serve hot wiht rice / Roti.

Per choice, onions can be added. This goes well with Roti too.

You might also check out Few Tips for getting perfect fries

Bhoondhi Raitha

I generally make Bhoondhi's at home as I do not get it in stores. Goes very handy for raitha when side dish is not available. I do not have bhoondhi laddle with me, I use my pressure cooker steamer plate (that has small holes) to make bhoondis. :)


Ingredients:

For Bhoondhi:
Gram Flour - 1 cup
Rice Flour - 2 Tbsp (This is optional, to give a crispness. Can add more or less per taste)
Oil to deep fry
salt

For Raitha:
Curd - 1 cup
Salt
Red chilli powder
Curry leaves/coriander

Bhoondhi:
Sieve together Gram Flour, Rice flour and salt.
Add water and make a thin batter.(Can add a spoon of hot oil for kneading)
Heat oil in a pan.
Keep the Bhoondhi laddle above the oil, carefully add the batter to the laddle, such that the bhoondhis fell into the oil.
Fry till its golden yellow.
Transfer it to kitchen napkins.
***Rice flour if added very much, can give crispness but alters the taste.
***Round Bhoondis are got when there is enough oil for the Bhoondis to immerse. I am quite stingy to do that :) and hence my bhoondhis are never in good shape.

Check out Few Useful Tips for Deep-Frying

Raitha:
Beat the curd to thick buttermilk stage. Add the bhoondis and salt.
Add red chilli powder coriander/curry leaves (Opt)
This needs about 20 mins minimum for the Bhoondis to get soaked in curd.
***As an alternative, soak the bhoondis in warm water for 5 mins and then add it to curd for quick soaking. this way some excess oil also is taken out from bhoondis.

Peas Masala

Ingredients:
Shelled Peas - 1 cup
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 1 big
Oil/Ghee/Butter

Chopped Ginger - 1 sp
Garlic - 3 pods
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon stick - 1 med
Cardamom - 3
Cumin - 1 sp
Saunf - 1 sp
Poppy seeds - 1 sp (Opt)
Pepper powder - 1/2 sp (Opt)
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 sp
Coriander powder - 2 sp
Garam masala - 1 sp (Opt)
Salt
Coriander leaves - few

Boil the peas with pinch of salt and just enough water until it is cooked.Keep it aside.

In little oil, fry ginger and garlic. Add chopped onions to it and fry till pink.Add chopped tomatoes.Let it cool for sometime. Once cooled, grind this to fine paste using mixie/blender.

In little oil/butter, saute cumin,saunf.Add cloves,cinnamon, cardamom,poppy seeds and fry for few seconds.
Add the ground mixture and bring it to boil.
As onions/tomatoes were already cook, it is enough to boil a couple of minutes until they heat up.
Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala pepper powder,salt. Mix well.
Add shelled peas. Boil till the peas set well in the gravy.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with Roti/naan

Spinach Dal

Ingredients:
Spinach - a small bunch
Tur dal - 2 heaped Tbsp
Tamarind Extract - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - A pinch
Onions/Fried Onions - 1 tbsp
Salt
Oil - To temper/ fry onions

To Temper:
Red Chilli - 3
Hing - 1/2 sp
Mustard - 1 sp
Urad Dal - 1 sp
Channa Dal - 1 sp
Cumin - 1 sp
Curry Leaves
Coriander

Wash well and chop spinach.
Pressure cook Tur dal with spinach, adding pinch of turmeric.
In little oil fry the onions till brown, add cooked dal, tamarind pulp and boil for few mins till it blends well.
Temper with the tempering ingredients.

If using fried onions, it could be added at the end. This goes well with Rice /Rotis.

Avial

Ingredients:-
Beans/Carrots/Shell Peas/Drumstick/Potato - 2 cups
Sour curd - 1 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Green Chilli - 5
Cumin - 1 sp
Curry Leaves - 1 string
Coconut Oil - 1 sp
Rice flour/Corn Flour - 1/2 Tbsp
Salt
Turmeric - A pinch

-Grind together coconut,chilli,cumin to a paste adding just enough water.
-Cut the vegetables to 2" to 3" long and cook it adding just enough water adding salt when the vegetables are half cooked.
-Once cooked, add the ground paste,turmeric.Cook
-Finally add curd, cook few minutes for the taste to blend well.
-If avial is too watery, add 1/2 tspn of rice flour or corn flour mixed in little cold water for thickening.
-Switch off. temper curry leaves in 1 sp coconut oil and add.
-Serve hot with rice. Also goes well with Adai, roti's.
(The avial should not be cooked too long after adding curd, as it might result in curdling)