Sookha aloo mutter

4 potatoes (peeled)
1 bowl peas
3 small onions
1/2 inch ginger (or to taste)
Ground masala: 1/2 inch cinnamon, 3 cloves, 2 cardamoms, 3 buds of anise, 5 peppercorns. Make a powder using a mortar and pestle.
Masalas: Asafetida, Coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, amchur powder, salt.
Oil for cooking

Recipe:

1. Parboil potatoes and peas in a cooker for 3 whistles.



2. Heat oil in a karahi (wok).



3. Add hing (Asafetida) when the oil is hot.



4. Add ground masala



5. Add minced ginger and fry for 30 seconds on medium flame.



6. Turn flame to High, add Onions, and fry till golden brown.



7. Add Potatoes and Peas.



8. Cook till the potatoes and peas are almost cooked.



9. Add the rest of the masalas, and wait till the potatoes are well cooked.Add a little water if the masalas stick to the pan to avoid burning.

Chainsoo (Uttaranchal recipe - urad dal)

• Urad dal (whole) - 1 cup


• Oil - (preferably mustard) : 1/2 cup


• Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves


• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp


• Black pepper - 4 nos


• Red chillies (whole) - 4 to 5


• Asafetida - 1 pinch


• Dry coriander powder - 1/2 tsp


• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp


• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp


• Water - 3 cups


• Salt - to taste


• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Procedure

1. Roast urad dal for 3-5 minutes until it becomes aromatic. Grind the roasted seeds to a coarse powder.


2. Heat oil in Karhai. Add garlic cloves, cumin seeds, red chillies, black pepper, and hing (asafetida)


3. Add dal powder and roast for 1-2 minutes. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, salt and water. Bring to a boil.


4. Cover and cook till the dal becomes very soft. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.


5. Garnish with garam masala and coriander leaves.

Toor dal with Capsicum

Ingredients

• Toor dal (cooked and mashed) - 1/4 cup
  
• Capsicum (cut into medium sized chunks) - (10-15)
• Curry leaves - 10
• One tomato cut very small
  
• Mustard seeds (Rai) - 1 tsp
• 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
  
• Fenugreek seeds (Methi ke daane) - (4-5)
• Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp
• Asafetida (Hing) - 1 pinch
• Turmeric powder (Haldi) - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin (Jeera powder) - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander (dhania) powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Amchur (dry mango powder) - to taste
• 1 - 2 tbsp oil

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a kadai (wok)
2. Add mustard seeds. After they stop spluttering, add dalchini, hing, jeera, and methi seeds. Saute for 10 seconds on a medium flame.
   
3. Add Kadi patta (curry leaves)
4. Add the dal and around 1 cup water (if the dal is very thick)
5. Add Haldi
   
6. Add the capsicum and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes
7. Add salt, red chilli powder, jeera powder, dhania powder, amchur powder and mix.
   
8. Add tomatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
   

Goes well with both rotis and rice.

Maamidikaayi pappu (Mango dal - Andhra Recipe)

Ingredients

• Tur dal - one cup


• Mango - One, cut into medium-sized cubes. Leave out the seed :)


• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp


• Green Chillies - to taste


• Red Chillies - to taste


• Curry leaves - 10


• Hing (Asafetida) - 1 pinch


• Rai (Mustard seeds) - 1 tsp


• Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1 tsp


• Methi (Fenugreek seeds) - 10


• Groundnut - 10


• Garlic pods (optional) - 2-3 cloves


• Oil - 2 tbsp


• Salt - to taste


• Ghee - 1 - 2 tbsp

Procedure

1. Cook tur dal, turmeric, and cut mango in pressure cooker. The dal and mango should be in separate containers. Remove excess water, mash well. Mix the dal and mangoes. The dal should be thick.


2. Heat oil in a seasoning pan (small kadai). Add rai. When they stop spluttering, add jeera, methi seeds, hing, garlic, groundnut seeds, green chillies, curry leaves, and red chillies in that order.


3. Add the seasoning to the dal.


4. Add salt, and mix well.


5. Simmer on low flame for 10 minutes ensuring that the dal doesn't get burnt. Add a little water if necessary.


6. Add a dollop of ghee (clarified butter). Mix well.

Goes best with rice, pickle, and papad.

Zunkha, Jhunkha, Pitla (Maharashtra)

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized potato cut to small pieces
• 1 medium sized onion chopped fine
• 1/2 inch ginger, cleaned and grated
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 1 small lemon
• Coriander (dhania) leaves chopped fine
• Green chillies or red chilli powder - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Besan (chickpea flour) - 2-3 tbsp (make a fine paste in some water)
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp oil
• Mustard Seeds
• Hing
• Chana dal - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a kadai (wok)
2. Add mustard seeds.
3. When the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add Hing.
4. Add urad dal and chana dal.
5. When they turn brown, add curry leaves and green chillies.
6. After 20 seconds of stir frying, add onions and ginger.
7. Cook till onions are translucent.
8. Add potatoes, a little salt and turmeric, and cover and cook till potatoes are done.
9. Add two cups water, and salt (to taste)
10. Blend in the besan paste.
11. Cook till the froth disappears or till you feel it is done. (Taste, Taste!)
12. Garnish with lemon juice and shredded coriander leaves.

Goes well with both rotis and rice.

Gawar (cluster beans, chaulekayi) sabzi

If this doesn't get Gawar going into your mouth, nothing will!
Ingredients

• Gawar (cluster beans) - 1/4 kilo
• Onions - 2 small
• Tomatoes - 2 small
• Curry leaves
• Tamarind paste - 1 to 1/2 tbsp
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Methi ke daane (Fenugreek Seeds) - 5 seeds
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Hing (Asafetida) - 1 pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Red chilli powder - to taste
• 6-7 bhakar waadis (if you don't have it, dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds, red chillies, and 2 red chillies, and blend them to a coarse powder)

Procedure

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
2. Add mustard seeds. After they stop spluttering, add jeera (cumin seeds), methi ke daane, and Hing.
3. Add curry leaves and stir fry for 20 seconds.
4. Add Onions and stir fry till golden brown.
5. Add tomatoes and stir till tomatoes are done.
6. Add tamarind paste and turmeric powder and cook till the raw paste of tamarind paste goes away.
7. Add one cup water, salt, and red chilli powder, and cook for three whistles.
8. After the pressure cooker cools down, remove lid, and mix in the ground bhakar waadi mixture.

Goes best with rotis or phulkas although you can eat it with rice too.

Tendli (Tondekayi) bhaat - Konkan recipe

If you are a rice lover from the coast, you'll love this dish!

For the pressure cooker:
Tendli (1/4 kilo) - Slit each tendli lengthwise into four pieces.
Rice - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp (or to taste)
13/4-2 cups water
Salt (to taste)
Masala
2 tbsp coriander seeds
5-6 fenugreek (methi) seeds
4 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
4 red chillies (byadgi/kashmiri/low spice variety)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp roasted gram (chana)
1 tsp urad dal
1/4 cup grated coconut
Seasoning
1 tsp chanal dal
5-6 curry leaves
1 tsp groundnut
1 pinch Hing
Coriander leaves finely chopped.
Procedure

1. Dry roast the masala in a kadai or frying pan, and grind it without using water to a coarse mixture.
2. In a pressure cooker, add 1 tbsp oil. When hot, add tendli and stir fry for two minutes. Add tamarind paste, and roast till the raw tamarind smell goes away.
3. Add washed rice, water, salt, and pressure cook for two whistles. Allow to cool.
4. After pressure cooker cools, remove the lid, and allow the rice to lose the water content.
5. Add the masala, ghee (1 tbsp - optional), and mix.
6. In a Kadai, add oil. When hot, add the Channa dal, hing, and wait till channa dal turns golden brown. Add groundnuts, and roast them. Add curry leaves.
7. Add the seasoning to the rice.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Best served with plain curd.