Tinda Alu (Aloo)

Veggies
Tinda (Round Gourd) - Quarter Kilo (approx 4 nos)
Alu (Potato) - 1 big or 4 S
mallTomatoes - 4
Onions (finely chopped) - 1 big or 2 small
Green Chillies - 4
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves
Spices
Zeera (seeds) - 1 tsp
Zeera (powder) - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Tej patta - 1/2 a leaf
Dalchini (Cinnamon/Cassia) bark - 1/2 stick
Laung (cloves) - 4
Elaichi (cardamom) 1
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 1 tbsp

Procedure
Remove the pulp from the tinda and cut vertically into 1/2 inch strips. Cube the potatoes. In a pressure cooker, cook the tinda and the alu for 4-5 whistles.
Boil the tomatoes in water. Remove the skin. In a mixer (blender), add the tomatoes, the cardamom, and the cloves. Grind to a smooth paste.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok. Add the zeera (cumin) seeds. After they stop spluttering, add the cinnamon and tej patta. Saute for 10 seconds. Add the onions, and fry till they are golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste, and fry for thirty seconds. Add the tomato paste, and stir for thirty seconds. Add the red chilli powder, turmeric (optional), garam masala powder, and salt, and mix well. Add a little water if necessary.
Dry roast the zeera powder till it turns dark, and add it to the mixture.
Turn off the flame, and mix in the curd.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

The official saayi bhaaji

This is straight from the Sindhi kitchen, and it can't get more authentic or tastier than this. Again, thank you mom, and thank you Shon!

Ingredients:
125 Gms chopped and washed Palak/Spinach leaves
1 Onion finely chopped
2 Tomatoes finely chopped
50 Gms chana daal soaked in water for ½ Hour
1 Or 2 Green Chili finely chopped
1 spoon turmeric powder
1 spoon coriander powder
½ spoon red chilli powder
2-3 fresh garlic pieces finely chopped

Preparation:
Add 3 spoon of oil in pressure cooker and cook for 1 Min (high flame)
Add Onions and cook until color turns light pink (medium flame)
Add tomatoes and green chillies and cook for 2 Mins (medium flame)
Add Daal (drain all water from daal before adding) (medium flame)
Add salt+turmeric+coriander powder+red chilli powder and mix For 2mins (low flame)
Add Palak (low flame)
Add ½ glass of water (high flame)
Close cooker lid and cook on high flame for 3-4 whistles
Turn off the flame and allow the pressure cooker to cool for around 15 minutes.
Open lid and mix contents with a blender.

Tadka (seasoning):
Heat around 2 tsp of oil in a frying pan and add the garlic
Fry till the garlic turns a shade of brown
Add a pinch of red chilli powder to the mixture you prepared earlier, and add the tadka on top of it.
Close lid and wait for 3 minutes.
Mix well before serving.

Saayi bhaaji is usually eaten with rice.

Panneer 65

The credits for this recipe go to my best friend's mom, and of course, my friend for typing it down.

Ingredients (For Two Servings):
250 Gms Paneer (Thick And Long Cut)
1 Simla Mirch/Bell pepper (Long Cut)
1 Onion (Long Cut)
Corn Flour - 2 Spoon
Maida (refined flour) - 2 Spoon
Food Color – Orange Powder
Salt To Taste
Tomato Sauce - 3 Spoon
Red Chili Sauce 1.5 Spoon
Green Chilies – Finely Chopped 4 Nos
Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 Spoon (Or To Taste)

Step I: (Get the Panner ready)
Mix 2 Spoon Maida + 2 Spoon Cornflour + Orange Color + Salt + 2 Spoon Water to a thick paste. Heat a little oil on high flame. Dip Paneer Pieces into the paste and fry for 5 minutes.

Step II (The gravy):
Heat 2 Spoon Of Oil in a pan on low flame
Add Ginger Garlic paste and cook for 1 min
Add half cup water+ chilli sauce + tomato sauce + salt
Cook For 2 Minutes
Add Simla Mirch + Onions and boil for 5 minutes
Add 1 glass of water + 1 spoon of corn flour and cook under cover For 2 Mins.

Best served with hot rotis.

Basic Kadi Recipe

Kadi is the natural side dish for Khichdi, although it goes equally well with rice. The Kadi Pakodi, the recipe for which I will post later, can be eaten with rotis. This is a quick dish, requires minimium effort. When you are back from a vacation, or when guests drop in when you least expect them, this is something that should keep everyone happy.

Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes.

Ingredients:
Curry leaves: Around 10
Green chillies (capsicum for people in the US): 3-4
Ginger (optional): 1/2 tsp (finely shred or cut ginger)
Besan (Chickpea flour): 1 tbsp.
Curd (Yoghurt): 1/2 cup
Salt: To taste
Hing (Asafoetida): 2 pinches (1/4 tsp)
Raai (Mustard seeds): 1/2 tsp
Zeera (cumin): 1/2 tsp
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
Oil: 1-2 tsp
Water to dilute the curd

Procedure:
Dilute the curd (yoghurt) to a milkish consistency with water. In a small bowl, add the besan, and mix with water till you get a thin paste. Add the paste to the curd.

Place the kadai (wok) on the stove set to medium heat, and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add the jeera and Hing. Stir for around 10 seconds, and add the curry leaves. Saute for 5-10 seconds, and add the ginger paste and the green chillies. Saute for 30 seconds, and add the curd-besan mixture. Add the salt and mix well. Stir intermittently. Turn off the flame after the first boil. Your kadai might break if you heat it any further. So, do not step away from the stove till you are done.

The Gujjus add a little bit of sugar (like usual) to the kadi. If you like your kadi to be sweet, go ahead, and add the sugar.

Gongura Khichdi and Gongura Chutney

I am pretty lazy when it comes to cooking separate dishes, and mixing them later. So, instead of cooking rice and the gongura dal separately, I chose the easy way out and prepared the khichdi instead. Comes close to the mixed thing. I don't add too much Masala because it takes away from the natural taste of the leaf.

Veggies:
Gongura leaves (no clue about what they are called in English): Peeled from around half a big bunch.
Onions: One large cut to medium sized slices
Masala:
Mustard seeds (rai) : 1 tsp
Zeera (cumin): 1 tsp
Haldi (turmeric) : 1/2 tsp
Hing (Asafetida) : A pinch
Groundunts (optional): 4-5
Red chilli powder: To taste
Salt: To taste

Rice: 1 cup (washed)
Tur dal: 1/4 cup (washed)
Water: 41/2 cups
Oil: 1-2 tsp

Procedure
Boil the leaves in water for 2-3 minutes. Cool and grind them to a paste.
Heat oil in the pressure cooker. Add the rai and zeera. After they stop spluttering, add the Hing and groundnuts and saute for some time. Add the onions and saute till golden brown. Add the Gongura paste and stir fry for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add haldi, salt, red-chilli powder and stir for a minute. Add the rice, dal, and water. Cover the cooker and wait for around 7-8 whistles.
After the cooker has cooled down, remove the lid, and top the dish with ghee.
Served best with paapads and raaitha.

Gongura Chutney:
Veggies;
Gongura (half a bunch - boiled, cooled and pureed in a mixer)
Onion: 1 large cut medium sized
Green chillies: 2-3 depending on the variety
Masala:
Rai (mustard seeds): 1 tsp
zeera (cumin seeds) 1tsp
Haldi (turmeric) : 1 tsp
Hing (Asafetida): 1 pinch
Channna dal: 1 tsp
Groundnuts : 4-5
Sesame seeds: 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp
Oil: 1 tbsp

Procedure:
Heat oil. Add the rai, and zeera, and wait till they stop spluttering. Add the methi and sesame seeds and saute for thirty seconds. Add the channa dal, and groundnuts and wait till they turn golden brown. Add the haldi and hing and saute for thirty seconds on a low flame. Add the onions and chillies. Wait till the onions turn golden brown. Add the gongura paste and stir the mixture till most of the water is gone.

Served best with rice and ghee (clarified butter)

Paalak-capsicum pulao

Had some paalak at home, and tried out this quick recipe. It was great for lunch, and was easy on my stomach.

Veggies

Small capsicum (bell pepper) : 1
Palak (spinach) : 25-30 leaves.Let the numbers not bother you. Half a bunch will do.
Tomato: 2 small tomatoes
Chillies: 2-3 (depending on your taste and the variety of the spice)
Onions: 1 big onion
Ginger: 1/2 inch finely chopped
Garlic (optional): 2-cloves

Masala:
Cumin (zeera) seeds: 1/2 tsp
Cloves: 2
Cardamom: Seeds from 1 pod, with the seeds removed.
Cinnamon: half a stick
Garam masala: half teaspoon
salt: to taste
sugar: 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
Kasuri methi: 1 tbsp

Rice (cleaned and washed): 1 cup
Oil: 1 tbsp
Water: 11/2 cup

Procedure:

Chop all the veggies except spinach.

Clean the spinach and boil it in water. Wash it with cold water, and add it to the mixer, along with all the veggies except onions. Grind to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add zeera. After it stops spluttering, add the cardamom, clove, and cinnamon. Wait for around 10 seconds, and add the onions. Saute till they turn brown. Add the palak paste, and stir for around five minutes on a medium flame. Add the turmeric, kasuri methi, salt, sugar, and garam masala and mix well. Add the rice and water. Close the cooker, and turn off the flame after 2-3 whistles.

After cooling, garnish it with cashewnuts roasted in ghee or butter (Optional).

The dish goes excelent with raaita and papad.

Anytime Dal recipe

Couldn’t think of a more innovative name.

Mom wanted me to make some quick dal yesterday, and I came up with a concoction that quite pleased here. It is simple fast, and goes pretty well with both rice and rotis. It is also ideal for the time when we have our vrat (don’t know how to define this) when we are off garlic and onions.

Ingredients:

Lentils
Tur dal – 1 cup (cooked and mashed well)

Veggies
Tomato – 2 to 3
Ginger: 1 inch approx
Coriander (Cilantro) – A few sprigs
Chillies (capsicum) – to taste
Shimla mirch/Bell pepper: 1-2 cut fine

Spices
Salt –to taste
Amchur powder (dry mango powder) – 1 tsp. You can add a dash of lemon juice in the end if you don’t have this. We need something for the sourness.
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Jeera (Cumin) powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Jeera seeds – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds (optional) – 1 tsp
Hing/Asafoetida (optional) – 1 pinch
Methi/Fenugreek seeds (optional) – 1 pinch

Vegetable oil – 1 – 2 tbsp

Procedure

Cut the bell pepper into fine pieces.
Grind tomatoes, coriander, ginger, and chillies in a blender to a fine paste.

Heat oil on a low to medium flame in a wok (kadai). Add the mustard and jeera seeds. After they stop spluttering, add the fenugreek seeds and asafetida. After ten seconds, add the capsicum and fry till they are done. Add a little salt to make the capsicum cook faster. Add the tomato paste and cook for around a minute. Add the dal, powders, and salt and cook for around three to five minutes stirring well. Add extra water if necessary. Top it off with a tablespoon of ghee (clarified butter) or just plain butter.