Dal Makhni

Dal makhni requires a lot of patience. If you are planning to make a quick dal, try another. This recipe (borrowed from youtube, and works very well) is Dal Bukhara, a better and more richer variant of Dal Makhni. Dal Makhni is ideal when you have guests for dinner, and you want to serve them something really special. The dal makes a perfect accompaniment to rotis/rice/pulao.
Ingredients
Lentils
Urad dal (1 cup)
Kidney beans/Rajma ( 1/4 cup)
Vegetables
Onion (2 large finely chopped)
Tomato puree (Boil three tomatoes in water, remove skin, and grind to a fine paste)
Ginger garlic paste (1 tbsp)
Coriander leaves (a small bunch cut fine)
Spices
Coriander powder (1 tsp)
Chilli powder (To taste)
Kasuri methi (1 tsp)
Garam masala (11/2 tsp)
Salt (to taste)

Butter: 200 gms
Cream: 100 gms

Procedure

• Soak the dal and rajma for six hours. Add the dal with the water, pressure cook till one whistle, lower the flame, and cook for half an hour. Do not discard the broth.
• Heat around 2 tsp oil in a flat bottomed vessel
• When oil starts smoking, add onions, and stir fry till golden brown
• Add ginger garlic paste, tomato puree, and cook for around 10 minutes on a low flame or till the oil separates from the mixture
• Add coriander powder, and red chilli powder
• Add the broth and cook on a low flame for 10 minutes. Add extra water if needed.
• Add the dal+rajma, butter, kasuri methi, and salt.
• Simmer for half an hour mixing intermittently.
• Remove from flame, and garnish with coriander and cream (optional)

Dhaas Karela (Sindhi recipe for Stuffed Karela)

The best Karela recipe, ever!

Ingredients

• Karela (Bitter Gourd) - 4 small
• Onion Large - 2 nos
• Tomatoes - 2 medium
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 3/4 tbsp
• Coriander leaves (finely cut) - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 4 tbsp
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Hing (optional) - 1 pinch
• Coriander (dhania) powder - 1 tbsp
• Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - To taste
• Salt - To taste
• Amchur powder - 1 tbsp
• Besan - 1 tbsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp

Method

1. Peel the Karela’s,slit them in midlle and salt them for about 30 minutes. Rinse it with water.
2. Remove the insides of the karela.
3. Microwave the karela for 3-4 minutes
4. In a thick-bottomed pan, heat oil.
5. When oil is hot, add jeera. Add Hing.
6. Add onions, and fry till golden brown.
7. Add ginger garlic paste, and fry.
8. Add tomatoes and cook till tomatoes are completely done.
9. Add the scraped out karela insides and mix.
10. Add besan, and cook for a minute.
11. Add salt, coriander powder, garam masala powder, amchur powder, sugar, and red chilli powder. If you have fennel powder, go ahead.
12. Add coriander leaves, and mix.
13. Stuff the masala inside the karelas, and tie it with a cotton thread.
14. Smear the karelas with oil, and cook on a tava (adding oil if required). Shift the position of the karelas so that they are cooked on all sides.

Best served with rotis.

Rajma recipe

A lot of people have been asking me for the Rajma recipe. Here goes.

Ingredients

Vegetables
Rajma (1 cup)
Onions (2 small/1 big)
Tomatoes (2 small/1 big)
Ginger garlic paste (1 tsp)
Spices
Jeera (1 tsp)
Jeera powder (1 tsp)
Asafetida/Hing (1 pinch). This is optional.
Turmeric powder (1/2 tsp)
Coriander powder (1 tsp)
Rajma masala (1 tsp)
Garam masala (1 tsp)
Chilli powder ( to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Amchur powder (optional) - to taste
Kasuri methi (1 tsp)

Others
Butter - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

1. Wash and soak the Rajma in water overnight (6-8 hours)
2. Cook the Rajma in a pressure cooker. After the first whistle, lower the flame, and cook for around 30 minutes. Don't discard the water (broth).
3. Heat around 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok (Kadai)
4. Add 1tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
5. After the seeds stop spluttering, add a pinch of hing (asafetida). This is optional. Hing cuts down the gas that the beans generate.
6. Add finely chopped onions (2 small onions, or one big onion), ginger-garlic paste (1 tsp), and stir till the onions are golden brown in color.
7. Add finely chopped tomatoes, and mix well. The oil should separate from the tomatoes.
8. In a bowl, add a little water. To the water, add 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp rajma powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp jeera powder, chilli powder (to taste), 1/2 tsp amchur powder (optional)
9. Add this mixture to the wok (kadai). The water prevents the masala from getting burnt.
10. Add rajma with the water (broth), and mix well.
11. Add salt to taste, and 1 tsp sugar (optional).
12. Add 1 tsp of butter.
13. Crush Kasuri methi (1 tsp) and add to the rajma.
14. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes to let the masala cook well.
15. Taste the broth and adjust the salt/spice as required.
16. Remove from flame, and garnish with chopped coriander and garam masala

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.