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.

Paneer Pasanda

Slightly tedious but the end result is mind blowing!

Making the Paneer
Cut 200 gm Paneer into cubes
Make paste of 1 tbsp maida + 1 tbsp cornflour + salt
Coat paneer with paste and deep fry.
In the same oil, deep fry cashewnuts and keep aside.

Masala
Dry roast the following : 1 tbsp coriander seeds + 1 tbsp poppy seeds (khus khus) + 1/2 tbsp Jeera + 1/2 tbsp kalongi seeds. + 1 cinnamon stick + 3 cloves
Add the roasted mixture to 1 cup coconut + 1 inch grated ginger + 2 cut onions + 4 cloves garlic + 1 cup cut coriander leaves + fried cashewnuts.
Grind all the ingredients to a pase using minimum water.

Tomato Puree
Boil two tomatoes in water. Peel skin and make a paste.

Procedure

1. Heat 3 tbsp oil in kadai
2. Add paste and cook on low flame till oil separates (15 minutes)
3. Add tomato puree and cook on low flame for 10 minutes.
4. Add salt.
5. Add panneer and cook for a minute
6. Add fresh cream and mix.
   

Aate jo Chilro

Ingredients

• 1 cup gehun ka aata (wheat flour)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• A few sprigs of coriander (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Water to get a batter consistency
• Oil
• Salt

Procedure

1. Mix all ingredients with water except oil, and make batter ensuring that there are no lumps. The consistency should be the same as that for idli/dosa.
2. Heat a griddle (tava) and drizzle some oil.
3. Take a ladleful of batter and spread it on the griddle. Thickness should be more than that for dosa (more like uttappam)
4. Pour oil on the sides, and shallow fry till golden brown on one side.
5. Flip and cook the other side too.
6. Remove from tawa when they are crisp and done.

Serve with curd/chutney.

Besan ka cheela

Minimum effort, and ideal for breakfast - much better than eating Maggi every day.
Indredients

• Besan - 1 cup
• Tomato chopped very fine - 1 medium sized
• Onion chopped very fine - 1
• Coriander leaves (dhania leaf)
• Salt
• Green chillies chopped very fine
• Ginger chopped very fine

Procedure

1. Sift besan
2. Add all the vegetables and salt and mix well
3. Add water to pouring consistency
4. Take a ladleful of batter and spread on a heated tava.. Add oil on the sides.
5. Cook on both sides until done

Best eaten with chutney or curd.

Dahi Wada

The ideal starter when you have someone over for dinner

For the vada
1 cup urad dal soaked overnight
salt
zeera
fine sooji rawa
For the seasoning
Jeera powder
Red chilli powder
Coriander leaves
Imli Chutney
Sweetened and chilled curd

Procedure (for the vada)

1. Grind the dal to a smooth vaste using minimum water (half cup)
2. Add salt and jeera (cumin) seeds
3. Add sooji (optional) and keep aside for 3 hours.
4. Take tablespoonfuls of the batter and deep fry till golden brown.
5. Transfer to a plate with absorbent paper.
6. Soak the vadas in cold water, and squeeze out the water gently.
7. Arrange them in a bowl.

Seasoning

• Add the chilled curd over the vadas.
• Add jeera powder and red chilli powder
• (optional) Add chaat masala
• Spread Tamarind chutney (boil tamarind paste and jaggery. Cool and add roasted jeera powder, garam masala, red chilli powder.)
• Garnish with coriander and ginger (Optional)

Kadi Pakodi

My all time favorite recipe. I wonder how I forgot to post the recipe for this earlier.

For the pakodis:

• Cut potoates, onions, and ginger real fine, and mix them well.
• Add finely cut coriander and green chillies, and mix well.
• Add salt, amchur powder (optional), and mix well.
• Add water and besan till you get a binding consistency. You should be able to spoon it without the ingredients dropping off.
• Deep fry in oil and keep aside.

For the kadi:

• Make a batter 1 parts besan, 4 parts buttermilk, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder.
• In a kadai, add 2 tblspoon oil.
• Add jeera, kalongi, fenugreek seeds, hing.
• Add the batter.
• Cook till the froth disappears.
• Add the pakodis just before serving so that they don't soak all the kadi.

Best had with Khichdi:

• 3/4 cup rice, 1/4 cup moong daal
• 21/2 cups water
• Salt
• Cook the above ingredients in a pressure cooker.
• After it is cooked, add a dollop of ghee.

Dum aloo, Aloo dum (Kashmiri recipe)

It is a very subtle dish, and high on calories. But then, if you are the ones who eat to live, I am not sure how much you will enjoy this dish.
Dum aloo is best described as fried baby potatoes in spiced yoghurt sauce.

Veggies
Baby Potatoes - 500 gms, boiled and peeled
Ginger - 1 tbsp Grated/paste

Masala
Aniseed powder / Fennel powder - 1 tbsp
Hing - A pinch
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon stick - 1
Cloves - 4
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

For the sauce
1 cup yoghurt diluted with 1 cup water

Other ingredients
Oil

Procedure:

1. Cook the potatoes, peel them, and pierce them with a fork so that they can take in the masala.
2. Deep fry them till they are golden brown.
3. In a vessel, heat oil.
4. On low flame, add bay leaf, cloves, Hing, and cinnamon and fry for 10-15 seconds
5. Add ginger and fry for 30 seconds.
6. Add the diluted yoghurt.
7. Add aniseed powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and salt.
8. Add the potatoes.
9. Cook till the gravy is reduced to a minimum

Goes well with rotis. Can be eaten with rice too.

Stuffed Bhindi

Veggies
Bhindi (Okra) - 1/4 kilo
Onions - 1-2 medium sized chopped fine
Stuffing
Coriander powder - 3 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp or to taste
Saunf powder - 1 tbsp
Amchur powder - 1 tbsp
Besan (chickpea flour) - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste (1/2 tbsp)
Seasoning
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp kalonji
1 pinch hing
Procedure

1. Clean and dry the bhindis. Cut the top and bottom ends.
2. Slit bhindisall the way down but not cutting them at the base. Remove the seeds.
3. Stuff them with the masala.
4. In a flat bottomed vessel, heat oil.
5. Add mustard seeds. After they stop spluttering, add kalongi, jeera, and hing.
6. Add onions and fry till golden brown.
7. After 10 seconds, place the stuffed bhindis on the seasoning.
8. Cover, and cook for ten minutes, or until done. Toss the bhindis once after five minutes.

Stuffed bhindis are best had with rotis.

Seyal Phulka

1. In a kadai or frying pan, take 1 tsp of oil, heat it, add chopped garlic, saute till it changes colour, add curry leaves and mustard seeds and let the seeds splutter.
2. Quickly add grated tomatoes, chillies, salt , turmeric and coriander powder and fry on high heat till the raw smell of tomatoes go away.
3. Add about a cup and half or more of water. Depending upon how OLD are your Rotis, the quantity of water required differs.The more stale (please do not use rotis more than a day old, that too if you have stored it well) ) and stiff the rotis, the more amount of water required.The softer and fresh the rotis, lesser the water quantity.
4. As soon as the mixture starts bubbling, torn off the rotis into bite size pieces, and add to the boiling mixture.
   Add coriander leaves and let it cook on medium to low flame.Go with your instincts as you watch the pieces of rotis, get dunked into water.If you feel that there isnt enough water in curry to soften the chapati, just cook the mixture on lowest flame, with lid put on the pan.
5. Cook till all the water is dried up .Garnish with some more coriander and a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice adds the holy tang to the yummy and easy to cook Seyal phulka.Enjoy !

Koki (Sindhi roti)

1. In a vessel, mix finely chopped onions (3-medium sized, green chillies (to taste), finely chopped coriander, grated ginger, 1 cup oil (yes!), zeera, 1 pinch Hing, red-chilli powder, and turmeric powder (1/2 tsp).
2. Add wheat flour and salt and mix with some water (if needed) into a smooth dough. The dough should be brittle (break easily). It should have more of the veggies and less of the dough.
3. Rest the dough for 15 minutes.
4. Invert a plate, and spread some oil on it.
5. Make round balls of the dough, gently pat it on the plate, and roll it gently with a belan. (rolling pin). You will not get a round roti, so don't worry about the shape. The thickness should be that of any paratha.
6. Transfer the roti to the tava, and prick with a spoon at multiple places. Add a little oil in these holes.
7. Cook on low-medium flame till the rotis brown on either side.

Server with curd or dal.

Puri upma (Mandaal vaggarne, mandakki vaggarne)

In Kannada, Vaggarne = vagar, phodni, tadka etc. Substitute poha with mandaal (puri (as in bhel puri), mandakki), and you have this dish. There is one slight variation. It tastes best when you add a mixture of blended roasted gram with dry coconut (kopra0 that have been roasted and ground together.

1. Wash the puri (250 gms) in water, and remove all the dirt. Use a colander so as to not lose your puri in the process.
2. Soak the puri in water till it is wet enough. Gently press them in your palms to drain the excess water, and transfer to a dry container. Repeat till you are done.
3. Roast puthani (roasted bengal gram) and kopra in 1 tsp oil, and grind it to a coarse powder.
4. In a kadai, add 1-2 tbsp oil.
5. Add mustard seeds and wait till they stop spluttering. Lower the flame.
6. Add 1 tsp of urad dal, 1 tsp of channa dal, and roast till golden brown.
7. Add hing, turmeric, and groundnuts and roast till groundnuts are properly roasted.
8. Add onions, green chillies and fry them. DO NOT wait till they are golden brown. They should be lightly cooked till their raw smell disappears.
9. Add the puri, roasted gram powder, salt, and mix well. Cover and cook for around 3 minutes on low flame.
10. Garnish with coriander and lemon juice.

Daali tai (Marathi dal)

1. Cook the toor daal in a pressure cooker with 1/2 tsp turmeric, drain excess water, and mash well. Add the drained water back into the dal.
2. In a kadai (wok), heat around a tablespoon of oil. This is a very healthy dish. You will not need too much oil for this one.
3. Add mustard seeds and zeera (1tsp each). Wait for them to stop spluttering.
4. Add hing and methi and wait for the methi seeds to turn a darker shade
5. Add curry leaves and green chillies (5-10), and stir for 10 seconds
6. Add tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are done
7. Add the dal along with the water, and cook on low flame for 10 minutes
8. After it is done, garnish with coriander leaves, and add 1 tsp of lemon juice. Mix well.
9. (Optional) Add fresh grated coconut.

Daali tai is eaten along with rice. It isn't a great combination for rotis because it is pretty dilute, and doesn't make a great accompaniment either.

Sindhi Dal

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups yellow lentils (Tur dal), cleaned, washed and drained
• 4 tablespoons oil 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed 15 fresh curry leaves, washed and torn
• 3 inches fresh ginger, peeled, washed and finely chopped
• 2 pinches asafetida powder (commonly called 'hing' in Hindi)
• 2 medium green chilies, washed and chopped
• 2 medium fresh tomatoes, washed, peeled and chopped
• 2/3 cup tamarind pulp
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder 4 teaspoons salt
• Water

Procedure

1. Pressure cook the lentils (toor dal) in a pressure cooker alongwith 6 cups of water until the lentils are tender.
2. Heat oil in a pot on medium-high flame.
3. Once its hot, add mustard seeds, methi seeds and cumin seeds. Allow to splutter and crackle. Once they stop doing so, add in the curry leaves and ginger. Stir-fry for 5 minutes until the raw smell of ginger is gone.
4. Add asafoetida powder and continue to stir-fry for another 5-7 minutes.
5. Toss in the green chillies, mix well and continue to stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Then add in the tomatoes and 1/4 cup of water to cook the tomatoes.
7. Mix well and cook on high flame until the tomatoes are softened.
8. Add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix well.
9. Measure out 2/3 cup of tamarind water in a cup and add this tamarind water to the tomato mixture. Mix well and allow it to cook on medium-high flame for 5 minutes.
10. In the meantime, open the pressure cooker (by this time the lentils will be tender and the whistle would have blown), drain the water, and with the help of a beater/mashing tool (we use what we call a'mandira' in Hindi. This is a long wooden spoon with a round base that we use for mashing lentils, bananas, etc), in round circular motions, mash the lentils completely, until they mix with the water in which they were being cooked.
11. Now add 5 cups of water alongwith the lentil and water mixture that was used to cook the lentils. Add the tamarind-tomato mixture, mixing gracefully, till it comes to a boil.
12. Lower flame and cook for 10 more minutes on a simmer. Remove from flame and serve immediately with cooked long-grain white Basmati rice.

Zafrani (Saffron) pulao

This is again from the nawabi kitchens of hyderabad.

1. Warm roast saffron and dissolve in lukewarm milk
2. Soak basmati rice for half an hour.
3. In a pan, add oil, and add the dry spices (Jeera, Bay leaf, dalchini, laung, elaichi)
4. Add cashewnuts and raisins
5. As soon as the cashewnuts turn a shade of brown, add onions and ginger garlic paste
6. Add dhania and pudina after the onions are golden brown
7. Add biriyani masala or dhania powder
8. Add salt
9. Add water (1 3/4 cup of water) and cook till 3/4 done
10. Add fried onions and butter (Optional)
11. Add pomegranate seeds (optional)
12. Add the saffron mixture
13. Cook till the rice is done