Aloo Matar (आलू मटर) | Potato Peas curry - Winter Special

 Come winter, the market is flooded with fresh vegetables which are very tempting. Most of the times,I will hoard my fridge with the fresh produce and then struggle to consume it before the freshness withers away .

Winters at home means fresh green peas ,carrots,cauliflower and radish in abundance.  Of course the evergreen , doodhi aka lauki makes it presence in the menu atleast once a week . 

Aloo mutter is easy and simple to make,but packed with a riot of flavors. You can make with fresh peas or the frozen ones .Try and avoid the dried peas which needs to be soaked overnight . The dried peas don't blend well in to the curry is my opinion. 

In winters, I make this curry with fresh peas and during off season ,the frozen peas comes handy . We can easily make this Aloo Matar gravy for year end parties , get togethers and office pot luck.  

I learnt this recipe from my amma and she used just simple basic spices to make this curry and it would be served with piping hot fulkas just off the pan . I enjoy it with some thick yogurt or cucumber raita while hubby loves it with onion raita. 

Kulchas and Naan are a best combination too and if serving with rice, simple steamed basmati rice, jeera rice ,peas pulav or vegetable pulao are just the perfect pairing. 

I use the pressure cooker to make and it gets done quickly . Pressure cooker or instapot option is the best choice, if we want to make a large quantity of Aloo Matar.  

Donot forget to use lots and lots of fresh corriander as garnish.  It enhances the flavor of the gravy. Serve with some chopped onions and a wedge of lime.

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 30 mins
Complexity- easy
Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients
3 to 4 medium sized potatoes  peeled & cut into big cubes 
1 medium onion chopped roughly 
2 tomatoes roughly chopped 
1 cup green peas
2 green chillies finely chopped 
Lots of fresh corriander
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric/haldi
1/2 tsp kasuri methi /dehydrated fenugreek leaves
3 tsp oil
Salt as needed 
Whole spices
 1tsp jeera /cumin
small piece  cinnamon /dalchini 
3 cloves /lavang
 2 cardamom / elaichi

Method

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker .
• Crackle the cumin seeds ,followed by the whole spices until you get a nice aroma of fried spices .Take care to roast over low flame,that is the key to bring out the essence from the whole spices. 
• Add in the onions and green chillies ,saute till the onions turn pinkish .
• Add in the tomatoes , turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy and soft. 
• Once,the tomatoes become soft, add the ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw flavor is lost.
• Slowly ,add in the potato cubes ,green peas and mix it well.Adjust salt if needed and pour 3/4 cup water. 
• Pressure cook on medium flame for 4 whistles .
• Let the pressure release naturally.  Open the lid and gently mix the gravy while you roughly mash a few potatoes here and there.
• Mashing of potatoes will give a nice volume to the gravy.If you find the gravy thick,you can add some hot water and adjust the consistency.
• Lastly add the kasuri methi and fresh corriander.  Serve hot with rotis ,naan, steamed rice etc.

Some winter special recipes which you must try

Aloo Gobhi 

Lauki Channa Dal (video)

Palak Paneer 

Sabz Hariyali (video)

Gajar Halwa

Doodhi Halwa 

Gajar Mooli sabji 

Corn peas pulao 

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Carrot Radish Stir fry | Mullangi Carrot Poriyal | गाजर मूली सब्जी

 Carrots and radish ,both are delicious and healthy vegetables .I am a huge fan of both these and can have it all round the year without a fuss .

To be honest,combination of radish and carrots is a very new thing for me.  I use carrots in combination with many other veggies for making poriyal ,but never attempted to use with radish as I always felt that the smell and taste of radish will be over powering in the poriyal.

Radish always gets made into sambar ,popularly called as mullangi sambar or as mooli paratha . As I write this post ,I realized I haven't blogged Mullangi Sambar and am setting reminder to myself, that I must blog it very soon. 

Well,now coming back to Carrot Radish curry,this was purely dear hubby's idea and as always I wasn't very convinced but he assured me that it will taste yummy . As I wasn't very comfortable with the combo,I told him to make this poriyal and that I would only taste it when it is done.  As opposed to the usual diced chopping ,hubby grated the carrots and radish for making this delightful stir fry.

So ,this poriyal is made by him and photography is by me . The recipe that I am penning below is just as he told me what he did . When I was asked to taste after he prepared the curry, I was totally floored . It was a riot of flavor explosion. Subtle sweetness from the carrots and mild pungent flavor from the radish was a perfect match with the occasional crunch from the green peas . The garnish from fresh corriander is an added flavor booster . Do not compromise on the use of freshly chopped coriander ,it adds up to the taste to the Nth level. Pair it with any sambar or Vethakolambu or even have it as a plain salad.

Winter is slowly setting in and now is the best time to enjoy fresh and tender carrots, radish, cauliflower , fresh green peas .

Piping hot Gajar halwa, Aloo Gobhi sabji and fulkas will be an absolute treat to the taste buds on a chill winter night. Do check out all those recipes on my blog. 

Check out the Winter Special Veg Hariyali video on my You tube channel .

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Preparation Time- 15 mins
Cooking Time - 20 mins
Complexity - simple 
Serves  - 3 to 4

Ingredients 
2 medium sized radish grated
2 medium sized carrots grated 
Handful of green peas 
1 medium onion chopped
2 to 3 green chillies chopped
2 tsp oil 
Mustard seeds + curry leaves 
Pinch of asafoetida 
Salt as needed 
Fresh corriander 

Method 

• Squeeze out the water from the grated radish . After grating the carrots and radish don't let the vegetables sit for a long time,else they will become soggy. 
• In a thick bottomed kadai,heat oil and crackle the mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies .
• Saute the onions until transparent .
• Stir in the carrots, radish and green peas and season with salt.  
• Mix well and cook covered for 4 to 5 mins until the radish and carrots are well cooked .
• Garnish with fresh corriander and serve hot.

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Thurai Moong ki Dal | Ridge Gourd Lentil Curry

 Some recipes are close to our heart for many reasons, and this Thurai Moong ki dal is one such recipe for me . Memories of this dal dates back to those days when internet was not heard off and we relied on magazines and cook books for various recipes to try on . Amma used to collect a lot of recipes from various magazines and also write down in her diary from the cookery shows that she would watch on TV . All off those have been my source of inspiration for what I am today. 

Thurai Moong ki Dal was one of the very first recipe I tried on my own right from chopping to pressure cooking and received a big pat from my mom who has been the  best critic of my life. I don't even have the magazine cutting with me now ,but this recipe is etched in my mind and credit goes to Mrs Tarla Dalal for having detailed the recipe so well even for a novice to prepare with confidence. 

 Ridge gourd is known as Heerekaai (kannada) , Beerakai (Telugu)  , Thurai (Gujarati) , Peerthangai (tamil) .Ridge gourd is a very healthy vegetable packed with healthy nutrients and can be used in a variety of recipes.  Peerthangai Thogayal is a very famous recipe made in Tamil Nadu and pairs very well with rice and also dosa ,idli,chapathi .Kalyani has a very detailed and delicious recipe for Peerthangai Thuvayal on her blog.

Thurai Moong Ki Dal is simple to make and gets done in less than 20 mins and the best part is ,it can all be done just using your pressure cooker. Serve this delicious mildly spiced dal with steaming hot rice or piping hot fulkas . Thurai Moong dal is easy to digest and hence you can serve this to kids or even to old people who need soft and simple food which is light on the stomach .

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Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 15 mins
Complexity- simple 
Serves - 2 to 3

Ingredients 

1 medium ridge gourd 
1 cup moong dhall /split yellow lentil 
2 green chilies 
1tsp finely chopped ginger  (skip for Jain version)
Few curry leaves 
1/2 tsp mustard seeds 
1/2 tsp jeera 
2 tsp oil
Salt as needed
Pinch of turmeric
1/2 tsp sugar

Fresh corriander 

Method 

• Wash and peel the ridge gourd and cut them into medium sized chunks. 
• Wash and soak the moong dhall for 10 mins in water .
• Chop the green chillies and curry leaves finely .
• Heat oil in the pressure cooker , splutter the mustard seeds ,jeera and then fry the green chillies ,curry leaves and ginger. 
• Add the chopped ridge gourd with turmeric, salt and saute it for 2 mins.
• Add the soaked moong dhall  2 cups of water and suagr along with some chopped corriander and close the pressure cooker lid. Adjust salt at this stage if needed. 
• Pressure cook for 2 whistles on medium flame ..let the pressure release naturally .
• Open the lid, mix it well. Add some ghee if you like and serve it hot with rice or rotis .

Kos Pattani Poriyal | Cabbage peas stir fry

Poriyal (tamil),Palya(Kannada) ,Thoran(Malayalam) means a simple vegetable stir fry using minimal spices.

Poriyal is a quintessential part of any South Indian meal and is served alongside sambar or rasam in the main course.  As the curry is garnished with coconut it is also called as "Thenga pota curry" in Tamil . "Thenga" in Tamil means coconut and "podardhu" means to put .

The chopped vegetables are stir fried and cooked in a  tempering of mustard seeds,udad dhall (de husked black lentil),dry red chillies,asafoetida,turmeric and salt. Once the vegetables are cooked well , there is a liberal garnishing of freshly grated coconut making it totally delectable and delicious. 

Kos pattani poriyal is a sure shot item on the menu in any Tamil wedding or special occasions. During Onam and Vishu also most of the homes prepare this thoran and serve it as part of the sadhya . 

Cabbage is known as "kos/kosu" in Tamil , Malayalam ,telugu and kannadi and "Pattani" means green peas.

If you are a fan of coconut based stir fry curries then you must try out our family's favorite poriyals on my blog. 

• Chou chou carrot curry 
• Beans Carrot  curry

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 15 mins

Serves : 2-3

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Ingredients

3 cups finely chopped cabbage
2-3 green chillies finely chopped
7-8 curry leaves
handful of fresh peas 
3 -4 tbsp grated coconut  (frozen / fresh)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp channa dhall / bengal gram
1 tsp udad dhal /de husked black lentils
chopped corriander/cilantro
pinch of turmeric

Pinch of asafoetida (skip for Gluten free)

2 tsp cooking oil (coconut oil preferably)
salt as needed 

Method

1. In a kadai / wok,heat a little oil and add the mustard seeds,after they crackle,add the udad dhall,channa dhall and saute until the lentils turn golden brown.
2. Add the green chillies and curry leaves along with asafoetida and turmeric.
3. Now add the chopped cabbage and green peas and saute well.
4. Add the required amount of salt.
5. Lightly sprinkle water and cook by covering a lid,donot add too much as cabbage tends to get soggy.
6. Saute occassionally and cook closed until the cabbage is cooked well. The cabbage has to be crunchy at the same time well cooked. 
7. Garnish with grated coconut and corriander and serve with rice and sambar.

Notes 

• If you want to save time , you can also prepare this curry in a pressure cooker . 
• Follow all the steps as is till step 4 mentioned above .
• Lightly sprinkle water and close the pressure cooker and cook for 1 whistle on medium flame. 
• Let the pressure release naturally and then add the coconut and mix it well.

Tiffin Sambar | Idli Sambar - Restaurant style

 Idli Sambar & Medhu Vada Sambar are two such delicacies which are made for each other.  Dunk the soft spongy idlis or crisp vadas in sambar by pouring sambar over it or sophisticatedly  cut a slice of idli or vada using a knife and fork and then dip the fork pricked piece  into sambar , the taste is absolutely heavenly.  The way you eat is purely your choice , but the hero is always the piping hot flavorful sambar commonly called as Tiffin Sambar and there is no other much to this delectable combination. 

Click here to make the perfect batter for Idli

➡️ Idli Batter Using Wet Grinder

➡️ Idli Batter in a Mixie /Blender 

You may ask, what is so special about this tiffin sambar and in what way is it different from the regular sambar ?

There's not one,but many answers  to this question ; interesting isn't it ??

• This sambar is called Tiffin Sambar as it is generally served with all South indian breakfast items like Idli, Vada, Dosa , Upma , Oothappam  ,Pongal etc. which are referred to as "Tiffin" in Tamil.
• Tiffin sambar is made using a freshly ground sambar masala .
• Lots of fresh tomatoes are used along with cooked thoor dhall + moong dhall and simmered in tamarind extract  to prepare this delicious sambar .
• Vegetables like drumstick, red pumpkin and small onions are used for added flavor and taste. Onion can be skipped if preparing the saatvik or jain version. 
• Unlike the regular sambar , tiffin sambar will not be very thick and little diluted as we need to pour ladles over ladles  on the idlis and vadas to immerse them well until they seem floating.

All of us at home love this yummy sambar and the idlis just vanish off when served with this piping hot sambar . Hubby loves to have some coconut chutney also poured over the sambar and says it is just wow and one must eat it to understand the emotion behind it 😀. I personally like Rava Idli with this sambar . The other day I had prepared variety idlis , Ghee roast Dosa and Podi Oothappam and we all enjoyed with piping hot sambar and fresh coconut chutney. 

I must thank Poonam , who suggested we share any lentil based recipe (Luscious Lentils) for the 267th week's  Foodie Monday Bloghop and this gave me a chance to blog our favorite sambar.  Poonam's blog Annapurna has so many recipes but her thaali collection is amazing . She celebrates every festival with so much devotion and dedication ; prepares traditional recipes as per customs and offers it to the God as prasad for pooja . You must check out her Sarva Pithru Amavasya thaali to understand how devoted she is .

Lentils, as we all know are a rich source of protein and we need to include them in our diet to get the daily dose of protein for our metabolic activities. As vegetarians , we have to solely rely on lentils , pulses and legumes for dietary protein .Hence, it is important to use them while judiciously while planning our menu . I wouldn't get into the depths of Nutrition facts as most of us know the benefits of eating protein rich food .  

We shall now see how to prepare this yummy tiffin sambar and dunk piping hot vadas and idlis into them and savor the taste .

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Cooking Time - 30 to 40 mins

Serves- 3 to 4 

Complexity - medium

Ingredients 

For the sambar powder  (roast and grind)

2 tsp channa dhall /bengal gram 

2 tbsp dhaniya seeds /corriander seeds

1/4 tsp jeera/cumin

1/4 tsp methi/fenugreek seeds

4 to 5 byadgi /kashmiri red chillies

3 to 4 dry red chillies (gunturu /paandi variety)

Pinch of asafoetida

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Few fresh curry leaves 

For the sambar 

1/4 cup moongdhall /split gram 

1/4 cup thoor dhall / pigeon peas 

2 green chillies slit length wise 

Lemon sized tamarind soaked in hot water 

2 to 4 tomatoes roughly chopped

1 small piece red pumpkin cut into cubes

1 medium onion chopped roughly (optional)

2 tsp oil 

1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

Few curry leaves /karvepillai

Fresh corriander/kothmir chopped 

Method 

• Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok/kadai and start roasting the ingredients mentioned under Sambar powder one by one .
• Start roasting the channa dhall first, when it turns light brown add in the methi seeds followed by dhaniya and jeera and continue roasting till the dhall turns golden brown and crisp . Let it cool on a plate.
• In the same kadai add a few drops of oil and roast the curry leaves and red chillies till they turn crisp .
• Blend all these roasted ingredients in a blender along with the asafoetida and turmeric powder to a fine powder .

Sambar Preparation 

• Wash the thoor dhall & moong dhall to clean all the impurities and pressure cook with enough water till the dhall turns soft and mushy.
• Squeeze the soaked tamarind and prepare the extract . Filter the tamarind extract through a strainer to keep it clean.  
• In a deep thick bottom vessel , heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds , curry leaves and the green chillies 
• Saute the onions till they turn pink .Skip if not using onions and proceed to next step.
• Saute the tomatoes with turmeric and asafoetida followed by the red pumpkin cubes . If using drumstick you can add them at this stage.
• Add 1 cup (200ml) water with a little salt and cook till the tomatoes turn soft and the pumpkin cubes are 3/4th done.
• Add the tamarind extract with 1.5 cups (300ml) water and boil till the raw flavor of tamarind is lost . 
• Add 1.5 tbsp fresh sambar powder , the cooked and mashed dhall and stir the sambar without any dhal lumps . Adjust water if the sambar appears too thick.
• Adjust salt if needed , add a tsp of jaggery powder for added taste and turn off when the sambar reaches a rolling boil stage .
• Add a few drops of fresh ghee and garnish with lots of fresh corriander. Donot add the ghee if you are  vegan.

Tips to keep in mind

1. Ensure that the sambar is piping hot before you pour it on the idlis/ vadas . 
2. If you are going to have vada sambar , the vadas have to be crisp and hot to absorb the sambar into the vada ,only then can you relish . Never attempt preparing vada sambar with vadas that are cold or have been fried long time ago.  
3. The idlis too have to be warm , so prepare the idlis just before serving so they remain fresh, spongy and soft .

Some special and authentic South Indian Breakfast delights on my blog . 

Click the images for detailed recipe.

Basic Kadai/Kadhai Gravy| कड़ाही मसाला - Vegan

Kadhai Paneer , Mix Veg Kadhai , Kadhai Mattar , Kadhai Mushroom ..... aren't these some of the delicious gravies that are on your order list during luncheons or Dineins at your favorite restaurant? 

 I know I am must have gotten you all salivating as you read this and most of you may be rebuking me for reminding you off these yummy items when we cannot even think of going out to dine considering the present scenario...

Well, don't fret ..what if I told you that you  can make these tasty gravies at home and enjoy with your family ?

All you have to do is prepare the base gravy and keep it ready .Now, to it you can add your favorite veggies or sautéed mushrooms, boiled peas or sautéed paneer and capsicums and viola your favorite kadai gravy is ready. 

I must thank Preethi of Preethi's cuisine who came up with this idea of blogging Basic Curry /gravy recipes used in Indian Cuisine for our Foodie Monday Bloghop this week . Preethi has some amazing recipes on her blog and if you are a beetroot lover you must visit  her blog to see the varieties she tries  with beetroot.  What fascinated me the most,is her Jujubees made using Dragon Fruit. The color is simply stunning and I could keep looking at it rather than pop into my mouth.

How did I think of Kadhai/Kadai gravy ?

Theme for week 256 was finalized as "Desi Base Curries" and soon I started racking my brains and started looking up cook books  and some age old hand written recipes written by Amma and while doing so I suddenly recollected a recipe which Amma had told me verbally.  I had a fair idea of all the ingredients and masala that go into it ,but little did I know that it was the basic Kadhai masala until I saw a few Kadhai recipes in my fav Tarla Dalal's cook book and concluded that mom's recipe is perfect for this theme.  It is always the Mom who comes to the rescue ..don't you all agree ?

You can make this gravy in advance and freeze it for future use .

You may also want to try my basic gravy for making Veg Makhanwala , Mutter Paneer , Kosta curry etc which are mildly spiced and slightly sweet as it makes use of Tomatoes and cashews in the making of the curry .

How to use the frozen Masala gravy ? 

• Bring down the container to the refrigerator section from the freezer  atleast 2 to 3 hrs before use, then remove the desired quantity and let it thaw while you can refreeze the balance.  
• However try to utilize it quickly as thawing and freezing time and again isn't good .
• The other option is pack them into 2 or 3 separate containers wherein the contents of 1 container can be used for single time 

What did I make using this Kadhai Masala?

I prepared a lip-smacking Kadhai Mutter (peas) gravy and paired it with hot phulkas for dinner.

Next time I plan to make hubby's fav Kadhai paneer with tri colored bell peppers .

Preparation Time : 10 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Complexity: medium

Serves : 3 to 4

Ingredients 

4 medium sized tomatoes 

2 tsp finely chopped garlic (optional)

7 to 8 kahsmiri chillies or byadgi  chillies 

1 tbsp dhaniya /coriander seeds 

1 tsp jeera /cumin

1 tsp kasuri methi 

1/2 tsp haldi 

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

2 tablespoon oil 

Salt as needed 

2 to 3 green chillies 

Method

Dry roast the chillies , dhaniya and jeera in a hot pan and blend it to a fine powder after cooling the roasted ingredients. 

Blend 2 tomatoes into a fine puree in a blender and the other 2 tomatoes needs to be chopped finely . Chop the green chillies as well. Adjust the quantity of green chillies to suit your spice level.

Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped tomatoes and chillies along with haldi powder , red chilli powder and garam masala.Let it cook until mushy . If you plan to freeze this gravy for future use , then add some extra oil which will act as preservative .

Note : If  using garlic, then fry the garlic in oil first and then add the chopped tomatoes 

Never use onion in the base gravy if you are going to freeze it .The onions tend to spoil the gravy or give a foul smell after a few days .

Once ,the tomatoes turn mushy and soft, add in the tomato puree and continue cooking till the raw flavor of the tomato is lost .Add 3 tsps of  freshly ground masala powder , kasuri methi and salt and continue cooking till the oil separates from the gravy and forms a nice layer .

Keep stirring in between to prevent the gravy from sticking to the pan and cook on medium flame .

Now , your basic gravy is ready . It is best when consumed fresh, but incase you plan to freeze it, then let it cool completely, use a dry and clean spoon to pack into a food grade container and then freeze it .

How to make Kadhai Mutter/कड़ाही मटर?

• Boil about 1.5 cups or 100gms of frozen peas or fresh peas and add it to this gravy .
• Let it simmer for 5 to 6 minutes until the peas absorbs the flavors of the masala.
• Transfer it to a serving bowl, garnish with fresh corriander and serve it hot with rice or rotis.
• You can heat a little oil , saute the onions until pink and add it to the gravy along with the boiled peas . 

Linking this to week #256 - Desi Base curries 

Rajma Masala - Vegan,Saatvik Version

Indian cuisines make use of legumes and beans in a wide range .Each region has their own special recipe of incorporating beans/legumes as part of daily diet .

The soaked beans are packed with a lot of nutrients and are a very rich source of protein.These come really handy when we are out of veggies or during the rainy season when we are unable to go out and buy fresh vegetables for our daily cooking. 

Why do we have to soak the beans? 

• Soaking of beans for min 8 hrs or overnight ensures that the complex sugars present in them are broken down and it makes it easy to digest .
• Soaking also ensures quick cooking and less time and fuel spent in kitchen. 

How to soak the beans ?

• Take the beans in a colander and remove any visible pebbles or any other debris.
• Rinse it well under running water and transfer to a wide bowl and fill it with clean water .The beans must be immersed completely in water and ensure there is atleast 2inches water above the beans.
• The beans  will swell up nicely after getting soaked overnight , so make sure the soaking bowl is wide enough. 
• Before cooking, discard the soaked water , rinse it once again in fresh water and the beans are ready to be cooked.  
• These soaked beans can be packed in ziploc bags or freezer safe containers and stored in the freezer for future use .
• Soaked beans stay well for 45 days in the freezer .

Today's recipe is a Vegan-No Onion No garlic version which can be prepared on the days of special pooja or vrat when one is forbidden from partaking onion and garlic. 

If you are a rajma lover like me , do try the Rajma Pulao and Rajma Masala (with O n G) featured on my blog. For an International experience, try the yummy and cheesy Bean Corn Quessedila 

Today , since it is all about how to prepare Rajma Masala , I will give you the details on how to cook the rajma beans perfectly . Each bean has a different texture and the time taken to cook depends on how hard the bean is .

Which variety of Rajma to use ?

• There are various varieties of rajma available in the market but I prefer to buy the small sized rajma which is dark in color and is a produce of Jammu . It is called as Jammu Rajma having a very nice taste and flavor . This variety gets cooked well too.
• You can use the variety that you are comfortable with and is available in your region.

How to cook Rajma ?

• Soaking rajma for minimum 8 to 10 hrs is a must.  This definitely helps in easy cooking and also makes it easy to digest .
• Discard the soaked water , rinse it once again in clean water and pressure cook with enough water for 8 to 10 whistles.  
• You can turn off the cooker after 8 whistles and check if it is done else cook for another 2 or 3 whistles if you feel it is underdone.

Soaking Time - 8 to 10hrs

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Complexity - medium

Serves - 2 to 3 

Ingredients 

150 gms rajma 

2 tomatoes pureed 

Small piece ginger (skip for jain version)

Salt as needed 

1 tsp red chilli powder 

1/2 tsp haldi powder

2 tbsp oil

To roast and grind

1tbsp dhaniya 

7 to 8 dried kashmiri red chilli /byadgi chilli 

1 tsp jeera or cumin 

2 to 3bay leaves/tejpatta

2 to 3 cloves/lavang

1 small green cardamom /elaichi

Small stick cinnamon/dalchini 

Method 

Soak the rajma for minimum 8hrs and pressure cook until soft . Puree the tomatoes with the ginger and keep ready .

Dry roast all the ingredients mentioned under "roast and grind" and blend it into a fine powder in a blender. 

In a kadai heat some oil , pour the tomato puree , add the haldi powder and red chilli powder and let the mixture cook till the oil begins to separate from the gravy .

At this stage , add the freshly ground masala powder and salt and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Lastly add the boiled rajma beans to this gravy , mix well and let it simmer for another 3 to 4 mins. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with rotis or jeera rice.

Note:

Add the spice powder depending on how spicy you would like your gravy to be. The remaining spice powder can be stored for future use .

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Vegetable Kofta - No Onion No Garlic

Vegetable kofta curry is a very rich and exotic preparation in North Indian cooking.  A delicacy which is relished by one and all . It is neither too spicy nor bland ,making it a perfect accompaniment for all sorts of Indian Breads and even Jeera Rice or Veg Pulao . 

Vegetable Kofta curry has 2 parts 

1. A rich gravy made using tomatoes and cashew nuts .

2. Koftas are fried dumplings using mixed vegetables and some spices .

The preparation and cooking time is a little elaborate for this particular recipe , but the final product is worth all the time that goes into the making of this Kofta Curry . Amma would make amazing kofta curry . The koftas would just melt in mouth as I would take a bite with my favorite fulka lathered with home made ghee .

Please don't try to rush into making this recipe .prepare it only when you have good amount of time on hand . The tomato gravy needs to be cooked well to make sure all the flavors come out really well. 

There are various ways in which the Kofta can be prepared , but I am going to give you a  very very simple method with easily available ingredients in the pantry. 

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Cooking time- 30 mins

Frying Time - 20 mins

Serves- 2 to 3 

Preparation of Curry 

Ingredients
3 medium sized tomatoes - roughly chopped
8-10 cashews soaked in warm water
1 tsp ginger finely chopped
2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp haldi powder
2 tsp dhaniya powder / coriander powder
Salt
Pinch of sugar
1 green chilli finely chopped .
1/2 tsp jeera

Method

• In a wok/kadai add some 2 tsp of oil and splutter the jeera . 
• Now sauté the tomatoes and green chilli with 1/2 tsp ginger until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy . 
• Blend into a fine paste once the tomatoes cool down.
• In another mixie jar , blend the cashews into a fine paste and keep aside . 
• To prepare the gravy, heat a little 1 tablespoon oil or ghee or butter in a frying pan . 
• Add turmeric , red chilli powder and dhaniya powder and fry it well , do it on low flame
• and donot burn the spices .
• Quickly pour in the tomato paste and mix it well , you will get a bright color . Allow the tomatoes paste to cook well until the oil begins to separate from the gravy . Sprinkle some water , if you feel the gravy has become dry .
• Add the cashew paste and 1/4 cup water ; mix well . Add salt , garam masala and a pinch of sugar and cook till the raw flavor of cashews is lost . The gravy will look bright orangish and the aroma will be wafting through your kitchen . 
• You may adjust some water and spices if you feel it is too dry or spices are less . 
• The gravy is ready when you can see the oil has separated well and is floating on top . 
• For the Kofta curry , the gravy has to be little watery because when we put in the koftas into the gravy , the koftas will absorb the gravy and the gravy will thicken. So adjust water accordingly while cooking .

Preparation of Koftas 

Ingredients 

2 medium sized potatoes boiled  and peeled

1 medium carrot grated 

1 cup grated paneer 

2 to 3 finely chopped green chillies

1/2 tsp red chilli powder 

Salt as needed

Freshly chopped corriander 

1 tsp chat masala

Pinch of kala namak 

Half a lime 

1 tablespoon  maida /APF

1 tablespoon besan /gram flour 

Method

• Grate the boiled potatoes and set aside. 
• In a mixing bowl, add the chopped chillies , salt , coriander, red chilli powder, chat masala,lime juice and kala namak and mix it well such that all the flavors are released nicely. 
• Now , add the grated potatoes, carrots, paneer to the spice mixture along with maida and gram flour and mix it well and knead to a soft ball.
• No need to add any water while kneading . The dough should not be sticky or watery..if it is a little watery add some rice flour or corn flour to absorb the moisture. 
• Grease your palm and make small balls and refrigerate these balls for about 20 mins. 
• Fry them on medium heat until they turn golden brown and crisp. 
• Alternatively, you can fry them in the appe pan /paniyaram pan/aebelskeiwer pan .
• Drain in an absorbent paper and keep aside .

Serving the Kofta Curry 

In a bowl, pour the warm curry and add 2 to 3 koftas to the gravy and pour some gravy on top of it and serve hot with naan , roti , jeera rice or pulao. 

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Vellarikaai Kootu (South Indian Cucumber Dhall) - Vegan

Yet another signature recipe of my Paati (grandmother) . This Cucumber kootu for me is synonymous to my paati's kitchen and her cooking .The aroma of cucumber mixed with moong dhall still lingers around my nose and the taste active on my taste buds even after so many years. I was so much in love with this Kootu that I would fondly call it as "Paati Kootu" .
A very very simple recipe but has so  many flavors and goes well with Hot steamed rice or even as a side dish to sambar rice or rasam rice .

Preparation Time : 5 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Serves : 3-4
Complexity: Medium

Ingredients
2 medium sized cucumbers
1.5 cups moong dhall (split yellow peas)
Handful of channa dhall (gram dhall)
1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1tsp channa dhall + udad dhall
Pinch of turmeric
Asafoetida
Salt as needed
3 tablespoon fresh grated coconut
3-4 dry red chillies (adjust as required)
Few curry leaves
1 tsp jeera

Method

• Grind the coconut,jeera, dry red chillies and curry leaves with water into a fine paste .
• Peel and chop the cucumber into 1 inch pieces .
• Wash and pressure cook the moong dhall, channa dhall along with haldi and the chopped cucumber pieces until soft and mushy. 
• (The flavor of mashed cucumber with the dhall is what enhances the taste of the kootu )
• Once the pressure releases, open the cooker and mash the dhall well. 
• Add the ground paste , salt and a little water and give it a quick boil . Dont let it boil too much else it will stick to the bottom of the pan and get charred .
• Transfer to another serving bowl and pour a tempering made using mustard  ,udad +channa dhall along with asafoetida over the kootu .
• Serve hot and enjoy your meal.

Note

• The consistency of the kootu will be slightly thick and not diluted as sambar .
• If you feel it is very thick, you can adjust the consistency by adding a little warm water .

If you would like to try some authentic kootu recipes on my blog 

Vazhakkai puli kootu 

(Raw Banana in a tangy lentil gravy)

Chou Chou Kootu 
(Chayote based Lentil gravy)

Avarekaalu / Mochhai Kootu 
(Field Beans based lentil gravy)

Karvepillai Kuzhambu | Curryleaves Kolambu - Vegan

Curry leaves /Karuvepillai is a herb which is widely used in Indian cuisine especially in south Indian cuisine.  Curry leaves have a lot of medicinal properties. Regular consumption of curry leaves aids in digestion, promotes hair growth and also helps treats anaemia .
I have already presented the Curry leaves rice or Karvepillai Saadham in my blog .

Today we shall a tangy and spicy flavored gravy using curry leaves and tamarind extract.
This gravy can be mixed with hot rice and ghee or paired with idlis and dosas as well .
After heavy and rich food due to functions and festivals continuously,you can prepare this Kuzhambu to feel light in the stomach and  rejuvenate your taste buds .

Preparation Time : 5 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Serves: 3-4
Complexity  : simple

Ingredients
Handful of curry leaves /kadipatha/karvepillai
1 tsp udad dhall
1/2 tsp pepper corns
2 dried chillies
2 tablespoons fresh coconut
Asafoetida
Salt as needed
Pinch of haldi
2 cups Tamarind extract
2 tablespoon cooking oil (preferably til /gingelly oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds

Method

• In a pan heat 1tsp oil and roast the udad dhall, pepper corns, red chilli and curry leaves until the udad dhall turns brownish and curry leaves become crisp.
• Let it cool for a few mins and then grind into a fine paste using fresh coconut and water as needed. 
• In another pan , heat the gingelly oil and splutter mustard seeds and asafoetida.  This recipe uses oil generously because it can be kept for a few days under refrigeration . So ,oil acts as a preservative. 
• Add the tamarind extract, haldi powder and some salt and bring it to a rolling boil.
• Add the ground curry leaves paste and quick stir it well to avoid sticking to pan . As there is udad dhall in the paste , there is a tendency for the paste to stick to the bottom. 
• Adjust salt and if need be water if you find the mixture too thick .
• Allow the entire mixture to come to a rolling boil with occasional stirring until you see a layer of oil forming on the top .
• Turn it off at the time . You will notice that the mixture has reduced and become thick.
• Serve it hot with steamed rice and papads.

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Few other tamarind based kuzhambu featured in my blog

• Milagu Kuzhambu / Pepper kuzhambu 
• Appalam(Papad) Vetha Kuzhambu 
• Verkadalai (peanut)Vetha kuzhambu 
• Haagalkaai (Bitter gourd) Gojju