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Wednesday 26 December 2012

Navrattan Korma

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 cauliflower chopped into small florets
  • 2 medium sized potatoes diced into small cubes
  • 1 cup peas cooked
  • 1 carrot chopped into small pieces
  • 1 large bell pepper chopped into small pieces
  • 1 packet button mushroom chopped
  • 1/2 cottage cheese(paneer) grated
  • 1/2 cup french beans chopped 
  • 1/2 cup cabbage chopped
  • 2 onions chopped finely
  • 2 tomatoes chopped finely
  • 8 cashews
  • 1 tbsp melon seeds
  • 8 raisins soaked in half cup water
  • 1 tsp garlic mince
  • 1 tsp ginger mince
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 green chillies chopped finely
  • salt as per taste
  • red chili powder as per taste
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi powder
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream(optional)
  • 2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
  • 4 cups water
Bring water to a boil, add beans then cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes and mushrooms. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes and drain water. Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a wok and fry the cashews and raisins for 2 minutes. Take them out and grind them along with melon seeds with the help of a little milk to make a smooth paste

In the same oil add the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute and add the onions. Cook them till they are pale. Add the coriander powder and the turmeric powder. Cook for another minute and add the tomatoes. Add the chilies, red chili powder and salt. Cook till the tomatoes are done, the oil separates and the mixture comes together. Add the cashew-raisin paste. Keep stirring, do not let the mix get burnt. Cook for 2 minutes and add the paneer. Mix well and add the milk. Bring the korma to a boil and add all the veggies.


Simmer, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Add water in between if korma is too thick. Check if the veggies are done & add the garam masala and cumin powder. Cook for another minute.



Garnish with kasuri methi, heavy cream and coriander leaves. Enjoy with rotis or paranthas.

Sunday 16 December 2012

Masala Mushroom

I was so bored of cooking and eating mushroom matar as it is the only indian mushroom subzi, apart from mixed veg. made at home, so i decided to try something new with mushrooms. This is the first dish that i came up with. I have done little tweaking to the original mushroom masala. After this dish I am gonna go for more mushroom experiments as this one turned out to be a success.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 5 to 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet button mushrooms
  • 1 large bell pepper chopped into strips
  • 3 onions finely chopped
  • 3 tomatoes finely chopped
  • 4 green chilies slit into long strips
  • 1 tsp garlic mince
  • 1 tsp ginger mince
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 3 cardamoms
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • salt as per taste
  • red chili powder as per taste
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi powder
  • 2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
Wash the mushrooms, dry and, chop them. Heat the oil and butter in a wok and add the cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves for a minute. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for another minute. Next add the onions and saute them till they turn pale. Add the turmeric powder and the coriander powder. Cook til the onions turn brown and then add the tomatoes. Cook them for 2-3 minutes and add the green chilies, red chili powder and salt. Cook till the tomatoes are done and the oil separates from the tadka.

Meanwhile,heat 3 cups of water and dip mushrooms in it 2 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Add bell peppers to the tadka. Lower the flame, cover, and let them cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Now add the mushrooms. They are going to sweat, so increase the heat to prevent the dish from turning mushy.

Saute it for 3 to 4 minutes and add garam masala powder and cumin powder. To add more flavor you can roast and ground fresh garam masala from peppercorns, cloves, cardamoms and cinnamon. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and sprinkle kasuri methi.







Garnish with coriander leaves and butter. Enjoy with parantha or rotis.

Saturday 15 December 2012

Aloo Methi Wale


Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 5 to 6

Ingredients:
  • 1 bunch fresh methi or fenugreek leaves
  • 3 medium sized potatoes peeled and diced
  • Handful palak(spinach) leaves chopped
  • ½ tsp methi(fenugreek) seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp garlic mince
  • 1 tsp ginger mince
  • ½ tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 pinch asafoetida(hing) powder
  • red chilli powder as per taste
  • 4 green chillies slit into long strips
  • Salt as per taste
  • ½ tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi powder
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Wash the methi leaves properly, dry and chop roughly. Heat the oil and half the butter in a wok; add methi seeds, cumin seeds and cinnamon. Let them fry for few seconds and add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry it for about 30 seconds and add the potatoes. Saute them on high flame for about 5 minutes while stirring them every now and then to prevent them from getting burnt. 

Add the turmeric, coriander powder and red chilli. Add the methi leaves and spinach. Lower the flame a bit. Methi leaves will leave water. Add the hing, green chillies and salt. Cover the wok and let it cook for another 6 to 7 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the garam masala and cumin powder. 


Check if the potatoes and methi is cooked. Ther should be no water, it needs to dry. If done, add rest of the butter. Mix well sprinkle the kasuri methi on top. 







Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti or parantha. Enjoy!!!

Sunday 2 December 2012

Kesar Kheer

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 5 to 7

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup rice
  • 3 cup water
  • 3.5 cup milk
  • 200 gms condensed milk
  • 1 tsp green cardamom(elachi) powder
  • 10 almonds blanched and skin removed
  • 10 pistachios
  • 10 cashews
  • 10 raisins
  • 1 pinch saffron(kesar)
Wash the rice properly to remove starch and soak it in the water for half an hour. Also soak to raisins in some water for 10-15 minutes and then drain the water. Drain the water and place the rice in a wok. Place it on a stove top and add milk to it.  Keep the flame high and let the milk come to a boil, stirring every now and then. 

Meanwhile, chop the nuts(almonds, cashews and pistachios) roughly. Once the milk comes to a boil, lower the heat and cook the rice-milk mix, stirring frequently to prevent milk from burning. The mixture will start reducing. Keep cooking till the rice gets cooked and the mixture has reduced to your desired consistency. This may take up to 20 minutes. 

Now add the condensed milk and mix well. Add the elachi powder and almost all of the nuts, keeping few for garnishing. Add 2 tbsps of hot milk to the saffron and mix well. Add the saffron mix to the kheer. Mix well, cook for another 2 minutes and remove from heat. You can either serve it hot but to serve it cold, cool down the kheer quickly by placing the wok in cold water.








Garnish with the remaining nuts and few strands of saffron. Enjoy!!!