Baingan Ka Barta

Baingan ka barta is nothing but a side dish ,prepared using the flesh of roasted egg plant.I was curious abt this dish,when my fellow boggers used to post.That curiuosity ,changed to pride,when I prepared this today for rotis.This recipe requires ,bit large amt of onion and tomato.Adding crushed garlic ,enlightens the dish very well.On the whole, the curry was tangy,juicy, and delicous for rotis.
Give it a try,u will never leave it.
                                                        Recipe Source : Vahrehvah

Ingredients:
1.Egg plant                   -          1  (big)
1.(a)Frozen Peas          -          small cup
2.Onion                        -           1  (big)
3.Tomato                      -           1  (big)
4.Green chillies            -           5  (small)
5.garlic pods                -            4
6.Chilli pwdr               -             1/2 tsp
7.Turmeric pwdr         -              1/4 tsp
8.Garam masala pwdr -              1/2 tsp
9.Lemon                      -               1/2
10.Cilantro                  -              few


For Seasoning :
1.Oil                          -              1 tbsp
2.Mustard seeds        -               1/2 tsp
3.Urad dal                 -                1/2 tsp
4.curry leaves            -                few


Method:
* Pre heat   the oven for 500 degrees.
* Grease the egg plant and bake it for 20 mins or untill,the skin comes off.
* Remove the skin and scoop out the flesh.

* Take a pan ,add oil,splutter with mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
* Crush the garlic pods .
* Now add chopped onions,green chillies ,curry leaves and garlic pods.
* Saute it till,it oozes out oil.
* Now dump in chopped tomatoes and sprinkle some salt.
* Cover and cook till ,tomato gets mashed up.
* Now add the chilli pwdrs and turmeric pwdr.
* Give it a mix and now dump in the frozen peas and egg plant pulp.
* Cover and cook ,till everything blends well.
* Sprinklle some lemon juice , garam masala and garnish with cilantro.
* Serve hot with pulkas,rotis or naans


Adding of  lemon juice will give a tangy twist to the dish.My husband was totally surrendered to its taste.I was fully satisfied.Adding peas ,is just to add color.we can also use small egg plants to this dish.

Sending ths to Aipi and Priya's "Bookmarked Events"

Also sending to Seasoned And Dressed 's "Healing foods -  Eggplant" started by ,Siri

Creamy Mushroom Curry/Kuruma

Mushrooms are very good remedy for controlling cholestrol.Mostly I  will try to prepare it weekly .This time ,wanted to prepare kuruma or a thick curry.I had a can of coconut milk in my fridge.So made this dish creamy ,by adding it.We can also use home made coconut milk.Made this for chapathis and it went really good for our dinner.Rohith likes mushroms a lot.Its kids friendly too....

Ingredients:
1.Mushroom                    -        1 cup
2.Onion                           -         1 (big)
3.Tomatoes                     -          2
4.Green chillies              -           2
5.Chilli pwdr                  -          1 tbsp
6.Turmeric pwdr             -           1/2 tsp
7.Coconut milk                -         1 cup
8.G&G paste                   -          1 tsp
9.Fennel seeds                 -          1 tsp
10.Curry leaves               -           1 spring
11.Cilantro                      -           hand ful


Method:
* Take a pan,add oil and splutter with curry leaves and fennel seeds.
* Add chopped onion and slit green chillies.
* When the onion oozes out oil,add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle some salt.
* Now  add G&G paste and saute till it looses it raw smell.
* Cover and cook for  3 mins or untill the tomatoes gets mashed up.
* Now add the washed mushrooms and give it a toss.
* Slowly add turmeric pwdr ,chilli pwdr and mix it real good.
* If u want the gravy to be thick, then add the coconut milk now .
* Bring it to boil and garnish with cilantro.

Note:
If u r going to serve this for guests, just add 1 tbsp of ghee at the end and serve .The other way to impress them is add ghee for seasoning itself.This gives the dish a wonderful aroma.
To makeit thicker , i hav used canned coconut milk.

Paneer Tikka Masala

Paneer tikka masala is a tangy tomato gravy with fried paneer dancing in it.Its a gaurmett side dish in all punjabi cuisine.We can also prepare dry paneer tikka in the same manner.We had parottas and paneer tikka masala for our dinner.

For Marination:
1.Paneer cubes          -        1 cup
2.Thick curd              -        1 tbsp
3.Chilli pwdr            -         1 tsp
4.Lemon juice           -         1 tbsp

For  gravy:
1.Onion                       -          1
2.Tomato                     -         1
3.Garlic pods               -        3
4.Ginger                       -         1/4 inch
5.Green chillies           -        2
6.Chilli pwdr               -        1/2 tsp
7.Garam masala           -        1/4 tsp
8.Cilantro                     -        hand ful

Method:
* Take a mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients for marination.
* Place it in the fridge for 1 hr.
* After an hour,shallow fry it in the tawa ,to golden brown and keep it aside.
* Take a pan add oil,splutter with mustard seeds,cumin seeds .
* Saute the chopped onion and sprinkle some salt .
* When it oozes out oil,add the minced garlic and ginger to the mixture.
* Let it get sauteed well.
* Puree the tomato and dump it in the mixture.
* When the tomato puree is cooked ,add chilli pwdr and mix it well.
* Now slowly fold in the fried paneer cubes.
* Cover and cook for 2 mins .Add cream ,if we want the gravy to be thick.
* Turn off the stove and garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with chapathi,parotta....

Chicken Salna ( Spicy chicken Stew )

Chicken Salna is very famous,street side food in southern Tamilnadu.Its nothing but a chicken marination with coconut blend.It goes very well with parottas.This is my husband's favourite too.I had this in one of my friend's house .With some variations, I tried and it was a hit.Give it a try , ur parottas will vanish just like that.



Ingredients:
1.Chicken             -         1 pound
2.Onion                -          1
3.Green chillies   -           6
4.G&G Paste       -           1 tbsp
5.Coriander pwdr -           1 tbsp
6.Turmeric Pwdr  -            1 tsp
7.Cilantro             -             few springs
7(a) Curry leaves -             1 spring
8.Whole Garam masala    ( 1/2 inch cinnamon,4 cloves,1 tsp fennel seeds)

For Grinding:
1.Coconut               -      4 pieces
2.Fennel seeds      -       1 tsp
3.Cashews             -       3 to 4
4.Green chillies     -       2

Method:
* Wash and cut chicken.Grind the " For Grinding " ingredients and make a fine paste.
* Chop onion and slit green chillies.
* In a pressure cooker, add oil and splutter with curry leanes and whole garam masalas.
* Add Onion and saute with green chillies.
* Sprinkle some salt and cook till it looses its texture.
* Now add chicken and cook till it turns to white color.
* Dump in the G&G paste and and saute it well.
* Now add coriander and turmeric pwdrs and toss it well.
* When the raw smell is eliminated, add the grinded mixture and mix it well.
* Pressure cook , the chicken  mixture for 1 whistle .
* Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with parottas,roti,naan..

Note:
We can also add the grinded mixture after cooking for 1 whistle.

Spicy Chana Kuruma

Chanas according to me, are messengers of  heaven.I love to have chana ,frequently.Today my Hubby gave me a challenge ,like he wanted to have a spicy chana kurma .He gave the rules as the gravy shud be colourful, thick,tangy and juicy...He told me that , if I do it as the way ,we have it in the hotels, then he will accept me as a good blogger.Hmmm ,a challenge to my blogging- Interesting .I took a oath that I shud never ever fail.As u all know me as a healthy food blogger, this challenge made me to relax some rules like ,usage of ghee.
So I planned to add plain red chilli pwdr for - color,purees of onion,tomato - for thickness ,sugar -to enhance the tangyness of the gravy.The outcome was extraordinary.My husband will never say good for any fine dish ( Errrrrrrr).He will say ok (this is his maximum appreciation).But for this dish he gave me A-class.Wow....so it means I won the challenge....Appadi, I pat it myself.With a open heart and full stomach, I am giving  u my version of chana kuruma...

Ingredients:
1.Chana                   -        1 cup
2.Onion                   -         1 (big)
3.Tomato                -          1 (big)

4.Green chillies      -          2
5.G&G paste           -          1 tsp
6.Red chilli pwdr    -          1 tsp
7.Coconut                -           3 pieces
8.Curry leaves         
9.Cilantro.
10.sugar                   -            1 tsp

For Tempering:
1.Cinnamon              -           1 inch
2.Cloves                  -            3 to 4
3.Fennel seeds          -           1 tsp
4.Oil                         -            4  tbsp
5.Ghee                       -            1 tbsp (optional)

Method:
* Wash and soak chana overnight.
* Pressure cook it for 3 whistles.
* Chop half the onion and 1 chilli.Grind the other half with the remaining chilli and coriander leaves.
* Grind tomato to a puree.
* Grind coconut with half spoon of fennel seeds.
* Take a hand ful of cooked chana and grind it into a paste. ( This will give thickness to the kurma.)
* Now take a pan,add oil, ghee and splutter with whole garam masalas.
* saute the chopped onion and slit green chilli ,sprinkling some salt.
* When onion is half cooked,dump in the grinded ( Onion-green chilli-coriander) paste.
* Saute till it oozes out oil.
* Now add tomato puree and sprinkle some salt.
* Add G&G paste and saute well.
* When the tomatoes are cooked, add turmeric pwdr,chilli pwdr and giv it a toss.
* Wait till the raw smell goes off, now add the cooked chana and mix well.
* when chana gets a blend with the masala, add grinded chana paste and giv it a mix.
* Let the curry comes to a boil , and let it thicken to some extent.
* Now pour the coconut paste and turn off the stove within 3 minutes.Adjust salt to taste.
* Sprinkle sugar and mix well  .( This gives the dish a unique taste).
* Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot chapathis,pooris,parottas.....

This dish was a super duper hit in my family.I prepared a huge amount ,aiming to have the next day,but in vain.We both emptied the bowl so quickly...ha ha ha...Happy eating..
Channa Masala

Potato masala for Chapathi / Poori Masala

Potato masala is the best combitation for chapathi or poori.Its a famous south indian gravy,which has mashed potato sauteed in onion,green chilli mixture.

 

Ingredients:
1.Potatoes                 -   2 (big)
2.Onion                     -   1
3.Green chillies        -    4
3(a).Garlic                -    2 to 3 pods
3(b).Ginger               -    1 inch
4.Mustard seeds        -    1 tsp
5.Cumin seeds           -    1 tsp
6.Red Chillies           -    3
7.Curry leaves           -     few
8.Cilntro                    -    few
9.Turmeric pwdr        -    a pinch
10.Salt                        -    to taste



Mashed potato,chopped onion,chillies,ginger,garlic,curry leaves...

Method:
* Pressure cook the potato for 3 whistles.
* Chop the onion,green chillies,ginger and garlic.
* In a pan add oil and splutter with mustard seeds,cumin seeds ,red chillies and curry leaves.
* Saute onions,green chillies till its transparent.
* Sprinkle salt to the onions,to make it cook fast.

* Mash the cooked potato (make sure that the potato is not too soft,let it be chunks).
 *Add potatoes to the pan and cook for 2 mins.
* Add 1/2 cup water to the mixture and bring it to a boil.Adjust salt to taste.
* Cover and cook in low flame for 2o minutes.When the oil oozes out ,turn it off.
* Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with chapathi.


Potato Curry

Parotta Kuruma

My husband was keep on asking me to prepare the same white kuruma , which we had in chennai hotels. After some research, I ended up with this recipe.It's a vegetarian delight and goes very well with Parotta.

Ingredients:
1.Carrots                           -   4
2.Beans                             -   5 to 6
3.Potato                             -   1
4.Onion                              -  1 ( medium)
5.Green chillies                 -   6
6.Ginger garlic paste          -  1/2 tbsp
7.Whole garam masala       -  (cinnamon,cloves,bay leaves)
8.Coconut                           -   3 to 4 pieces
9.Cashews                          -   6 to 7  ( optional )
10.Cilantro

Method:
* Wash and cut all the vegetables into cubes.
* Chop the onion and slit the green chillies.

* Grind 4 green chillies,coconut and cashews into fine paste.

* In a pan add some oil and splutter  whole garam masalas and add the onion.
* When the onion gets sauted, add the remaining green chillies.
* Add the ginger garlic paste and saute, till it looses its raw smell.
* Dump in all the vegetables and saute it, till it becomes soft.
* Now add the grinded coconut mixture into the pan .
* Bring it to a boil as shown.

* Garnish it with cilantro and serve with hot parottas.

Korma

Chole Puri

I like the big puri elegantly placed in the middle of the plate and added with chole, onion and a thin slice of lemon.Just squeeze the lemon, add onions and mix. Wow when we eat it with a piece of puri ,its mesmerizing..... When we were small, my dad used to take us to "Geetha cafe" in pondy bazaar.And their chole puri is awesome.I wud always wonder how to do . Now i came to know the secret after coming to dallas. I am happy to show u my secret.

Chole
Ingredients:
1.Chana - 1 cup
2.Onion - 1
3.Tomato - 1
4.Green chillies - 3 to 4
5.chole masala - 1 1/2 tbsp
6.curd - 1 tbsp
7.curry leaves
8.cilantro
9.Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Method:
*Soak the chana over night or for 4 hrs and pressure cook it.
*Chop the onion , tomato and slit the green chillies.
* Take half of the cooked chana and grind it in a blender.
* Take a pan and splutter it with whole garam masalas and curry leaves.
* Saute the onions and green chillies.Saute it with ginger garlic paste.
*When the onion turns brown, add the chopped tomatos.sprinkle some salt.
*When the tomatoes are cooked, add the chole masala and turmeric pwdr.
* After few minutes add the grinded chana and make it a gravy.
* Now add the chana with water.
* Bring it to a boil and add a tbsp of curd.
* Turn off and garnish with cilantro.
Serve hot with Puri and spice it up with onions and lemon.

Channa Masala

Vegetable Kuruma

Veg kuruma is a North indian delicacy and often served with chapathi/naan/poori/parata. My husband likes peas and potato for the kuruma.So lets see the process.
Ingredients:
1. Peas - 1 cup
2.Potato - 1
3.Onions - 1 1/2
4.Tomatoes - 1 1/2
5.Green chillies - 10
6.Curd - 1 tbsp
7.Whole garam masalas
8.Curry leaves
9.Cilantro
10.Coconut - 3 to 4 pieces


Method:
* boil the peas and potato as shown.
Take 1 onion,1 tomato ,6 chillies and fry it in pan of little oil. Once they are cooled, throw it in a food processor and grind it into a fine paste.
In another pan add oil and splatter some whole garam masalas ( cinnamon,cloves, fenugreek seeds ). Saute the remaining onions ,chillies and tomato. sprinkle some salt to the mixture.
Now add the grinded masalas into the pan and bring it to a boil.Add the peas and potato and let it blend into the gravy.Grind the coconut with some fennel seeds and make it into a fine paste.Add it into the gravy and let it cook for a minute.
Then garnish with cilantro and curry leaves. Its a very good dish for kids as peas is rich in fibre.
Korma