Tofu and Peas Curry

Due to a strict diet imposed on my in-laws by their doctor, I am always looking out for healthier and low cal version of other recipes. I thought of making a light panner curry for my father-in-law as we both love it. Unfortunately, my MIL and my hubby dear belong to different planet and don’t quite like it. I am paneer lover to the core and I can swear by its taste in whatever recipes that comes in front of me but what do you do when you badly want to eat one and there is none at home. Huh! Sulking is the only way I guess. To make the matter even worse let me blurt out the reality. I had gone to the supermarket, was wondering of eating paneer curry throughout the shopping, went to the dairy section and picked few packs but when I came back home, I realized that it was not paneer. Holy Cow! (After getting bugged by the Kolaveri song, I love to use this often) I had picked tofu but missed the paneer. Awwww! But because I was mad enough, I decided, no matter what, I am going to make something out of it.

photo by Neetu N

                                                                                                                                                          

Ingredients:

photo by Neetu N

200 grms tofu cut in cubes

1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 cup tomato chopped

1 ts ginger grated

1 tbs green chillies chopped

2 tbs garlic crushed

1 bay leaf

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 tbs oil

Fresh green coriander leaves for garnishing

photo by Neetu N

 Method: Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add chopped ginger, bay leaf and green chillies. Vary the amount of the green chillies according to the heat. Saute for few seconds. Add the chopped onion and sauté. Lower the flame and cover with a lid for 2 min. Now add the peas, cumin and coriander powder and sauté on medium flame for a min till the raw aroma is gone. Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, salt, turmeric powder and black pepper powder. Give it a good mix gently and cover with the lid for 5 min. You will see that the oil has started to surface. If not them cover for 2 more min. The oil proves that the raw masalas are cooked properly. Now add 1 ½ cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the tofu cubes and let it simmer for a min. Add garam masala. Serve garnished with green coriander leaves. This recipe gives a thin gravy and is a healthy and quick option for the spicy and rich curries. 

Aloo - Chane ki ghughni

I always stock my kitchen with dried legumes and different kinds of lentils. They come for great use when you are running out of veggies or you are not in a mood to eat the regular veg curries. Dried ones such as chickpeas, chana, rajma, whole lentiles like urad, moong, masur…..comes out as wonderful dishes that can tickle any tastebud. In north,  rainy season doesn’t have much to offer in terms of veggies and it was this season that saw all the mums and housewives using their stock of grams and lentils. Be it the famed chole, kala chane, rajma chawal, maa ki daal, daal tadka………every dish is a gem in its own perview. They are tasty, very healthy, rich source of protein and fibre and wholesome food in itself.  Though the rainy season is over, I like to eat and cook it once in a while. Here’s my mum’s typical bihari style chane ki ghughni.

aloo-chane ki ghughni

  

Ingredients:

kaale chane (whole bengal gram)

1 cup kale chane soaked overnight

 For the masala/spice paste
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
8 cloves of garlic
1 inch ginger
1 bay leaf
For gravy
1 cup boiled and lightly crushed potatoes
2 cups of finely chopped onion
2 cups of fresh tomato paste
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp amchur powder
 ½ tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbs ghee
1 tbs oil
Salt  



Method:
Heat ½ tbs oil in a kadai and fry the drained chana on medium flame till they are soft. In order to check they are done try to crush a chana grain with your fingers. It should be soft and grainy. Keep aside.
Grind together all the ingredients of the masala/spice medium thick paste using little water even if you have the spice powders. Grinding together helps them to blend into a nice paste very important for a good gravy. 
 

 For gravy: Heat remaining oil and ghee in kadai.  Add chopped onions and sauté them on medium flame till they turn golden in colour. Add the masala/spice paste, turmeric and salt. Mix well and fry on medium heat till the paste starts leaving the sides of the kadai. Stir continuously. Once the oil is separated, add the tomato paste and mix. Lower the flame, cover and leave it for 5 minutes. You will notice that the paste and the tomatoes are cooked and the oil comes out. Add the potatoes and cooked chana and amchur powder and mix. Add 2 ½  cups of water and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add the garam masala. Mix. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve with rice or chapatti.
I always make extra to eat the next day as chaat seasoned with raw onions and curds. Its so yummmmmmm.


Tips: You can always make a drier version of this dish. Just avoid the water for the gravy and cook it over medium flame till you get the mix is dry as per your likes. Garnish with lots of chopped onion, green coriander leaves and love of course.

Bottlegourd/lauki/doodhi Kofta

Last week had been gloomy. The cough and cold hovered over me and I hardly cooked anything properly. Just managed with rice, dal, roties and some mix curries. And it’s this small hibernation that pushes your tastebuds to crave for something hot and yummy. I checked that it was a Saturday. We do our grocery shopping on Sunday mornings and that means there would limited items in my veggie box. I looked into the fridge and my stuffy nose crinkled at the sight of the bottlegourd/lauki/doodhi. Oh not again. I didn have the heart to visit the supermarket at that moment but I was determined to eat something spicy and yummy. That is when meri dimag ki batti jal gayi. Lauki koftas....... My mouth watered and I went back to my hostel days where it used to be served as Sunday special. Oh how much I enjoyed those koftas with rice. Generally kofta gravy  don’t contain potatoes but it was used in our hostel mess back then and I loved it like that. So you will find it my recipe too. Hope you enjoy it too.

Ingredients:

For koftas

3 cups grated lauki

3 tbs finely chopped onion

1 tbs grated ginger

1 tsp finely chopped green chillies

3 tbs besan (chickpea flour)

1 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

For the masala/spice paste

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

8 cloves of garlic

1 inch ginger

For tempering/chaunk

1 tbs mustard oil

1 tbs ghee

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1-2 bay leaf

For gravy

1 cup boiled and lightly crushed potatoes

2 cups of finely chopped onion

2 cups of fresh tomato paste

½ tsp garam masala powder

Turmeric powder

Salt

Method:

For koftas: After grating the lauki/doodhi leave aside for 5 -10 min ( you can prepare the masala in the meanwhile). It will leave lot of liquid. Squeeze out the liquid as much as possible. Now add rest of the ingredients for the koftas and mix well. Heat oil in a kadai. Make medium round balls and deep fry them over medium flame till the colour is brown. Keep them aside.

Grind together all the ingredients of the masala/spice medium thick paste using little water.

For gravy: Heat oil and ghee in kadai. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add bay leaves. Sauté. Add chopped onions and sauté them on medium flame till they turn golden in colour. Add the masala/spice paste, turmeric and salt. Mix well and fry on medium heat till the paste starts leaving the sides of the kadai. Stir continuously. Once the oil separated, add the tomato paste and mix. Lower the flame, cover and leave it for 5 minutes. You will notice that the paste and the tomatoes are cooked. Add the potatoes and mix. Add 2 ½  cups of water and bring it to a boil. Slowly add the fried koftas. Let it simmer for 3 minutes. Add the garam masala. Mix. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve with rice or chapatti.

Sarson wali bhindi (okra/ladyfinger in mustard gravy)

No ‘northi’ or ‘bong’ (sorry m taking the privilege of using these abbr, but no offence to anyone) food incomplete without the smell of mustard spluttering the hot mustard oil or the intoxicating aroma wafting from the mustard gravy simmering away on the stove. This dainty looking spice is no less than Midas that lend a whole new meaning to any veggie it is cooked with. I almost drool every time I think about the potatoes in spicy mustard gravy (used for fish) that will satisfy any fish lover at least for some time or the pungent lauki raita with mustard paste.

Hubby dear loves okra/bhindi fry (well! I should be happy and not frowning like I m now). My predicament lies in the fact that hubby dear doesn’t like okra swimming in a gravy and I was bored of making the same old bhindi fry every alternate day. Why? Huh! He stuffed the refrigerator with 1 kg of okra because he thought that the quality and the price were hard to give a miss. No wonder he is a stocks and shares enthusiast. I kept postponing or rather ignoring the okras lying in the veggie box but how long. Can’t let them rot in one corner just because I was too lazy to make something new out of them. I dragged myself in search of my cell phone. All thanks to my little one who likes to send all the consonants and vowels to my friends and I have to explain everyone of them the next day. I realised I was already frowning when I dialled my mom’s number. But the next 10 minutes was just a happy flashback of one of my favourite okra in mustard gravy. Oh how much I loved my mom and of course the okra.........I was deliriously happy and tried to plant a forceful kiss on my daughter’s cheeks but was met with the same frown stolen from my face. Never mind. I can handle anything just to eat that curry....

Well if you think I m going too over the board types with this curry then I beg your pardon. Mustard is definitely an acquired taste but there is no harm in giving a slight kicks and a whack to your taste buds once in a while.

                                                                                                       photo by neetu

 Ingredients:

500 grms okra

3 medium potatoes

1 onion sliced

2-3 slit green chillies

2 tbs lime juice

Oil for cooking

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp mustard seeds

Salt to taste

For mustard paste

2 tbs mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds (can use powder)

½ tsp coriander seeds (can use powder)

2-3 whole red chillies (can use powder)

1 tsp black peppercorns

8-10 cloves of garlic

1 inch ginger

1 medium bay leaf

Method: 

photo by neetu

Wash the veggies. Cut the okra in 1 inch pieces. Cube the potatoes.

Make a fine paste of the spices. As mustard takes a little longer to grind, you can first grind the dry spices like all the seeds, peppercorn, red chillies and bay leaf in the grinder. Later add the wet spices like ginger and garlic along with 2 tbs of water. See if you require more water. The paste should be smooth.

Now heat some oil in kadai. Add the orka and sauté on high flame first and medium later till the edges get a nice brown colour. Be gentle. Nobody prefers mashed okras. After 5 minutes the stickiness will disappear. Take out and keep aside. In the same kadai add little oil (1 tsp) and fry the potatoes on medium flame till they get some colour.

                                                                             photo by neetu

In the same kadai put 1 tbs of mustard oil and heat it. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter properly till it releases an aroma. Add the green chillies. Sauté. Add the mustard paste. Mix. Add salt and turmeric and mix. Cover for 2 min. Add 2 tbs water and mix. Cover for 5 min. You will see the oil rising from the sides of the kadai. It’s times to add the sauted veggies and 1 cup of water. Let the gravy simmer for 2-3 minutes. Check if the potatoes are done. Keep the consistency according to your wish. Add lime juice but only after putting off the flame. Serve with rice or chapattis.

photo by neetu

Tips:

You can use powders but I like to use whole spices and then grind them fresh. Trust me the effort really pays off in the end. Be careful not to burn the mustard paste while frying. It will taste bitter. Also, the amount of mustard will be determined how pungent the flavour should be. I love them so don’t mind even if it’s on the extra side. It is better to chose slightly matured bhindi as the tender ones might end up in a pulp while frying or simmering but avoid those chewy or hard fibrous ones. The lime juice in the end really perks up the dish so don’t forget about it.

Well! I think I have scared you enough so better be off to some cooking.

Lauki chilka bhaji (bottlegourd peel stir fry)

This unusual recipe has plenty of emotions attached as it was introduced to me by none other than my mom-in-law.One fine day, right after marriage, she served me this stir fry and asked me to guess the ingredients. Though I was given a lecture and a crash course in cooking by mom, I had no idea whatsoever about this form of a humble lauki present right infront of me. Forget about all the logic and reasoning, the idea of using or rather utilising the peel of a bottlegourd wouldn't have occurred to me even in my wildest of imagination. I knew that doctors asked to cook veggies mostly alongwith their peel but we seldom practice that. Right? So here was my new venture as cook into new household and a new teacher, my mother-in-law. Though I differ from her in every style of my cooking, I respect her skills and never bother to play around the recipe much. Mothers' knows best you see.

                                                                   photo by Neetu N

Ingredients:

1 cup finely chopped peel of bottlegourd

1 cup finely chopped or sliced potatoes

1 cup sliced onion

2-3 slit green chillies

1 tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp black pepper powder

Salt to taste

1 tbs oil

Method:

                                                                            photo by Neetu N

Heat oil in the pan. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add green chillies and sauté till it gets a nice colour. Add sliced onion. Saute till golden brown. Add the chopped peel and chopped potatoes. Mix. Cover for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and turmeric. Mix. Cover for 5 minutes. Check if the potatoes have turned soft. Mix well. Serve with a dash of lime and ginger juliens. This a great side dish served alongwith rice and dal or parathas.

Tips: The lauki should be very tender (without seeds; see pic) and as fresh as possible. Stale gourds give a bitter flavour. The peel of matured lauki(seeds are hard) is not very soft enough for this dish. In order to avoid the peel from becoming dark, soak the peels in water and then chop them finely. You may or may not peel the potatoes in this dish. I like them with skin provided you wash them well.

Bhindi ki sabji (okra/ladyfinger curry)

Bhindi has been one of my favorite veggies since childhood. Most of us like the bhindi fry and has been an integral part of any Indian menu. But sometimes a bit of change is always welcome. I remember mom preparing this lovely bhindi curry usually for dinner and I used to hog extra rotis with it. The thin gravy makes it lighter on the tummy and good for those who try to avoid heavy spices during dinner. Its the best version of Indian stew and that too with bhindi. Go on, try it friends...

                                                                                                    photo by Neetu N

Ingredients:

2-3 cups bhindi diced (1inch)

1 cup cubed potato (2 medium)

2 cups tomatoes (2 medium)

2-3 slit green chillies

1 tsp chopped ginger

2 tbs crushed garlic

2 onions medium sliced                               

1tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1tsp black pepper powder

                                                                             photo by Neetu N

1tbs sabji masala/ curry powder

2 tbs oil

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat 1 tbs of oil in a pan and toss the bhindi on high flame till the edges are brown. Do not leave it unattended. Tossing on high flame will give colour, flavour and reduces the stickiness. Keep aside. Add the remaining oil the same pan and heat. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add slit green chillies and chopped ginger. Sauté for few seconds till they get some colour. Add sliced onion and sauté on low flame. Cover. After about 2 minutes, add chopped tomatoes, crushed garlic, salt, turmeric and the curry powder. Mix. Cover. After 5 minutes you will see the tomatoes are soft and masala is cooked. Now add potatoes and mix. Cover for 5 minutes. Add sauted bhindi and black pepper powder. Mix. Add 2 cups of water and cover. Let it simmer till the potatoes get cooked. Serve with roti or parantha.

Tips          

Bhindi should be tender. Mature ones are more fibrous and hard to chew. They are good for sambhar but for curry it is better to go for tender ones.

·         You can add water for the gravy according to your preference. I like thinner gravy as it goes well with rice too. If you find the gravy is very thin after cooking, mash some of the cooked potatoes from the curry itself and add them back into the curry.

Kadhi-Badi (curd based gravy with fried dumplings)

Fasting is just another way of paying your respects to the almighty in north India especially Bihar and UP. Be it the auspicious chhath puja, durga puja, shivratri, teej, jeetiya or janmashtami. I have grown up watching my mom observe fasts and break it the next morning and how...with choicest of curries and fritters adorning our plates and tummy as well. Well! the fast did not mean much to us other than waiting for the next day for the sumptuous meal. One of the common dish is kadhi-badi, a curd based gravy with fried besan dumplings. Every household has their own version of kadhi-wadi recipe and are tasty in any form.

I had planned a lot this teej but my daughter caught cold and I decided to give a miss to the other side dishes and was content with simple kadhi-badi-chawal combo which is delicious on any given point of time and even the next day. Hope you enjoy this someday....and thank me for this post.

                                                                photo by Neetu Narayan

Ingredients:

For the kadhi

1 cup curd (sour if possible)

1 tbs besan

1 tbs of ginger-garlic paste

1 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp  turmeric powder

1tsp red chilli powder

1-2 slit green chillies

Green coriander leaves for garnishing

Salt to taste

For badi

1 cup of besan

1 tsp of carom(ajwain) seeds

½ tsp of onion(kalongi) seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbs chopped onion (1 medium)

Oil for frying

Salt to taste

For tempering

1 tsp cumin seeds

2-3 whole dry red chillies

Few sprigs of curry leaves

1 tbs oil

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients of badi except oil and make a thick paste with water and leave it aside for 15 minutes. For kadhi, mix together curd, besan, salt and spices and 2 cups of water. Beat well for 5 minutes so that no lumps remain and is smooth. You can add more water if you prefer thin gravy.

Method:

For tempering, heat oil in a bigger vessel. Add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add whole red chillies and sauté till they release an aroma. Add curry leaves. Now add the kadhi mix. Add slit green chillies and let it simmer on low flame for 15 minutes. In the meanwhile, deep fry the badi batter into small dumplings. I keep them small as they absorb the gravy fast. Put the badi in the kadhi gravy that is simmering away. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Garnish with green coriander leaves. Serve with rice. 

Pyaaz Pakoda (onion fritters) with Mango Chutney

Rain rain come again for I m hungry for pakodas again. Huh! mouthwatering jingle for all the pakoda lovers and why not, for the rainy season is not always wet and gloomy. You can make it hot and happening with savory snacks made in no time along with hot cup of chai propped up in your favorite corner. I remember how we all used to eagerly wait for evenings for mom would create miracle with simple fritters all gorged down by us in no time. The onion pakoda is my favorite one till date. I have made few variations and the result has been yummy.

                                                                                     photo by: Neetu Narayan


Ingredients
1 cup of besan (chana dal flour)
1/2 cup of rice flour
2 cups of sliced onion
1 cup of fined chopped tomatoes
2 tbs chopped green chillies
2 tbs of finely chopped green coriander leaves
1tsp grated ginger
1tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
1tsp of kalonji (onion seeds) optional
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt
oil to fry

Method:
Onions have to sliced roughly and not chopped. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl except oil. First mix all the ingredients with your hands gently crushing the onions. They will release some of their juices. Now add besan and mix again without water again crushing the mix. Now start adding little water at a time and keep mixing gently till you get all the onions coated in besan. Remember to add water only when its difficult to mix. Once the besan attains a thick consistency and well coated, leave the mix for 15 minutes. The mix should not become too runny. You can either shallow fry them in a pan or deep fry in a wok. Serve with mango chutney.


                                        Mango and Coriander leaves Chutney

                                                                 photo by: Neetu Narayan

Ingredients
1 cup sliced raw mangoes
2 cups of green dhania patta (coriander leaves)
4 green chillies
1/2 cup curd
5-7 cloves of garlic
Salt

Method:
Grind all the ingredients in grinder. If the mangoes are too sour, reduce the quantity by half. The fresh curd gives the required moisture so this chutney does not require water. You can avoid the curd if you want.

Almond(badam) Halwa

I m not very fond of sweets as such but sometimes I get this deadly cravings for something sweet but not the regular ones as I find them too boring. It was during one of those rare moments that I was watching a cookery show and there something caught my fancy. It was this almond halwa and it really looked yummy but the problem was I didn't see the whole part. Inspite of this I felt like trying it out....The result was a low cal version of almond halwa that satisfied me to the core. The recipe comes to my rescue even to this day. Hope it does work the same magic for you.

Ingredients:
1 cup Almonds
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 tbs ghee
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 pinch of saffron

Method:
Soak the almonds in lukewarm water for 30 minutes and peel off the skin. Its easier that way. Make a coarse  paste using little water. Heat the pan. Add the sugar and water. Bring to a boil and add the almond paste. Keep cooking and stirring. Reduce the heat if it splutters. Add ghee and saffron and keep stirring till the all the water evaporates. Cool and chill (Do not freeze). Serve with ice-cream

Chana dal fry

Its an everyday story of a mother and a housewife as to what should be on the menu, be it morning, noon or night. And trust me sometimes I m just not in a mood to try or think anything, let alone cook something elaborate. It is at this time I find comfort in my favourite chana dal fry served with steaming rice. Huh! I feel like m in heaven. This is the magic of simple, no fuss food in matter of both eating and cooking.

                                                                       photo by neetu narayan

Ingredients:

1 cup chana dal

1 tsp turmeric

salt to taste

For frying:

1 medium onion chopped

1 tbs chopped garlic

1 tbs chopped ginger

1 tbs chopped green chillies

2 tbs chopped green coriander leaves

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 pinch of garam masala

1-2 bayleaf

1 tbs ghee

Method:

Pick, wash and soak the dal for 30 minutes. Cook the dal with enough water till its tender and cooked properly (usually I use double ratio of water). Keep aside. Heat ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let splutter. Do not let it burn. Add bay leaves, ginger and sauté till it gets a slight golden colour. Add green chillies and sauté for few seconds. Add chopped onion and sauté till it turns light brown. Add garlic and chopped tomatoes. Mix. Add salt and turmeric. Cover and let it cook till the tomatoes soften and oil separates. Add the dal and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes. Check the consistency. Add water if you want. I like the slightly thicker consistency. Add garam masala and simmer for 1 minute. Garnish with green coriander leaves. Serve with hot steaming rice.

Sewai chow chow

Ingredients

2 cups of plain vermicelli

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped tomato

1 tbs chopped green chillies

Few sprigs of curry leaves (optional)

1 tsp chopped garlic

1tsp chopped ginger

½ tsp mustard seeds

1 tbs chopped green coriander

½ cup chopped French beans

½ diced potatoes

½ tsp amchur powder

salt

½ tsp ghee

2tbs refined oil

2 ½ cup of water

Method: Heat ghee in a pan. Roast the vermicelli till it gets a nice golden colour.(photo right) 

Remove and keep aside. Add 1 tsp of oil and fry the diced potatoes until it gets a slight colour. Add the French beans now sauté it for a while. Keep aside. In the same pan add 1 tbs of oil and let it heat. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add green chillies. Stir. Add chopped onions and sauté for a while till they obtain a light colour. Add ginger and garlic. Sauté for a while. Don’t let them change the colour. Add chopped tomatoes and fry till they become soft. At this stage add salt and amchur powder. Salt will help to cook the tomatoes faster. Now add fried vermicelli, potatoes and beans. Mix. Add water and and let it boil and cover to cook away. Be sure not overcook the vermicelli. Wait till the all the water is absorbed. Garnish with coriander leaves.