Chhole Masala

                     Chhole Masala is a protein packed curry from the northern region of India. The beans are cooked in a tangy curry with onions and garlic. There are many variations and methods to make this curry. Here is the recipe on how I like it. So do try and leave a comment on how you like it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry Garbanzo Beans (Chhole or Chickpeas)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Onions
• 2 finely chopped Tomatoes
• 2 tsp Red chili-garlic paste
• 2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 4 tsp Red Chili powder
• 2 tsp Coriander-Cumin powder
• 2 tsp Chhole Masala (I used Everest Chhole masala)
• 1 tsp Amchur powder (Dry Mango powder)
• 2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 3-4 Cloves
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 2 dry Red Chilies
• Cilantro to garnish
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

• Wash and soak the beans for 6-8 hours or overnight in cold water.
• Cook the beans in the pressure cooker. It should take 3-4 whistles or around 10-12 minutes. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can cook in open pan. It will take around 40-45 minutes or cook until the beans are soft to bite.
• Now heat some oil in a pan. Add asafoetida and cumin seeds along with cloves and cinnamon.

• Once the seeds start to crackle and the spices are fragrant, add the onions.

• Saute the onions till they are translucent and then add the tomatoes.

• Add all the spices (salt, chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander cumin powder, chhole masala and amchur powder) and mix it well.

• Add a cup of water and mix. Now add the cooked beans and mix well.

• Add another 2 cups of water, and cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10 minutes or till the gravy thickens. I like to crush some of the beans with back of the spoon to thicken the gravy.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with Puris, Roti, Naan or rice. 

Rasiya Muthiya

                 Rasiya Muthiya is a traditional Gujrati recipe. The Muthiyas are basically rice dumplings and Rasiya means with gravy. So Rasiya Muthiya can be literally translated to rice dumplings with gravy. They gravy here is usually yogurt based and typically spicy.

                 If you have leftover rice, then this simple and quick dish is one of the best to use them. You can add green chilies, ginger or cilantro to it as well. But since I made it for a Jain festival, where green vegetables are avoided, I didn't use any of it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiled Rice
• 3 tbsp Whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp Chickpea flour (Besan)
• 2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 4 tsp Red Chili powder
• 2 tbsp Yogurt
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp Oil
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 2 cup Buttermilk (yogurt+water mix)
• 1 cup water

Instructions:

For the Muthiyas:

• Take a big mixing bowl, add the rice, turmeric powder, chili powder and salt and mix it well

• Now add the whole wheat flour and the chickpea flour and mix well.

• Then add the yogurt and make it in a dough. Make sure you don't add any water to the dough.
• If the dough is too hard, add more yogurt, whereas if the dough is too tough, add some more wheat flour and chickpea flour.

• Make small oval shape muthiyas and keep them aside

For the Gravy:

• Heat some oil in a pan. Add the Asafoetida and cumin seeds.
• Once the seeds start to crackle, add about 1/2 a cup water to it.

• When the water starts to simmer a little, add a couple of muthiyas to it and stir it lightly
• After that add the buttermilk and the remaining water and mix it well.
• Now add the salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder and mix it well.
• Once this mixture starts boiling, add the muthiyas one by one.

• Now let it cook on medium heat till the muthiyas are soft and cooked, about 10-12 minutes.
• If the gravy is less or it dries up, add a little water. Once the muthiyas are cooked, take it off the heat.
• Serve it hot and enjoy.

Cabbage Kofta Curry

        What do you do when you have lots of cabbage in the refrigerator and don't want to eat the regular simple curry? I had this situation recently, and I also had some frozen garlic naan. So I decided to use everything and try something new. So here it is, Cabbage Koftas(dumplings) in a rich creamy gravy.
        Malai Kofta is a popular dish in the mughlai cuisine. Typically, the koftas or the dumplings are made from potato and Paneer and served with a rich tomato gravy. But this is a variation, the koftas are made from cabbage. They are delicious and slightly spicier than the traditional ones.
         One more variation is, the traditional gravy has lot of cream for the richness. But the recipe here is vegan, made from cashews and whole spices.

       Hope you all like this variation of the traditional Kofta curry.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded Cabbage
• 1 cup Gram Flour (Besan)
• 2 tbsp Green Chili paste
• 2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 finely chopped Onion
• 2 finely chopped Tomatoes
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 2-3 Cloves
• 1/2 cup raw Cashews
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Chili powder
• 1 tbsp Coriander-Cumin powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1/2 tsp dry Fenugreek leaves (Kasturi Methi)
• Chopped Cilantro for garnish
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• A pinch of Baking Soda
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Instructions:

For the Koftas:

• Take a big mixing bowl, add the cabbage, baking soda and salt and mix well.
• Add the chili paste, ginger-garlic paste and garam masala and mix well.
• Now, add the gram flour, 1 spoon at a time and mix well to make a dough.
• The dough has to be a little harder than the normal medium consistency. If the dough is too hard, add some water. And if the dough is too soft, add some more flour.
• Now, drop a spoonful of mixture in a heated oil and deep fry till they are golden brown. We can also make discs and shallow fry them with little or no oil.
• Drain on absorbent paper and keep it aside.

• Now heat some oil in a pan. Add asafoetida and cumin seeds along with cloves and cinnamon.
• Once the seeds start to crackle and the spices are fragrant, add the onions and garlic. 
• Saute onions till they are translucent.
• Now add the tomatoes and cashews and mix it well.
• Saute them for 3-4 minutes, till all the raw smell of cashews is gone.
• Take it off the heat and let it cool for some time.
• Now, grind this mixture into a smooth paste. Add some water if needed.
• Then add some oil in the same pan and add the paste.

• Add all the spices (salt, chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander cumin powder) and fenugreek leaves and mix it well.
• Also add a cup or two of water and mix. Simmer the gravy till it thickens and reaches medium consistency.

• Add the koftas only at the time of serving, else they may become soggy.
• Garnish with some cilantro and serve with any kind of Naan, Roti, paratha or rice

Gobi Paneer Paratha

                  Gobi Paneer Paratha, a whole wheat bread stuffed with fresh cauliflower and paneer mixed with aromatic spices. These parathas are really simple and are great as a quick and tasty meal. They serve as a complete meal by itself or can be paired with any simple curry that you like.
                  One can make it with little or no oil, thus making it healthy low-calorie meal. So lets get to the recipe. I hope you like it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 2 tsp Oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup grated Gobi (Cauliflower)
• 1 cup grated Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Cilantro
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Bell Pepper
• 2 tsp Chili-Ginger-Garlic paste
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• Oil

Instructions:

• Sieve the flour
• Add 2 tsp oil and salt and mix it well. 
• Add enough water and make a semi-soft dough. 
• Knead the dough properly. Cover it and keep aside.
• Now take a big bowl, add the cauliflower and paneer to it and mix it well.
• Add onions, bell pepper and cilantro to the bowl.
• Then add the spices and mix it well.

• Now, knead the dough and divide into smaller portions.
• Roll out each portion of the dough into a small round with the help of flour.
• Put 2 tablespoons of the stuffing in the center.

• Fold towards the center from all 4 sides and press to seal.

• Gently roll it again in round.
• Put the paratha on hot tava (or skillet), cook for a minute or two and turn once.
• After 1 minute, add a little oil/butter around the edges, turn again and fry the other side. 
• When brown patches appear on both sides, the paratha is ready.
• Serve hot with Cilantro chutney, ketchup and/or yogurt.

Tips: 

• You can add any of your favorite vegetables to the stuffing.
• Make sure the stuffing is not too soft. It shouldn't have any water content in it.
• It can be made without oil or butter too.

Diwali Festivities

               As many of you might be aware, last week was Diwali, the festival of Lights. Diwali, also known as Deepavali spiritually signifies the victory of good over evil. It is usually celebrated over 5 days. Each day has a special significance.

               First day is the Dhanteras, followed by Naraka Chaturdasi or Kali Chaudas. The third day is the main day, Diwali. For some parts in India, mainly western India, the fourth day marks the beginning of their new year. The festivities end with Bhai Beej dedicated to the sister-brother bond.

               So, wish you all a very Happy Diwali and a prosperous new year too. Hope you all had a great celebration too. In the spirit of the festival, plus my husband's birthday, we had a fun filled weekend which included a special Diwali dinner on Friday evening with a group of friends. The menu for the evening was:

Main Course/ Entrees:

• Masala Cups
• Jeera Paratha
• Shaam Savera
• Corn Capsicum Curry
• Peas Pulao
• Dal Fry

               No meal can be completed without a good dessert, so how can I miss the yummy dessert that we had.

• Chocolate Pani Puri

               Saturday was reserved for his birthday. I made a special plan for him, took him out for Sunset Sailing under the beautiful Golden Gate bridge followed by an amazing dinner.

               Sunday was another Diwali lunch with another group of friends, but this time it was a potluck. The theme for the potluck was regional specialties, so we had a nice variety of food. Some of the items from the huge menu, whose recipes I will be posting in the near future, were:

• Peas Kachori
• Undhiyu - A special curry recipe from Gujarat
• Baked Pakodas
• Sev Khaman - Another Gujarati recipe
• Dal Dhokli
• Tamarind Rice - A Southern Indian Specialty
• Puran Poli - Specialty of Maharashtra, western part of India
• Bajri(Millet) Bread - A specialty from North Gujarat and Rajasthan
• Choorma Ladu - A sweet dish

              Do let us know how your celebrations were. Also, how do you generally plan parties and do you have any tips on managing and executing the plan successfully?

Shaam Savera

                 As many of you know I am a big fan of spinach and I always have it in my refrigerator. Recently, it so happened I had lot of spinach but didn't want to make any of my usual spinach recipes. And so I started looking online for other options to use it. And then I stumbled upon a recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor and immediately decided to give it a shot.
              So here is my version of the Classic Shaam Savera recipe. In other words, Spinach dumplings in Tomato Gravy. Hope you all enjoy it like we did.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Spinach leaves
• 1 cup grated Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
• 1 tsp Cardamom powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
•  5 tsp Ginger-Chili-Garlic paste
• 2 tbsp Gram flour (Besan)
• 2 tbsp Corn flour
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 cups Tomato puree
• 2 tsp Red Chili powder
• 2 tsp Dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 tbsp Butter
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Instructions:

For the Koftas:

• Blanch the spinach leaves in 7-8 cups of boiling water for 2 minutes.
• Drain and wash them in cold water to stop further cooking
• Now, squeeze the water from the leaves and chop finely and keep it aside
• Heat about 2 tbsp Oil in a pan
• Add the cumin seeds, garlic-chili-ginger paste to the pan
• Once the cumin seeds starts to crackle, add the gram flour and saute for about 2 minutes.
• Add turmeric powder to the pan
• Then add the chopped spinach leaves and stir continuously.
• Continue stirring till the mixture is completely dry
• Take it off the heat and keep it aside to let it cool

• Meanwhile in another bowl, take the grated paneer. Add salt and cardamom powder and mix it well

• Divide this paneer mixture in 8 equal portions and roll them into balls and keep it aside
• Now divide the spinach mixture in 8 equal portions. 

• To make the koftas, take one portion of spinach mixture, flatten it in your palms. Place the paneer ball in the center of it. Take the edges and roll it to make a ball.

 

 

• Roll the ball in corn flour and keep it aside. Repeat the process for the remaining mixture

• Heat sufficient oil in a pan. Deep fry the stuffed koftas on a low heat till they are golden brown.
• Drain on absorbent paper.

For the Gravy

•  Heat some oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds.
• Once the seeds start to crackle, add the ginger-chili-garlic paste and saute it for a minute.

• Then add the tomato puree, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and mix it well.
• Then add the butter and fenugreek leaves and cook for another 2 minutes and take it off the heat

• In a serving bowl, pour the gravy. Cut the koftas into halves and place them on the gravy
• Serve immediately with your favorite roti/naan or rice

Sooji (Semolina) Halva

          I am not a big fan of sweets, unlike my husband. I only like a couple of traditional Indian sweets and occasionally, I get a craving for them. Sooji or Semolina Halva is one of them. It is usually made during festivals or religious functions and I absolutely love it when my mom makes it.
        Today was one of those days when I was craving it. And despite having never made it before, I gave it a try. The end result was not as good as what my mom makes, but was decent enough for me. And for my husband, my food critic, he liked it.
       Halva is a sweet/dessert popular across Asia and Europe. There are various varieties of it differing slightly in the cooking method, though the basic ingredients are more or less similar with some variations. Here is my take on the Semolina Halva.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Semolina (Suji/Rava)
• 2 cup Milk
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
• 1 tsp Cardamom (Elaichi) powder
• 1/4 cup Almond Slivers 
• 7-8 Saffron threads

Instructions:

•  Heat the clarified butter (Ghee) in a pan.
• Add the semolina to it and roast till it is light brown/ Make sure you are cooking on medium heat. Cooking on high heat may burn it

• Now add the sugar and saffron and mix it well.
• Then slowly add the milk and stir it continuously, till the sugar melts and it attains a semi-liquid Halva like consistency. About 3-4 minutes

• At this point add the cardamom powder. It is optional but I like the flavor
• Mix it well and remove from heat.

• Garnish with almond slivers and serve hot

Kothimbir Vadi

              Sunday is usually a lazy day for most people. We usually meet up with our friends on Saturday and end up sleeping really late and that, in turn, leads to late Sunday mornings. So we prefer having brunch since we have already passed the breakfast time. Today was a similar day for us and I was thinking to make something today that is quick, tasty and heavy too. I was looking online for some options and I stumbled upon Kothimbir Vadi, a Maharashtrian dish.

             Kothimbir Vadi or Steamed Cilantro-Chickpea snack, is a very popular dish from Maharashtra, a western state of India. There are plenty variants of this snack. Some prefer it deep fried, some like it stir fried, while some like it simply steamed.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups finely chopped Cilantro
• 1.5 cups chickpea flour (Besan)
• 2 Tbsp Ginger-Chili paste
• 1 tsp Red Chili powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp Soda-BiCarb (Baking Soda)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin (Jeera)
• 1 Tbsp Oil

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, add the cilantro and chickpea flour.
• Then, add all the spices, salt, chili powder, turmeric, baking soda and ginger chili paste and mix them well.

• Now, slowly add some water to it to make a batter. The batter should be of thick consistency and not too watery.

• Pour the batter onto a greased pan. Then, using a pressure cooker or a steamer, steam it for 15 minutes or until it is cooked.
• The best way to know if it cooked or not is insert a knife or a toothpick and it should come out clean.
• Once they are cooked, let it cool and cut into small pieces.

• Meanwhile, heat some oil in the pan.
• Add the sesame seeds and mustard seeds, and once they start to crackle, add the cumin seeds and then the cut pieces and mix them well.
• Garnish with coconut and serve it hot.
• Enjoy with your favorite chutney/sauce or simply as is.

Vegetable Appam

             It has being quite a long time since my last post. It was an extremely busy couple of months, first moving to a new place and then a month long trip to India. Getting back to work after a good vacation is always tough. But I am excited to get back in my kitchen and do some cooking, and share them with you.
             Today I got a bit late returning back from work and ran out of groceries. So we had to think of something quick from limited available ingredients. And the first dish that came to my mind was Vegetable Appam. I learned it from my mother-in-law, she made it for us when we were home last month and we loved it a lot. This is ideally suited for breakfast/brunch but we can have it as a light and quick dinner too.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cup Semolina
• 1 cup plain Yogurt
• 1/4 finely chopped Onions
• 1/4 finely chopped vegetables (I used cabbage, bell peppers, green peas)
• 3 finely chopped Green Chilies
• 1/4 finely chopped Cilantro
• A pinch of baking soda
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Instructions:

• Take the semolina in a bowl and mix it with yogurt to make a thick batter. If it gets too thick, add some more yogurt. Mix it well and keep it aside for 15 minutes or so.
• In the meantime, heat the appam pan on medium heat. The  appam pan is very similar to the Aebleskiver pan.

• Now add the onions, vegetables, green chilies and cilantro and mix well.
• Then add the salt and baking soda and mix it well. 
• The batter should be of thick consistency, a little thicker than the pancake batter.

• Once the pan is heated, put the batter in each mold of the pan until it is full.

• Once the bottom side is done,about 2-3 minutes, flip the appams over carefully

• Then let them cook on other side for 1-2 minutes until they are cooked and crispy.
• Make the remaining appams in the same way.
• Serve hot with chutney or you favorite sauce.