Shahi Methi-Matar

 

This is a wonderful recipe to impress your guests at a dinner, but that does not mean that you cannot include it in your normal weekend meals.Every region you go has their own interpretation of a popular recipe. Take methi matar malai, for example – depending on where you go, you’ll find several versions, ranging from simple onion or  cashew -based gravy to a rich and exotic Mughlai-style curry made with cashew and cream.

 

 Ingredients

1. 2 cups fresh Green peas
2. 1/2 bunch or 2 cups of fresh fenugreek/ methi leaves washed and drained and chopped finely.
3. 1/4 tsp turmeric (Haldi)
4. 2 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
5. 1 tsp Garam Masala
6. 1tsp white pepper powder
7. 1 tsp cumin seeds
8. 1/2 cup fresh cream (malai)
9. 1tsp sugar
10. 1 cup full fat milk
11. Cooking Oil
12. Salt

For the paste:

1. 10 cashewnuts
2. 1 large or 2 small onions – chopped fine
3. 1″ long piece ginger
4. 4 – 5 cloves garlic
5. 4 green cardamom
6. 4 green chilies
7. 2 tsp poppy seeds

Instructions

1. Mix some salt in chopped Fenugreek leaves and keep them aside for 10 minutes.
2. Boil green peas in 4 cups of water till soft and drain.
3. Take onions, green chilies, ginger, garlic, cashewnuts, poppy seeds and green cardamom, grind them all into a fine paste using little water. Consistency of masala should be fine.
4. After 10 minutes, squeeze the excess water out from fenugreek leaves. This helps to reduce the bitterness of fenugreek.
5. Heat 2tsp of ghee in a pan. Add fenugreek leaves and fry for a few minutes.
6. Keep the cooked fenugreek leaves aside. 
7. Same pan add 2 tbsp oil to it. Add cumin seeds, let it splutter. when cumin seeds gets roasted, add white paste, turmeric (Haldi) and salt, cook for 2 minute.
8. After White Masala gets roasted add garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves, sugar, green peas, cooked fenugreek leaves , cream, milk and salt.
9. Mix all the ingredients well and cook them for 6-7minutes.
10. Methi Matar Malai is ready to be served
11. Enjoy this delicious preparation with pooris or rotis.

Kashmiri Dum Murgh

Kashmiri style a delicious chicken gravy!!Though a little time consuming,but worth trying specially for this new year and see how you will be appreciated...!!

Ingredients 

For marination

1. 1 kg chicken
2. Juice of 1 lemon
3. salt to taste
4. 1 tsp turmeric
5. 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
6. 1 tsp green chilli paste

 For  gravy

1. 1/2 cup curd
2. 1/2 cup brown onion paste ( about 3-4 onion fried and ground to paste with little curd)
3. 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
4. 3-4 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
5. 1 tsp turmeric powder
6. wheat dough to seal the pot.
7. 1/2 bunch of coriander
8. salt to taste

For masala to grind

1. 4-5 cloves
2. 1 1/2 inch cinnamon
3. A pinch of nutmeg powder
4. 1 stand of mace
5. 2-3 Cardamom/ elachi
6. 1 tsp black cumin/shahi jeera
7. 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
8. 4-5 cashew nuts
9. 2 tsp Fennel seeds
10. A pinch of asafoetida
11. Dry ginger powder

other ingredients

Directions

1. Marinate the chicken with the above mentioned ingredients at least for an hour.
2. Grind all the masala ingredients to smooth paste and keep aside
3. Heat a thick bottomed pot and add 1tbsp of oil.
4. Add the fried onion paste,ginger garlic paste and the remaining curd ,saute for a minute.
5. Add the marinated chicken and toss well and then add the ground paste along with turmeric and red chilli powder and salt and cook on high till oil separates.
6. At this stage pour in some water and cook further till chicken is well mixed with the gravy and cook for about 10 minutes till the chicken is half cooked.
7. Now its time to give a Dum. For that you need to cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and seal it with roti dough or else you can use aluminum foil.
8. Now place this pot on a thick bottomed pan or Tava and put on medium flame and cook for another 20 minutes.
9. Serve hot with rice or roti

Restaurant style Matar mushroom Masala....

Who does not love Matar mushroom? Especially in winter season.But the problem is that our regular matar mushroom preparation does not go well with our party menu.

Presenting the restaurant  style matar/peas mushroom for coming new year party or any other special occasion.

Ingredients
 (Serves five):

1. Fresh button Mushroom- 15 
2. Green peas-2 cups
3. Green chillies (slit) 2
4. Cumin seeds 1 tsp
5. Kashmiri Red chilli powder 2 tsp
6. Coriander  powder 2 tsp
7. Garam masala 1 tsp
8. Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Onions (finely chopped) 2
11. Oil 3 tbsp, 
12. Tomato puree 1 cup
13. Ginger garlic paste 2 tsp
14. Sugar 1 tsp
15. Kasoori methi 2tsp
16. Fresh cream1/4 cup
17. Fresh coriander leaves for garnish.

 

Ground to paste:

Cashew nut 15

Poppy seeds 1 tbsp 

Soak together in 1/2 cup of warm water for 10 minutes and grind it to smooth paste.

 Method: 

• Boil peas in 4 cups of water for about 15 minutes,drain the excess water  and keep aside. you can also add little salt while cooking.
• Heat 1tbsp of butter in a pan and add mushroom and blanched peas and saute for 2-3 minutes on high heat and keep a side.
• Heat oil in a sauce pan,add cumin seeds and wait till its crackles,add chopped  onions and saute till it changes to light pink colour
• Now add ginger garlic paste, green chillies, tomato puree, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala kasoori methi,salt and sugar. Fry well till the oil comes on top.
•  Add the sauteed mushroom and peas with one cup of water. Cook for a while. Add the ground paste of cashewnut and poppy seed and cook for some more time. If the curry becomes thick, add little water or some milk accordingly. 
• Lastly Add fresh cream and mix it well and take it off the flame.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and Serve hot with roti or jeera rice. 

Note
During off season you can use frozen peas in this recipe.Just saute the peas with mushrooms instead of blanching as mentioned in the recipe that's all.

 

Soya chunks masala

 
Enjoy this protein-packed recipe of soya chunks, any day of the week to pack on muscle and stay fit. Soya,a quick cooking protein that's tasty as well.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups Soya Chunks
2.  1tsp Cumin Seeds
3.  2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder 
4. 1/2tsp Turmeric Powder
5.  2 tomatoes,pureed
6. 1/2 cup curd,beaten
7. 2 Green chillies,finely chopped
8.  Salt to taste
9. 3tbsp Ghee/Clarified butter
10. Coriander Leaves For garnishing

 For the masala paste:

1.  2-3 Onion chopped
2. 10-12 Garlic cloves
3. 1'inch Ginger
4. 2-3 Cardamoms
5. 4-5 Cloves
6. 1'inch Cinnamon
7. 10-12 Cashew-nuts
8. 1 cup Coconut freshly grated
9. 1tspSugar

Method:

• Boil 5-6 cups of water and completely immerse soya chunks in it. Add a pinch of salt.Cook it for 3-4 minutes.
• Once it is cooked,remove from flame.Rinse  well in cold water and squeeze dry..
• Heat 2 tsps of oil in a pan and fry chopped onion, cardamom,cinnamon,cloves,ginger and garlic cloves until onion turns light brown.
• Blend fried onion and garlic with grated coconut and cashew-nuts into a smooth paste adding about 2 cups of water.
• Heat ghee in a pot, add cumin seeds let it crackle.
• When cumin seeds are done, add tomato puree and drained soya chunks and saute for 5-6 minutes on medium flame.
• Now add ground masala paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, chopped green chilly,sugar, salt and saute again till oil comes on top.
• Now add beaten curd and mix it well with the masala, cook on a medium flame for 5-8 min. At this stage you can add little water if the consistency of the gravy is too thick .Continue cooking for 10 more minutes till the gravy is well coated with the soya chunks.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Serving suggestions:

• Goes well with Naan ,Roti,Dosa or Ghee Rice.

Cooking Tips

• To keep your eyes from stinging and watering while cutting onions, trying popping the onion in the freezer for 15 minutes before you plan to start cooking. Chilling the onion slows the release of the enzyme responsible for teary eyes.
• Clarified butter is the pure butterfat that remains when the milk solids and water have been removed from normal butter. Clarified butter can be used to cook at higher temperatures than normal butter. Ghee is a type of clarified butter common in Indian dishes.
• Here's a trick for peeling garlic quickly. Put the garlic clove on your cutting board. Take a knife with a thick blade and place the blade flat across the garlic clove (the clove should be closer to the handle than the middle of the blade). Whack down on the flat side of the blade with your free hand to smoosh the garlic a bit. Done correctly, the skin will peel right off.

Kooka Masala/ GSB Konkani style chinese potato

Kooka( chinese potato) Masala

There is nothing like fresh fruit and vegetables at their seasonal best. There is something so good about eating food when its just been picked. It tastes better, it is better value and it is a better deal for the planet.Winter is the month you really enjoy so many vegetables specially root vegetables and these" Chinese potatoes" popularly known as kook in south canara and kooraka in kerala, harvested from spring through fall, and are an excellent storage vegetable to hold through winter. Here i have one typical konkani style dish featuring such potato which is enjoyed specially during the hindu month" karthik".It is aslo available in some parts of kerala. Few days back i got my stock from my mom from Mangalore and i prepared 2 types of dishes which is my all time favourite Kooka upkari and Kooka masala. Kooka masala is a spicy dish which i love to have it with plain rice and simple  dalithoy(GSB style dal)

Prep time: 60 mins
Cook time: 60 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg Chinese potato/kook
• 1/2 Grated coconut
• 1tbsp Coriander seeds
• 1/2tsp Methi/ Fenugreek
• 10-12 Whole dried red chillies
• 1 Lemon sized ball of tamarind
• 4 Onion ( chopped)
• 2tbsp coconut oil
• 1 spring Curry leaves

Cooking Directions

1. Wash kook thoroughly in plenty of water and pressure cook for 20-25 mins or till 2 whistles.
2. Peel off the skin and cut into 4 pieces each depending on the size of the potato and  keep aside.

For masala paste:

1. Heat 2-3 tsp of coconut oil in a pan,add red chilles ,roast on low flame till it changes color to darkish red,drain out and keep aside.
2. In the same oil add coriander seeds and roast till it changes to almost most darker in color,add in methi/fenugreek and fry again for a couple of seconds  or until it well roasted and changes to light brown color.
3. Now add all the roasted ingredients to grated coconut ,along with tamarind and ground to paste.The masala should be little coarse.
4. Once the masala is done,heat a big kadai,add in remaining oil and add chopped onion and few curry leaves ,fry till it changes to light brown color.
5. Add in ground masala and stir for a second.
6. Now add cooked and peeled Chinese potato/kook and salt to taste and mix it well.
7. Add a glass of water and cover it with a lid and cook on low flame the dish is semi dry.
8. serve hot with rice and Dal