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.

Easy and quick Spicy honey glazed chicken wings

Here's a yummy, inexpensive, weekend dish – get some chicken wings, remove the skin and marinated them overnight with a little soy sauce, vinegar and spices, the longer they marinate the better.You can easily adjust the heat to suit your family's taste and you also can use any part of the chicken you wish, but we love eating wings in my house. 

Ingredients :

1. 10 chicken wings
2. 1tsp Garlic paste 
3. 1/2tsp Ginger paste
4. 1tsp light soy sauce
5. Salt to taste.

FOR THE SAUCE

1. 1tsp dark soy sauce
2. 1tbsp apple cider vinegar
3. 3 cloves garlic, minced
4. 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
5. 1 teaspoon ginger powder
6. 1 teaspoon ground pepper
7. 2 tsp Red chilly paste* or sauce ( i really prefer freshly home made red chilly paste)
8. 3tsp Corn flour/starch .
9. 1/4 cup honey

• Method:

1. Season wings  with ground  garlic and ginger. Place in a large ziplock bag or container and add the soy sauce,salt and marinate overnight (the longer the better).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic,ginger powder, pepper, red chilly paste or red chilly sauce.
3. Heat oil in a grilling pan,add in marinated wings and fry for 5- 6 mins on high heat.. Stir in soy sauce mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 9-10 mins .
4. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Stir in mixture into the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
5. Serve immediately.

* chilly paste:

• 100g dried red chilli, cut (with scissors) and soaked in hot water for about 20 minutes.
• Drain the chillies and grind in a blender/food processor with enough white or palm vinegar to get a smooth paste. You can also add little salt.
• Heat the 100 ml oil in a deep wok or saucepan, then fry the chilli paste on medium heat initially for about 5 minutes until fragrant.
• Let cool and store in a clean jar in the fridge, lasts up to a month. You can even freeze until needed, in ice cube trays would be perfect, as you can use a little at a time as needed.

Tuna pickle

  

Winter is in full force and Christmas is also here.  Its time to get prepared for perfect Christmas dinner.OK lets starts with this Spicy tuna pickle...
 I have tried this pickle quite a few times and it has been very popular in my family and is prepared during almost all occasions mostly to serve along with rice and dal. At the end of the meal, almost everyone will be seen licking their fingers and requesting for more.I got the recipe from my Blogger friend Nutan kini. This pickle is a  perfect balance of Hot,sweet and sour and i am sure all these flavors will dance in your mouth and will tickle your taste bud.
I have added quite a bit more chilly powder and green chillies than called for in the recipe to suit my family.

  

Ingredients:

1. For 1 kg boneless Tuna fish :
2. 2tsp Pepper Powder
3. 2tsp Turmeric powder
4. Salt to taste
5. 1/2 liter sunflower oil
6. 2tsp Mustard seeds
7. 2 spring curry leaves
8. 3Tsp Sliced ginger 
9. 3-4 Onion (Medium) Chopped
10. 1 whole Garlic bulb (peel and chopped)
11. 10 Green chillies ,slit length wise
12. 1 cup Vinegar
13. 2tsp Sugar
14. Salt to taste

 

Grind to a paste :

1. Spicy Chilly powder - 1/2-3/4 cup
2. Kashmiri chilly pwdr - 2 tbsp
3. Ginger (sliced) - 1/4 cup
4. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
5. Methi seeds - 1 tsp
6. Vinegar - 1cup

 

Method ;

• Cut the fish into boneless bits. Wash, clean and marinate with salt, pepper & turmeric powder. 
• Heat oil in a kadai or in a deep pan. Now deep fry fish pieces on medium flame till golden brown and take it out on to a plate.
• Now prepare the pickle masala in the same oil in which the fish was fried. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves,onion, green chillies, ginger & garlic one-by-one and saute till the onions turns to golden colour.
• Add ground chilly paste and fry over low flame till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
• Add vinegar, salt and sugar and mix it well.
• Let it boil once. Now remove from fire.
• Add fish into gravy when its warm. Mix it well.
• Now let it cool completely. Store in air-tight bottles.

Tip:

1. Be careful when pickling, no water should come in contact and the fish should be fried thoroughly and bottle should be sun dried and clean and use only hot oil.
2. This pickle should keep for more than a week at room temperature or you can put them in the fridge to be on the safer side and it will keep for months....no worries. I hope this helps.
3.  You can use any type of boneless fish or fillet for making this pickle.

Stuffed brinjal in Microwave

stuffed brinjal in microwave

In most kitchens, the microwave is a re-heater and a defroster. But there are ways to coax out delicious flavors and textures that you'd swear came from an old-fashioned,gas top.
Today i am here with an interesting recipe of stuffed brinjal that i learned from my Facefook freind Sabita shenoy with a little twist here and there.
I am sure "You'll feel good about feeding your family this creatively delectable recipe"

stuffed brinjal in microwave

Ingredients:

10 small sized purple brinjal

2 Big onions,chopped

3tsp Red chilly powder

1tsp Dry mango /amchoor powder

1tsp Garam masala

2tsp Coriander powder

1tbsp Ginger -garlic paste

A Pinch of sugar

Salt to taste

3tbsp Oil

1tsp lemon juice

Coriander leaves for garnishing

 

Method:

• Wash the brinjal thoroughly under tap water and make four slits from opposite side of the stalk .Do not cut them fully.Now leave them in a salt water for 10-15 minutes.

• Now prepare the stuffing by mixing all the ingredients and stuff the brinjals with this masala.

• Take a microwave safe glass bowl and add oil and micro on medium heat for 1 minutes

• Now arrange all the stuffed brinjal at a proper distance and sprinkle half of the coriander leaves and micro for 5-6 minutes.

• Take it out and slowly  turn all the brinjals,sprinkle some water and lemon juice,cook again on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes depending on the size of the brinjal

• once done garnish it with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with chapati or roti

 

 Note:

1. It can also be cooked completely on fire using nonstick pan or griddle but it should be on slow fire and takes little more time ie about 20-25 minute

2. If there is an excess of onion masala, put it on the top of brinjals before cooking.

Mushroom-Baby corn Korma

Here is the way to whet your tastes with popular veggies of the season- cool effect and easily digestible... I am not a vegetarian but i do adore my vegetables particularly mushrooms and baby corns... Today i made this nawabi style mushroom-babycorn korma..the nawabs have gone,leaving a legacy of exquisite cuisine..this recipe given here will give their flavour.

Ingredients:

1. 15 Button mushrooms,cut into half
2. 15 baby corns/cut diagonally or into roundels 
3. 2 tbsp butter
4. 1tsp oil
5. Salt to taste

For the Masala:

1. 3 green cardamom
2. 1 stick cinnamon
3. 4-5 cloves
4. 3 tbsp grated coconut
5. 2 tsp poppy seed 
6. 2 tbsp thick curd

For the main dish:

1. 2 bay leaves
2. 3 onions ( chopped)
3. 3 tomatoes ( chopped)
4. 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste 
5. 2tbsp Ghee/clarified butter
6. 1tsp Ginger ( chopped)
7. 3tsp Kashmiri chilly powder
8. 1/2tsp Turmeric powder
9. 2tsp Garam masala
10. 2tbsp raisins
11. 10 cashew nuts
12. 1 Green chillies (chopped)
13. 2tsp Kasoori methi/dry fenugreek leaves

For garnishing:

Freshly chopped coriander leaves and fresh cream

Method:

1. Take a pan and add some butter and oil and saute mushroom for a minutes and take it out.
2. In the same pan stir fry mushroom till they are soft and cooked.Take it out on a plate.
3. Grind all the masala ingredients to a smooth paste with very little water.
4. Heat ghee in a pan,add bay leaves and fry onions till golden brown.add tomatoes,garlic and ginger paste.Cook till tomatoes are done.
5. Add ground masala and saute well for a couple of minutes.
6. Now add one bye one powdered spices,chilly powder,turmeric powder and garam masala,saute for 2 minutes,add green chilly,kasoori methi raisins and cashew nuts followed by baby corn  and mushrooms,add some water and cover and cook for 5-8 minutes till the gravy thickens.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves and fresh cream and serve hot with roti or naan

Indo-chinese style "Mushroom Soy Fry"..

Mushrooms! I’m doing a little happy dance in my head just thinking about them.I LOVE MUSHROOMS!! when i saw this recipe in one of my favourite  facebook goup  Amgele Randapakuda, posted by my blogger friend  Nandini Kini .This is simple battered deep fried mushrooms in Spicy hot sauce dominated by soy sauce. The battered mushroom almost tastes like squid rings..i hope you enjoy it too :)

Ingredients: 
For the marination

1. 20 button mushrooms
2. 1 tsp green chilli sauce or red chilly sauce
3.  1 tsp kasuri methi
4. 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
5. 2 tsp soya sauce
6. Salt to taste

For the batter:

1. 1/2 cup corn flour
2. 1/2 cup Maida
3. 1/2tsp Pepper powder
4. salt to taste
5. Oil for frying

 For the sauce:

1. 4 tsp oil
2. 1 chopped onion
3. 1 tsp chopped garlic
4. 1 tsp chilli sauce
5. 1 tsp pepper powder
6. 2 tsp soy sauce
7. 1 tsp tomato sauce
8. 1/2 tsp vinegar
9. 1tbsp cornflour
10. 1 tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves 
11. 1/4 cup chopped spring onion

• Marinate mushroom pieces with the marination ingredients and leave it for 15 -20 minutes.
• Now prepare the batter by mixing both the flour with little water.
• Heat oil in a deep pan and fry 7-8 mushroom at a time till crisp and keep aside.

Method:

• In a pan heat oil  and saute chopped garlic and onion for 3 minutes.
• Add kasoori methi and pepper powder,saute for a couple of seconds.
• In abowl mix cornflour with  chilli sauce,soy sauce ,tomato sauce and add 1/4 cup water,salt to taste and give it a nice mix 
• Add this mixture to the pan and let it boil for a couple of minutes or till the sauce thickens.
• Put the fried mushrooms and stir well.
• Garnish with spring onions and serve hot.

Kadgi gujjo...A traditional konkani style Raw jackfruit masala

Distinctively Konkanis are famous for their love for Jackfruit. Whether it is raw or ripe we always head over heel in love with this Vegie/fruit. The most delectable part of it is, out of one Veggie so many dishes can be cooked. 

Usually we prepare this Kadgi (Tender jackfruit) Gujjo with the remaining parts or the leftover pieces, after making yummy chips from the tender bulbs (matured but not ripe)of raw jackfruit.

Chips 

In this dish i'm using almost all the parts of jackfruit (inner white part of the peel,tender jackfruit seeds and some remaining pieces of the jackfruit bulbs). This recipe of Kadgi gujjo/raw jackfruit masala is a vegetarian delicacy for GSB konkanis. We never waste a single part of it. Like jackfruits are eaten both in raw and ripe form and not even the peels are wasted. Then the leaves are used to achieve traditional delicacies like Khotto/steamed idli batter in jackfruti moulds and Sanna khotto.

Ingredients
For the main dish:

1. 2 cups Raw jackfruit pieces
2. 1cup Tender jackfruit seeds,cut into cubes
3. 2tsp Salt

For the masala:

1. 3 cups Freshly grated coconut
2. 10-12 Dry red chillies
3. 1tbsp Coriander seeds
4. 1tsp Urad dal/split black gram
5. 2tsp Coconut oil
6. 1 Marble sized tamarind ball

For the seasoning:

1. 10-12 Garlic cloves
2. 1tbsp coconut oil

Cooking Directions

1. Take a kadai/wok and 1st cook only the seeds using 2 cups of water until the seeds are soft but not mushy.
2. Now add the jack fruit pieces and salt ,cook till soft but not mushy.It will take about 5-6 minutes to cook.n the mean time prepare coconut masala paste.
3. Take a small pan,add 2tsp of coconut oil,add coriander seeds and urad dal,roast till they are well roasted,remove and in the same pan roast the dry red chillies till it turns to dark red colour,make sure to roast the spices on low heat to avoid from burning.
4. Once you are done with the roasting ,grind all the masala ingredients to semi smooth paste using 2 cups of water.
5. Add this paste to the cooked jackfruit pieces,adjust the salt and bring it to a boil for at least 5-10 minutes on medium low heat.
6. Now prepare the seasoning by heating 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a small pan/panna kayli,add crushed garlic and fry till brown.Season the boiled Kadgi gujjo/jackfruit masala and serve hot with rice.

Note: A similar dish can be made with either of the following
1 Bread fruit and tender cashew nuts combo
2 Madras cucumber or cooking plantain separately.

Methi Malai Matar.

Today i'll take you the gastronomic journey of Punjab with Mouth watering, aromatic and delicious Punjabi delicacy. Methi Malai Matar is a typical dish which Punjabis make for their parties and very popular in dabhas. I absolutely love this dish! It reminds me of fresh methi that used to grow by my mom as methi was not very easily available in those days in mangalore! The aroma of this dish makes me nostalgic and homesick!! I enjoy it with with fresh rotis or pulkas.

Ingredients for the main dish

• 2 cups Fresh Green Peas
• 2 bunches Methi/Fenugreek leaves
• 1 onion chopped
• 1Tomato,pureed
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 2-3 tsp Ghee or oil
• 1 tsp Crushed Dry fenugreek leaves/kasoori methi
• 1/2 tsp Red chilly powder
• 1 cup Milk
• 2tbsp Fresh cream
• 1/4tsp Turmeric powder

For masala paste:

• 1 onion
• 3 Green chillies
• 6-7 Cashew nuts
• 1 tsp Coriander seeds
• 1 tsp Poppy seeds/Khus khus
• 5-6 Cloves/lavang
• 2 ( 1 inch) Cinnamon/dalchini
• 10 Pepper corns
• 4-5 Cardamoms
• 1 tsp Cumin/jeera
• 2 tbsp Thick curd
• 2 tsp Ginger chopped
• 10 Garlic cloves

Cooking Directions

1. Wash and clean Fenugreek leaves and drain it well.
2. Roast cloves,cinnamon,Pepper corns,jeera,coriander and cardamom for 2-3 minutes till it changes to light brown colour and keep aside.
3. Grind roasted ingredients along with cashew nut,onion,poppy seed and green chillies,ginger and garlic using curd to smooth paste.
4. In a shallow pan or kadai, heat ghee and butter,over medium heat. Add jeera. When it crackles, add onion and haldi and saute till the onion changes to light brown colour. Add in methi leaves and saute for 5-6 minutes on high flame till all the water evaporates,now add peas and saute for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add in chilly powder,salt and ground masala paste and mix it well.
6. Add Tomato puree and 1 cup water to the above, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10 mins.
7. Lastly add milk ,cream and kasoori methi and give it a nice mix.Cook again for 5-6 minutes on low flame till the gravy is semi dry ( you can add more milk if the gravy is too thick) and oil comes on top.
8. You can serve it with jeera./Ghee rice or rotis.

Baby corn Tamatar ki subzi( baby corn in tomato sauce)

If there is one vegetable that is power house of great nutrition and taste alike,it is babycorn. Rich in carotenoids,vitamin B & C,sodium,and fibre,baby corn is one such vegetable that offers resistance to several health problems like constipation,colon cancer, cataracts, heart diseases  and abnormal blood pressure.
Eat it raw or cooked,grilled or boiled,baby corn is a heaven of taste and health bundled into a crunchy ,chewy,delicious vegetable.

Today i am here with tasty baby corn recipe that's sure to please one and all.

Ingredients :

1. 20 baby corns,cut into 2 inch long pieces
2. 2 big capsicum( red and green)
3. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
4. 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
5. Salt to taste.
6. Juice of 1 lime.
7. 1 tbsp  oil
8. 1 tbsp butter or margarine 
9. 6 dry red chillies.
10. 1/4 tsp methi /fenugreek seeds.
11. 6 cloves garlic (peeled)
12. 1/4 tsp mustard seeds.
13. 2 onions ( finely sliced )
14. 1/2 tsp cumin powder
15. 1/2 tsp Garam masala
16. 6 green chillies (chopped finely)
17. 5-6 large tomatoes ( skinned & pureed) or
18. 2 cups tomato puree.
19. 1/2 tsp cumin seeds.

Method :-

• Rub turmeric, ginger garlic paste and salt with the juice of 1 lime on babycorn and capsicum. leave for 30 minutes.

 

• Heat oil in a pan ,add red chillies, fenugreek seeds, garlic & mustard seeds till they darken, turning down the heat to prevent their burning. 

• Add onions & fry to a golden brown.

 

• Add cumin powder and garam masala powder stir for 2 minutes.

•  then add marinated babycorn and stir fry. 

• Add green chillies and butter, saute well for 3-4 minutes on medium low flame. 

• Add pureed tomatoes and cook on slow fire till the tomatoes are cooked and the dish is almost dry.

• Add sugar dissolved in a tbsp of water (optional), salt to taste & saute till it blends well . 

Serve hot with roti or rice

Dhaba style ...Methi aloo-paneer

Happy weekend!

It's not every day that one can spend long hours in the kitchen preparing elaborate meals. But on weekends and holidays when the family is at home and there is more than enough time to go crazy in the kitchen. You can easily dazzle everyone with delicious meals- starting from a beyond-the usual breakfast to a hearty lunch to a four-course dinner.

  Today i am here with such interesting rich and creamy dish with fenugreek,baby potatoes and paneer/cottage cheese, A Perfect  dhaba style dish .This recipe is perfect for Saturdays and Sundays when you have more hours to devote to prepping and cooking, but you can just easily make them on any day of the week if it so please you. Savor this yummy recipe with your family and friends. Make your weekend table a place for good food and good times. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Fresh Fenugreek/Methi leaves
• 20 Baby potatoes
• 200 grams Fresh paneer/cottage cheese,crumbled
• 3 cups Full Fat Milk
• 2tbsp Fresh cream
• 1 Onion,chopped
• 2 medium Tomatoes ,pureed
• 1tsp Sugar
• 1/2tsp Turmeric powder/haldi
• 1tsp Cumin
• 1 Onion
• 2 tsp Ghee
• 1 tbsp Oil

For masala paste:

• 1 Onion
• 1inch Ginger
• 6-7 Garlic cloves
• 3-4 Green chillies
• 10 Cashew nut,cut into pieces
• 2tsp Poppy seed/Khus khus

For the Garam masala powder:

• 2(1 inch) pieces Cinnamon sticks
• 6-7 Cloves
• 4-5 Green cardamoms/elichi
• 1 Black cardamom/badi elichi
• 2tsp Coriander seeds
• 1tsp Jeera/cumin seeds
• 1tsp Fennel seeds/saunf
• 1/4 Mace
• 1/2tsp Pepper corns/kali mirch
• 1tsp Kasoori methi ( no need to roast)

Cooking Directions

1. Wash fenugreek leaves 2-3 times and drain.Sprinkle some salt to get rid of the bitterness if any.Keep aside for 30 minutes.
2. Wash baby potatoes well to get rid of mud if any and cut into half. Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry potatoes till light golden and take it on a plate.
3. Soak cashewnut and poppy seed in 2tbsp of warm water.
4. Grind all the ingredients for the masala to smooth paste along with soaked cashewnut and poppy seed.
5. Now dry roast all the ingredients to be powdered till you get the nice aroma of the spices.Let it cool completely before grinding to fine powder.
6. Now squeeze the fenugreek leaves to get rid of that extra water .
7. In a kadai, heat 2tsp of ghee and add cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add the fenugreek leaves and saute for about 5-6 minutes on low flame till all the moisture dries up and you get nice aroma.
8. Transfer the fried methi leaves to a plate and in the same pan add oil and add chopped onions and saute till light brown colour.
9. Add the ground paste, turmeric powder and roasted masala powder and mix all the spices well,saute the mixture till the oil comes on top.
10. Add the tomato puree next and saute till oil separates.
11. Add the fried baby potatoes, fenugreek leaves milk, cream, salt, sugar and a cup of water and cook for about 10 mins.
12. At last add the crumbled paneer and cook again for 3-4 minutes and switch off the gas.
13. Transfer to a serving dish,garnish with a tbsp of cream and serve hot with hot pulkas or roti.