Lemon Rice

Lemon rice is a south-indian lemon flavored rice delicacy which is quite very handy to make. Its great to use leftover rice for this recipe and takes only 5 min. to prepare for kids lunch box. This can be accompanied with a variety of dishes like sambhar, rasam or coconut chutney.

Cooking time: 10 min.
Cuisine: South-indian
Type: Main-course
Serves: 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups cooked rice
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2tbsp oil
• 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp split bengal gram (chana dal)
• 1 tbsp skinless split black gram (dhuli udad dal)
• 1 tbsp peanuts
• 1 tbsp cashew nut 
• 3-4 green chillies (slit)
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
2. Add chana dal and udad dal, fry for a min. till golden in colour.
3. Add peanuts and cook for 30 sec.
4. Next add, cashew nuts and fry for 10 sec. only.
5. Add green chillies and curry leaves followed by asafoetida.
6. Next add turmeric powder and salt to taste.
7. Immediately add cooked rice and mix well.
8. Finally add lemon juice and cook for a couple of min.
9. Serve hot alongwith rasam, sambhar, chutney of your choice. 

Punjabi Rajma Masala (Red Kidney Beans Curry)

Rajma masala with rice is a very popular dish of north-india (Punjab). It is the favourite of everyone at my home. Rajma or kidney beans are a great source of protein and being a vegetarian, it becomes a necessity to cook these often. Two varieties of rajma are available in india. One is lighter called 'chitra rajma' and other one is darker known as 'jammu rajma'. In this recipe, i have used the lighter one which i find more tastier.

Preparation time: 15 min.
Cooking time: 1 hr.
Cuisine: North-indian (punjabi)
Type: Main-course
Serves: 2-3


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup red kidney-beans (rajma)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
• 2 onion (sliced)
• 4 tomatoes 
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• salt to taste
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• fresh coriander (to garnish)

METHOD:

1. Wash and soak kidney beans in 5-6 cups of water overnight.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and cook for 30 sec.
3. Add sliced onions and cook till golden brown in colour.
4. Remove from flame and let it cool.
5. Grind together browned onions and tomatoes to make a smooth paste.
6. Add all the spices to the same pan and cook for a few seconds.
7. Next, add the ground paste into the pan and mix well.
8. Cook this mixture till oil seperates.
9. Now add soaked rajma into the cooked masala and mix well.
10. Add the above masala coated rajma into a pressure cooker alongwith 4 cups of water.
11. Pressure cook till one whistle and then simmer for 30 min.
12. Add garam masala and garnish with fresh chopped coriander.
13. Serve hot with roti or rice.

Note:

• Kidney beans can be boiled seperately first and then the masala can be mixed. But I like to make my rajma the way i shared.
• If u forget to soak the rajma at night. Next morning, soak these in hot water for an hour and use in the recipe.
• Adjust the quantity of water according to the thickness of curry you like.

Lauki Kofta Curry

Lauki kofta curry is a nice option for those who aren't a big fan of bottle gourd as a vegetable but enjoy curries. Even kids enjoy this when made with lesser spices.

Preparation time: 15 min.
Cooking time: 45 min.
Cuisine: North-indian
Type: Main-course

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

For the kofta:

• 1/2 kg bottle gourd (lauki)
• 1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan)
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying

For the curry:

• 3 medium-sized onions (sliced or grated)
• 1/2 kg tomatoes (pureed)
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 4 cups water
• coriander leaves (to garnish)

Method:

For the kofta:

1. Peel and grate the bottle gourd. 
2. Squeeze out juice from the grated bottle gourd.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients except oil for making kofta in the grated bottle gourd and mix gently.
4. Heat oil on medium heat and make small balls of the kofta mixture and deep fry till golden brown in colour.
5. Keep aside on tissue paper.

For the gravy or curry:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and saute for few seconds.
2. Add onions alongwith a teaspoon of salt to speed up the process of browning onions.
3. Cook till onions turn deep golden brown in colour.
4. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.
5. Next, add pureed tomatoes and cook till oil seperates from the masala.
6. Add water gradually a cup of water at a time into the gravy.
7. Adjust the amount of water according to your liking (thick or thin consistency).
8. Cook for 15-20 min. till the gravy thickens.
9. Add fried koftas and sprinkle green cardamom powder.
10. Garnish with chopped coriander.
11. Serve hot with roti, naan or rice.

Note:

• Making bottle gourd koftas can be little tricky at times because of the water content present in it. To avoid any hassle, squeeze it well before adding other ingrediens.
• Squeezed out bottle gourd juice can be later added into the gravy.

Vegetable Manchurian

Vegetable manchurian is my favourite indo-chinese dish to enjoy alongwith a bowl of fried rice or hakka noodles. It is not at all complicated to be made at home as it looks. The main part of the dish is the balls which can be made with a variety of finely chopped, grated or minced vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, corn etc. It can be made dry, semi-dry or with gravy, the consistency of the manchurian depends entirely on personal choice. I always prefer to make this with gravy and so sharing the same today.


Preparation time: 20 min.
Cooking time: 20 min.
Cuisine: Indo-chinese
Type: Main-course
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

For Manchurian Balls:

• 1 cup carrots (grated)
• 1 cup cabbage (grated)
• 1 tsp green chilli sauce
• 2 bread slices
• 1 tblsp all-pupose flour (maida)
• 1 tblsp cornflour
• 1 tsp salt

For gravy or sauce:

• 1 tsp ginger (grated)
• 1 tsp garlic (grated)
• 1 tblsp celery stem (chopped)
• 2 green chillies (chopped)
• 1 big spring onion white (chopped)
• 4 tsp soya sauce
• 2 tblsp tomato ketchup
• 3 tsp green chilli sauce
• 2-3 tsp cornflour
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 2 tblsp spring onion greens (chopped)
• 2 tblsp sesame oil (preferably)

Method:

Manchurian Balls:

1. Squeeze cabbage and carrots to remove any moisture.
2. Make bread crumbs in a mixer grinder.
3. Mix all the ingredients and make lemon sized balls and deep fry till golden brown.

Manchurian Gravy or Sauce:

1. Heat oil in a wok or pan and add ginger and garlic, saute for few seconds.
2. Add celery, green chillies and spring onion whites.
3. After a minute, add chilli sauce, soya sauce and tomato ketchup.
4. Add 1 and a half cup of water and let it boil.
5. Mix cornflour and remaining half cup of water in a seperate bowl.
6. Add the cornflour slurry in the boiling gravy, stirring continuously.
7. Add salt, sugar and vinegar.
8. Finally add the fried manchurian balls.
9. Garnish with spring onion greens and serve hot with fried rice or noodles.

Note:

If manchurian balls begin to break or crumble while deep frying add little cornflour to the balls mixture to ensure proper binding.

Dal Makhani / Punjabi maa ki dal

Dal makhani is a classic punjabi dish that you will readily find on the menu of almost every north-indian restaurant. It is a rich and creamy lentil preparation which involves slow cooking for several hours with the addition of butter and cream. For healthier option, i like to add milk instead which gives exactly the same taste and richness to this protein-packed delicacy. This tastes even better the next day after reheating properly.. thats why i generally make this in bulk during winters.

Preparation time: 8-10 hrs
Cooking time: 60 min.
Type: Main-course
Cuisine: North-indian
Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups whole black lentils (udad dal)
• 1/4 cup red kidney beans (rajma)
• 1/2 cup onions (sliced)
• 1 cup tomatoes (pureed)
• 1 tbsp ginger (crushed)
• 1 tbsp garlic (crushed)
• 1 tbsp green chilli paste (crushed)
• 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
• 2 tbsp cream (to garnish)

METHOD:

1. Soak black lentils alongwith kidney beans overnight for 8-10 hrs.
2. Pressure cook the soaked lentils and kidney beans adding 4 cups of water and a teaspoon of salt till 1 whistle and simmer for 30 min.
3. Meanwhile heat ghee or butter in a pan, add onions and cook till golden brown in colour.
4. Next, add ginger, garlic and green chilli paste and saute for 30 sec.
5. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt to taste.
6. Now add pureed tomatoes and cook on medium flame till oil oozes out of the masala.
7. Add cooked dal to this masala and mix well.
8. Next, add milk gradually to the dal stirring continuously.
9. Let the dal simmer for 15- 20 min. 
10. Finally. garnish with cream and serve hot with naan, roti or rice.

Note:

• The longer the dal is simmered the better it tastes.
• To give more richness or creamy texture, half a cup of cooked dal can be blended and then added into the remaining dal.

Methi Matar Pulao

Fenugreek leaves and green pea rice is a very simple and nutritious lunch recipe. I was planning to make matar pulao but then fresh fenugreek leaves lying in my fridge prompted me to use them so i could not drop the idea and at once, i planned to use it alongwith green peas. When not in season, make with two tablespoons of dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) readily available in all grocery stores.

Preparation time:30 min.
Cooking time:20 min.
Cuisine: North-indian
Type: Main-course
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice (soaked for 1/2 hr)
• 3 tblsp oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 green cardamom
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tblsp ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
• 1 cup onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 cup fresh fenugreek leaves (chopped)
• 1 cup green peas
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add whole spices and cumin seeds, cook till nice aroma of spices comes out.
2. Add ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and saute for 30 sec.
3. Add onions and cook till light golden in colour.
4. Next add fenugreek leaves and cook till the water released is completely absorbed.
5. Add green peas and rice and mix well.
6. Add 3 cups of water, cover and pressure cook till 1 whistle.
7. Serve hot with curd or pickle.

Mushroom pulao

Today, i am going to share a one pot meal recipe of mushroom pulao that tastes exactly like biryani. Unlike biryani it is easy to prepare and requires lesser time and is made in a pressure cooker. Since, i had my smart phone ready in the kitchen so i thought why not take step-by-step pictures of this simple yet delicious rice recipe.

Preparation: 15 min.
Cooking time: 20 min.
Type: Main-course
Cuisine: North-indian
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 cups button mushrooms (sliced)
• 2 cups rice (soaked for 30 min.)
• 2 cups onions (sliced)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 black cardamom
• 3-4 green cardamom
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 mace
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tblsp ginger-garlic-green chillies (crushed)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 3 tblsp oil or ghee

Method:

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add all the whole spices and cook till they release a nice aroma.
  

• Add, ginger-garlic-green chillies paste and saute for 1 minute.

• Add, onions and fry for 2 minutes.
  

• Add mushroom and cook till all the water evaporates and mushroom turn golden brown in colour.
  

• Add all the spices and mix well.

• Add rice and 2 cups of water, cover the lid and pressure cook till 1 whistle.
  

• Serve hot with green coriander chutney or any gravy dish.

Sambhar

After posting masala dosa recipe... writing about the classic south indian dish sambhar becomes inevitably predictable. It is one such basic dish which is a great accompaniment for so many other south indian main-course or breakfast dishes like idlis, vadas, uttapams, dosas, appams and what not. It is so simple to prepare yet tastes delicious when made with a variety of vegetables like pumpkin, bottle gourd, carrot, drumstick, onion and tomato. You can choose the vegetables according to your or your family's liking or according to the availability of the vegetables.

Preparation time: 10 min.

Cooking time: 50 min.

Type: Main-course

Cuisine: South-indian

Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup toor dal
• 4 cups vegetables (pumpkin, bottlegourd, carrot, cauliflower)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup tamarind pulp

For tempering:

• 1 tsp mustard seeds (sarson)
• 2-3 dry red chillies
• 8-10 curry leaves
• 1 pinch asafoetida (heeng)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (crushed)
• 1/2 cup onions (chopped)
• 1/2 cup tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 tbsp sambhar masala
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• salt to taste
• 3 tbsp oil
• fresh coriander (to garnish)

METHOD:

1. Pressure cook dal with 4 cups of water and salt till 2 whistles.
2. Add diced vegetables and pressure cook for 1 whistle and immediately let all the pressure released from the cooker to stop the cooking process of the vegetables.
3. Add tamarind pulp in the cooked dal and vegetables mix and let it simmer.
4. Meanwhile prepare the tempering, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, let it splutter.
5. Add dry red chillies and curry leaves and asafoetida.
6. Next, add onions and ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2-3 min.
7. Add sambhar masala, red chilli powder and salt and mix well.
8. Add tomatoes and cook till they are tender not mushy.
9. Add the tempering to the boiling sambhar and cook for couple of min. more.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with idli, dosa or rice alongwith coconut chutney.

Note:

• Consistency of the sambhar can be altered according to personal liking depending upon the amount of water added.
• To make tamarind pulp, take 2 tbsp full of tamarind and soak in half cup of water for 2-3 hrs and then extract the pulp easily using a strainer.

Masala Dosa

Masala dosa is a staple dish of south india, but it is very common in north indian restaurants. The crispy rice and lentil crepes stuffed with spicy and tangy masala potato filling makes it a favourite of people from all walks of life.

I ususally make the batter in large quantity and then enjoy idlis, dosas and uttapams with the same batter. The only difference among all is the consistency of the batter, that i will discuss in my future posts on idlis and uttapams.

Preparation time: 8-10 hrs
Cooking time: 20 min.
Type: Main-course
Cuisine: South-indian
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

For dosa batter:

• 2 cups rice
• 1 cup udad dal (split black lentils)
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 3 cups water
• 1 tblsp salt

For potato filling:

• 1 kg potatoes ( boiled, peeled and mashed)
• 1 cup onion ( chopped)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2-3 green chillies
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tblsp lemon juice
• 2 tblsp oil
• few coriander leaves (chopped)

Method:

For dosa batter:

1. Rinse and soak all the ingredients in enough water for 6-8 hrs,
2. Grind coarsely in a mixer grinder.
3. Cover and let the batter ferment overnight in a warm place. After fermentation the batter will be light and fluffy and almost double so the bowl should be large enough to accomodate it.
4. Add salt when making dosas.

For potato filling:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let it splutter
2. Add green chillies and curry leaves.
3. Next, add onions and cook till translucent.
4. Add all the spices and mashed potatoes, mix well.
5. Cook for 2-3 minutes and finally add lemon juice and coriander leaves.

Preparing masala dosa:

1. Heat non-stick tava, smear some oil and sprinkle few drops of water.
2. Wipe out with a kitchen towel.
3. Take a ladleful of the fermented batter and spread in a circular motion making thin and round dosas.
4. Apply some oil on the sides and top of the dosa and let it cook till the edges are golden brown.
5. Now put the prepared potato filling in the center and fold the dosa making a semi circle.
6. Serve hot with sambhar and coconut chutney.

Note:

• Add salt when making dosas in the required quantity of batter only and refrigerate the leftover unsalted batter.