Black Chana Curry

Black chana is a North Indian dish. This can be a great side dish if you make it dry or a one pot meal if you make a curry. I made curry yesterday. Tasted great, very easy and a quick one to make. Its dry version is also served in many temples as "prasad". There are many ways of making this. Here is my version. You would need -
Ingredients -
1) 1/2 cup black chana soaked overnight or 6 hours maximum
2) 1 medium onion
3) 2 tsp sesame seeds
4) 1 tsp poppy seeds (khaskhas)
5) 3-4 tbsp dry coconut
6) 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder for seasoning
7) 1 tsp red chilli powder
8) Oil and Salt to taste
9) A bunch of chopped cilantro for garnishing
Method -
1) Soak the black chana overnight and pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles.
2) Grind together the onions, seasame seeds, coconut and poppy seeds to a fine paste with very little water.
3) Heat oil in a kadhai and do the seasoning.
4) Add the grinded paste to it and saute till the oil leaves.
5) Add red chilli powder and saute for some more time. At this point add little water so that the dry powder will not burn.
6) Add in the chana and water as much consistency you need. Add salt. Mix well and let it boil for sometime.
7) Garnish it with cilantro and Serve hot.
Serve it with chapatis or rice.

Indian Style Pasta (On Demand)

I had called my friends for a small party at home some time back. Had made this pasta that day. Everybody liked this Indian style Pasta and one of my friend asked me to blog it. I had made it this weekend and I am sure you all would love it. It has the flavours of Indian spices and gives it a whole new taste. We both love this. My Father-in-law also loved it. I made this many times when he was here. Here's what you need -
Ingredients -
1) 2 cups Pasta any type (I used Barilla brand's macaroni)
2) 1 medium onion chopped in big chunks
3) 1 green and red bell pepper chopped
4) 1 cup spinach finely choped
5) 3 tbsp soya sauce (optional)
6) 3 tbsp tomato sauce
7) 1 tsp mustard seeds
8) 3-4 green chillie finely chopped
9) 2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped
10) 1 sprig of curry leaves
11)1 tbsp red chilli flakes
12)1 tbsp black pepper
13)A bunch of cilantro finely chopped
14)Salt to taste
15)Oil
16)Shredded cheese of your choice
Method -
1) Cook the Pasta "al dente" according to the cooking instructions.
2) Heat oil in a skillet and add the mustard seeds. Once they crackle add the curry leaves and garlic and saute for 30 secs.
3) Add onions and green chillies. Saute for a few seconds and immediately add the bell peppers, black pepper and red chilli flakes. Mix well.
4) Add in the sauces, spinach, cilantro and salt at this time. Saute for some more time. The veggies should not be overcooked. They tastes great when they are crunchy.
5) Add the cooked pasta and mix well.
6) Sprinkle as much cheese over it and mix it well.
Serve!!! This also tastes great when it is served cold.

Aloo Paratha

Aloo Paratha is a North Indian dish. Boiled mashed potatoes are spiced and stuffed in the dough and rolled. They can be savoured with yougurt, pickle or simple enjoy it with a small dallop of butter on hot Parathas. Here is what you gonna need -
For the dough -
Ingredients -
1) 1 cup wheat flour
2) 3/4 cup water
3) 1 tbsp Oil
For the Stuffing -
Ingredients -
1) 4 medium sized potatoes
2) 4-5 green chillied slitted and chopped
3) A bunch of cilantro freshly chopped
4) 1 tbsp Amchur powder
5) 1 tsp cumin seeds
6) Salt
Method -
1) Knead the dough with all the ingredients. It should be a semi soft dough and not as soft as needed for chapatis. Cover for 15 minutes and keep aside. Divide the dough into golf sized balls. Make 8 parts.
2) Cool the boiled potatoes to room temperature. Peel and mash them. Add the green chillies, cumin seeds, cilatro, amchur powder and salt to it and mix well. Make 8 seperate parts of the mixture.
3) Take 1 part of the dough and roll it into a small round. Place 1 part of the stuffing mixture in the rolled dough and cover up all the sides making a dumpling as shown in the picture. Repeat with all the other balls and keep aside. Let them rest for 2 minutes. Do not roll immediately.
4) Roll the stuffed ball into a paratha and fry it on a hot griddle from both sides with little oil.

Serve the parathas with yougurt, any pickle of your choice, mint chutney or even tomato ketchup. Enjoy!!!

Cabbage chi Vadi

I was talking with my grandmom a few days back. She was telling me that she made cabbage vadis today. Ohhh!!! How much I miss her delicious and flavourful food. Had not eaten these vadis in years. All the spices with the chickpea flour gives a whole different taste to the cabbage. Infact adds a lot more flavour to it. I had some leftover cabbage in the refrigerator. This suddenly striked me and I decided to give it a try. They were awesome. We loved it. I was snacking on it the whole day. I bet you can't eat just one. Here is what you need -
Ingredients -
1) 1 cup cabbage shredded
2) 5-6 tbsp Besan/Chickpea flour
3) 1 tbsp cumin-coriander powder
4) 1 tsp red chilli powder
5) 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
6) 1 tsp sesame seeds
7) A bunch of freshly chopped cilantro
8) 1 tsp Oil
9) Salt to taste
10) Besan/Chickpea flour as much required
Method -
1) Mix the shredded cabbage with all the powders, besan, salt and oil with just a few spoons of water. Add the besan as much required to hold the cabbage and form a soft dough.
2) Now grease a plate or a container with oil and keep the dough over it. Steam this in the pressure cooker for 10-15 minutes just like idlis. Let the pressure cool down.
3) Remove and cut the dough into small pieces and shallow fry each piece.
You can serve it with ketchup, chutney or just eat it like that.
Enjoy!!!

Happy Makar Sankranti!!! Tilgul Ghya GoaD GoaD Bola...

Wishing you all a Happy Makar Sankranti!!!

Makar Sankranti is the most auspicious day for the Hindus and is celebrated all over the country. Every hindu religion has a different name for it. It is called as Uttarayan in Gujrat and Rajasthan, Lohri in Nothern India, Pongal in Southern India and Makar Sankranti in Maharashtra. It is the only Hindu festival that falls on the same day every year, the 14th of January.

In Maharashtra, on this day people exchange multi coloured tilguls made from til(sesame) and til laddoos made from til and jaggery. Gul polis are also made on this day. While exchanging tilguls as a token of goodwill people greet each other by saying "Tilgul Ghya goaD goaD Bola" meaning accept these tilguls and speak sweet words. The whole idea behind this is to forget the past hostilities and ill feelings and be good friends.

This is a special day especially for women when married women are invited for a get-together called "Haldi Kunku" and are given gifts. Typically women wear black sarees on this day.

I made til ladoos today. Here is what you need -
Ingredients -
1) 1 cup jaggery
2) 3/4 cup sesame seeds
3) 3 tbsp grated dry coconut
4) 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
5) 2 tbsp ghee
Method -
1) Dry roast the sesame seeds and give a quick pulse in the mixer. Keep aside.
2) To it add the coconut powder and peanuts.
3) Take crushed jaggery in the mixer and grind it giving 3-4 pulses.
4) Add all the other ingredients in the mixer and give it a mix till it is mixed alltogether.
5) Remove and make small laddoos.

A Corn Relish - Corn Kofta Curry

You would love these koftas if you like corn. They taste quite different but we loved them. The curry can be the usual one with all the spices sauteing with the onions and tomatoes. Here is what you need -
For the Koftas -
Ingredients -
1) 2 cups corn kernels
2) 5-6 bread slices
3) 5-6 garlic cloves
4) 1 inch ginger
5) 4-5 green chillies
6) 1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
7) a handful of cilantro chopped
8) 1 tbsp lime juice
9) Salt to taste
10)Oil for deep frying
Method -
1) Boil the corn kernels and let them cool. Then mash it or just give it a quick pulse in the mixer.
2) Grind the ginger-garlic and green chillies to a fine paste and add it to the corn.
3) Dip the bread slices in water and squeeze them. Mash them and add it to the corn.
4) Heat oil in a kadhai and fry these koftas until golden brown.
Be careful while frying as the corn tends to splutter.


For the Curry -
Ingredients -
1) 1 onion finely chopped
2) 2 tomatoes finely chopped
3) 1/2 cup frozen shredded coconut
4) 1 tbsp garam masala
5) 1-1/2 tbsp red chilli powder
6) 3-4 tsp poppy seeds
7) 4-5 garlic cloves
8) 1 inch ginger
9) Oil
10)Salt to taste
11)Finely chopped cilantro for garnishing
Method -
1) Heat oil in a skillet and add asafoetida and turmeric powder.
2) Add onions and saute for sometime.
3) Grind the ginger, garlic and poppy seeds to a fine paste.
4) Add tomatoes and saute till they become mushy.
5) Now add red chilli powder, garam masala and the grinded paste and saute for a couple more minutes.
6) Add the shredded coconut and fry till the oil leaves the sides. Add little water if needed so that the masala powders do not burn.
7) Add water and salt and let it boil for few minutes.
8) Add the koftas while serving.
9) Garnish it with cilantro.


Serve hot with chapatis. I served it with chapatis and boondi raita.

Happy New Year!!!

Wishing Everyone a Very Happy and Prosperous New 2010!!!
May this New Year brings you lots of Happiness, Love, Joy...
Good Health....Great Friends....
Good Luck....& Great Things!!!
Happy Cooking & Happy Eating!!!