Kofta-e-Lazeez

Koftas are my all time favorite and a delicacy in my house since they are so rich in flavor. In my below recipe I have added a couple of other ingredients to make the koftas extra soft & smooth so that they melt in your mouth.. It's an all time hit!

Ingredients:

For the Koftas

• Lauki( Bottle gourd) - 1 medium Grated (makes around 10 koftas)
• Green chillies - chopped ( deseeded if you want less spicy)
• Ginger Grated - 1 teaspoon
• Besan ( chick pea flour) - 3-4 tablespoons
• Paneer grated - I small cup
• Boiled and mashed potato - 1 small
• Ajwain ( carom seeds) - 1 teaspoon
• Sauf (Fennel seeds) - 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

Add the below ingredients to give it a Shahi Touch - These are optional but go a long way in  increasing the richness of koftas.

• Cashews halves and pieces - around 8
• Raisins - about 6

How to prepare the koftas:

First wash and peel the lauki, then using a grater, grate the lauki drain excess water ( store this water to be used later for gravy)

 Mix all the kofta ingredients in abowl and mix them well using your hands , make small balls of around 3 inches diameter. If you feel that the mixture is runny with water then add a little more besan/corn starch to it. Do not leave it aside, immediately deep fry it so that the lauki does not leave more water and makes it soggy.

For the gravy

• Onion - 2 medium (Pureed )
• Tomato - 2 medium ( pureed)
• Ginger garlic Paste - 2 tablespoons
• Cream  / Thick milk Half and Half - Half cup
• Garam Masala - 2 tablespoons
• Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
• Cumin Poeser - 1 table spoon
• Hing - 1 pinch
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - to taste
• Black cardamom powder - 1 pinch
• Crushed Black pepper powder - 1 pinch
• Crushed Red pepper powder - 1 pinch
• Lal mirch -1-2
• Bay leaves - 1 -2 small
• Vegetable oil - 4-5 tablespoons
• Butter - 1 tablespoon

Heat oil in a pan and add butter when hot, Add the bay leaves, cumin seeds and hing. When the seeds crackle add onion and sauté till the paste starts leaving oil on the sides. Now add the tomato puree and ginger garlic paste and suate till the oil starts to leave on the sides after 4-5 minutes.

                           

Take the pureed onion and add it to the pan, after sauté for around 5 min when the oil starts leaving the edges of the pan, add the tomatoes and sauté them together for another 4-5 minutes.

Now add the Garam masala, coriander and cumin, black cardamom, black pepper, Kashmiri mirch  powder and mix them all well. 

After 4-5 minutes of cooking add the cream/milk and 1 cup of water. Let it come to a simmer, keep stirring so that the milk does not disintegrate.

After 3-4 minutes of simmer should be good to go!

 Now add the koftas and put the lid on and switch it off, Let the koftas absorb the richness of the gravy and server hot. If the koftas are too soft they tend to break in the hot gravy, so sometimes it's better to add the koftas directly while serving, use your cooking judgment for this :-)

To add more richness to the gravy you can also add about 10-15 pureed  cashews to the gravy.

 Garnish with coriander leaves and grated paneer and cashews.

Paneer Hariyali

 

Paneer Hariyali : This is a super healthy entree, full of greens and loved by kids and grown-ups.
This is one of my personal favorites since it adds so much color to the dinner/lunch table. Its also interesting how you can experiment with the variations of the green color of the curry by putting in a variety of greens.
 




Ingredients:

From The Green World:

1. Fresh Dhania (Coriander ) leaves cut in small pieces - 1 bunch
2. Methi ( Fenugreek ) leaves - washed and cut 1 bunch
3. Palak ( Spinach ) leaves -washed and cut 1/2 bunch
4. Pudina ( Mint ) leaves - 6-7
5. Green peppers - 1 medium  diced very fine
6. Green Peas - 1 cup
7. 2 green chillies - diced

The regulars:

1. Onion - 2 medium diced
2. Tomato Cut in small cubes - 2 medium
3. Paneer ( Indian Cheese ) - 500 gms

Dry Masala:

1. Coriander Powder - 2 teaspoons
2. Cummin Powder - 2 teaspoons
3. Chili Powder - 1.5 teaspoon ( to taste)
4. Chat Masala - 1 teaspoon
5. Garam Masala - 1 teaspoon
6. Ginger Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
7. Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon ( ground )
8. Salt - to taste

Tadka:

1.  Oil - 3-4 tablespoons
2. Cummin seeds
3. Hing - a pich (astafotedia powder)

Optional ( if gravy is needed)

1. Cream - 1 cup
2. Milk - 1/2 cup

Wash and get the green leaves and the other ingredients ready as shown below.

 

 

 

 

Heat Oil in a skillet and put in the hing & cummin seeds till the seeds crackle. Now  saute the Onions and till they turn translucent and brown..

 

 

 

 

Then add the remaining greens.. you can add / modify this recipe to ad the greens of your choice and Paneer.Put the dry masala and stir well.  Now put the Ginger garlic paste and salt. Stir well. Cook on medium flame and keep stirring every 2 min so it does not stick in the base. Do this for 4-5 min till the curry paste mixes well with the paneer.

 

 

 

 

 
Cover it with a lid and on low flame cook for 2-3 min.

 

Server it hot with Chapati / Tandoori Rooti / Pooris.

 

For a gravy version, put 1 cup of cream and 1/2 cup of Milk(2%) and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes on medium flame.

 

 

 

Enjoy the awesome green delicacy.
Note : Sometimes you can also add grated celery with the greens to trick your children into eating a healthy dish.. I do that!! Just make sure that the quantity is not overpowering i.e. 1/4 cup or less.

To get a greener version : you can make a paste of the green leaves and use it.

Khao to Jano - Gawar ki Phali

 

Even if we have tried the most fascinating and delicious foods from around the globe, I have experienced that we still come back to our authentic classic food. Cluster beans or gawar (guar) ki phalli is one of the the low calorie, green vegetable widely consumed in North India

 

Ingredients:

 

We start with 1 lbs Gawar ki phalli - cut & washed as shown below.

 

For the Tadka :

• 3-4 Curry Leaves
• ½ Teaspoon Zeera ( Cumin seeds)
• 1 pinch asafetida (Commonly known as Hing)
• 3-4 garlic cloves - cut into small pieces
• 1 medium onion, cut into small pieces and saute till brown in the skillet on medium flame.

Vegetable oil - 3 Teaspoons
Masala:

• 2 Teaspoons coriander powder
• ½ Teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala powder
• ½ Teaspoon turmeric powder
• Salt - per your taste

1 Teaspoon mango powder (Amchoor) / Chat Masala Powder

 

Step : 1   We start with 1 lbs Gawar ki phalli - cut & washed as shown below. Now take one medium onion, cut into small pieces.	Step :2   Heat a skillet and add the vegetable oil and crackle the Curry leaves and the Hing.
Step : 3   Now add Cumin seeds, Garlic pieces and saute till garlic is golden brown. You can soon start getting the aroma of burnt garlic. Make sure that the garlic does not burn and turn red.	Step : 4   Now take one medium onion, cut into small pieces and saute till brown in the skillet on medium flame.
Step : 5 Let it simmer on low flame for 20-25 min ( can be pressure cooked with water just covering it for 3 whistles)	Step:6   Now put all the spices except the amchoor/chat masala and mix it well.
Step :7   Saute for another 5-10 minutes till the phalli is crisp.	Step:8  The yummy Gawar's are ready to eat!

Enjoy this dry entree with Poories or Chapati.

For making the gravy version :         Mix 2 teaspoons of Thick Yogurt (Curd) in 1½ cups of water and mix well. Add a picnh of salt to taste. Add a pinch of Turmeric. Now add 3 teablespoons of Besan and blend well.     Heat Oil in a pan, crackle with Curry leaves, mustard powder and hing. Add the liqiud mix and simmer in heat for 10min, Constantly keep stirring this so that curd does not break away into milk particles.     Now add the dry gawar from above and bring it to a boil and set aside for 5-10 min so that the gravy is absorved in the gawars.       Enjoy this entree with steamed Rice!

Masala Baingan Dry

Not many people like this unique vegetable but then they might not have tasted this recipe...

My mother-in-law's super simple recipe of masala dry baingan is super simple and YUM.







Ingredients :

1. Baingan - 4 small
2. Coriander powder : 2 tablespoons
3. Cummin powder : 2 tablespoons
4. Turmeric powder : 1 pinch
5. Cummin seeds whole : 1 teaspoon
6. Saunf (funnel) powder - 1 tablespoon
7. Salt - to taste
8. Red chilli powder : 1 teaspoon
9. Amchur powder : 1 teaspoon
10. Garam Masala : 2 tea spoons
11. Vegetable Oil : 3-4 tablespoon
12. Hing ( astafotedia powder) - 1 pinch
13. Ground roasted peanuts - 1/4 cup

To Do:

Wash the Eggplants and dry them, slit them in 4 pieces (not all the way through as shown in picture). Start cutting from the smooth end and stop at least 1 inch before the stem, so that the pieces do not fall out.

Heat oil in a skillet and add the cummin sees to crackle. Add the dry ingredents except Peanut powder, and mix it so that it becomes a paste like consistency. Saute till golden brown.







Cool down the masala a bit and fill the slits of Baingan with the masala just prepared above.

Add all the baingans in the skillet and saute for 5 min, then sprinkle some water on them.

Cover this with a lid and reduce the flame to low and let it cook for 8-10 min. After every 2 minutes keep rolling them so that it is evenly cooked.

They should have shrunk a bit as shown in the picture, now take it out in a serving dish. Add the coarse peanut powder as a garnish and savour this delicacy with pulao / Rice or Poori .

Pulao Jayekedar

                                                                      

Pulao is  generally served hot with raita , also referred to as rice Pilaf and a very common delicacy meal for north Indians for lunch and dinner. I love this specially on a on a sunny lazy Sunday afternoon! Why don'y ou try this super simple recipe and enjoy this aromatic dish!

Ingredients

Tadka

• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 teaspoon
• 1 large Onion
• Ghee -3 tbsp
• Bay Leaves - 3-4
• Coriander seeds - 1 tables poon
• Black Mustard - 1 table spoon
• Garlic cloves cut into small pieces - 4-5 for the tadka
• Green chillies - 2 slit by length
• Cinnamon sticks -2
• Cloves  - 6-7
• Black and green Cardamoms - 2 each\
• Garam Masala - 3 tablespoons

Masala

• Nutrella powder for protien - 1 small cup
• Paneer grated - 1 small cup
• Cashewnuts - per taste
• Raisins -per taste
• Salt To Taste
• Sugar - a pinch
• Fresh Lemon juice - 1 table spoon
•  Mint leaves - a handful
• Fresh cut Coriander leaves  a handful

Basmati Rice - 2 cups , water 4 cups

Wash the rice and then soak it half an hour in warm water.This helps get the right texture of the Pulao.




Heat 1 Tbsp of ghee is a pan, fry cashewnuts and raisins and take it out for later. Heat the remaining ghee add the tadka, as soon as it crackles, add the rice and other and saute them.

   Add rice, salt, water and stir well. Cover and cook   
   until the rice is done on slow flame. Stir once a while .




Add the masala and stir well. Add 4 cups of water. Cover and cook
until the rice is cooked on slow flame.

You can also add a couple of sauted vegetables like carrots, greaan peas, cauliflower etc. to make it healthy dish before dding water





Stir once after 10 min, you can taste the water to see if the salt/sugar is OK..

After 20-25 min, stir the Pulao so that the rice is flakey.and leave it to cool a bit.



Garnish with Cashews, raisins, mint & Coriander leaves.

Enjoy the steaming hot pulao with raita with your family!