Potatoes in yoghurt sauce/Dahi wale aloo

Serving size : 4-6
Total preparation time : 30 mins
Cooking time : 20 mins

Ingredients :
4 medium potatoes, boiled and cut into wedges or cubes
3 small tomatoes, diced and pureed
3 cloves Garlic,minced
1/2 tspn ginger paste
1 tbspn oil
4-5 curry leaves
Pinch of Asafetida
1/4 tspn turmeric powder
1 tspn cumin seeds
1.5  tspn of roasted coriander and cumin powder
1 tspn garam masala  ( Everest/Home made )
1 tspn red chili powder
1 tspn paprika
1.5 cups well beated yoghurt.
Salt to taste

Method :
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and temper the curry leaves, cumin and asafetida. Add the ginger and garlic and saute them for 1 min. Add turmeic followed by the tomato puree. Simmer on low heat and cook covered for 7-8 mins until saucy and well cooked. Add the remaining spices, the potato pieces, salt and simmer for another 2 mins. Lastly add the yoghurt and stir well making sure the potato pieces do not break and the gravy doesn't stick at the bottom. Simmer for another min on low heat and serve hot with rotis or rice. Garnish with Coriander leaves.

Shrimp red thai cury

Ingredients and method for thai red curry paste : Size 2-3 cups.
1 medium size purple onion, chopped
3 small tomatoes chopped
1 tbsp of chopped green coriander leaves
6 thai red chilies,
1/2 peel of a medium sized lemon/ Lemon zest chopped
1 tsp. paprika / cayenne pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size piece ginger,
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder/ 1 small cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 tsp. jeera/ cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp brown sugar/ white sugar
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Salt to taste
4-5 kafir lime leaves for garnishing
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 stalk fresh lemongrass/ 3Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
*1 tsp. shrimp paste, OR fish sauce

OR for veg: 1 Tbsp. Thai golden mountain sauce ( available in Asian stores)
* optional ingredients
Fry the coriander seeds, cumin seeds,red chillies over medium heat and then Blend with all above ingredients in a blender into a smooth paste. Don't add water at all for a thick paste. Paste will become redder after cooking.

Ingredients and method for curry :
1.5 Can thick creamy coconut milk
To make curry sauce add a 1.5 scoop of this curry paste to coconut milk in a wok/ deep sauce pan.add the chopped carrots and peas or choice or your veggies/protein/both and bring it to a boil till the veggies/protein are cooked stirring occasionally for 20 minutes or till the ingredients are cooked. Avoid Over cooking which will harden the meat and thicken the gravy.
Do a taste test for a balance of flavors:
too sour, add brown sugar.
too spicy,add more coconut milk.
too sweet,add cayenne pepper/paprika.
too salty,add fresh lime juice,
For a more stronger aroma,Add 1tbsp of curry paste.

Ingredients for garnish and accompaniments :
4-5 Basil leaves/ A bunch of coriander leaves & 1 tbsp roasted peanuts
Garnish as per choice and serve with steamed jasmine rice or plain white rice.

Tips :
Do not put too many vegetables, limit to 3-4 types for better taste.
You can experiment by adding the protein with vegetables, boneless chicken or other meat,
Tofu, or seafood like shrimp.

Black eyed peas in yoghurt sauce/ Lobia dhai curry

A soothing mild spicy gravy high in protein, folate and iron prepared in minutes.

Serving size: 2-3
Total Preparation time : 20 mins

Ingredients :
For cooking :
1 cup black eyed peas, pressured with salt
1/2 cup whipped yoghurt
1 tbpsn gram flour/besan/ chickpea flour
1 tspn turmeric powder
1 tspn kasmiri red chili powder/ paprkia
2 tbpn water of as per required consistency
Salt to taste.

For Tempering :
1tbpsn oil
6-7 curry leaves
3 green chillies slit
1 tspn mustard seeds
1 tspn cumin seeds
Pinch of asafetida.

For Garnishing :
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

Method :
Heat oil in a pan and temper with curry leaves, green chilies,asafetida, mustard and cumin seeds. The add the cooked black eyed peas with the whipped yoghurt and 1 tbspn gram flour/besan and season turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder and salt to taste. Simmer for 5 mins on low heat while stirring.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Best served with rice or Phulkas.

Tip :
Whip the yoghurt and besan together and add to the gravy, add water as per required consistency
Add the stock from the lentils if you need to add water.

Egg drop masala

Serving size : 4

Total preparation time : 5 mins 

Total cooking time : 30 mins

Ingredients :

2 medium sized onions, finely chopped 

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped 

2 jalapeños or 3 thai green chilies finely chopped

2 inch fresh ginger grated

8 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 tbspn oil 

Salt to taste 

3 tbspn water

1/2 cup coconut milk 

8 whole raw eggs 

1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves chopped 

1.5 tsp cumin seeds

1 tspn Everest garam masala

1/4 tspn black pepper powder

1 tspn coriander powder

1/2 tspn cumin powder

1/2 tspn cinnamon powder

1.5 tbspn paprika powder/ Kashmiri Degi mirch powder 

Method : 

Heat oil in large heavy bottom broad saucepan. Add cumin seeds and let them splatter. Add green chilies and ginger garlic. Once fried, add onions and little salt only for onions. Fry onions till golden brown and add tomatoes. Cook till tender. Add all the spice powders and cook covered on medium heat for 2 mins. Stir and add 3 tbspn water and cook covered on high eat for another 3 minutes till spices are well cooked making sure it doesn't get burnt at the bottom. Add coconut milk and simmer for another 2 minutes. Now on low heat, break the eggs one by one into the spice mix making sure the egg yolks are separated and not on top of each other. Once all eggs are added, sprinkle some salt over the eggs and immediately cover without stirring or disturbing the eggs. Simmer covered for 5 minutes. Top it with coriander leaves and cook covered for another 2 minutes. Take the spoon and carefully try to scoop each and every egg making sure it's not stuck at the bottom,and properly cook,  do not press/ stir but carefully try to separate all the eggs. Once all eggs are cooked, serve hot over steamed rice or with Phulkas. 

Methi Murg/ Fenugreek chicken drumsticks

Serving size :4-5

Cooking time : 30 mins.
Total preparation time : 60 mins
Marinade Time : 4-8 hours.

Ingredients :

For the marinade:

6 skinless chicken drumsticks

1 tbspn sour cream

2 tbspn yogurt

1 tspn oil 

1 tspn turmeric

1 tspn Reshampatti red chilli powder

1 tspn roasted coriander cumin powder

1 tspn home made garam masala

1 tspn salt 

2 tbspn kasoori methi 

For the fried masala paste : 

1 tbspn oil 

2 bay leaves

1 tspn shahi jeera

1 tbspn paprika/ Kashmiri red chilli powder 

2 purple onions finely chopped

2 small ripe tomatoes finely chopped

7 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 inch ginger finely chopped

1-1.5 cups kasoori methi leaves

1 cup water.

Salt to taste

Method :
Marinade the chicken overnight or atleast for 4 hours. Heat oil in a wide saucepan and temper with shahi jeera and bay leaves. Sauté the ginger, garlic and onion one by one. Once transparent add the tomatoes, turmeric and salt  and simmer for 15mins on low heat  stiring at intervals till saucy. Grind this into a purée and set aside. Now in the same pan add more oil, and cook the marinated chicken along with the methi leaves for 5mins. Once the chicken is tender and oil starts to leave  the sides, mix in the masala paste and simmer for another 5mins. Add water if required to make a thick gravy. Stir in intervals and simmer for another 2 mins. Serve hot with roti/ Phulkas or garlic naan.