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.

Daikon /Radish Spicy Stir fry/ Mooli Stir fry

Serving size  :4
Total Preparation time : 30 mins
Cooking time : 15 mins

Ingredients ;
2 large Radishes, cut into cubes
1 sliced purple onion
5 curry leaves
Pinch of asafetida
1 tspn urad dal/ split black gram
1 tspn mustard seeds
1 tspn fennel seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tspn red chilli powder
1 tspn roasted cumin and coriander powder
1 tbpn roasted urad dal and mustard seed powder mix.
1 tspn sambhar masala
Salt to taste
3 tbspn water
1.5 tbpsn oil

Method :
Heat oil in a non stick or heavy botton pan. Temper the curry leaves, asafetida, urad dal, mustard and fennel seeds. Add the turmeric powder and saute the onion till transparent. Then add the radish pieces, and Salt. Add coriander cumin powder, chili powder, sambhar masala, urad dal and mustard seed powder along with some water. Simmer on medium heat covered for 15 mins till radish is tender and cooked stirring at intervals.

Best served with rotis/ Phulkas.

Indian style authentic maharastrian stuffed baby eggplant masala

Serving size :4

Total preparation time : 30 mins.

Ingredients:

12-14 - Green Baby Eggplant with stems washed and cleaned.

2 Cup or as needed - Water

For Tempering:

2 tbspn oil 

1 tspn cumin seeds

12 curry leaves 

For Stuffing:

1/2 Cup - Desiccated fresh Coconut

1/2 Cup - Roasted Peanut Powder

2 tbsp - Roasted White Sesame Seeds

1 1/2tsp - Reshampatti Red Chili Powder

2 tbsp - roasted Coriander Seeds Powder

1/2 tsp - Turmeric Powder

1 tsp - roasted Cumin Powder

1 tsp Goda Masala or Garam Masala

1 tbspn Powdered Jaggery

1 tbspn fresh garlic paste 

1 tspn ginger paste 

1 tbsp - Tamarind Pulp or 1 tspn tamarind concentrate. 

To Taste - Salt

For garnishing :

1 cup fresh chopped coriander leaves 

Method:

Wash and slit eggplants make a '+' or 'X' sign, make sure to keep the eggplant intact and it doesn't break into pieces. Soak  in water with salt. All all the stuffing ingredients except tamarind pulp and mix well to combine. Add tamarind pulp and mix again to get a wet sand like consistency.Stuff the eggplants with prepared masala, do it carefully with a knife and without opening it much such that eggplant doesn't break into pieces. Keep the remaining stuffing masala aside.In a wide heavy bottom pan, heat oil and temper with cumin seeds, asafetida and curry leaves. and arrange the stuffed eggplant, cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and 1 cup water and cook covered for 12-15 minutes on med-low heat stirring at intervals gently. Add the remaining masala and stir gently with a spatula making sure the spices are not sticking at the bottom. Now add the remaining water, mix well and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Check for salt and spice and adjust if required. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until oil floats on top. 

Best served hot with Phulkas. 

This recipe will leave a lot of oil due to the additional coconut and groundnut added. Recipe not recommended for cholesterol patients. 

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.

Spicy pumpkin triangles

Serving size : 3-4 

Total preparation time : 20 mins 

Tangy and sweet appetizers rich in vitamin A.

Method and Ingredients:

Pumpkin pieces cut into thin triangles and marinated for 20 mins with salt, turmeric, lime juice, paprika/ chilli powder, black pepper and cumin powder. Pan fried with ghee/ oil till crisp. Best served with green mint chutney or tomato ketchup. Can be had as a fasting food.( Garlic and ginger paste optional, Mango powder/ Amchoor can be added instead of lime juice) 

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.

Vegetable pulav

Serving size :4
Total Preparation time: 7-8 mins
Cooking time : 10 mins.

Ingredients :
1 cup basmati rice presoaked for 10 mins
2 cups water.
2 tbsn chopped onion.
2 tbspn chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped green capsicum/bell peppers
1/2 cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped green beans
6-8 garlic cloves. minced
1 tspn ginger paste/ 1 inch grated ginger
2 red chilies
1/8 tspn turmeric
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 black cardamom
2 cloves
2-3 star anise petals.
3 black pepper corns
1 tspn cumin seeds
1 maggi/knorr vegetable stock seasoning cube

Method :
Heat oil on medium oil in a pressure cooker. Once the oil is hot,add the whole spices and chilies. Saute them for 30 secs and add the ginger and garlic followed by the chopped onion. Add the turmeric. Once the onion is transparent add the rice and saute for 2 mins on medium heat. Now add all the chopped veggies and mix well. Add the water and mix in the vegetable stock cube. Mix well and close the pressure cooker lid and cook until 2 whistles on medium heat. Once the steam is out, remove the rice and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot with yoghurt or pickle.

Tip :
Do not skip caulifower, green beans, carrot and capsicum in this recipe. You could add more veggies of your choice.You could use vegetable stock instead of the water and skip the veg stock cube.