SHAHI BHINDI

SHAHI BHINDI

Okra, (or Lady's Fingers as they are better known in India) has to be one of the most common vegetables, as they are available anywhere in the country. In Hindi, okra is called "Bhindi." Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes using okra/lady's fingers such as Masaledar Bhindi from Punjab in the North,  Vendakkai Puli Kuzhambu from Tamilnadu in the South, and Bhenda Sagle, a popular dish from our own Konkani cuisine.

I had some tender lady's fingers at hand and wanted a recipe that I had not tried before.
Today's recipe for a side dish of okra cooked in a rich cashewnut-based masala has been adapted from Shahi Bhindi in Indian Khana.

It tasted great with rotis but can be served with pulao as well.

Ingredients:-

• Bhindi, (Lady's Fingers/Okra), 300 gms
• Jeera (Cumin Seeds), 1/2 tsp
• Onions, 2
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Kitchen King Masala or Garam Masala, 1 tsp
• Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves), 1/2 tbsp
• Large-sized Tomato, 1
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp + 2 tbsp
• Water, 1 cup
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 2 tbsp, for garnish

To Grind:

• Whole Cashewnuts, 15
• Til ( White Sesame Seeds),  1 tbsp
• Saunf ( Fennel Seeds), 1 tsp 

Method:-

Wash the bhindi, pat them dry, snip off the two ends, cut them into 2 " pieces and keep aside.
Soak the cashewnuts in a little warm water for 15 minutes
In a small mixer jar, grind the soaked cashewnuts with sesame seeds and fennel seeds to a smooth paste adding just the required amount of water. Keep aside.
Finely chop the onions, tomato, and coriander leaves. Keep aside.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan, when it gets hot add the bhindi pieces and shallow fry them till they turn slightly brown. Keep aside.
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in the same pan, and on medium flame add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle, add the chopped onions and saute for a minute
To this add the ginger garlic paste, and a little salt and cook till the onions become translucent
Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, and Kitchen King Masala, along with the crushed kasuri methi
Mix well and cook for 1 minute
Add the chopped tomato, a little salt and cook till they become mushy
Add the shallow fried bhindi and mix well so that the bhindi gets well blended with the masala
Now add the cashew paste, mix well and cook for 2 minutes
Add 1 cup of water, mix gently,  and check for salt (add if required)
Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves
Serve hot with rotis or pulao

KARAMANI MASALA PORIYAL

KARAMANI MASALA PORIYAL

Karamani is the Tamil word for "Yardlong Beans" which are also known as Long Beans. This is called Alasande in Kannada, and Barbati in Hindi. "Poriyal" in Tamil is a kind of stir fry made with vegetables.

Yardlong Beans are stated to have numerous health benefits.

Today's recipe has been adapted from Karamani Masala Poriyal in Vysyas Recipes. It is best to choose tender yardlong beans for better results. The fried gram used is called Udaithakadalai or Pottukadalai in Tamil and Bhuna Channa in Hindi.

I found this easy to make poriyal to be very tasty and hope you will like it too.

Ingredients:-

• Karamani ( Yardlong Beans), 300 gms
• Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp
• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal ( Black Gram Dal), 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig
• Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup 
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 4
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Fried Gram, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 2-3 tsp

Method:-

Wash the yardlong beans and snip off the two ends. Chop them into 1/4 " pieces
In a small mixer jar, dry grind together coconut gratings, red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fried gram to a coarse powder. Keep aside
Cook the chopped beans in just the required amount of water adding a little turmeric powder till they are done. The beans should be cooked yet remain firm ( make sure they do not get overcooked)
Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadhai and when it gets hot on medium heat add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the urad dal and fry till the dal turns a golden brown
Next add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds
To this add the cooked beans, salt and fry for a couple of minutes till the excess water evaporates
Now add the freshly ground coarse powder, mix well and cook for a couple of minutes so that the beans get well blended with the masala
Serve hot as a side dish with rice or rotis

RAJMA KEBAB

RAJMA KEBAB

In most homes in India, we make snacks of one type or the other in the evenings, more so if there are hungry children at home! You will find elsewhere in this blog, recipes for filling snacks such as  Kothimbir Vadi, Mushroom Tikkis and Palak & Corn Cutlets which I make at home.

Today's recipe for a filling snack is made from nutritious Rajma/Kidney Bean. These kebabs (also called kababs/kabobs) are best had hot off the pan. This has been adapted from Rajma Kebab by the legendary Tarlaji Dalal.

Ingredients:

• Rajma ( Kidney Beans), cooked and mashed, 1 cup
• Onions, chopped, 1/2 cup
• Ginger, grated, 1 tsp
• Green Chillies, finely chopped, 2, or as per taste 
• Potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed, 1/2 cup
• Coriander Leaves, chopped, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Kitchen King Masala/ Garam Masala, 1/2 tsp
• Cornflour, 2 tbsp
• Oil, 2 tsp + as required for shallow frying 

Method:

Wash and soak the rajma in water for about 8-10 hours or overnight. Next morning, drain away the water and transfer the rajma to a pressure cooker
Cook the rajma in adequate water in the pressure cooker till it gets cooked and becomes soft. However, take care to see it does not get overcooked.
When the pressure cooker cools, remove the rajma after separating it from the liquid in which it was cooked. (This liquid or stock can be used to make other curry or soup)
Gently mash the rajma and keep aside
Likewise, wash, boil and peel the potato. Mash it and keep aside.

In a non-stick pan, heat 2 tsp of oil and saute the chopped onion till they become translucent
To this add the grated ginger, finely chopped chillies and saute on medium flame for half a minute
Next add the cooked rajma, boiled and mashed potato, chopped coriander leaves, salt, turmeric powder and Kitchen King Masala
Mix well and cook on medium flame stirring continuously for 2 minutes
Remove from flame and allow it to cool
Now mix in the cornflour and make equal portions of the kebab mixture and shape them as desired
In a non-stick tawa, add oil and shallow fry each of the kebabs till they become golden brown on both sides
Transfer to a plate and serve the Rajma Kebabs hot with tomato sauce/ketchup or a chutney of your choice

MATTI GULLA PODI

MATTI GULLA PODI

Gulla is a variety of brinjal that is seasonally available in our home district of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in the coastal belt of Karnataka. History has it that this special type of brinjal was cultivated first in the small village of Mattu, near Udupi. It is from here that this vegetable got its present name of Matti Gulla. For more on the origins of Gulla, you may like to see this very informative article in The Mangalorean.

Matti Gulla preparations are considered a delicacy of sorts in our Konkani cuisine. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for other favourites from Konkani cuisine such as Batate Saung, Vaingana Puddi Sagle, and Cabbage Sannan.

Today's recipe is for an easy to make shallow fried side dish, which we call Podi, using Matti Gulla.

Ingredients:

• Matti Gulla, medium-sized, 1
• Rice Flour, 1 tbsp 
• Chilli Powder, 2 tsp or to taste 
• Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp
• Hing (Asafoetida) Powder, 1/4 tsp 
• Medium Rawa (Semolina), 1 and 1/2 tbsp 
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, as required to shallow fry

Method:

Wash the gulla and discard the stem. Pat the gulla dry and slice it into roundels of uniform thickness. These roundels should not be too thick or too thin. 

Mix well together the rice flour, chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, salt, and a little water to make a paste, in a bowl

To this add the gulla roundels one by one and coat them uniformly to marinate them 

Keep aside the coated gulla roundels for 5-10 minutes

Heat the tawa and grease it with a little oil,
Dust each of the coated gulla roundels (on both sides) in the rawa and shallow fry them 

Once the lower side of the gulla gets done, flip and shallow fry the other side as well by drizzling oil around it as required
Transfer to serving plate 

Serve the Matti Gulla Podis as an accompaniment /side dish with the main meal

CHOLE PANEER

CHOLE PANEER

Today's recipe is for a side dish called Chole Paneer which is a combination of White Chickpeas ( Chole or Kabuli Chana) and Cottage Cheese (Paneer ). White Chickpeas (which are also called Garbanzo Beans) are known to have numerous health benefits.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for other dishes made with chole/Kabuli chana such as Saag Chole, Pindi Chole and Kadhai Chole.

While making Chole Paneer, some add whole spices such as tej patta, cardamom and cinnamon while the chole is being pressure cooked. I have not added these. I have only used black tea bag to add colour to the chole.

Ingredients:-

• Chole /Kabuli Chana (White Chickpeas), 1 cup
• Paneer, 150 grams, cut into cubes
• Black Tea Bag * 2 tsp of black tea leaves tied in a muslin cloth 
• Onion, 1
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp
• Tomatoes, 2
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Powder, 1 tsp
• Green Chillies, 2-3
• Ginger, 1/2 inch
• Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves), 1/2 tsp
• Amchur (Dry Mango) Powder, 1 tsp
• Kitchen King Masala, 1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1-2 tbsp 

Method:

Wash and soak the chole in adequate water for 8 hours or overnight.
Next morning, drain the water and transfer the soaked chole to a pressure cooker
Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook the chole, along with 1/2 tsp of salt and black tea bag till the chole is fully cooked
Once the cooker cools, remove the contents, discard the * black tea bag and keep aside the cooked chole along with the water in which it was cooked
Also keep aside some cooked chole (about 1 tbsp) to be mashed later and used to thicken the gravy

Chop the onion and tomatoes, slit the green chillies and thinly slice the ginger

Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadhai and when it gets hot, add the chopped onion and saute till it becomes translucent

Add the ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes

Next add the chopped tomatoes, mix well and cook till the tomatoes become soft
To this add salt to taste, and turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder and mix well. ( Remember that some salt has already been added while cooking the chole) 

Add the slit green chillies and ginger and saute for 1 minute
Now add the cooked chole with some of the water in which it was cooked
Also mash 1 tbsp of cooked chole and add it to the gravy
Adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding water, if required
Bring to a boil, lower the flame and allow the gravy to simmer for about 5 minutes
Add the paneer cubes, crushed kasuri methi, amchur powder and Kitchen King masala
Mix well and let it simmer for a couple of minutes more
Lastly, switch off the gas and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves
Serve Chole Paneer hot with rotis or as a side dish with pulao

DRUMSTICK TOMATO CURRY

DRUMSTICK TOMATO CURRY

I make dishes using drumsticks (Mashingasaang in Konkani, Muringakkai in Tamil and Nuggekai in Kannada) quite often. While choosing drumsticks, make sure they are a little flexible but don't bend too much. They should not be too hard either. You may be aware that the leaves of the drumstick are also used in cooking. This article in NDTV speaks of the health benefits of drumsticks.

Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for Konkani dishes such as Batata Mashingasaang Upkari, Potato and Drumstick Upkari, and Magge & Mashingasaang Koddel,  and for a Maharashtrian dish called Shevgyachya Shenganche Pithla.

Today's recipe is commonly made in South India. Drumsticks and tomatoes make a tasty combination. This dish goes great with curd rice as it is a little spicy. I have adapted this from Drumstick Tomato Curry by Vah Chef.

Ingredients:-

• Drumsticks, 2-3
• Tomatoes, medium-sized, 4
• Onion, large-sized, 1
• Mustard Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Green Chillies, slit, 2-3 or as per taste
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tbsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the drumsticks and lightly scrape them. Cut them into pieces of 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches in length.
Chop the onion and tomato and slit the green chillies.

In a thick bottomed kadhai, heat oil and when it gets hot on medium heat add the mustard seeds, and when they splutter add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds sizzle, add the slit green chillies, chopped onion, curry leaves, and salt.
Saute till the onion gets slightly brown in colour. This should not get too browned.

Add turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, drumstick pieces and mix well.
Cover and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes till the drumsticks get half cooked

To this add the chopped tomatoes, cumin powder, coriander powder, and chilli powder and cook for 2-3 minutes or till the tomatoes become soft and mushy 

Now add 1/2 cup of water and cook covered for 4-5 minutes
Check for salt and add more water if required depending on the consistency you prefer

Finally, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves
Serve hot with curd rice or chapati, phulka etc

MASALA BABY POTATOES

MASALA BABY POTATOES

In general you will find that most people like potatoes. Some, like me, not only like potatoes but indeed have a special partiality towards the baby potatoes. I find that baby potatoes add to the visual appeal of the dish. You may also like to read this article on "10 reasons to eat Baby Potatoes." 

Not surprisingly, therefore, you will find elsewhere in this blog several dishes, that call for the use of baby potatoes but are so different from each other,  like Minty Baby Potatoes, Schezwan Potatoes, and Baby Potato Biryani.

Ingredients:-

• Baby Potatoes, 500 grams
• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Green Chillies, chopped, 2-3 
• Onion, finely chopped, 1
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp
• Tomato, finely chopped, 1
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Gram Flour (Besan),  1 tbsp 
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the baby potatoes thoroughly, place them in a pressure cooker with adequate water, add a little salt and cook them for 2-3 whistles. Make sure the baby potatoes are firm when cooked and don't get overcooked.
Once the cooker cools, remove the boiled baby potatoes, peel them and keep aside.
 Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadhai and when it gets hot, on medium heat add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle add the chopped green chillies and onions
Saute till the onion becomes translucent
To this add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes 

Next add the chopped tomato and cook till they become mushy 

Add the spice powders (turmeric powder, chilli powder, and coriander powder) and mix well

Now add the boiled and peeled baby potatoes and salt to taste

Mix thoroughly and cook for a few minutes so that the baby potatoes get well coated and absorb the spice masala
Next, sprinkle the gram flour and mix well 

Cook on medium flame stirring from time to time for about 10 minutes or till the baby potatoes get roasted
Lastly, garnish with the finely chopped coriander leaves
Serve hot with as a side dish