Dahi Waale Lauki (Bottlegourd)

Scrumptious lauki recipe with no onion or garlic

Ingredients:

Lauki : 300 gms
Dhania Powder : 1/2 tea spoon
Red Chilli Powder : 1/2 tea spoon
Heeng : 1 pinch
Salt to taste
Tumeric: 1 pinch
Cooking Oil: 1 table spoon
Coriander leaves to garnish
Curry leaves: 7-8
Curd: 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Slice the lauki into cube size pieces and set aside.

2. In a pressure cooker, add the oil, jeera, rai,  curry leaves and heeng Let it crackle

3. Now add the lauki and all the dry spices except for salt.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the curd with a little water to remove the lumps and add to the lauki mix.

5. Now keep stirring on low flame till the mixture reaches a boil. This is done to prevent the curd from splitting.

6. Now lock the pressure cook and heat till you get a whistle.

7. Remove from heat and add the salt.

8. Add the coriander and serve with rice or roti

Spicy Bharwa Baingan ( Brinjal / Aubergine)

Best way to enjoy the humble baingan

Ingredients:

Small Brinjal : 300 gms
Chilli Powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Dhania Powder: 1 table spoon
Aamchhor powder: 1 tea spoon
Rai : 1 pinch
Jeera : 1 pinch
Ginger: 1/2 tea spoon
Sugar: 1 pinch
Saunf Powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Cooking Oil : 2 table spoon


Method:

1. Slit the brinjal into half and then make small diagonal cuts inside as well.

2. Take all the dry ingredients ( salt, chilli, dhania, aamchhor, saunf ) and make a thick paste with a little water.

3. Heat oil in a pan. Then add the rai, jeera, grated ginger and the spice mix to it. Cook for a minute.

Spicy and flavourful aubergine recipe

4. Now add the slit brinjal to the mix.  Cover and cook on simmer for a few minutes till the brinjal are soft.

5. Garnish with coriander and serve with crisp hot parathas.

Khatte Rajma Masala

Deliciously tangy Rajma Masala for the health concious

Ingredients:

Kidney Beans: 250 gms
Tomatoes: 4
Onions : 4
Garlic: 7 cloves
Ginger: Small slice
Green Chilli : 2 small
Cloves: 2
Bay leaf : 2
Jeera : 1 pinch
Soaked Tamarind: 10 gms
Dhania: 1 tea spoon
Red Chilli Powder: 1 tea spoon
Garam Masala : 1 pinch
Cooking oil : 2 table spoons
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak the kidney beans overnight and pressure cook with a little salt and a cup of water in the morning.

2. Puree the onions, garlic, green chillies, ginger and tomatoes in a blender.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add the jeera, bay left and cloves. Now lower the flame and add the tomato mix to it. Add salt and cook for sometime till the mixture leaves oil.

4. Now add the red chilli power, dhania and garam masala and stir. Also add the tamarind water and cook for a few minutes.

5. Add this mixture to the pressure cooker where the rajma has been cooked.

6. Cook for 7-8 minutes and garnish with coriander. Serve with steaming hot basmati rice.

***You can alternatively add lemon juice instead of tamarind and serve with a knob of butter.

Bharwa Tinde

Ingredients:

Tinde: 250gms

Dhania Powder: 1 table spoon

Red Chilli Powder: 1 table spoon

Aamchoor Powder: 1 tea spoon

Onion: 1 (chopped)

Besan: 1 and a half table spoon

Rai : 1 tea spoon

Jeera: 1 tea spoon

Fresh coriander: Few sprigs

Cooking oil : 2 table spoonx

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Remove the stalks of the tinde and cut them into half. Add the halved tinde to a pan of boiling water and cook for a few minutes with salt. 

2. Heat oil in another pan. Add half the rai and jeera and the onions. Now saute for a few minutes. 

3. Now add the besan and cook on slow flame while stirring the mixture constantly. Once the colour of the mixture changes to light brown, take it off the flame. 

4. Add salt, dhania, chilly powder, aamchoor to the besan mixture.

5. Scoop out the seeds of the boiled tinda with a spoon and add to the besan mixture. Now thoroughly mix all the ingredients. 

6. Fill the mixture into the seedless tindas. Heat oil in a pan and add the remaining rai and jeera. Add the tindas to the pan with the stuffed side facing upwards. Cover and cook on slow flame.

7. After a few minutes, toss the tindas lightly without breaking them. Cook for another 2 minutes on low flame. 

8. Garnish with green coriander and serve hot. 

*** This is the best way to elevate the taste of the humble tinda, and your guests will be left asking for more.

Arbi Masala Fry

Arbi Masala Fry

Ingredients:

Arbi : 5 (medium sized)
Potatoes : 2
Onion : 1 (large)
Garlic : 7-8 cloves
Jeera : 1 pinch
Rai : 1 pinch
Dhania powder: 1 table spoon
Red chilli powder: 1 tea spoon
Dry Mango powder : 1 teaspoon
Tumeric : 1 pinch
Salt : To taste
Oil : 2 table spoons

Method:

1. In a large pan boil the potatoes and arbi together till they are soft.

2. Once done, remove the pan from heat and place the arbi and potatoes in a separate bowl.

3. After both arbi and potatoes reach room temperature, press them between your palm to make small cutlets.

4. In a separate bowl mix all the dry masalas (dhania, red chilli, aamchoor, tumeric, a little salt) and coat the arbi and potato cutlets in it.

5. Heat oil in a pan. Add the jeera and rai to it and let it crackle. Now add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes.

6. Add the potato and arbi cutlets and the remaining dry masala to the pan. Cover and let it cook for a few minutes on low flame.

7. Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

***A perfect dish for those detesting the slimy arbi. You will never look at arbi the same way after trying this

Churme ke Ladoo

Ingredients:

Baatis soaked in ghee : 4
Melted Ghee: 2 table spoon
Powdered Sugar : 1 cup
Pista : For garnish

Method:

1. First crumble the baatis into small pieces. Now with the help of a grinder, break down the small pieces into a fine mixture. This is your churma

2. Take the freshly ground churma in a big bowl and add the ghee and powdered sugar to it. Now crumble the mixture with your hands, till all the churma has taken in the sugar and ghee

3. Now mould the churma mixture into small ladoos and place aside. This mixture will give you close to 10 medium sized ladoos. Garnish with pista and almond.

***This recipe is ideal for using the left over baatis a day after having dal baati churma