Masala Vada

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup yellow gram (chana) dak 

2. 1/2 cup onion finely chopped

3. 1/2 cup coriander finely chopped 

4. 1/2 cup dill leaves finely chopped

5.  3-4 green chillies finely chopped

6. 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

7. oil o deep fry

Method:

1. Wash and soak dal for 3-4 hours.

2. Keep 2 tbsp. dal aside, grind the rest,coarsely.

3. Mix all other ingredients, including whole dal.

4. Add 2-3 tbsp. hot oil to the mixture. 

5. Heat oil, make pattie shaped rounds with moist palm.

6. Let carefully into the hot oil.

7. Fry first one side then the other till golden brown.

8. Serve hot with green chutney, tamarind chutney, or ketchup.

Making time: 20 minutes (excluding soaking time)

Makes: 15 vadas (approx.)

Shelflife: Best fresh

Malai Kofta

Ingredients: 

Gravy: 

 1.   125 gms. cream

 2.   75 gms. khoya or paneer

 3.   150 ml. milk

 4.   50 gms. cashewnuts

 5.   3 tsp. white pepper powder.

 6.   2 1/2 tsp. sugar

 7.   2 tsp. grated ginger

 8.   1/4 tsp. nutmeg powder 

 9.   1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

 10. 1 tsp. garlic crushed 

 11. 1" cinnamon

 12. 6 cloves

 13. 6 cardamoms

 14.  salt to taste

 15. 3 tbsp. ghee

Kofta:

 1.   50 gms. khoya

 2.   50 gms. paneer

 3.   5 medium potatoes

 4.   20 gms. cashewnuts

 5.   20 gms. raisins

 6.   4-5 green chillies chopped fine

 7.   1/2 tsp. ginger grated

 8.   1 tsp. coriander chopped

 9.   1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

 10. salt to taste

Garnish:

 1.  1 tbsp. grated cheese or paneer

 2.  1 tbsp. chopped coriander

Method:

 Koftas:

   1.  Boil the potatoes, peel and smash them.

   2.   Mix together all the ingredients except raisins and cashews.

   3.  Take a ping-pong ball sized dough in hand. 

   4.  Flatten. Place 2-3 cashews and raisins in the centre and shape into a ball.

   5.  Repeat for remaining dough. Keep aside. 

 Gravy:

   1.  Roast the cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves together.

   2.  Dry grind and keep aside. Wet grind all the other ingredients, except ghee, to a paste.

   3.  Heat ghee in a skillet, add powdered spices and fry for 2-3 seconds.

   4.  Add paste and fry further for 5-7 minutes stirring well.

   5.  Add 2 cups water and simmer on low for 15 minutes. 

   6.  Warm the koftas either in the oven or on the tava.
        Optional: You can deep fry the koftas also.

   7.  To serve place warm koftas in a casserole. 

   8.  Either pour boiling hot gravy on the koftas or pour and bake in hot oven of 5 minutes.

   9.  Garnish with grated cheese and chopped coriander.

   10. Serve hot with naan or parathas.

Making time: 45 minutes. 

Makes: 10 koftas with gravy.

Shelf life: Best fresh. 

Navratan Korma

Ingredients:

1.   2 cups peas boiled

2.   1 large carrot chopped and boiled

3.   1/2 cup tomato sauce

4.   1/4 cup curd 

5.   1/4 cup malai(cream)

6.   3 tbsp. butter

7.   1 small sweet lime

8.   1 small apple

9.   1 banana

10. 2 slices pineapple

11. 10-15 cashewnuts

12. 20 raisins

13.  2 glaced cherries for decoration

14. 1 tbsp. coriander chopped

15. 1 tbsp. ghee

16. salt to taste

Dry Masala:

1.   1 tsp. cuminseeds

2.   2 tsp. khuskhus (poppyseeds) 

3.   1 tsp. cardamoms

Wet Masala:

1.   1 large onion

2.   1/4 cup coconut shredded

3.   3 green chillies

Method:

1.  Grind the dry and wet masalas separately. 

2.  Chop all the fruit fine. Heat ghee and fry cashews, drain and keep aside. 

3.  Add butter to ghee and heat, add the wet masala and fry for 2 minutes.

4.  Add the dry masala and salt and fry 2 more minutes.

5.  Add the carrots and peas, mix together curd and cream and add to gravy.

6.  Allow to thicken a bit, add fruit, cashews and raisins and boil till the gravy is thick and the fat separates. 

7.  Garnish with grated cheese ,coriander and chopped cherries.

8.  Serve hot with naan, roti or paratha.

Making time: 45 minutes

Makes for: 6

Shelf life: Best fresh

Potato in Curd Gravy

Ingredients: 

1.   3 medium. potatoes boiled and peeled

2.   1 cup curd or yogurt beaten

3.   1 tsp. red chilli powder

4.   1 tsp. salt

5.   1/2 tsp. dhania powder 

6.   1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

7.   1/4 tsp. garam masala

8.   2 pinches asafoetida 

9.   1 stalk curry leaves

10. 1 tbsp. coriander leaves chopped

11. 1 1/4 cup water

12. 1/2 tsp. each ginger, garlic grated

13. 2 green chillies slit

14. 1 tsp. each cumin, mustard seeds

15. 1/4 tsp. wheat flour 

16. 1 tbsp. oil

Method:

1.  Cut potatoes into big pieces. Mash 3-4 pieces fine with hand. Keep both aside.

2.  Mix all the dry masala in 1/4 cup water.

3.  Heat oil. Add the seeds (cumin and mustard). When they splutter, add ginger-garlic, chilli and curry leaves.

4.  Add the masala mixture and fry for 2 minutes.

5.  Add beaten curd and fry for 5 minutes or till the curd loses its whiteness. Stir continuously after adding curd.

6.  Add the remaining water and all the potato and flour. Stir well.

7.  Boil and simmer for 10 minutes or till gravy thickens.

8.  Garnish with chopped coriander.

9.  Serve hot with thin wheat chappaties and rice. 

Making time: 30 minutes. 

Makes for: 5 

Shelf life: Best fresh

Shahi Paneer

Ingredients: 

1.   250 gms. paneer (cottge cheese) 

2.   3 tbsp. ghee or butter

3.   1 onion chopped into strips

4.   1/2" piece ginger chopped fine

5.   2 green chillies chopped fine

6.   4 tomatoes chopped fine

7.   2 cardamoms crushed

8.   1/4 cup beaten curd

9.   1/2 tsp. red chilli powder

10. 1/2 tsp. garam masala

11. salt to taste

12. 1/2 cup milk

13. 2 tbsp. tomato sauce

To garnish:

1.   2 tbsp. grated paneer

2.   1 tbsp. chopped coriander 

 Method:

1.  Chop the paneer into 2" fingers. 

2.  Heat half the ghee. Add onion,ginger, green chilli and cardamom. Fry for 3-4 minutes.

3.  Add tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes, covered. 

4.  Add curd and cook for 5 minutes. 

5.  Add 1/2 cup water and cool. 

6.  Blend in a mixie till smooth.

7.  Heat remaining ghee, add gravy and other ingredients except milk and paneer.

8.  Boil to get a very thick gravy. 

9.  Just before serving, heat gravy, add milk and paneer fingers and boil for 3-4 minutes. 

10. Garnish with chopped coriander and grated paneer.

Making time: 45 minutes.

Makes for: 6 

Shelf life: best fresh.

Sindhi Saibhaji

Ingredients:

1.   1 each - carrot, capsicum, onion, small cabbage,potato, brinjal, tomato, ladyfinger (okra)

2.   100 gms. french beans

3.   1/2 bunch each spinach, coriander, khatta (3 leaved) greens.

4.   1/2 bunch any other leafy greens.

5.   1 cup green gram dal

6.   1/2 cup horsegram dal (channa dal)

7.   4-5 green chillies

8.   2-3 clovettes garlic

9.   1 tsp. red chilli powder

10. 1 tsp. dhania (coriander seed) powder

11. 1 tsp. salt

12. 1/2 tsp. turmeric

13. 3 tbsp. oil

14. 1/2 tbsp. ghee

15. 2 pinches asafoetida

Method:

1.   Clean and wash dals.

2.   Clean, wash and chop spinach and vegetables except tomato.

3.   Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add all the vegetables, spinach and dals.

4.   Mix well, add enough water to cover the contents. 

5.   Add all masalas and mix.

6.   Place whole tomato on top, cover and pressurecook for 3 whistles. 

7.   Cool the cooker, open and handblend the contents. 

8.   Heat 1/2 tbsp. ghee add a pinch of asafoetida add to the mashed vegetable.

9.   Serve hot with paratha or steamed rice

Making time: 30 minutes (excluding cooling time) 

Makes for: 6

Shelf life: Best fresh

Gobi Manchurian

INGREDIENTS:

1.   1 medium. cauliflower clean and broken into big florettes.

2.   1 small bunch spring onoin finely chopped

3.   2 tsp. ginger finely chopped 

4.   1 tsp. garlic finely chopped

5.   1/4 cup plain flour

6.   3 tbsp. cornflour

7.   1/4 tsp. red chilli powder

8.   2 red chillies, dry

9.   3 tbsp. oil

10. 1 1/2 cups water

11. 1 tbsp. milk

METHOD: 

1.   Boil the florettes for 3-4 minutes in plenty of water, to 

which a tbsp. of milk has been added.

2.   Drain and pat dry on a clean cloth.

3.   Make thin batter out of flour and 2 tbsp.cornflour, adding 

     1/4 tsp. each of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and 

     salt to taste.

4.   Dip the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in 

      hot oil. Keep aside.

5.   In the remaining oil, add remaining ginger, garlic and 

      crushed red chilli and fry for a minute.

6.   Add the salt and spring onions. 

7.   Stir fry for a minute. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a 

      boil.

8.   Add 1 tbsp. cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well.

9.   Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously till it 

      resumes boiling. 

10. Boil till the gravy becomes transparent. Add florettes and 

      soya sauce.

11. Boil for two more minutes and remove.

12. Serve hot with noodles or rice. 

VARIATIONS:

1.   Dry manchurian can be made by omitting the gravy.

2.   Make florettes as above and instead of adding water as 

      above, add fried florettes, spring onions and soya ce at 

      this stage.

3.   Sprinkle 1 tsp. cornflour on the florettes and stirfry for 2 

      minutes. 

4.   Serve piping hot with toothpicks or miniforks and 

      chilli-garlic sauce or tomato sauce.

5.   Same procedure for veg. manchurian (with gravy or dry), 

      but instead of using only cauliflower, use finely chopped 

      minced vegetables and bind with some cornflour or bread 

      crumbs and make small lumps the size of a pingpong ball.

6.   Fry as above and proceed as above.

Making time: 45 minutes

Makes for: 6

Shelf life: Best fresh