Dal Makhani

I’ve been eating a lot of good food lately but just didn’t get a chance to measure & cook, take pictures or work on recipes. Here’s one recipe after a fun long break. :)

Dal Makhani is a popular Indian dish. It is quite easy to prepare but does require a good amount of time. I came across this recipe on Vahrehvah’s website few years back and have prepared this couple times. The richness of the dish and the amount of time required for cooking, it is definitely not your everyday meal but good for special occasions or get-togethers.  It could be paired with grilled meat or kabobs along with some Naan, Jeera Rice and Kachumber or simply serve with some Jeera Rice or Naan.

Dal Makhani

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Dal Soaking Time: 8 hours or more
Cooking Time:  1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Whole Urad Dal (Black Gram)
1/8 cup  Red Kidney Beans
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
Whole Spices – 2 Cloves, 2 Cardamom Pods, 1 - 2” Cinnamon Stick, 2 Bay Leaves
2 teaspoons Ginger – grated or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
3 to 4 Tomatoes – blend to puree (about 1 3/4 cups)
3 teaspoons Red Chili Powder – adjust to taste
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons Butter
1/2 tablespoon Dry Fenugreek Leaves
1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Cilantro – finely chopped

Direction:

1. Wash Urad Dal and Kidney Beans few times and soak with about 8 cups of water for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Rinse once and cook in pressure cooker with 3 or more cups of water on medium heat for 4 whistles (or about 7 minutes after cooker starts steaming).
3. Turn off heat and keep aside until all steam has been released, for about 10 to 15 minutes.  The beans should be very soft and little meshed up. Keep this aside.
4. Heat oil in a pot over medium high heat and add cumin seeds.
5. When it starts to splatter, add whole spices.
6. After 30 seconds or so, add ginger, garlic, turmeric powder and cook for 30 more seconds.
7. Add tomato puree and bring it to a boil.
8. Add chili powder, coriander powder, and salt. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
9. Add butter and cook for 2 more minutes.
10. If there's any liquid left from boiling the beans, add that liquid or just some water and bring to a boil.
11. Add the cooked beans and mix well.
12. Add dry fenugreek leaves, crushing them with hand while adding.
13. Once the beans start to boil, reduce heat to low, cover the lid and cook for 40 minutes or more stirring occasionally in between so that the beans do not get stuck at the bottom. Cook until it is a good thick gravy consistency.
14. Add cream, mix well and cook covered for further 5 minutes on low heat.
15. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with Naan or Zeera Rice and Kachumber.

Note: To cook Dal without pressure cooker, cook uncovered over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it is not scorching at the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 1 hour or until dal is tender adding more water as required.

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Egg Curry

This curry is one of Yogesh's favorite dishes. During his visits from Canada I used to make this dish for him. Back then, I occasionally cook and did not really know many dishes to prepare. I know that he likes curries with lots and lots of gravy and spices so I wanted a dish that uses a lot of spices. The curry didn't exactly turn out as I was imagining but I remember a friend once told me that whenever dishes go wrong, just add coconut milk and it will be all good. So, that is what I did and loved this curry ever since. I like to serve this with steam rice, pickled banana peppers and some type of salad or vegetable stir-fry. It goes really well with Naan or Chapati as well.

Egg Curry

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Oil
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds/Jeera
1 teaspoon Brown Mustard Seeds/Rai
1/2 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds/Methi
3 whole Dry Red Chilies (optional)
2 1/2 cups Onion - finely chopped
1 large stem Curry Leaves – stripped off leaves and discard stem
1 tablespoon Ginger - grated or finely chopped
1 tablespoon Garlic - crushed or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Garam Masala Powder
2 1/2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
8 Hard Boiled Eggs – shell removed and cut 3 to 4 slits through egg whites
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
Salt to taste
1/4 cup Cilantro - roughly chopped
1 Jalapeno or any Green Chili - cut in chunks

Directions:

1. Add oil in a large pot over high heat. Once hot, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, Fenugreek seeds and dry red chili.
2. Once mustard seeds start to pop, add onion, a pinch of salt and cook stirring occasionally for few minutes until onion is translucent.
3. Add curry leaves and continue cooking until onion starts to turn light golden color.
4. Reduce heat to medium, add ginger, garlic and cook for further minute till fragrant.
5. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, 1 tsp garam masala powder and cook for few more seconds.
6. Add tomato paste, cook for few seconds and add about 1 cup of water. Stir well, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Add boiled eggs, salt to taste, mix well and cook covered for another 5 to 10 minutes adding some water if required.
8. Add coconut milk and continue cooking covered for about 5 more minutes.
9. Make necessary adjustments to consistency of the gravy by adding more water if required. Garnish with cilantro, jalapeno and remaining 1/2 tsp garam masala powder. Cover the pot and leave it covered for 5 minutes. Mix once before serving.

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Khandvi

Khandvi is one of my favorite Gujarati snacks. I got to try this only after moving to California. At first, I was curious to find out how they would taste as they look like little bamboo shoots. I really loved it and always thought it would be quite complicated to prepare. One day while visiting my Sister-in-law she gave me this recipe from one of the cookbooks by Tarla Dalal. This is a microwave version which is pretty easy and quick to prepare but you need to work fast while spreading the batter. I’ve made this many times and most of the time I only need to microwave for about 3 ½ minutes.

This is a good appetizer or late afternoon snack and we usually eat this with Green Chutney. Sometimes, when I want to make more, I just make the rolls in two different batches rather than doubling the recipe because I cannot spread it fast enough for more than one batch portion. Prepare as many batches for rolls as you want and garnish all at once.

Khandvi

Makes: 12 pieces
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 minutes

Ingredients:
For Rolls
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
1/2 cup Gram Flour (Besan/Pe Mhont)
1/2 teaspoon Fresh Green Chili – finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Ginger – grated or finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
A pinch Asafetida Powder (Hing) – optional
Salt to taste

For Garnish
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
A pinch Asafetida Powder (Hing) – optional
3 tablespoons Fresh Coconut – Grated
2 tablespoons Cilantro – finely chopped

Directions:
For Rolls:

1. Cut 26 x 12 inches of aluminum foil and keep aside.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, whisk yogurt with 1/2 cup of water until smooth. Add remaining ingredients for the roll and whisk until it forms a smooth batter.
3. Microwave on high for 3 ½ – 4 ½ minutes; whisking in between after every 1 ½ minutes. (Whisking really well is very important because it will not only smooth out the batter but will also help in even cooking)
4. Working as quickly as you can, spread the mixture on the prepared aluminum foil, spreading approximately about 24 x 10 inches or as thin as you can.
5. Allow to cool for 1 minute or so and cut into approximately 2 x 10 inches strips (Total 12 strips).   Carefully roll out each strip, place it in a plate and keep aside.

Tip: The mixture after microwaving will solidify within few minutes so you need to really work fast while spreading it.

For Garnish

1. Heat a small frying pan with oil and once hot, turn off heat and add mustard seeds and Asafetida. Stir for few seconds and pour evenly over the prepared Khandvi rolls.
2. Garnish with grated coconut & cilantro and serve at room temperature with Green Chutney.

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Green Chutney Cilantro/Coriander Chutney

This is a really simple and easy recipe. I learned this version of Green Chutney from my Mother-in-law. It is a good dipping sauce for many Indian snacks.

Green Chutney

Makes: Approximately 1/2 cup
Preparation Time: 5 to 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 cups loosely packed Cilantro/Coriander – roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Ginger – roughly chopped
1/2 Serrano Pepper or any Green Chili – roughly chopped (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon Raw Peanut Powder – optional
1 teaspoon Sugar
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Add all above ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, adding some water if required. Adjust to taste and serve with Indian fried snacks.

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Chicken Tikka

There are different ways of making Chicken Tikka but this is a simple yet tasty version that my sister usually makes. I marinate it overnight if I plan ahead but sometimes I just let it sit for a while and cook right away and they taste pretty good as well. You can serve it with some dal, rice and kachumber or top it up on your favorite salad.

Chicken Tikka

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Marinating Time: 30 minutes to overnight
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Marinate:
2 tablespoons (about 7 cloves) Garlic - pressed or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Ginger - grated or finely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons (about 1/2 lime) freshly squeezed Lime Juice
1/2 cup plain Yogurt
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Other Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless Chicken Breast - sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
Oil Spray for cooking

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine all marinate ingredients, mix well and make necessary adjustments to taste.
2. Pour marinate over chicken and mix well to coat all chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes to overnight in fridge.
3. When ready to cook, heat a large skillet over medium to medium low heat and spray it with oil. Place chicken pieces keeping about 1 inch space in between each piece and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side until it is cooked through and browned nicely. (Do not overcook or it will be dry. You might need to cook in two different batches as you do not want to over crowd the pan. Try not to move the pieces too much while cooking to get even brown color.)
4. Once cooked through, transfer to a plate and serve hot with dal, rice and kachumber.

Note: If there is a lot of marinate liquid left after cooking the chicken, reheat the skillet with few drops of ghee or oil spray and add the marinate liquid. Add some water and cook over high heat until all water has evaporated, it starts to sizzle and brown slightly. Pour it over chicken and serve.

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Bhakri

Bhakri is a type of Indian flat bread that is thicker and crispier than other flat breads. My mother-in-law taught me how to prepare these since my husband loves to eat them in breakfast. It is really not difficult to make and we like to make it on weekends and serve as brunch. If serving as breakfast/brunch, it is best to be served with Gur Kari (Gujarati Sweet Mango Pickle), some fried or grilled fresh chili, or chili garlic chutney and Chai. It can also be served as lunch or dinner if paired with daal and some vegetable dish.

Bhakri

Makes: 4
Preparation Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup atta flour
 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon water (more if needed)
1/2 teaspoon ghee

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine flour, salt, cumin seeds and oil. Mix with hands until oil is incorporated into flour. When you take a handful of flour and form a fist, the mixture should hold its shape.
2. Add water, little at a time until the dough almost comes together. Knead the dough for a minute or two until everything comes together and can form into a dough ball, adding more water if required. This is not soft dough so it won't be very smooth but should be in one piece without falling apart.
3. Preheat a skillet or clay pan over medium heat.
4. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Take each portion and with clasped hands, squeeze the dough between your two palms, pressuring on the edges while rotating the dough to form a smooth disk-like shape. Shape all four pieces.
5. Take one shaped piece and with rolling pin, roll into a circle about 6 inches in diameter and approximately 1/8 inch thickness. It is normal if the edges are not very smooth. 
6. Place the rolled out dough on the skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side until some brown spots appear.
7. If using gas stove, take the cooked Bhakri with a kitchen tong and place it over direct fire over medium heat. Rotate and flip few times and cook over direct fire for 20 to 30 seconds to get more color. If not using gas stove, just continue cooking on the skillet till it is cooked through.
8. Place it in a plate and with a sharp edge kitchen tong or spoon poke some areas of Bhakri so that ghee can penetrate. Coat the back of a small spoon with ghee and spread it over the Bhakri evenly.
9. Repeat the rolling and cooking process with the remaining dough and serve either warm or at room temperature with chili garlic chutney (recipe below), Gur Kari(Gujarati Sweet Mango Pickle) and Chai.

Note: To save time, while you’re cooking one Bhakri work on rolling the other.

Chili Garlic Chutney
1 big Jalapeno
2 cloves garlic
3/4 tablespoon oil
Salt to taste

Process jalapeno and garlic in food processor until fine or chop it up with knife very finely. Transfer to a small bowl, add oil and salt. Mix it up and serve.

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Baked Pakoras

Pakoras are fried snacks made from Basen (gram flour) batter. You can use a variety of vegetables such as potato, onions, cauliflower or some of the leafy greens; dip them in batter and deep fry them until lightly golden and crisp. My Mom used to make super delicious Pakoras with water spinach (Ong Choy, Ga Zun Ywet). She did not use that many ingredients or spices but they still tasted really good. 

    “A book, a cup of hot steaming tea and some pakoras.........a perfect combination for a rainy day”
     -- Kawser Patel

Few days back, the weather was so gloomy and cold that I could not think of anything else other than eating hot Pakoras. The only drawback for me with Pakoras is the frying process but I found this baked version online which is a good compromise.  The difference between the fried and baked version is the batter consistency. The fried version has thinner pancake-like batter and baked version has a pretty thick, almost cookie dough-like batter. My Mother-in-law likes to spice up her Pakoras so I’m following that concept and spicing up these baked Pakoras but you can use as many or little variety of spices you like depending on what you have on hand and your taste.

Baked Pakoras

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup besan (gram flour, chickpea flour)
2 tablespoons rice flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ajwain/carom seeds (optional)
2 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves/methi leaves (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon ghee or melted butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup red onion – finely chopped
1 Serrano pepper or any green chili – finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon cilantro – finely chopped
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon water (plus more if required)
Oil spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat it with oil spray.
2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients except water and mix with a spoon or rubber spatula. While stirring, add water little at a time just until all flour is wet without any dry patches. You should be able to scoop out with spoon on baking sheet.
3. Drop about 1 tablespoon of batter onto the prepared baking sheet spacing about 2 inches between each Pakoras.
4. Bake the Pakoras for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden in color. Serve hot with Ketchup and Masala Chai.

Note: I used toaster oven in making these as it cooks much faster. If you’re using conventional oven, you might have to bake for a bit longer.

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Paneer

Paneer is an Indian cheese which can be used for making different types of curries and dishes. Making Paneer at home is not that difficult and by making it at home, you can even flavor it with herbs and spices if you would like.

Paneer
Makes: 10 ounces
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Preparation and Pressing Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Ingredients:
8 cups whole or 2% milk
3 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a heavy bottom pot over medium high heat, boil milk stirring frequently to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pot.
2. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and add vinegar or lime slowly, stirring gently. Within few seconds, the milk solids will start to separate from whey.  Once the whey is clear, turn of the heat, remove from stove keep aside for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Drain the whey using a strainer lined with cheesecloth or muslin cloth.
4. Run this under cold tab water to wash out the sourness. Gather all sides of the cloth to form a little bundle and squeeze excess water out.
5. Shape the bundle into round, rectangle or square shape, smooth out the cloth (wrapping with as less crease as possible) and put it on a plate or tray.
6. Paneer will need to be pressed with something heavy for about an hour. This can be done by placing a pot filled with water on top of the wrapped cheese and leave it for an hour or place another plate on top of the wrapped bundle and place some cans to weigh it down.
7. After pressing it for about an hour, paneer is ready to be cut into desired shape and use.

Note:

• Before adding vinegar or lime into milk, the milk can be flavored with salt and dried spices and herbs such as cumin seeds, dried mint and cilantro, if desired.
• If you have a strainer with a flat bottom, invert this and place the paneer bundle on top of it and press with some weight as mentioned above. This method will let the water drain out but you can still make it without this.

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Mattar Paneer

Mattar Paneer is a popular Punjabi (northern state in India) dish. This is the version from Vahrehvah website. It is easy to make, rich, creamy and packed with flavor. Best to be served with naan, Jeera rice, some fresh vegetables and sweet lassi drink.

Mattar Paneer

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
10 whole cashew nuts
1 onion – roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon ginger – roughly chopped
1 tablespoon garlic – roughly chopped
2 medium tomatoes – roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 cup)
Whole spices – (2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 3 cardamom pods, 2 teaspoon cumin seeds)
2 green chilies – finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
1 cup green peas
10 ounces paneer (homemade or store bought) – cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cup cilantro – roughly chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala powder (optional)
2 tablespoon oil
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a pan or pot over medium high heat; add 1 tbsp of oil and sauté cashew nuts until they are slightly golden in color.
2. Add onions, a pinch of salt and cook until onions are lightly brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add turmeric powder, ginger, garlic and cook for further minute.
4. Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let it cool and blend it into a smooth paste and keep aside.
5. Using the same pan or pot, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil over medium high heat and add whole spices. Fry for 30 seconds and add the above blended mixture.
6. Add about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water to thin out the gravy and add green chili, cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder and salt to taste. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 10 minutes on low heat uncovered.
7. Add fenugreek leaves crushing between the palms while adding, mix well and cook for further 5 minutes partially covered.
8. Add green peas and cook for another 5 minutes.
9. Add paneer and simmer for two minutes. Make necessary adjustments to taste and thickness of the gravy by adding more water if needed.
10. Garnish with chopped cilantro, cream, Garam Masala powder, stir gently and simmer for a minute more and serve hot with naan.

Note: If desired, paneer cubes can be deep fried until golden brown before adding into the gravy.

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Lasan Puri (Garlic Puri)

The garlic flavored Puri is a great dish for breakfast and brunch. The procedure of making the Lasan Puri is same as making regular Puris except this is flavored with spices and garlic. It can be a meal on its own without any gravy or curries accompanying it. I believe it is a common Gujarati (eastern state in India) dish and I was introduced to this dish by my husband’s family, and learnt how to make them from my mother-in-law.

I love to eat Puris but we don’t make or eat as much because they are deep fried. I have to admit, I have difficulty in making the Puri’s puff 100% of the time but with a little practice, I’m getting a hang of it. Even if some of them don’t puffed up, the taste is still great. Fry the Puris with enough oil and maintain the temperature for successful Puris.

Lasan Puri (Garlic Puri)

Makes: 22 puris
Preparation Time: 30- 40 minutes
Frying Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups atta flour
1 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoon garlic – crushed or finely chopped
2 tablespoon oil
3/4 cup water (more if required)
Oil for deep frying

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix first 6 ingredients together. Add oil and mix with hand until oil is incorporated into flour. It will look like wet flour or coarse bread crumbs and when you pressed flour in your fist, it should partially hold the shape.
2. Add water little at a time until the dough comes together. The dough should be little tight and not very soft, so be careful not to add too much water.
3. Knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth. Divide the dough into 22 equal portions and shape them into smooth balls.
4. Heat deep frying pan with few inches of oil over medium heat, to 325 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Take each dough ball and roll out into thin circles about 4 inches in diameter. You should be able to roll out without dusting any flour if the dough is at right consistency. However, if the dough has more water than needed and it is sticking to the surface, you can dust some flour while rolling.
6. Roll few and keep in a plate in one layer while the oil is heating. (Keep the unrolled dough balls covered with a plate or towel.)
7. Once the oil is hot slide one puri at a time in hot oil. It will initially sink to the bottom of the pan but within few seconds, it should rise up. With a slotted spoon, lightly press the puris so that it puffs up. Once puffed, turn over and fry the other side for few more seconds until very lightly golden in color on both sides. Remove from oil and place it on a large plate or pot lined with paper napkins for oil to drain.
8.  Fry all the puris and serve hot with Gur Kari (Gujarati Sweet Mango Pickle), Chai and fried Jalapeno peppers (see note below).

Note: To make fried Jalapeno; cut 1 to 2 big Jalapeno peppers into 1 inch chunks. Deep-fry in the same oil for few seconds until lightly golden in color. Remove from oil, drain on paper napkins and season with some salt, and coriander powder to taste.

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Aloo Puri

Aloo and Puri goes together like love and marriage ;). It is just a perfect combination. My mom used to make super delicious Aloo Puri for us and we all loved it. She also made Kheer along with this meal but since I'm not too crazy about Kheer, I've never made it before. She usually made the puri out of atta flour, which produces softer puris but since my husband likes little chewer version, I use mixture of all purpose flour and atta to make them. The Aloo subzi has a little tangy flavor from tamarind and good aroma from black onion seeds. This is fairly an easy dish but does require deep frying the puris.

Aloo Subzi

Serves: 2 to 3
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon brown whole mustard seed (rai)
1 teaspoon black onion seed (kalonji/kala zeera)
1/4 teaspoon hing (optional)
1 1/2 cup of onion - finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger - grated or finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic - crushed or finely chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1/2 pounds potato - diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup tamarind (adjust to taste)
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. To make tamarind pulp, in a small bowl, soak tamarind in enough lukewarm water to cover it. Let it sit for about 20 to 30 minutes to soften. With your hand squash and squeeze the tamarind so that it mixes well with water. Strain, discard the solids and keep aside the liquid/pulp for later use.
2. In a pot, add oil and heat over high heat. Once it is hot, add mustard seeds, black onion seeds and hing. Fry for few seconds until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add chopped onion, a pinch of salt and stir well.
3. Fry the onions, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes until they are lightly golden in color.
4. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric powder and stir for few seconds.
5. Add potatoes, salt to taste, stir well and cook for about a minute.
6. Add about 1 1/3 cup of water or enough water to cover the potatoes, reduce heat to medium, cover the pot and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until potatoes are cooked through and soft. It is okay for some of the potatoes to be little mashed as this will create thicker gravy.
7. Add tamarind pulp (2 tablespoon or to taste), more water if required (about 2/3 cup), stir and cook for further 2 to 3 minutes. Make necessary adjustment to taste and consistency of the gravy by adding more water if required. Serve hot with fresh puris.

Note:

• I prefer using tamarind for this dish but you can substitute it with lime juice as well.
• Amount of tamarind used for this dish will depend on the sourness of the tamarind itself and the amount of water used in making the pulp. Add few teaspoons at a time and adjust according to your desired sourness of the dish.
• Unused tamarind pulp can be frozen in ice cubes trays and store the cubes in Ziploc bag or airtight container in freezer for few months.

Puri

Makes: 16 puris
Preparation and frying Time: 30 minutes
Dough resting Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup atta flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup water (more if required)
Oil for deep frying

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix all purpose flour, atta flour and salt together. Add oil and mix with hand until oil is incorporated into flour. It will look like wet flour or coarse bread crumbs and when you pressed flour in your fist, it should partially hold the shape.
2. Add milk to the flour mixture and start by adding half of the water and continue to add more until the dough comes together. The dough should be little tight and not very soft, so be careful not to add too much water.
3. Knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth.
4. Lightly coat the kneaded dough with oil, cover and keep aside for about 30 minutes or so. Tip: While dough is resting, prepare Aloo Subzi.
5. Once ready to make the puris, divide the dough into 16 equal portions and roll them into smooth balls.
6. Heat deep frying pan with few inches of oil over medium heat, to 325 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Prepare a large plate or pot by lining it with some paper napkins to keep the fried puris and keep this aside.
8. Take each dough ball and roll out into thin circles about 4 1/2 to 5 inches in diameter. You should be able to roll out without dusting any flour if the dough is at right consistency. However, if the dough has more water than needed and it is sticking to the surface, you can dust some flour while rolling.
9. Roll few and keep in a plate in one layer while the oil is heating. (Keep the unrolled dough balls covered with a plate or towel.)
10. Once the oil is hot slide one puri at a time in hot oil. It will initially sink to the bottom of the pan but within few seconds, it should rise up. With a slotted spoon, lightly press the puris so that it puffs up. Once puffed, turn over and fry the other side for few more seconds until very lightly golden in color on both sides and remove from oil. Fry all the puris and serve hot with Aloo subzi.

Note:

• Having a second hand in making puris will be very helpful. While one person rolls, the other person can do the frying process. Before starting the frying process, have 5 to 6 puris rolled out ahead of time.
• If you're making it alone, just work in few batches rolling and frying 5 to 6 puris at a time. While you're rolling, just reduce the heat of the oil a little to maintain the temperature.

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Raita (Yogurt Sauce)

Raita is a mixture of yogurt with vegetables and is often served as a side dish to an Indian meal. By paring with hot and spicy curries and grilled meat, it will cool down and balance out the strong flavors of the meal.

The choice of vegetables used and the size of cutting them will depend on your preference. I usually like my vegetables to be little chunkier and below is the version that I like to make. Once in a blue moon, I might add some red onion or green onion but usually I just skip it because I don’t like the after taste of raw onion.

Raita (Yogurt Sauce)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Persian cucumber or cucumber of your choice – diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup carrot – diced into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 jalapeño – seeds removed and diced into 1/4 inch pieces (adjust to taste)
3 to 4 sprigs of cilantro – roughly chopped
3 to 4 mint leaves – roughly chopped (optional)
1/4 teaspoon toasted cumin powder
1 tablespoon golden raisins – roughly chopped
Salt to taste
Few dashes of black pepper

Directions:

1. Add yogurt in bowl and stir with a fork or whisk so that it is smooth and creamy. Add water and stir well to combine. Depending on the yogurt, you might need more or less water. Adjust to your desired consistency.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well and adjust according to taste.
3. Serve slightly chilled.

Note: You can also add little bit of red onion or green onion if you prefer.

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Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice)

Jeera Rice is really simple, delicious and fragrant rice. It goes well with Indian curries and Indian BBQ. This is a very basic recipe using only few ingredients but I’ve seen recipes that use saffron and herbs in it. I’ll post different version in future when I make it :).

Water to rice ratio in cooking rice will depend on whether it is old or new crop. If you’re already comfortable with cooking rice, just use the same ratio as you would normally use. I’ve included both rice cooker and stove top methods below.

Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice)

Serves: 2 to 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
1 teaspoon ghee or butter
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 3/4 cup water
Salt to taste

Directions:
Rice Cooker Method

1. Wash the rice few times, drain and place it in rice cooker pot.
2. In a small skillet, add ghee and heat over medium high heat.
3. Once ghee is hot but not smoking, add cumin seeds. Fry for few seconds until fragrant and the cumin turns few shades darker. Be careful not to let it burn.
4. Remove from heat and pour it over the rice. Add salt and stir with a spoon to mix all ingredients well.
5. Add water to little over 1 cup mark in the cooker or 1 3/4 cup and cook.
6. Before serving, fluff up the rice a bit.

Stove-top Method

1. Wash the rice few times, drain and keep aside.
2. In a pot to cook rice, heat ghee over medium high heat.
3. Once ghee is hot but not smoking, add cumin seeds. Fry for few seconds until fragrant and the cumin turns few shades darker. Be careful not to let it burn.
4. Add washed rice, salt and stir few times and cook for about a minute. Add water and bring it to a boil.
5. Once it comes to a boil, cover the pot with a tight lid, reduce heat to very low and let the rice cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
6. After 20 minutes, fluff up the rice and serve.

Note: After 20 minutes of cooking if there is still water in the pot, cook it for few more minutes covered till all water is evaporated.
After 20 minutes, if rice is undercooked, sprinkle some warm water, cover and let it cook for few more minutes.
You can also soak the rice for about 30 minutes before cooking and rice will be fluffier. If you decide to soak the rice, reduce the amount of water used during the cooking process.

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Kachumber (Mixed Vegetable Salad)

Kachumber is a super quick salad that goes really well with most Indian curries. The sourness of this salad cuts down the richness most of the Indian curries have, so it is a good balance. There is no fixed recipe or type of vegetables to use for this dish. You can just make it with pretty much any vegetables you like. Below is the version I usually make.

Vegetables can be cut into small or chunkier pieces. I prefer the chunkier style. Sometimes, I add lime and salt before serving, but every now and then, I just serve lime wedges on the side with small salt bottle so that people can make it according to their taste.

Kachumber (Mixed Vegetable Salad)

Ingredients:
2 Persian cucumbers or cucumber of your choice – peeled, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 medium tomato – halved or quartered and sliced
1 small carrot – cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 jalapeno – cut in half lengthwise and sliced thinly (adjust to taste)
3 to 4 sprigs of cilantro – roughly chopped
3 to 4 mint leaves – roughly chopped (optional)
1/2 to 1 fresh lime juice (adjust to taste)
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together and adjust according to taste and serve.

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Turkey Seekh Kabab

The weather in Southern California has been great lately. Mostly sunny and we even hit 80 degrees F past week. With this beautiful weather, of course BBQ came to my mind. When we BBQ, we usually go all-out grilling different types of meats and vegetables in one shot. BBQ for us is more of a feast then keeping it simple :). However, this time, I controlled my urge of making a feaster and just made some Seekh Kababs and Tandoori Chicken. It was quick and effortless for me since I don’t do the grilling part :).

Seekh Kabab is a popular dish and there are many different variety and versions of this dish. I came across the video from VahChef few years back and tried few different techniques that he has mentioned in this video. They are all good but his method requires grinding meat on your own. Since I wanted it to be simpler and quicker, I came up with below version.

Turkey Seekh Kabab

Makes: 5 Kababs
Preparation Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 15 minutes

Ingredients:
0.8 pound (364 grams) ground turkey
1 tablespoon ginger – grated or finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/8 cup fried onion or shallots (I usually use readymade one)
1/4 cup grated extra sharp cheddar or cheese of your choice
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro – finely chopped
1 jalapeno or any green chili - finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1/2 egg – lightly beaten
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
5 BBQ bamboo skewers – soaked in water for 30 minutes wiped dry
Oil Spray
1 large yellow or white onion – cut into 1/4 inch thick rings
Few red or green whole jalapenos for grilling

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Divide the meat into 5 equal portions.
2. Take one portion of meat and starting from the center of the skewer; wrap the meat around and shape it into a uniform cylinder shape (sausage shape) along the skewer leaving few inches empty from top and bottom. Place the shaped Kabob on a plate and continue with the rest of the meat.
3. In a separate dish, place the onion rings in one layer and drizzle some olive oil or spray some oil on them. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Turn the onions over and do the same thing with the other side.
4. When ready to grill, spray some oil on an outdoor grill and grill the Kabobs, for few minutes until nicely browned rotating few times for even browning on all sides. Grill the onions and Jalapenos alongside while grilling the meat.
5. Alternatively, if you want to make it indoors, use a griddle skillet or a plain skillet, spray some oil and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through, rotating few times for even browning. Grill the onions and Jalapenos on the same pan as well.

Note: The meat needs to be free of moisture for making the kabobs. Dry the green chili and cilantro well before adding. If the mixture is mushy, add some bread crumbs to firm it up. If the meat is sticking too much to your hands, oil your hands while shaping them.

Serving Suggestion:
To serve as an appetizer: remove skewer, cut into half or 3 portions of each kabab and serve with lime wedges and green (cilantro) chutney.
To serve as a meal: serve with Jeera Rice, Naan, Raita, Kachumber, grilled onions and grilled fresh chilies. If you don’t like your meals dry, serve some type of Indian curry along with it.

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Garam Masala Powder

Garam Masala powder is a mixture of different spices ground into powder.  It is used a lot in Indian and South Asian cuisines. Everyone have their own version of spices and ratios they use, to make this recipe. It is not a difficult process and it stores pretty well. You can adjust the intensity and flavor of spices to your preference by making it at home.

My mom used to mix the whole spices, put them in a tray in one layer and keep them under direct sunlight for few hours before grinding them into powder. However, you can just roast spices lightly on stovetop before grinding them. Below is the version that my sister makes. Once you start making your own garam masala at home, I don’t think you’ll ever go back to a store bought version. 

I’ve listed some of the ingredients as optional in case some of us don’t use spices in daily cooking and don’t want to invest in them. I’ve found that Indian grocery stores have better value on whole spices.

Garam Masala Powder

Click on above image to enlarge

Makes:  Approximately 2 1/2 cups
Preparation Time:  30 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cumin seeds
1 cup coriander seeds
2 tablespoons whole cardamom
1 tablespoon clove
5 - 3” stick (0.65 ounce/18 grams) cinnamon – break into smaller pieces
1/2 cup loosely packed (0.15 ounce/4 grams) bay leave
2 1/2 tablespoons black peppercorn
1 1/2 tablespoon star anise

Optional:
1 1/2 tablespoon mace
1/4 cup fennel seeds
1 tablespoon seeds from black cardamom – discard pod
1 tablespoon black onion seeds (also known as black cumin, Kalonji, Nigella sativa seed)
1 whole nutmeg – break into chunks

Directions:

1. Combine all spices except nutmeg in a large skillet.
2. Dry roast on very low heat for about 10 minutes or until fragrant while stirring to make sure that the spices don’t burn.
3. Remove from heat, transfer to a plate and let it cool.
4. Using a spice grinder or coffee grinder, grind them into a fine powder.
5. Sieve through a fine mash and keep the garam masala in an airtight container.

Note:

• This version is little mild but if you prefer a hotter Masala, add more black pepper. Some people also add dried red chilies in their garam masala.
• If you have powerful grinder, you don’t need to discard the pods of black cardamom, just grind them all together.

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Ghee

I learnt making ghee from my mother-in-law, who is a great vegetarian cook. Making homemade ghee is not difficult or complicated but does require a bit of time. Ghee has slightly nutty flavor and is used a lot in Indian cooking. Ghee can be kept unrefrigerated for few months, refrigerated for over 6 months or over a year when frozen.

The cooking time table below is from the book of Great Vegetarian Dishes by Kurma dasa.

Ghee

Ingredients:
1 to 3 pounds of unsalted butter – cut into large chunks

Directions:

1. In a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat, melt butter stirring to make sure it melts slowly and doesn’t brown. Continue to stir and bring it to a boil.
2. When the surface of the butter is covered with a white foam, reduce heat to as low as possible.
3. Simmer uncovered and undisturbed for required amount of time as stated below until the milk solids have settled to the bottom and a thin crust appears on top. The finished ghee will be golden in color and clear.
4. Turn off the heat and skim off the top layer with a fine sieve in a bowl and keep aside.
5. Carefully ladle the ghee into an airtight jar without disturbing the solids on the bottom and pour through a fine sieve to the jar. Allow it to cool completely and keep it airtight.
6. Combine the bottom milk solids with the reserved top crust and use within few days. Keep this refrigerated. This can be used in cooked vegetables, soups and grains.

Butter Quantity	Cooking Time
1 lb	1 ¼ hours
2 lbs	1 ¾ hours
3 lbs	2 hours

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Ras Malai

Ras Malai is my all time favorite desert. While growing up, we didn’t get to eat this as often, since there are not many places back in Burma that sells this desert during those days. I always thought it would be very difficult to make until I found these two recipes from Vah Chef and Manjula’s Kitchen and came up with below recipe.

Ras Malai

Makes: 12 pieces
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Inactive Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
For milk patties:
4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup white vinegar or lime juice
8 to 12 ice cubes
1 1/2 cups sugar
9 cups water

For milk mixture:
4 cups whole milk
2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar (adjust to your taste)
4 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon Rose water (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped almonds and pistachios to garnish

Directions:
Paneer Patties:

1. In a heavy bottom pot over medium high heat, boil 4 cups of milk stirring frequently to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pot.
2. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and add vinegar or lime slowly, stirring gently and within few seconds, the milk solids will start to separate from whey.  Once the whey is clear, turn of the heat, remove from stove and add ice cubes.  This will create soft paneer (milk solids).
3. Once the ice melts, drain the whey using a strainer lined with cheesecloth or muslin cloth.
4. Run this under cold tab water to wash out the sourness. Gather all sides of the cloth to form a little bundle and squeeze excess water out. Hang this bundle for about an hour.  
5. After an hour, in a large pot, bring 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 9 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Make sure the pot is large enough to accommodate the finished patties, as they will expand to about double in size.
6. While the sugar water is boiling, place paneer on a dry clean surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes until the hands get little greasy and it comes together as soft smooth dough.
7. Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and roll by applying some pressure initially and releasing the pressure to create round smooth balls. Press the ball slightly to flatten just a bit. Use very little pressure; you don’t want to shape them into flat disk.
8. Drop the paneer balls into the boiling sugar water, cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes on high heat.
9. Transfer the patties along with some syrup to a large bowl and let it cool. Take out the patties from the syrup and squeeze them lightly, and keep aside.

Milk Mixture:

1. While sugar water is boiling, in a separate heavy bottom pot, bring the remaining milk along with cardamom pods to a boil on medium heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
2. Add sugar to taste and add Rose water, if using and mix well.
3. Add the patties in milk and cook for 1 minute or so.
4. Turn off the heat and transfer the patties along with milk mixture to a bowl or container, and garnish with chopped almonds and pistachios. Let cool completely and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.  Serve chill.

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Pulau (Butter Lentil Rice)

Pulau (Butter Lentil Rice)

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 4 to 6 hours

Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati rice
1/2 cup chana daal (split chickpea) – washed and soaked in water for 4 to 6 hrs
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
2 bay leaves
1 small 2” cinnamon stick
2 cup minus 2 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon evaporated milk or milk
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon clarified butter (ghee) or butter
1 small or 1/2 medium onion – finely chopped
1 teaspoon of cumin seed (optional)

Directions:
Rice cooker method

1. In a rice cooker pot, add rice and chana daal and wash couple times. Drain water and add salt, sugar, bay leaves, cinnamon, water, milk and mix well.
2. In a skillet, heat butter and oil over medium high heat, add cumin seeds if using, and add onions. Fry for few minutes till onions are lightly brown.  Pour this over the rice pot, mix and cook the ricer in cooker till done.

Stovetop method

1. Wash rice and chana daal together for couple times, drain water and keep aside.
2. In a pot, heat butter and oil over medium high heat, add cumin seeds if using, and add whole spices and stir. Add onions and fry for few minutes till onions are lightly brown. 
3. Add the washed rice and daal to the pot and cook for a minute or so. Add water, milk, salt and sugar and stir well to combine.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes. If water has not fully evaporated, continue to cook for few more minutes. Fluff the rice before serving.

*Note: After 20 minutes, if the rice is undercooked, sprinkle some warm water and continue to cook.

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