Mutton Curry... Punjabi Style

• Mutton-1/2 kg


• Onions- 4 large (pureed)


• Ginger + garlic paste-1 tbsp


• Tomatoes-2 medium (pureed)


• Pure desi ghee-2 tbsp


• Refined oil-4 tbsp


• Curd-1 cup


• Garam masala-1 tbsp


• Cumin seeds-1 tsp


• Deggi mirch-1 tsp


• Salt and black pepper to taste


• add 1 green chilli if you like it hot!

Heat refined oil in a heavy bottom pan, add the onions and cumin seeds and fry till brown now add the ginger+garlic paste and fry again for 2-3 minutes, add tomato puree and fry till masala separates now add the curd and mutton together along with the ghee, garam masala, deggi mirch and salt and pepper, also add 1/2 cup hot water, mix well.Transfer mutton + masala to a pressure cooker and give 8-9 whistles, turn off stove and let pressure drop by itself.Open cooker and check if mutton is done, transfer to the same heavy bottom pan again and roast atleast for 20-30 minutes till dry and browned.

Fried Green Tomatoes

 

here's what all you need to make them-

• Fresh green tomatoes-4
• Egg-1
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh or dried breadcrumbs-1 cup
• Refined oil for frying

Wash the tomatoes and dry, chose very firm unblemished tomatoes, slice 1/2 inch thick and pat them with paper towel to soak excess liquid, crack open egg and beat well with salt and pepper.For the fresh breadcrumbs I simply take 3 slices of brown bread and pulse in my coffee grinder, ta-da fresh breadcrumbs are ready!.Season breadcrumbs with salt and pepper too, if like me you like it hot, sprinkle some chilli flakes in too :), now take the tomato slice and dip in egg, coat well with the crumbs and press down gently so that they stick well, shallow fry in a non-stick pan till golden and crispy, serve immediately.

Easy Peasy Cheesy Pasta

Ingredients-

• Pasta of choice (I used tubes)-2 cups boiled till tender but not mushy, if you are a first timer, follow instructions here
• Frozen mixed chopped veggies of choice(carrots, beans, broccoli, cauliflower)-1 cup (u can use fresh too)
• Fat free/reduced fat mayonnaise-1/2 cup
• Ready tomato puree-1/2 cup
• Oregano-1/2 tsp
• Garlic- minced-1/2 tsp
• Sugar-1 tsp
• Onion- 1 small diced
• Olive oil- 1 tbsp
• Grated cheese- 2-3 tbsp 
• Salt and black pepper

Method-

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, saute garlic and onion for a minute till fragrant.
2. Add the tomato puree and fry till oil leaves sides of pan.
3. Microwave the mixed veggies on high for 5 minutes till tender, or simmer in open pan till tender but still crunchy even upto 1 day before.
4. Add the sugar and oregano to the tomato puree and mix well.
5. Now add in the vegetables, the pasta and mayo along with salt and pepper, combine thoroughly and cook till heated through
6. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and serve with toasted garlic bread.

Banana Muffins

To make these you need-

• Flour-1 1/4 cup
• Baking powder-1/2 tsp
• Baking soda-1/2 tsp
• Bananas- 2, very ripe, mashed
• Eggs-2
• Powdered sugar-3/4 cup
• Vegetable oil/ melted butter-1/2 cup
• Vanilla extract-1 capful/ tsp
• Cinnamon- 1/2 tbsp
• Salt-1/4 tsp
• Almonds- a handful, pulse lightly in mixer

Method-

1. Preheat oven to 180 C.
2. Line muffin pan with paper cup liners.
3. Combine all the wet ingredients together- like Bananas, eggs, butter, vanilla and mix well either by electric mixer or by hand.
4. Combine all the dry ingredients together and gently fold into the wet mixture.
5. Place generous spoonfuls into the lined pan and sprinkle with almonds, bake for 15 minutes or till golden brown and well risen
6. Serve with hot/cold coffee.

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients-

• Carrots- 3/4 kg
• Condensed Milk-1 can
• Milk- 1 liter full fat
• Cardamom (green)-2-3 crushed
• Mixed dry fruits-1/2 cup
• Clarified butter(desi ghee)-1/2 cup+1 tbsp for frying the dry fruit

Method-

1. Wash, peel and grate the carrots.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and fry grated carrots till fragrant, about 15 minutes,this is very important to impart a good flavour to thehalwa
3. Add the Milk, condensed milk and cardamoms and cook on a slow flame, stirring carefully till Milk is absorbed, this will take about half an hour, do not stir too much or you will end up with a mush, but be careful not to burn it also.
4. Adjust sugar, fry the dry fruits and garnish the halwa with them, you can also add some khoya/mawa to the halwa at this stage.

Kanji

Ingredients

• Black carrots-4
• Water-2 liters
• Mustard seeds-2 tbsp(powdered)
• salt-2 tsp
• Red chilli powder-1/2 tsp

Method-

1. Wash and scrape the carrots, be prepared to have your hand stained purple or wear gloves.
2. Chop Carrots into longish pieces.
3. Take a big glass jar, big enough for 2 liters of water and combine all the ingredients together, give it a good shake.
4. Leave jar in the sun for 5-6 days for the drink to ferment and sour.
5. Taste the kanji, adjust salt if required, chill and serve in glasses with a fork to fish out the pieces of carrots.

Kanji Vada...Moong Dal Pakoras in Kanji water!

Ingredients
(makes 20-22)

To make vadas:

• Moong dal ¾ cup   
• Oil to deep fry  

To soak the vadas:

• Water 4 cups
• Salt 1 tsp  

To make kanji:

• Red chilli powder ½ tbsp
• Mustard powder 2½ tbsp
• Turmeric powder ½ tbsp
• Salt 1½ tbsp
• Asafoetida ¼ tsp
• Water 8 cups / 2 lt 

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Kanji ke vade is very traditional dish made in UP and Rajasthan. This dish is usually prepared for HOLI. Kanji comprises mustard seeds powder, along with salt, turmeric powder, and red chili dissolved in the water. Moong dal vadas are soaked in this tangy water. When this water becomes sour (it takes 2-4 days), the dish is known as Kanji. Vegetables such as carrots, boiled potatoes, radish, etc. can also be soaked in Kanji. Try this traditional Holi dish……

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Method of preparation

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1. Clean and wash the lentil (moong dal). Soak the lentils in 3 cups of water for about 4 hours.
2. Grind the lentils in the grinder with a little water.

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3. Whisk the batter thoroughly till it becomes light. 
4. Heat oil in a wok on medium heat. Pour about 1 table spoon of lentil batter in the oil at a time, to make vadas. Deep fry the vadas on medium heat till they become golden pink. (takes about 7-8 mins).

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5. Take the vadas out on the kitchen paper.
6. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
7. Now soak the vadas in warm water. Add 1 tea spoon salt in the water and let the vadas get soft.

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Vadas will leave all the extra water in the oil and will soak the water. Take out the vadas from the water by pressing gently between your palms. Keep aside.

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To make Kanji

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In a bowl take turmeric powder, mustard powder, red chili, salt, asafoetida (heeng). Add about ½ cup of water and mix all the spices well.

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2. Now mix this spice paste in about 7½ cups of water. Mix well.
3. Soak the squeezed vadas in this spicy mustard water. Keep the bowl in a warm place.
4. It takes about 2-4 days (depending on the weather) for this spiced water to turn sour.

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Serve delicious and spicy kanji vadas to your guests in the beautiful afternoon of HOLI. Make sure that you make kanji vada at least 2 days before the HOLI festival.

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It depends on the weather how long the kanji will take to get sour (2-4days). Once the kanji has turned sour , keep it in the refrigerator. It can be kept in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.

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If the vadas are soft they will be floating in the water all the time.

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To make soft vadas it is important to whisk the lentil paste thoroughly.

Tomato Rasam

INGREDIENTS

1 cup tomatoes ( chopped)
1 tsp tamarind paste 
1/2 tsp turmuric
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp jaggary
2 tbs oil
cilantro
salt 

RASAM POWDER 

1 tsp black peppercons
1 tsp cumin seeds
8 curry leaves
3 garlic cloves

Make a corse powder of all the above ingredients

Method

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Combine chopped tomatoes , tamarind paste , turmuric , chilli powder , cilantro

salt and 3 cups of water in a sauce pan

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Bring to boil and let it simmer for 15 min untill tomatoes are mashed completely

then add jaggary , keep aside

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Heat 2 tbs oil for tadka in a pan .add corse ground rasam powder ,sautee for 1 min on medium flame

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Pour tadka over rasam and serve hot with rice and pickle

Mutton Curry

Ingredients:

• Mutton:500gm
• Onion : 2
• Tomatoes : 2
• Ginger& Garlic Paste : 3 tbsp
• Oil : 5 tbsp
• Cinnamon stick : 1 inch
• Cloves : 3
• Bay leaves : 2
• Fennel seeds : 1 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder: 1tsp
• Curry leaves : 6 to 8
• Red Chili Powder : 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander powder : 1  tbsp
• Black Pepper : 2 to 3 tbsp ( according to your spice level)
• Coriander leaves : few ( for garnishing)

Method Of Preparation:

1. Heat 1/2 spoon oil in a pan add onions sautee till it becomes soft and translucent .
2. Add tomatoes and fry them all together for about 5 minutes .
3. Remove them from heat and let it cool for few minutes.
4. Grind ‘em into a smooth paste. Keep it aside.
5. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pressure cooker, add the ground paste and fry it in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes.Then  add the ginger & garlic paste .
6. After the raw smell off ginger and garlic goes off, add the mutton and mix it all well. Fry the mutton with the masala for 5 to 8 minutes in medium flame.
7. Now add the red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder , black pepper , salt and half cup of water into it.
8. Stir it well so that all of the ingredients mix together and close the lid of the pressure cooker.
9. Pressure cook it until the whistle goes off 4 times. After that remove from heat and keep it aside.
10. Heat the remaining oil in a kadai/pan add cloves, cinnamon, bayleaves, fennel seedsand curry leaves. After the seeds sputter add the  pressure cooked gravy in to it . Boil it for a few minutes or till it comes to complete boil.
11. If the gravy is little  watery leave it in a medium heat untill it becomes a bit thick in consistency and remove from heat.
12. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Rava Sandwich

Ingredients 

11/2 Cup Rawa (Semolina) 

1 Cup Curd

1 Large Finely Chopped Onion

1 Large Finely Chopped Capsicum

1 Large Finely Chopped Tomato

1Tablespoon Finely Chopped Green Chillies

1 Cup of grated Cheese 
Butter 
Salt to taste 

Method:

1. In a large bowl, place the rawa along with all the vegetables and mix it properly.

2. Now add the curd, the amount of the curd should be such that it makes spreadable thick batter. Don’t add water in the matter to make it wet, instead increase the amount of curd. While adding the curd keep in mind that the vegetables used in the batter also oozes out natural water.

3. Add salt to taste and chopped green chillies in the batter and mix it well.

4. When you are ready to serve the sandwich, spread butter on all the breads. Spread the rawa and vegetable batter on the bread. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

5. Heat the tawa / griddle, apply butter and place two to three (depending on the size of the tawa) breads.

6. Toast the base of the bread, then change the side and toast the spread batter side of the bread. The curd will bind the batter and the bread, so the batter won’t fall from the bread.

7. Toast the bread till it turns light golden brown. Serve hot along with ketchup and choice of chutney.