Paneer Paratha

Ingredients:

Paneer (crumbled) 3/4 – 1 Cup
Wheat Flour 1 1/2 Cups
Green Chiles 2
Red Chile Powder 1/4 tsp
Ajwain / Carom Seeds 1/2 tsp
Cilantro few Sprigs
Salt to taste
Oil as required

Method of preparation:

Crumble fresh paneer and keep aside.
Remove stems and wash the green chiles.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.

In a mixing bowl, mix together crumbled paneer, green chiles, ajwain, red chile powder, cilantro and salt.

Knead wheat flour into somewhat tight dough with few pinches of salt using enough fresh water.
Keep the dough covered with wet kitchen towel for half an hour.
Divide the dough into 3 – 4 portions.
Take each portion of wheat dough, press it a little to form a small disk.

Take around 3 tbsps of the prepared paneer mixture and place it on the disk.
Now bring together the edges of the dough and press it to form a ball.
Carefully knead each dough ball into around 7 inch diameter disc with help of a rolling pin.
Repeat the same with remaining wheat dough portions.

Heat a flat griddle on medium heat, brush quarter tsp of oil all over the griddle.
Place the paratha on hot griddle and let it turn golden brown.
Add around quarter tsp of oil on uncooked side and turn it over to let it cook.
When both sides cook with brown spots, remove paneer paratha onto a plate.
Repeat the same with remaining rolled out parathas.
Serve hot paneer paratha with mango pickle and with any raita of your choice.

Paneer Salsa

Ingredients:

Paneer (Crumbled) 1/4 Cup
Tomato 1 Small
Onion 1/2 of Small One
Boiled Corn 4 Tbsps
Green Bell Pepper (chopped) 6 Tbsps
Cilantro Few Sprigs
Lemon Juice 2 Tbsps
Crushed Black Pepper few Pinches
Salt to Taste

Method of preparation:

Wash and finely chop the cilantro.
If using frozen paneer, leave the paneer outside to let it come to room temperature and crumble it.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Wash, deseed and finely chop the tomato.

In a mixing bowl, mix together crumbled paneer, chopped tomato, onion, corn, green bell pepper, cilantro, crushed black pepper and salt.
Stir in lemon juice and leave aside for few minutes.
Serve paneer salsa as a salad or as a stuffing in a bread sandwich and toast it.

Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients:

Paneer (Cubed) 1 Cup
Tomato 1 (optional)
Green Chiles 2 (optional)
Onions 2 Medium
Ginger Garlic Paste 1 tsp
Cashews 5
Red Chili Powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder 1 tsp
Garam Masala 1 tsp
Butter 2 tbsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Kasuri Methi 1/2 tsp
Fresh Cream 1/2 tsp
Cilantro few Sprigs

Method of preparation:

Peel and slice the onion.
Wash and roughly chop the tomato.
Remove stems, wash and roughly chop green chiles.
Grind the tomato and green chiles into smooth paste.
Grind the cashews into smooth paste with enough water.
Wash and finely chop cilantro.

Heat half of butter and oil in a pan, add onion and fry till light golden brown in color.
Remove from heat, cool the onion to room temperature and grind it into fine paste.

Heat remaining butter and oil in a pan, add ginger garlic paste.
Fry for few seconds, add ground onion paste, cashew paste, red chili powder and coriander powder.
Fry for few more seconds, add tomato puree, kasuri methi, and salt.
Cook on medium flame till the gravy thickens a bit, then add cream.
Finally stir in garam masala, paneer and simmer for a minute or two.
Garnish with cilantro and serve paneer butter masala with any Indian flat bread.

Palak Chole

Ingredients:

Chickpeas 1 cup
Spinach 4 cups packed
Tomato 2 small
Onion 1
Green Chiles 4
Ginger 1 inch piece
Garlic 3 pods
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Red Chile Powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder 1 tsp
Cinnamon 1 inch piece
Cloves 3
Cardamom 1 pod
Salt to taste
Oil 2 tbsps

Method of preparation:

Soak chickpeas overnight, drain and pressure cook in 3 cups of fresh water for 3 whistles or until done.
Remove stalks, wash and blanch spinach in boiling water for 3 – 5 minutes.
Puree the blanched spinach and keep aside.
Remove stems, wash and slit green chiles.
Wash and finely chop tomato.
Peel and finely chop onion.
Peel and mince ginger and garlic.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger, garlic, green chiles and onion.
Once onion turns light brown, add chopped tomatoes, red chile powder and coriander powder.
Then stir in cooked chickpeas, pureed spinach and salt.
Lightly mash the chickpeas and add half a cup of water if required.
Cook on low flame for 5 – 10 minutes and remove from heat.
Serve hot with roti.

Green Chickpeas Stir Fry

Ingredients:

Green Chana 1 Cup
Onion 1 Small
Green Chiles 1 – 2
Turmeric Powder 1/8 tsp
Red Chile Powder few Pinches
Lemon Juice 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Asafoetida a Big Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps

Method of preparation:

Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Shell the fresh green chickpeas and wash under fresh water.
Lightly crush the green chickpeas and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When urad dal changes color, add green chiles and onion.
When onion turns translucent, add crushed green chickpeas and salt.
Cook covered for a minute or two and then stir fry for few seconds.
Remove from heat and stir in red chile powder and lemon juice.
Adjust the seasoning if required and serve green chickpeas stir fry as a snack or with steamed rice..

Chickpea Fritters

Ingredients:

Chickpeas 1 cup
Onion 1 small
Ginger 1-2 inch piece
Green Chiles 3-5
Cilantro few sprigs
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method of preparation:

Peel, wash and finely chop onion.
Remove stems, wash and finely chop green chiles.
Peel and mince ginger.
Wash and roughly chop cilantro.

Wash and soak chickpeas for 3-5 hours.
Drain the water, wash thoroughly and grind the soaked chickpeas coarsely without adding any water.

Heat oil in a wok on medium high heat.
Combine the ground chickpeas with chopped onion, green chillies, cilantro and salt.
Test the oil by dropping small amount of above chickpea mixture into oil. If the batter rises quickly then the oil is ready.
Take 1- 1 1/2 inch sized above mixture onto left hand and press it lightly with right hand to form a 2 inch disk.
Drop the disk into hot oil slowly and repeat the same with remaining chickpea mixture until the wok is full.
Fry both sides until golden brown.
Make sure the oil is medium hot before you start a new batch.
Drain on absorbent paper and serve with any chutney.

Masala Chickpeas Vada

Ingredients:

Black Chickpeas 1 1/2 Cups
Onion 1 Small
Green Chiles 3 – 4
Ginger 1 inch Piece
Garam Masala Powder 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder 1/4 tsp
Fennel Seeds 1/4 tsp
Rice Flour 2 Tbsps
Curry Leaves 5
Cilantro few Sprigs
Salt to Taste
Oil for Deep Frying

Method of preparation:

Peel, wash and mince the ginger.
Wash and tear the curry leaves into pieces.
Soak black chickpeas in water overnight.
Refresh the soaked chickpeas in water and strain.
Remove stems, wash and finely chop the green chiles.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.

Grind the black chickpeas and salt into coarse paste without adding any water.
In a mixing bowl, mix together chickpeas mixture, rice flour, chopped onion, green chiles, ginger, cilantro, garam masala powder, red chili powder, curry leaves and fennel seeds.
Take lime sized chickpea mixture and form into ball.
Repeat the same with remaining mixture.

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat.
Flatten the chickpea ball on the palm of your hand with help of wet fingers.
Slowly drop the masala chickpea vada into hot oil.
Repeat the same with remaining chickpea mixture balls.
Deep fry the black chickpea vada on both sides till dark golden brown in color.
Serve black chickpea fritters as a snack or with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.

Masala Chickpeas

Ingredients:

Boiled Chickpeas 1 1/2 Cups
Coriander Seeds 1 tsp
Whole Red Chiles 1 Small
Cinnamon 1/8 inch Piece
Clove a small Pinch
Lemon Juice 1 Tbsp
Cilantro few Sprigs
Salt to taste

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Asafoetida a Big Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps

Method of preparation:

Peel and finely chop the onion.
Wash, separate cilantro leaves and finely chop them.
If using raw chickpeas, soak chickpeas overnight and pressure cook for 3 whistles or until chickpeas is soft.
Grind whole red chile, coriander seeds, cinnamon, clove and salt into fine powder.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add boiled chickpeas.
Fry till most of the moisture is gone and chickpeas is toasted a bit.
Stir in ground masala powder and salt if necessary.
Fry for couple more seconds and remove the pan from heat.
Stir in chopped onion, cilantro and lemon juice and serve masala chickpeas as a snack or as a accompaniment to steamed rice.

Yard Long Beans with Potato

Ingredients:

Yard Long Beans 1 1/2 Cups Chopped
Potato 1
Green Chiles 1 – 2
Turmeric Powder a big Pinch
Salt to Taste

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Asafoetida a Big Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps

Method of preparation:

Wash and dice the potato.
Wash yard long beans thoroughly and remove little bit of both ends.
Chop the yard long beans into inch sized pieces.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add chopped yard long beans.
Stir fry for a minute, add a cup of water and cook covered on low flame for around 10 minutes.
Uncover, add green chiles, turmeric powder, diced potato and salt.
Cook covered again till potato is soft and whole and beans are cooked.
Adjust any seasonings if required and remove the yard long beans curry from heat.
Serve yard long beans with potato with steamed rice or with chapati.

Yardlong Beans with Cabbage

Ingredients:

Yardlong Beans 10 – 15 app.
Cabbage 1/4
Green Chiles 2 – 3
Turmeric Powder a big Pinch
Salt to taste

Talimpu:

Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Broken Red Chiles 2
Asafoetida a Pinch
Curry Leaves 6
Oil 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Remove stems, wash and chop the green chiles.
Remove outer leaves, wash and finely chop the cabbage.
Wash, remove ends and either finely chop or shred the yardlong beans using a food processor.

Heat oil in a small pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When urad dal changes color, add green chiles, chopped cabbage, yardlong beans, turmeric powder and salt.
Cook covered on low flame for 5 minutes.
Uncover and stir fry for 3 – 5 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked with still holding a light crunch.
Remove the yardlong beans cabbage curry onto a bowl.
Serve yard long beans with cabbage over plain steamed rice or with roti.

Spicy Yard Long Beans

Ingredients:

Yard Long beans 8 – 12
Green chillies 4-6
Ginger 1 inch piece
Garlic 1 pod
Urad dal 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Broken red chillies 5
Curry Leaves 8
Asafoetida a pinch
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

Wash, snap the ends and chop tender yard long beans into around inch sized pieces.
Peel ginger, garlic and roughly chop them.
Remove stems, wash and roughly chop green chillies.
Coarsely grind ginger and garlic with green chillies in a blender.

Boil few cups of water in a saucepan.
Add chopped beans, little salt and cook for around 10 minutes or until the beans are just cooked and soft.
Remove cooked yard long beans from heat and strain them.

Heat oil in wok, add urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, broken red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida.
When dal turns light brown, add cooked beans and green chilli ginger garlic paste.
Stir fry for a minute or two until beans absorb the heat.
Adjust salt and serve with steamed rice or roti.

Masala Yard Long Beans

Ingredients:

Yard long Beans 1 Cup Chopped
Onion 1
Tomato 2
Green Chiles 2 – 3
Sesame Seeds 1 tbsp
Ginger Garlic Paste 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder a pinch
Red Chile Powder 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala 1/2 tsp
Cilantro few Sprigs
Salt to taste

Talimpu:

Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Broken Red Chiles 3
Asafoetida a pinch
Curry Leaves 4
Oil 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:

Wash, snap both ends of the fresh beans and chop them into inch long pieces.
Bring to boil few cups of water, add chopped beans and salt.
Cook till beans are just soft but firm.
Strain the cooked green beans and keep aside.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.

Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Peel, remove ends and roughly chop the onion.
Wash and finely chop the tomatoes.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When cumin seeds start to sizzle, add chopped onion.
Fry the onion till it turns light brown around the edges.
Then add ginger garlic paste and green chiles and fry for few more seconds.
Then add coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Stir in cooked beans and chopped tomatoes.
Cook covered till beans and tomato is cooked well.
Finally stir in garam masala and remove from heat.
Garnish with cilantro and serve masala yard long beans with steamed rice or with roti.