Tag Archives: North Indian

Recipes: Bharvan Baingan or Stuffed Eggplant

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One of my favourite recipes to order at restaurants (if they have them) is stuffed eggplant or stuffed okra. I love the stuffed eggplant recipe from my home state and when I saw this recipe on Facebook, I saved it for making one day. That one day was a couple of weeks back. The chef who posted the recipe promised it was an easy one. Well, it was easy, but she didn’t mention that it took so long. The recipe took me two hours to make, start to end. But it was so worth it, it was so tasty that even GG, who does not like eggplant, had some of the gravy and pronounced it delicious!

Bharvan Baingan or Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients:

  • 12-15 medium sized baby eggplants

For the stuffing:

  • 1 tbsp besan or chickpea flour
  • 3 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 tbsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp amchur powder
  • 1 tsp asafoetida podwer
  • 1 tbsp fennel seed powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder
  • 2 tbsp kauri methi
  • 4 tbsp oil (any oil, but mustard oil will be the best)

For the Gravy:

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • 3-4 finely chopped green chillies
  • 2 medium-sized finely minced onions
  • 2-3 medium-sized finely minced tomatoes
  • Salt to taste
  • 5 tbsp yoghurt, whisked
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • The balance masala
  • 1 tsp ginger garlic paste

Method:

  • If the stalk of the eggplant is more than 1 inch, cut it off and also remove the excess crown. Keep aside.
  • Make a cross on the bottom of the brinjal (opposite the crown), check and see inside for any worms and discard any unsightly ones. Put the cut brinjals in water for a while to avoid oxidation.

For the Masala:

  • Heat a pan and when warm, take the chickpea flour and lightly roast it till it starts to emit an aroma. This should take about 3-4 mins.
  • At this point switch off the flame and add the dry masalas –coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, red chilli powder, amchur powder, asafoetida, fennel powder, garam masala and kasuri methi. Toss the masalas with the chickpea flour and keep them aside on a plate. Add 2 tbsp oil to it and mix well.
  • Fill the masalas into the brinjal, filling it tightly. The masala should show up as a nice thick line. Remove the extra masala and drop it into the masala plate.
  • In a pan, take 2 tbsp oil and shallow fry the stuffed brinjals for about 3-4 mins. Remove and keep aside.

For the Gravy:

  • In another pan, take 2 tbsp oil and when it heats, add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and finely chopped green chillies.
  • Then add the finely chopped onions and fry until they become translucent.
  • At this point, add the finely chopped tomatoes and let it cook.
  • Add salt to taste and let the tomatoes cook well until the gravy starts to ooze oil.  
  • In a bowl, add the yoghurt and whisk it well. To this, add ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste and the balance masala. Whisk everything well and keep it aside.
  • Once the tomatoes are cooked, add 2-3 tsp water, switch off the gas and add in the yoghurt mixture.
  • Mix well and switch on the gas again. Add water if needed.

To assemble:

  • Gently add the stuffed eggplants and garnish with coriander leaves. Cover and cook on a low flame for 5 mins.
  • Serve with rotis or Indian flatbreads or rice.

Recipes: Paneer Butter Masala

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A restaurant favourite, Paneer Butter Masala is a staple in pretty much every Indian restaurant, even those not serving north Indian food. A mild but creamy dish made with lots of butter and ghee with onions, tomatoes and cream and paneer is the star of the show.

I had been thinking about making this for a while and finally made it a couple of weeks back. But please do not stint on the liberal use of ghee and butter, so this is something you can make for a special occasion or when you have guests over. You can also make the gravy ahead of time and freeze it. I also made a double batch of the gravy, froze some and make a mixed veg curry with uit which was equally yummy. Everyone loved the recipe so much I already got requests to make it again.

Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup frozen paneer, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and then drained
  • 3 medium-sized onions, chopped
  • 5-6 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
  • 200 ml cooking cream
  • 1 bulb of garlic, peeled
  • inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 15-20 pieces of cashew nuts, soaked in hot water for 15-20 minutes and drained
  • 4-5 tbsp ghee
  • 3-4 tbsp butter
  • 3-4 cloves
  • 3-4 cardamom pods
  • 3-4 fresh or dried red chillies
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp red chilli powder (or to taste)
  • ½ tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tbsp kasuri methi
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves, finely chopped to garnish

Method:

  • Heat half the butter and ghee in a pan and when the butter melts add in the cloves and cardamom pods and saute for a few seconds.
  • Then add in the cumin seeds, onions, garlic, red chillies and ginger, sauteing for a few seconds before you add the next ingredient.
  • When the onions start becoming translucent, add in the cashew nuts and let the nuts start to soften.
  • Then add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and let the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are completely cooked and mushy. Remove from the flame and keep aside to cool completely.
  • Once this mixture is completely cool, blend to a fine paste, adding water as needed. Make sure the paste is completely fine and there are no bits of anything left. Use a strainer if needed otherwise, the recipe will not be restaurant quality. Keep aside.
  • In the same pan, heat the balance ghee and butter and pour the tomato paste into the pan. Season with salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and stir well. This mixture will splutter a lot, so make sure you cover the pan and let the tomato paste, stirring at intervals.
  • When the tomato paste starts leaving oil on the sides, add in the cooking cream and crush the kasuri methi in the palms of your hand and sprinkle over the gravy. Add a bit of water to thin the gravy if needed.
  • Add the paneer cubes and gently stir so the paneer is completely covered by the gravy. Gently mix everything so the paneer pieces do not break.
  • Cook on low to medium heat for 5-7 minutes and then switch off the flame.
  • Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with jeera rice, rotis or any Indian flatbread.

Recipes: Matar Paneer

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A dish you find in pretty much every Indian restaurant, Matar Paneer, which means Peas and Paneer, is a yummy dish from the state of Punjab which has fresh or frozen green peas and cottage cheese or Paneer in a smooth onion tomato gravy, spiced with garam masala. Usually served with Indian flatbreads like rotis, you can also have it with steamed rice.

One Sunday, bored of making the same old dishes, I decided to make a super easy mater paneer. This version, which may not be the most authentic version, is very easy and doesn’t take much time to make. I used frozen peas, but if you have fresh peas, the dish will be even better.

Matar Paneer

Ingredients:
– 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
– 1 cup frozen paneer, soaked in hot water for 20-30 minutes and then drained
– 2 medium sized onions, chopped roughly
– 4 medium sized tomatoes, chopped roughly
– 1 bulb garlic, peeled
– 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
– 10-12 almonds
– 2 tsp cumin seeds
– 1 tsp ajwain or caraway seeds
– 1 tbsp coriander seeds
– 2 cloves
– 2 cardamom pods
– ¼ tsp turmeric powder
– 1 tsp red chilli powder
– 1 tsp cumin powder
– 1 tsp coriander powder
– 1 tsp garam masala powder
– 1 tbsp kasuri methi
– Salt to taste
– 2 tbsp ghee or oil
– Chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
– Heat 1 tbsp ghee or oil in a pan and when it is warm, add 1 tsp cumin seeds and let them pop.
– Then add the ajwain seeds, coriander seeds, cloves and cardamom pods and stir for a couple of seconds.
– Now add the almonds and stir for a minute or two. Then add the garlic and ginger one by one and stir between adding the next ingredient.
– When everything is stirred well, add the onions and stir until the onions are translucent.
– Then add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and stir until the tomatoes are completely cooked and mushy. Switch off the flame and let this cool.
– When completely cool, blend together into a smooth paste.
– In a separate pan, heat the balance ghee or oil and the balance cumin seeds and let the seeds pop
– Then add the frozen peas and the turmeric powder and some salt and cover and cook on a low to medium flame until the peas are around 80% cooked.
– Add in the blended masala paste and then the powder masalas – red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder and let it come to a rolling boil.
– At this point, add in the soaked and drained paneer and salt to taste. Add the garam masala powder and crush the kasuri methi in the palms of your hands and sprinkle it over the gravy.
– Let everything come to a nice boil and put the flame on a simmer and cook for 10 minutes more. Thin it if needed at this point.
– Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any rotis or rice. I served it with a simple jeera rice made with basmati rice.

Recipes: No Onion, No Garlic Vegetable Makhani

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On the day that Navratri ended, S started his 41 day vow in preparation to his trip to the Sabarimalai temple in Kerala.This meant a continuation of the no onion, no garlic routine we had while Navratri was going on. Although it was not mandatory for us to do the same food regime, I didn’t want to make multiple dishes for the same meal, hence we also ate the same food as S. I adapted this recipe from a Paneer Makhni recipe from My Food Lab on Facebook.

No Onion, No Garlic Vegetable Makhani

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chopped mixed vegetables (I used a combination of carrots, cauliflower, potatoes and green peas)
  • 1 cup frozen paneer, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, drained and kept aside. Keep the water you soaked the paneer in
  • 7-8 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3-4 green cardamoms
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4-6 kashmiri red chillies (if you don’t have Kashmiri red chillies, just use ordinary dried red chillies)
  • 10-15 cashewnuts
  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
  • 1 tbsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 tbsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup skimmed milk
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and when the oil warms up, add the cumin seeds, green cardamom, bay leaf and kashmiri red chillies, stirring for a couple of seconds between each ingredient.
  • Then add the cashew nuts and raisins and stir for a couple of seconds.
  • Next add the chopped tomatoes and stir well. Add some salt and water to cover the tomatoes and cook covered till the tomatoes are completely cooked and mushy.
  • Remove from the flame and cool down completely. Once cool, grind it into a very fine paste with the skimmed milk and the water from soaking the paneer. Then strain the paste into another container so it is lump-free. You may need to do the grind and strain a couple of times. Use the milk and water as required to grind the whole tomato mixture into as fine paste as possible and keep aside.
  • In a seperate pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and when the oil heats up, add 1 tbsp butter. Then add the turmeric powder and 1/8 tsp asafoetida. Then add the vegetables plus some salt and cook covered till the vegetables are about 80% cooked. Remove from the flame and keep aside.
  • In the same pan as you cooked the tomato paste, heat the pan and add the balance oil. Add the balance butter when the oil starts to heat up. Then add the remaining asafoetida powder and stir for a couple of seconds. Then add in the strained tomato gravy and let it come to a rolling boil. Now add the red chilli powder and coriander powder and stir.
  • Then add in the half cooked vegetables and let it boil in the gravy for 5 minutes. Next add the drained paneer and stir well.
  • Add the garam masala powder, kasuri methi and let it boil. Check for seasoning and add what is missing.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any Indian flatbread or rice.

Note: You can also add fresh cream if you are planning on making this for a party or dinner. If adding fresh cream, then add it after adding the vegetables and paneer, but before the garam masala and kasuri methi. You can add about 1/2 cup of cream to the recipe.

Mixed Vegetables in a Creamy Tomato Yoghurt Sauce

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Last weekend, I was desperate to find something to make, but all ideas seemed to have dried up. So I started cooking, thinking inspiration will come along the way. I started making my gravy dish with zero idea of how it will turn out. This was literally my kitchen experiment. And I must say, this dish exceeded all expectations (which was fairly low to begin with, actually!). It was this mild but creamy dish which was at the same time, slightly tart with a hint of spiciness at the back of the throat. All in all, this recipe is a definte keeper. And the best part, it’s fairly easy (for an Indian dish) to put together.

Mixed Vegetables in a Creamy Tomato Yoghurt Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups mixed vegetables, chopped into small bite-sized pieces (I used broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes and green peas, but you could play around with what you have in the fridge)
  • 1/2 cup paneer, chopped to same size as the vegetables
  • 2 medium sized onions
  • 2 medium sized tomatoes
  • 1 tsp white sesame seeds
  • 1/2 tsp carom seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tbsp kasuri methi
  • 10 pieces of cashewnuts
  • 5-6 fresh red chillies
  • 1.5 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 1 bulb garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped to garnish

Method:

  • Heat the oil in a pan and when warm, add the cumin seeds. When the seeds pop, add the turmeric powder and stir for a couple of seconds.
  • Then add the chopped vegetables and cook covered, until almost cooked.
  • In the meantime, blend the ginger, garlic, red chillies, onions, tomatoes, cashewnuts, sesame seeds, carom seeds and fennel seeds into a smooth paste.
  • When the vegetables are almost cooked, add in the chopped paneer and stir to cover. Add salt to taste.
  • Then add the blended paste and mix well.
  • In the same blender, blend the yoghurt smoothly with water if needed and add this to the gravy.
  • Add water if needed to thin the gravy to the consistency you want.
  • Add the garam masala powder and stir well.
  • Crush the kasuri methi in your palms and sprinkle in the gravy.
  • Let it simmer on a medium-low flame for about five minutes.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or any Indian flatbread of your choice
  • You could also add fresh cream along with the beaten yoghurt to increase the creaminess and richness to this recipe, especially if you are planning to make this for a dinner party.