Tag Archives: Recipes

Recipes: Bombay Tawa Pulao

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In Bombay or Mumbai, there are street stalls which sell Pav Bhaji and towards the end of the day, when the bhaji is almost over, they add some rice to the gravy and this is the origin of the Tawa Pulao. This rice works best with leftover rice, but can be made with fresh rice which has been cooled down. This makes a very good lunchbox recipe and if you cook the rice in advance, it’s a jiffy dish to make during the morning rush

Bombay Tawa Pulao

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Basmati rice which has be cooked and completely cooled. It’s best if you can make the rice a day earlier, but making it far ahead of time also works.
  • 1 carrot, chopped into bit sized pieces
  • 1 potato, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 2-3 tbsp frozen peas
  • 2 medium sized onions, finely chopped
  • 2 medium sized tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 inch piece of ginger
  • 1 pod garlic, peeled
  • 4-5 fresh red chillies (or green if you don’t have red chillies)
  • 2-3 tbsp pav bhaji masala
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
  • 2-3 tsp lemon juice (more or less as per taste)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder (optional)

Method:

  • Blend the ginger, garlic and chillies into a smooth paste and keep aside.
  • Wash the chopped carrots, potatoes and peas and keep aside.
  • Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and when the oil warms, add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
  • Then add the turmeric powder and stir for a couple of seconds.
  • Now add the chopped and washed vegetables and a bit of salt and cook until the vegetables are almost cooked.
  • When the vegetables are almost cooked, remove the vegetables from the pan and keep aside.
  • In the same pan, add the balance oil and butter and when the butter melts, add in the blended ginger-garlic-chilli paste.
  • Let the paste cook a bit and then add the finely chopped onions and let the onions become translucent. Then add the finely chopped tomatoes and let the tomatoes cook and become mushy and break down.
  • Now add the pav bhaji masala and chilli powder if you want it spicer and salt to taste and cook till the mixture becomes slightly thicker.
  • Then add the cooked vegetables and also check for seasoning.
  • Add in the cooked and cooled rice and gently toss the rice to mix it with the vegetables till the rice is completely coated with the vegetables and the onion-tomato gravy.
  • Check for seasoning, remove from the fire and drizzle 1-2 tsp of lemon juice. Then garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with a yoghurt raita.

The children and S loved it and asked me why I didn’t make it earlier for school. You can also substitute garam masala if you don’t have pav bhaji masala. The taste will still be fantastic, but will not taste like how it’s made in Bombay. You can also add more vegetables like french beans, cauliflower etc if you are planning to make a larger batch. Remember, in this recipe, a little goes a long way.

Want to know how I make Pav Bhaji? Here’s how I make it?

Try it and let me know how you liked it!

Recipes: Methi Matar Pulao

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During this lockdown when we can’t go out much, sometimes, you have pretty much nothing left in the fridge to cook with. Last week was one of those times. I was staring at a an empty fridge and still had to make lunch. So I decided to make this Methi Matar Pulao with what I actually had which was an onion, some frozen green peas and dried methi plus some spices. It actually was super delicious and GG even said that this could have been eaten on its own though I paired it with some onion boondi raita and some potato chips or crisps. Do try and let me know if you liked it!

Methi Matar Pulao

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup basmati rice, washed well and soaked for 20-30 mins
  • ½ cup frozen green peas
  • 1 onion, sliced finely
  • 2-3 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves or Kasuri Methi
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4-5 cloves
  • 4-5 cardamom pods
  • 1 inch piece of cinnamon
  • 1 green chilli, chopped into 1 inch pices
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp oil or ghee

Method:

  • After the basmati rice has been soaked for 20-30 mins, drain the water from the rice and keep aside.
  • Heat the ghee or oil in a pan and when the fat heats up, add the cumin seeds and let them pop.
  • After the cumin seeds pop, add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and stir for a few seconds.
  • Then add the green chilli and ginger and stir for a few seconds. After this add the onions and stir until the onions are translucent.
  • Now add the frozen peas and stir. Once the peas have been coated with the oil, take the dried fenugreek leaves in the palm of your hand and crush it lightly to release the oils. Sprinkle this dried leaves over the peas and stir.
  • Add the drained rice and salt and stir well.
  • If you are using a rice cooker, pour this into the rice cooker, add the appropriate amount of water and cook until done. I generally use slightly less than 1 cup of water for every cup of basmati rice, but you can play with this depending on your rice.
  • If you are cooking on the stovetop, add slightly less than the water needed and cook covered. If you feel you need more water, add towards the end when the rice is almost cooked so you can control how much water you add.
  • When the rice is cooked, let it rest for at least 10 minutes before you fluff it up with a fork. Serve hot with a raita.

Recipes: Ajwaini Aloo aka Potatoes spiced with Carom seeds

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A very simple dish which I usually whip up for lunch, this dry curry pairs potatoes with ajwain or carom seeds.

Used quite widely across the Indian subcontinent, ajwain is said to counter gas in the stomach. Many communities have traditional recipes of ajwain water when you have an upset stomach and for this reason I like to pair it with potatoes because these tuber vegetables can give you a bad case of stomach bloating.

This is a very easy recipe and from start to finish took me less than 30 minutes, including cutting the potatoes. Eat it with rice and some dal or with any Indian flatbread. It is also yummy paid with a chutney and filled in bread as a sandwich.

Ajwaini Aloo

Ingredients;

4 medium sized potatoes

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp ajwain seeds

1/8 tsp asafoetida

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp amchur powder

Salt to taste

Method

Wash and scrub the potatoes well. If the skin is fairly thin, you need not peel it, otherwise peel the skin. Make thick slices and then sticks of the slices. Now make small and thin squares of the potatoes. Cut as thin as you like. The smaller the potato piece, the faster it will cook.

Heat the oil in a pan and when warm, add the cumin seeds and stir for a couple of seconds. Then add the ajwain and stir for a couple of seconds.

Now add the dry spice powders – asafoetida, turmeric powder and red chilli powder and stir. Add the amchur powder and salt and give it a good stir. Make sure the flame is low to medium so that you don’t burn the spices.

Next add the chopped potatoes and cook covered, stirring occasionally. Check for seasoning once the potatoes are cooked. I like to make this dish a little crisp, but if you don’t like it crisp, you can remove it from the flame once it is cooked.

Serve hot with rice, rotis or bread.

Recipes: Masoor Dal Fry

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Masoor or split red lentils are a powerhouse of nutrients. A mere cup of masoor dal has 230 calories, about 15 grams of dietary fibre and about 17 grams of proteins. It also has various positive impacts on one’s health and body.

This inexpensive dal does not need much time to soak or cook as it is a soft dal and cooks quickly. When cooked, masoor dal turns a soft golden colour and has a pleasant earthy flavour. With 26 per cent protein, these lentils have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any plant-based food after soybeans and hemp.

These lentils help stabilise blood sugar levels as it is low in glycemic index and slows the the rate of digestion and prevents sudden or unexpected raises in the blood sugar level. It also keeps the heart healthy by lowering cholesterol levels due to the large propotion of dietary fibre and is an effective weight loss remedy because it has the perfect amount of carbs, yet is low in fat content. Because it is a powerhouse of antioxidents, it has anti-ageing properties and being a rich source of vitamins and minerals like calcium and magnesium, Masoor dal nourishes your teeth and bones. For skincare junkies, if you are looking for a healthy, spotless, glowing and raditing skin, make and apply a face mask of ground masoor dal, turmeric and rose water and apply on your skin. Wash off when the mask dries up. You can also add some milk to this mask for hydrating benefits.

Growing up, my mum never made this dal because my father used to say it was not good for us. When I researched, I found that sometimes, this dal can be adultrated by missing it with another, similar looking dal called kesari or kultha dal which can cause nervous problems and issues with your limbs, especially for pregnant women if eaten in excess. Of course eating anything excess is bad for you and excessive consumption of masoor dal may lead to adverse effects such as kidney ailments, gas from potassium toxicity and side effects of large proportions of amino acids. It may also cause an allergic reaction in some people.

This simple dal fry is very easy to prepare and start to finish, takes around 20-30 minutes (including cooking the dal in a pressure cooker) and is very tasty to have for a homely lunch with rice.

Masoor Dal Fry

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup masoor dal or split red lentils, washed and cooked with turmeric powder till it is soft and completely broken down
  • 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium sized tomato, finely chopped
  • 3-4 garlic pods, finely chopped or grated
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 green chilli, slit lengthwise
  • 1 tbsp ghee or oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp (more or less) red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi
  • 1 tbsp (or more) lemon juice
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves, finely chopped to garnish

Method:

  • Cook the masoor dal in the stove top or pressure cooker with the turmeric powder. Once the dal is cooked, whisk it with a wire whisk till smooth and keep aside.
  • In a pan, heat the ghee or oil and when it warms, add the cumin seeds and let the seeds splutter. Then add the garlic and stir for a couple of seconds. After this add the ginger and stir for a few seconds.
  • Now add the finely chopped onion and stir well and let the onions become translucent. Then add the chopped tomatoes and let the tomatoes soften and become mushy. Add a pinch of salt to help the softening process.
  • When the tomatoes are soft and mushy and oil starts to leave the sides of the pan, pour the cooked dal into this mixture. Add another cup of water and thin it to the consistency you want.
  • Let the dal boil in medium heat for about 5 minutes. Check for seasoning and then crush the kasuri methi in the palms of your hands and sprinkle it over the dal.
  • Switch off the flame and add the lemon juice as well as the finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish.
  • Serve hot with any kind of rice with a stir fried vegetable of your choice.

Recipes: Dal Amritsari or Langar Wali Dal

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A few weeks back, I came across this recipe when I was looking for something to make and for some reason, this recipe stayed with me. I didn’t have one major ingredient needed, so the moment I brought the ingredient, I decided to make this dal. This dal is what is served when Punjabis have religious functions at home as well as is served in the holiest of Sikh places, the Harmandir Saheb or the Golden Temple.

This dal also tastes a bit like Makhni Dal and is even tastier the next day. Do try it and let me know what you think of it.

Dal Amritsari or Langar Wali Dal

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup whole black gram
  • ¼ cup chana dal or split Bengal gram dal
  • 4-5 cups of water to pressure cook the dals
  • 3-4 green chillies (less or more as your spice tolerance), chopped
  • 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium sized tomato, finely chopped
  • 1-2 tbsp grated or finely chopped ginger
  • 1-2 tbsp grated or finely chopped garlic
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander and mint leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Rinse and soak the dals either together or separately in enough water overnight or at least for 5-6 hours
  • Drain the dals and cook in a pressure cooker with enough water and about 1 tbsp each of the ginger and garlic. Pressure cook for about 5-7 whistles until the dals are soft and get smashed when you press then.
  • If you are cooking on the stovetop, cook the dals on a slow fire, stirring in-between along with 1 tbsp each of ginger and garlic until the dals are soft and get smashed when you press on them.
  • For both methods, using a potato smasher, smash some of the dals until it becomes a nice homogenus paste with some whole dal.
  • Heat the oil and butter in a small pan or skillet. When the oil warms, add the balance garlic and ginger and stir for a few seconds each.
  • Then add the chilles and stir for about 10-15 seconds.
  • Now add the chopped onions and saute till the onions turn translucent.
  • Then add the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and saute till the tomatoes get pulpy and oil starts to leave the sides of the pan.
  • Pour this tempering over the cooked dal and season with salt to taste.
  • Pour some hot water to thin it to the consistency you like and simmer on a low heat for another 5-7 minutes.
  • Garnish with finely chopped coriander and mint leaves and serve hot with rice or Indian flatbread.