Tag Archives: Recipes

Recipes: Dal Makhni

Posted on by
Reply

A quintessential staple in every Punjabi restaurant, Dal Makhani is known for its rich and creamy texture. The dish has its roots in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent and was created by Kundan Lal Gujral and Kundan Lal Jaggi, who were Punjabi Hindu migrants from Peshawar. They are also credited with inventing the famous butter chicken.

The dish is a modern variation of traditional lentil dishes, made with urad dal or black lentils and other pulses, and is known for its rich buttery and creamy content. The name Dal Makhni comes from Dal, meaning lentils, and Makhni, meaning buttery. It’s a testament to the culinary innovation that occurred during the post-partition era, as these chefs sought to create a vegetarian dish that would complement their already popular Butter Chicken. This recipe comes from my helper, R, who comes from Punjab.

Dal Makhni

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup whole black lentils or urad dal
  • ¼ cup kidney beans or rajma
  • 4 cups water for pressure cooking
  • 2 tbsp ghee or butter
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large tomatoes, pureed
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ½ cup fresh cream
  • Salt to taste
  • Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

  • Rinse the whole urad dal and rajma thoroughly under running water. Soak them together in enough water for at least 6–8 hours or overnight.
  • Drain the soaked lentils and beans and transfer them to a pressure cooker. Add 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Pressure cook for about 6-7 whistles on medium-high heat, or until the lentils and beans are soft and well cooked.
  • Once cooked, mash the lentils and beans slightly using the back of a spoon or a potato masher. Set aside.
  • Heat ghee or butter along with oil in a deep pan or kadai over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
  • Add finely chopped onions and sauté until they turn golden brown.
  • Stir in ginger-garlic paste and green chillies. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the raw aroma disappears.
  • Add the tomato puree and cook until the mixture thickens and the oil starts to separate from the sides.
  • Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes.
  • Pour in the cooked lentils and beans, along with any remaining water from the pressure cooker. Mix everything.
  • Adjust the consistency by adding water if necessary. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
  • Add fresh cream and salt to taste. Stir well to combine.
  • Let the Dal Makhani simmer on low heat for about 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This helps to blend the flavours and thicken the gravy.
  • Once the desired consistency is achieved, garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Serve hot with steamed rice, naan, or roti for a delicious and comforting meal.

Recipes: Vegetable Alleppey Curry

Posted on by
Reply

A couple of months back, we went to this fusion restaurant to celebrate S’ birthday. This restaurant took traditional South Indian recipes and presented them in a contemporary format, which was very interesting. One of the recipes, we had was Alleppey Curry. I loved it and immediately tried to replicate it.

Alleppey Curry originates from the coastal town of Alleppey or Alappuzha, in Kerala. Known for its backwaters and vibrant culinary scene, Alleppey is celebrated for this curry’s unique blend of local spices and coconut-based gravies. This curry typically features an assortment of fresh vegetables, often including carrots, beans, potatoes, and peas, cooked in a coconut milk-based sauce. It’s frequently served with rice, appam, which are rice pancakes, or parotta, offering a delicious and wholesome vegetarian option.

Now, I don’t like the smell and taste of coconut milk, so instead of using that, I used freshly grated coconut and blended it with some spices to make the sauce. So here’s how I made it.

Vegetable Alleppey Curry

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups mixed vegetables, chopped into medium-sized pieces. I used a mixture of carrots, beans, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, and peas
  • 2 raw mangoes, peeled and chopped into medium-sized pieces
  • ½ cup freshly grated coconut
  • 5-6 dried red chillies
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp oil or ghee
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 5-6 curry leaves

Method:

  • In a blender, blend the coconut, dried red chillies, cumin seeds and ¼ of the chopped mangoes into a fine paste. Keep aside.
  • In another pan, add the chopped vegetables and the remaining raw mango pieces. some salt and turmeric powder and cook until about 80% done. Heat the oil and when it warms, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add the curry leaves, pour the tempering into the curry and cover immediately to trap the flavours.
  • Serve hot with rice.

Recipes: Apple Halwa

Posted on by
Reply
Source

Happy New Year! Here’s wishing every one of you a year that’s filled with love, hope, happiness and positivity!

And to start the new year, here’s a sweet dish that I made some time ago. I had many apples at home, which would all start to go bad at the same time. So instead of requesting everyone to eat them, I decided to make apple halwa with some of them. It was delicious and is something I will make again when I am craving something sweet.

Apple Halwa

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium-sized red apples
  • 1.5 tbsp ghee
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp sugar, brown sugar, or jaggery
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • 10–12 almonds and cashew nuts

Method:

  • Peel and grate the apples and set them aside.
  • Finely chop the almonds and cashew nuts.
  • Heat the ghee in a pan over medium heat.
  • Add the chopped nuts and once they are brown, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and keep them in a kitchen towel until later.
  • Add the grated apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and most of the liquid has evaporated. This should take about 7 to 8 minutes.
  • Add the sugar or jaggery and mix well.
  • Once the sugar or jaggery has melted into the apple, add the cinnamon and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan, which should take about 5–7 minutes more.
  • If the apples are sour, you may need to add more sweetener to taste and adjust the sweetness if needed.
  • Add the raisins, almonds and cashew nuts, keeping some aside to garnish and mix well.
  • Serve warm, garnished with chopped nuts.

Notes:

  • Use any variety of red apples you like, but sweet and crisp apples will work best.
  • For a smoother texture, the apples can be blended after cooking before adding them back to the pan.
  • This halwa can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipes: Methi Malai Mattar Paneer

Posted on by
Reply

A restaurant staple, Methi Malai Matar is a popular North Indian dish known for its creamy texture and delightful combination of fenugreek leaves, or methi, green peas, or mattar, Indian cottage cheese, or paneer and a rich cream-based gravy. Its origin can be traced back to the Indian state of Punjab, where rich and indulgent dishes are prevalent due to the region’s farming and dairy culture. The dish gained popularity over time due to its exquisite flavor profile, combining the slight bitterness of methi with the sweetness of green peas and the richness of cream. I had made this sometime earlier in the year and forgot about it until I chanced upon the photo while clearing my phone’s photo gallery.

Methi Malai Mattar Paneer

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh fenugreek leaves or methi, washed and finely chopped
  • 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
  • 200 gm paneer, cubed
  • 2 large onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
  • ½ cup fresh cream or yoghurt.
  • 2 tbsp oil or ghee
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder (more or less according to your spice preference)
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 2 tbsp kasuri methi
  • Salt to taste
  • Water, as needed
  • Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Heat oil or ghee in a pan or kadai over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
  • Add finely chopped onions and sauté until they turn translucent and golden brown.
  • Stir in ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a couple of minutes until the raw aroma disappears.
  • Add the finely chopped tomatoes and cook until they become soft and the oil starts to separate from the mixture.
  • Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and salt. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes to blend the spices.
  • Add the chopped methi or fenugreek leaves to the pan and sauté for 5-7 minutes until they wilt and become tender. Stir occasionally.
  • Once the methi leaves are cooked, add green peas and paneer cubes to the mixture. Mix gently to combine the ingredients.
  • Pour in the fresh cream or yoghurt and stir well. If you prefer a creamier consistency, you can adjust the quantity of cream or yoghurt to your liking.
  • Add water as needed to achieve your desired gravy consistency. Cover the pan and let the curry simmer for 5-7 minutes to allow the flavours to meld together.
  • Sprinkle garam masala over the curry and give it a final stir.
  • Garnish with finely chopped chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Note: You can use cashew paste as a dairy-free alternative and even in the recipe above to make it creamier or for a special occasion.

Recipes: Chana Dal Sundal

Posted on by
2

During the festival of Navaratri, I usually make something as an offering or prasadam to the goddess every day. In previous years, I have also made a sweet to go along with the sundal, but this year, because I have to go to work in the morning, I have been making only sundals as an offering.

Chana Dal Sundal is made from split chickpeas or chana dal which is healthy and protein-rich. And the best part about sundals is that you can make it in under 10 minutes, which is such a time saver when you are rushing in the morning!

Chana Dal Sundal

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup chana dal or split chickpeas
  • 2 tbsp oil or ghee
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp split urad dal
  • ¼ tsp asafoetida
  • 2-3 dried red chillies, broken into pieces
  • 10-12 curry leaves, torn
  • 2 tbsp grated coconut, fresh or desiccated
  • Lemon juice to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Wash the chana dal thoroughly under running water, and then soak it in 2 cups of water for 2-3 hours. After soaking, drain the water and set the chana dal aside.
  • Cook the chana dal with fresh water and a pinch of salt until it is just cooked. We don’t want it cooked like a dal, just until a piece can get crushed between your thumb and index finger.
  • Heat oil in a pan or kadai over medium heat.
  • Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add urad dal, asafoetida, dried red chillies, and curry leaves. Sauté for a minute until the spices release their aroma.
  • Add the cooked chana dal and salt to the pan. Stir well to coat the dal with the tempered spices.
  • Reduce the heat to low and cook the chana dal, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the grated coconut and stir well.
  • Turn off the heat, drizzle with lemon juice and stir well.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot or cold.

Other Navaratri Sundal recipes: Green Moong Sundal, Green Peas Sundal, Peanut Sundal, Sweet Corn Sundal, Chickpea Sundal