Quick Fix Dahi Kadhi ( Yoghurt kadhi)

  Ingredients

  1 cup /200gm dahi/yogurt
  1 small tomato
  1 green chilli chopped
  1 t sp chopped ginger
  1/2 t sp methi (fenugreek seeds)
  1/2 t sp rai (mustard seeds)
  1/4 t sp haldi (turmeric)
  a pinch of hing (asaphoetida)
  chilli powder to taste (optional)
  salt to taste
  3tsps cooking oil


       Method

• Heat oil in a small saucepan, add hing, methi seeds,mustard seeds and as they begin to crackle add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till soft.
• Add haldi ,salt and chilli powder.
• Add chopped ginger, green chillies,chopped coriander leaves and mix well for a minute or two.
• Lower heat, add well beaten dahi, stir well to mix all the ingredients and turn off the heat. Continue to stir for two minutes even after switching off the heat so that the dahi does not split.
• Dahi Kadi is ready. Enjoy it with boiled rice and vegetables .

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  Note: You can change the consistency to your liking by adding water to the dahi when you beat it.
            Try the thick version as a dip with nachos,crisps or french fries.

Green Crunch (crunchy green salad with spices)

  Ingredients

  2 cups finely shreded cabbage

  1/2 cup finely sliced green beans

  1/4 cup carrot julliens

  7 curry leaves washed and dried

  1 green chilli

  1/4t sp cumin seeds

  1/tsp mustard seeds

  1/4 tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)

  salt to taste

  1tb sp olive oil or any other cooking oil

     Method

• Heat oil in a kadai or frypan.
• Add mustard, cumin and methi seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, add curry leaves and broken green chilli.
• Add the cabbage, beans and carrots,stir fry for a minute  and cover and cook for 3 minutes on low heat or till the vegetables are cooked to your liking.Do not over cook as the veg's should be crunchy.
• Take the lid off, add salt and  stir fry for a minute or till no moisture is left.
• Can be served hot with rice and daal or  at room temparature as a salad.
• Add grated coconut for an exotic touch.

 

   Note:Innovate as one of the layers of a club sandwich or use it in a tortilla or paratha roll with other accompaniments.Try it out as a raita mixed with well beaten yoghurt, topped with roasted and powdered cumin seeds and coarsely ground black pepper.

Lucknow ki aloo tikiya ( Fried potato cakes with chutney)

  Ingredients

  4 large potatoes

  salt to taste

  Oil for frying

  2t sps ghee(clarified butter)

  1 cup beaten youghurt

 Green chutnney

  1 cup coriander /cilantro leaves

  1 small onion

  3 cloves of garlic

  1green chilli

  1/2 t sp salt

  juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime

 

  Grind all the ingredients in a grinder and your chutney is ready.

  Tamarind chutney

  1/2 cup tamarind paste

  1 cup jaggery powder or brown sugar or refined sugar

  2 tsps dhania (coriander powder)

  1/2 t sp rock salt 

  1/2 t sp jeera /cumin powder ( dry roast jeera /cumin seeds and pound them coarsely or grind in a grinder)

  red chilli powder to taste

 coarsely ground black pepper

  Table salt to taste

Boil the tamarind paste with 1/4 cup water, add the jaggery powder, add all the masalas and cook till it thickens. Should be a syrupy consistency.Pour into a small jar when cool and store in the fridge.

  Method

• Boil poatatoes with the skin.
• When cool peel the skin and mash potatoes to a smooth paste with the salt.Should be like a soft dough.
• Make tikiyas / round balls with the mash and flatten them on your palm about 1/4" thick and 1 1/2" diameter.
• Heat  2 tb sps oil in a heavy bottom fry pan or a griddle till smoking and spread it around the pan. 
• Place the tikiyas in the fry pan and adjust the heat so that it browns slowly and evenly.
• Turn the side with a flat spatula taking care not to break it and let it brown evenly.
• Add a few drops of oil around the sides if required.
• Keep turning the tikiyas till both sides are well browned and crisp.
• Spread the ghee or butter on the tikiyas and turn the side. Now spread the ghee on the other side,turn again and fry till you get the aroma of the ghee.
• Slide on to a small plate, put 1 tb spoon of beaten yoghurt, over the tikiya, top with the green and red chutney and sprinkle chaat masala.
• Take a bite, close your eyes and find yourself transported to the land of the Nawabs.

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 Note: The tikiyas in Lucknow are actually made with pure ghee only and are really yummy.

Try it when you are in an indulgent mood or go for this watered down version as often as you wish.

Quick Fix.......Tawa Paneer (cottage cheese)/Tofu

Just the thing when you are too tired to cook but can't look at another pre cooked meal.

  Ingredients

  10, 1" cubes of paneer/tofu

  amchur/ mango powder

  red chilli powder

  salt to taste

  3 t sps cooking oil

  Method

• Heat a tawa/ gridle or a non stick frypan.
• Add 1 tsp oil and spread it around when smoking.
• Lower heat and place the paneer/tofu on the tawa, fry till lightly browned.
• Turn the paneer and add another t spoon of oil all around.
• Keep turning the sides and adding few drops of oil till all the sides are done to your liking.
• Transfer to a plate and sprinkle, amchur, chilli powder and salt to taste.
• Magic!!Your main dish is ready in two minutes.Enjoy it plain or toast two slices of bread,spread it with your favourie chutney or pickle,top it with thin tomato and cuchmber slices, place the paneer cubes on top,close your eyes take a bite,remember Roma and feel your tiredness vanish.
•  Little more effort??? Cut an onion into half and then slice it roughly.Sprinkle amcur powder, a few drops of lemon juice.Heat a paratha or roti, spread your favourite chutney or pickle and roll it with the fried paneer and onions,sit in front of the TV and enjoy your kathi roll.

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Kashmiri koftas (Meat Balls)

   Ingredients

  500 gms mutton keema(mince)

  1 1/2 tb sp yogurt

  300 ml water

  3 tb sps ghee/ cooking oil

  Marinade

  2 medium sized onions chopped fine

  11/2 tb sp garlic chopped fine

  1 tb sp chopped ginger

  1t sp whole jeera(cumin seeds)

  a good pinch of  hing (asaphoteida)

  1/4 t sp ginger powder

  1/2 t sp chilli powder

  salt to taste

 

  2 tb sps chopped coriander leaves

  2-3 green chillies chopped fine

  1 tb sp mustard oil

       Method

• Fry onions and garlic together till golden brown.
• Add half of the fried onion/ garlic mixture to the mince and reserve half.
• Marinate the keema with all the  marinade ingredients including the mustard oil,green chillies and coriander leaves and mix well.Leave aside for atleast 2-3 hours.
• Heat ghee/ oil in a very heavy bottomed pan.
• Add the fried onion /garlic paste .
• Beat the curd well and mix with 1 1/2 glasses of water. Add to the onion mixture and let it come to a simmer.Keep the flame low so that the mixture doesn't curdle.
• Form koftas (round balls) about the size of a lime, with the marinated keema and drop them gently into the simmering curry.Keep the flame low and let the koftas bind and  cook gently.Do not cover.
• Do not stir with a spoon , just shake the pan gently, taking care not to break the koftas.
• When the water dries up, sprinkle some more and let it cook till ghee separates and the koftas are well coated and golden brown.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves chopped fine.
• Serve with hot parathas or enjoy as a snack.

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 Thanks to Raj aunty and Raina uncle who fed us generously and shared their  recipes enthusiastically.

Mutton Pasandas

 
  Ingredients

  1 kg lean mutton cut into pasandas (method given below)
  3/4 ccup curd
  1 1/2 t sp red chilli powder
  1 tb sp dhania/coriander powder
  1/2 t sp haldi/turmeric powder
  1/2 t sp whole jeera/cumin seeds
  salt to taste
  2 tsps Kasoori methi/ dry methi leaves or 2tb sps fresh methi leaves chopped fine
  3 green chillies finely chopped
  2 medium sized onions sliced fine
  1/2 cup ground onion
  11/2 tb sps ground garlic
  1 tb sp ground ginger
  3 black cardamoms
  7 cloves
  two 2" sticks cinnamon
  3 tbsps oil
  2 tbsps ghee 


      Method

• Clean and cut the meat into1/2" thick and 2" square pieces.(Your butcher will do this for you.)
• Beat each piece into pasandas with the back of a  wet a knife or hammer ,till it is flat and fibres separate.
• Mix curd, salt chillies, dhania powder, cumin seeds, haldi, methi leaves, ground onions,ginger and garlic with the meat and marinate for atleast 1/2 an hour.
• Heat the oil in a large fry pan, add the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
• Add sliced onions and fry till golden brown.
• Remove the pan from fire and place the pasandas flat and evenly.
• Add 1 cup water and cook covered with a lid on medium heat till tender and very little water remains.
• Add ghee and place the pan on a hot tawa/ griddle with the lid on tight till water dries up and ghee remains.Serve with hot roties or parathas.

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Dilli ki Aloo Matar Chaat ( Peas and Potato Chaat from Delhi)

  Ingredients

  1 cup boiled peas
  2 medium size potatoes boiled and  cut into halves
  1green chilli, slit
  1 tb spoon ginger julliens
  juice of 1/2 a lime or lemon
  1/2 tsp whole jeera (cumin)
  1 tb sp roasted dhania (coriander powder)
  1/2 t sp roasted chilli flakes
  1/2 tsp amchur (mango powder)
  1/4 t sp hing (asafoetida)
  1tb sp cooking oil
  1t sp ghee or butter
  fresh coriander for garnish

  Method

• Heat oil in a fry pan till smoking.
• Add whole jeera and as it begins to crackle, lower heat and add hing/asafoetida.
• Add coriander powder, chilli flakes and quickly add the potato halves taking care not to burn the masalas.
• Fry the potatoes till evenly browned on all sides and well coated with the masalas.
• Add boiled peas and fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the ginger julliens and mango powder,and toss.
• Garnish with fresh chopped dhania/coriander/cilantro leaves.
• Add a tea spoon of ghee or a knob of butter and fry till aromatic.
• Serve hot, on a platter with a good squeeze of lime juice.

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   Note: Jingling glass bangles......colourful bindies in all shapes and sizes........long "parandies" with silk and gold tassles...........mehendiwallies calling out for clientele............finger licking ALOO MATAR CHAAT!!!!
 Oh take me back to the excitement of  Tuesday evenings outside Delhi's Hanuman Mandir and the giggling company of college friends !