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.

                                       ___________________________________________

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.

                                        ______________________________________



   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 !

Jeera Aloo (Potatoes with Cumin)

  Ingredients
  250 gms  new potatoes or any potatoes of your choice
  1/2 t sp whole jeera/cumin
  1/4 t sp chilli powder
  1 t sp coriander powder
  1/2 t sp amchur/mango powder optional
  salt to taste
  1t sp ginger julliens or chopped ginger
  2 tb sps chopped  fresh coriander/cilantro
  1/2 tb sps cooking oil

 
  Method

• Wash and boil potatoes with the skin and let them cool.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3/4" pieces.
• Heat oil in a kadai or frypan, add jeera /cumin and as it begins to splutter add the potato cubes.
• Stir fry for a minute, sprinkle all the dry masalas and salt.and mix to coat the potatoes.
• Lower heat,add finely chopped ginger and cover with a lid for two minutes to let the masalas  assimilate with the potatoes.
• Uncover and let the poatoes cook on low heat for 7- 10 minutes, stirring of and on and letting them crumble a bit.
• Finally raise the heat and fry for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned.
• Sprinkle the fresh herbs and stir once or twice.
• Serve on a platter garnished with fresh coriander and ginger julliens.

                                          ------------------------------------------------------


Note: A good side dish for any meal or can be enjoyed as a snack rolled with roties.
         To serve it as a cocktail snack,cut the potatoes into bite size cubes or wedges.
         Squeeze a few drops of lime juice to give it an extra zing.

Channa Kebabs

  Ingredients
  1 cup black channa ( Bengal gram) soaked for atleast 4  hours or over night
  1/2 cup soya granules soaked foe 1/2 an hour or as per instructions on the packet
  1 medium sized onion sliced
  1"" piece ginger chopped
  2 1/2 t sps coriander powder
  11/2 big cardamom
  3 small cardmoms
  1 t sp peppercorns
  1 whole red chilli or chilli powder to taste
  1 '' stick cinamom
  Oil for frying
  1finely chopped onion
  1/2 cup chopped coriander
  A few chopped mint leaves
  Green chilli chopped fine



   Method

• Drain the channa and soya granules and put them in a pressure cooker with 1 1/2 cups of water.
• Add all the ingredients except oil , green chillies chopped onions and coriander leaves and pressure cook for 7 minutes.
• Let the steam escape naturally, open the pressure cooker and dry out the extra water if any and let it cool.
• Grind the mixture to a fine paste in a grinder or food processor.
• Add finely chopped onions, green chillies(optional),chopped coriander leaves and a few drops of lemon juice and mix well with the kebab mixture
• Shape into round flat kebabs and shallow fry in a hot frypan evenly browned on both sides. Keep ad justing the heat so that the kebabs are crisp on the outside but soft in the centre.
• Serve on lettuce leaves with sliced onions and  coriander/mint chutney.

                                        -----------------------------------------------------------------

 
  Note: Channa kebab can be served as a snack or rolled up as frankies or sandwiched between bread rolls to make burgers.........Let your imagination run !!and have fun

Rogan Josh

  Ingredients
  250 gms mutton from leg
  1 onion sliced fine
  1 onion ground to paste
  1/2 cup sour yoghurt
  whole garam masala (3 cloves 1/2 t sp chilli powder
  3 cardmoms, 1" cinamon,1 bay leaf)
  1 1/2 t sps ginger garlic paste
  2 tomatoes chopped
  salt to taste
  1/2 t sp tandoori garam masala
  1/2 t spcumin powder
  1/2 cup coriander leaves


  Method

• Soak mutton in yoghurt for 1/2 an hour.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add whole garam masalas and sliced onions and fry till golden brown.
• Add onion ,ginger garlic paste cumin powder and chilli powder, fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Add chopped tomatoes and coriander leaves and stir fry till tomatoes are tender
• Now add mutton pieces and stir fry for 10 minutes.
• Add t1 1/2 cups of hot water and pressure cook for 5-7 minutes.
• Check if the mutton is tender, and let it cook without the lid till its well coated with the masalas.
• Serve sprinkled with coriander leaves and garam masala,

                                           ------------------------------------------------



 

Chana Dal Ki Kichdi (Split Gram with rice)

 
 Ingredients

  1 cup Basmati rice or any other good quality rice washed and soaked for 20-30 minutes
  1/2 cup chana dal (split gram) soaked for atleast 1 hour
  1 small onion sliced fine (optional)
  1 1/2 piece ginger cut into fine julliens
  1 t sp cumin seeds
  1/2 t sp red chilli powder or chilli flakes
  salt to taste
  1 1/2 tb sps oil
  2 1/2 cups of water


  Method

• Heat oil in a sauce pan,add cumin seeds,add onions as soon as the cumin splutters and fry till golden brown.
• Drain and add the dal (gram), ginger julliens, salt and chilli flakes/powder, mix well with the onions
• Add 1/4 cup water, cover with a lid , lower heat and let the dal cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining water,let it come to a boil on high flame.Now add the rice and cover with a lid when boiling.
• Lower heat and cook till the water has dried up and the rice is tender, about 8 minutes.
• Serve with cucumber and onion raita, papad, chutney and pickle.

                                             __________________________________



Note: This is a complete meal providing protien and carbs.

Bagare Baigun (aubergine)

  Ingredients
  200 gms baby aubergines washed and slit lengthwise or 200gms of round aubergine cut into medium size pieces.
  2 tb sps finely chopped onions
  1t sp finely chopped ginger
  2t sps finely chopped garlic
  1 chopped tomato or 1 tb sp tomato puree
  1 1/2 panch puran (mix mustard seeds, saumph/ fennel, methi seeds/ fenugreek seeds, jeera/ cumin, kalonji/ onion seeds in equal quantities)
  1/2 t sp haldi/ turmeric
  2 tsps dhania/ coriander powder
  chilli powder to taste
  a good pinch of asafoetida
  salt to taste
  3 t sps tamrind paste/ 1 heaped t sp of amchur/ mango powder
  2 tb sps cooking oil
  coriander, ginger julliens, green chillies for garnishing

       Method

• Heat oil in a kadai or frypan. 
• Add panch puran and when it begins to splutter add asaphoetida.
• Add chopped onions and fry till golden brown but still soft.
• Add ginger and garlic and fry well.
• Add dry masalas and cook till the raw smell goes.
• Now add the baigun, mix well with the masala, add salt and cover with a tight fitting lid, lower heat.
• Let it cook in its own steam for 5 minutes turning once or twice.Sprinkle little water if dry.
• Take off the cover and add tomato or tomato puree and mix well. Cook till tomatoes are soft and blended with the masala.
• Test if the baigun is cooked , if not cover for a few more minutes.
• Add the tamrind paste/ amchur, cover and cook for 3 minutes.
• Serve in a flat dish garnished with chopped coriander, ginger julliens and slit green chillies.
• Goes well with rotis, puris or rice and daal.

                                -----------------------------------------------------------------