Alu gobi (Restaurant style)

Ingredients

1. Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
2. Green chillies - 2 
3. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
4. Lime - 1/4th
5. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
6. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
7. Kasuri methi - 1 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Coriander cumin powder - 1 tsp
11. Cauliflower florets - 2 cups
12. Potato (Cut into pieces) - 1 cup
13. Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Method:

1) Heat oil. Let the cumin and mustard seeds splutter. Add the onion. Fry till transluscent

2) Add the ginger garlic paste and stir

3) Add green chilies and kasuri methi. Fry for 2 minutes

4) Add the spices from 8 to 10 and fry. Add salt as per taste

Add potato and cauliflower. Mix well.

Keep covered and let cook. Squeeze lime just before turning off heat. Garnish with corainder leaves and serve hot.

1. 
   

Tendli (Ivy gourd) bhaji

A different preparation from the traditional tendli bhaji. My mother in law's recipe!

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

1. Ivy gourd (Tendli)- 250 gms
2. Garlic (minced) -  1 tbsp
3. Red chillies (Chopped into pieces) - 2 tsp
4. Corainder leaves - 1 tbsp (For garnishing)
5. Oil - 2-3 tbsp (For frying)

Method:

1) Wash the tendli and remove the edges. Mash the tendli gently so that they crack but are not mashed completely.

2) Heat oil. Add the garlic and green chillies. Fry for 2 minutes.

3) Add the tendli. Add salt as per taste. Keep stirring intermittently.

5) Cook till the tendli turn golden brown and slightly burnt. Garnish with coriander leaves.

My notes:

1. Do not add any water while cooking. 
2. The tendli should be slightly crunchy and not fully cooked. This adds to the taste.

Brinjal and potato bhaji

Serves: 2-3 people

Ingredients

1. Brinjals (small) -5-6 chopped into square pieces.
2. Potatoes(medium sized) - 2 chopped into square pieces.
3. Garlic - 7-8 cloves minced
4. Onion (medium sized) - 1 finely chopped
5. Tomato (small) - 1 finely chopped
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Chili powder - 1 tsp
8. Garam masala - 1 tsp
9. Oil - 2 tbsp

Method

1) Heat oil. Add garlic. Fry for 2 minutes.

2) Add the onion. Fry till translucent.

3) Add turmeric' powder chili powder and garam masala. Add salt as per taste. Fry for 2 minutes

4) Add tomato. Fry till oil separates.

5) Add the brinjal and potatoes. Add little water. Keep covered and let cook on low flame. Stir intermittently.

6) Serve hot with roti/rice.

Baby potatoes in creamy gravy

Found this recipe on Tarla Dalal site, made it with a few modifications. Re posting for the sake of my readers :)

Serves: 2-3 people

Peas palak

Serves: 2-3 people

Ingredients

1. Palak (Washed and coarsely chopped) - 4 cups
2. Peas - 2 cups
3. Ginger grated - 1 tsp
4. Garlic minced - 1 tsp
5. Onion chopped - 1
6. Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Chili powder - 1 teaspoon (you can use more or less as per taste)
9. Butter - 2 tbsp

Method

1) Cook the palak in water for about 10-15 mins  till it is soft.
2) Cook the peas for 10-15 minutes in water
30 Drain the water from the palak.

4) Once the palak cools down, blend in a blender

5) Heat butter in a kadai. Add the onion and and fry for 2 minutes

6) Add the ginger and garlic

7) Add the cumin powder, coriander powder and chili powder

8) Add the blended palak and peas. Add salt as per taste. Let boil. Serve hot.

Alu mutter

This is my mum's version of this very popular dish. Very easy to prepare so this recipe can be used when you are in a hurry.

Ingredients

1. Onion chopped - 1
2. Garlic minced - 1 tsp
3. Tomato chopped - 1
4. Peas - 3 cups
5. Potato chopped - 1
6. Chili powder -  As per taste
7. Haldi powder - A pinch

Method

1) Heat oil. Fry the ginger and garlic.

2) Add the onion and fry for 2 minutes

3) Add the chopped potato and again fry till potato is cooked

4) Add the tomato and fry till oil separates

5) Add the chili powder , haldi powder and salt as per taste

6) Add the peas

7) Add little water and keep covered for some time so that the peas are cooked and flavors are absorbed

8) Serve hot with roti.

Alsane tonak

This is typical Goan recipe.  Alsane are a type of legumes readily available in Goa.

Ingredients:

1) 1 cup alsane soaked overnight
2) 1 onion chopped vertically
3) 7-8 cloves
4) 3-4 cinnamon sticks
5) 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
6) 7-8 black pepper
7) 1 cup grated coconut
8) One potato  (optional)

Method:

1) Chop the potato in large pieces. Pressure cook the alsane along with potato. (3 whistles)

2)  Heat oil in a pan. Fry all the spices together

3) Once slightly brown, fry the onion.

4) Once the onion is brown, add the grated coconut.

5) Once brown, turn off heat and let cool. Then grind this in a mixer to form a fine paste. Unfortunately, no picture here.
6) To the cooked alsane, add this ground paste.

7) Add haldi powder, chilli powder and salt as per taste. Add water if required. Garnish with coriander.

Jain Cauliflower Bhaji

Mondays is no onion day at my place. So I sometimes use this simple maharastrian recipe for mondays!

Ingredients:

One cauliflower
3-4 green chillies chopped.

Method:

1) Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add mustard seeds and cumin. Once they splutter, add green chilies.  Add little haldi powder. Add salt.

2) Add the chopped cauliflower. Stir till it is well mixed.

3) Keep the pan covered with a lid. Add little water to the lid.

4) Keep stirring intermittently till the cauliflower is cooked. Garnish with coriander.

5) The original maharastrian recipe also uses grated coconut for garnishing, but I usually avoid coconut unless necessary just to keep a check on chorestrol levels!

Chole

Prepared chole yesterday evening.  Inspired from Punjabi Chole with my tweaks of course!

Ingredients:

1.5 cup kabuli chana
2 chopped onions
2 chopped tomatoes
1 tea spoon grated ginger
2 green chilies slit vertically
2 bay leaves
2 small cinnamon sticks.
Bunch of coriander for garnishing.





Method:

1) Soak the chana for at least 7-8 hours. Pressure cook in cooker (3 cooker whistles)

2) Heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks.  Add the ginger and green chilies.

3) Add the onions. Fry till transparent.

4) Add a pinch of haldi powder and fry. Add the chopped tomatoes.

5) Fry till the oil separates. Add the boiled chole.

6) Add ready made Everest Chole masala (2 tea spoons). Add chili powder and salt as per taste. Add the coriander for garnishing.