Rajma, Shalini Puri style

Close to a year back, I had some super yummy Rajma cooked by a dear friend at a farewell dinner. Try this and tell me if you agree...
Ingredients
Rajma 1 katori, soaked overnight, boiled with pinch of turmeric. Rajma being hard beans need at least 30 mins pressure
Onion 2 large , first boil them in water n then purée them
Tomatoes 3 large, first boil them in water then purée them
Garlic n ginger paste
Green chilli 2 if less spicy variants! You can purée this with the onion
Asafoetida
Pepper corns 3
Clove 2
Cinnamon 1/2 inch piece
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves finely chopped

Method 
Take 2 tbsps oil, add jeera, whole Garam masala (in this case 3 ing specified earlier), fry lightly till aromatic, add ginger garlic paste, green chilli+ onion purée, once it has reddened, then add tomato purée, garam masala powder 1/2 tsp, when the masala leaves oil, add Rajma, simmer for 10 mins, and finally add finely chopped coriander to garnish. 
Tastes yummy with Garam Garam phulkas. 

Valval

Ingredients :
Set A
100g cashewnuts (peeled, soaked overnite)
50g string beans (1/2 inch pcs)
50g french beans (1/2 inch pcs)
50g gherkins (cut long)
50 g peas (shelled)

Set B
250 g sweet potato (peeled and diced)
100g Ridge gourd (peeled and diced)
100g pumpkin (pref green raw variety, peeled and diced)

Half coconut grated, milk extracted (set aside concentrated milk), add warm water and extract another round of coconut milk ( diluted one to be kept separate)


Method : Cook Set A in little water (do not pressure cook). When almost done add Set B. Add diluted coconut milk. Add 2 split green chillies and cook until done. Then add concentrated coconut milk, salt to taste and bring to a boil. Add jeera (cumin) seasoning. Yogiratna/ Valval is ready to be relished with a freshly made bowl of rice.

Moong sprout kurma

Ingredients :

Set 1

• 2 cups moong sprout
• 2 med size tom
• 3/4 grated onion
• 1 tsp dhania-jeera powd
• 1 tsp chilli pow
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp fresh cream
• 3 tbsps oil
• Salt to taste

Set 2 - paste

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 inch piece ginger
• 2 elaichi
• 1 tbsp broken cashew
• 1 tbsp khus khus

Method of preparation :
Blanch tom, remove skin, chop. Heat oil in pan, fry onions till light pink, add paste, dhania jeera, chilli powd. Fry for 1 min. Add chopped tom and fry for 2-3 tom. Add moong sprout, 1/4 cup wter, sugar and salt and cook. Add milk, cream and cook.

Sabz makhani :

Ingredients -

Set 1.

• 2 cups of chopped mixed boiled veg (cauli, beans, carrots, mutter)
• 1/2 cup paneer chopped
• 1 tsp chilli powd
• 2 cups tomato puree (6 tom)
• 1 tsp jeera powd
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp kasuri methi
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup milks
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1.5 onion chopped

Set 2 : Paste

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 inch ginger piece
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp cashew

Method of preparation :
Heat oil in pan. Add paste. Cook till light brown. Add chilli powder, tom purree and cook until done. Add jeera pow, garama msala, 1/2 cup wter and cook for some time till oil sep from masala. Keep aside. In another pan melt butter, add kasuri methi, onion, cook till lightly brown. Add to tomato gravy. Add boiled veg, honey, milk, cream, paneer, salt boil together.

Radish Roti with Jhunka

Radish Roti

Ingredients
2 medium sized radish
2 green chillies finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp freshly roasted jeera powder
1/4 tsp freshly roasted ajwain powder
Salt to taste
Wheat flour ~400 gms

What next ? Clean the radish. Peel skin. Grate. Take 2 tbsp oil in pan, add the jeera and ajwain powders, turmeric, green chillies and then the radish. Simmer until cooked partly (for 5-10 mins).Take off flame. Add wheat flour to it and knead into smooth dough. Make them into equal sized balls and then roll them into rotis. Roast on tawa.

To serve ? Serve with Jhunka






Jhunka (popularly called pitla)

Ingredients
1/4 cup besan
2-3 cups water
1 large onion finely chopped
2 small tomatoes finely chopped
2 green chillies finely chopped
2-3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste

What next ? Take oil in pan, add onion. Fry till pink, add tomatoes, green chillies and once tomato is cooked, add the paste. Add garam masala powder, salt to taste and cook on sim until the paste thickens. Coriander leaves to be added for garnishing.

To serve ? Serve with Radish roti

Mushroom- Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients
2 pack weikfield button mushrooms
7-8 cloves garlic, slit and crushed
2 green chillies slit
2-3 small onions chopped into strings
2-3 tbsps oil
Salt to taste
Oregano and Basille for garnish

What next ? Clean the mushrooms and broccoli well. Chop mushrooms into 4 quarters and broccoli into tiny florets. Take oil in a wok, add the garlic and stir till pink, add onions and fry till lightly brown, add mushrooms and broccoli florets, slit green chillies and salt to taste. Cover wok and cook for 20 mins (or until done). Water is not usually required for cooking, since mushrooms give out water while cooking with salt. However you could add 3 tbsps water if you need a little bit of broth.

To serve ? Garnish with oregano and basille

Most suitable with rice. It's a quickie :)

Okra fry in minutes

Ingredients
1/2 kg bhindi (okra/ ladies finger). Cleaned, cut in half and with a slit inserted so the spices hold on.
2 tbsp besan (gram flour)
1 tsp red chilli powder (or more if you like it spicy)
1/2 tsp amchur powder (raw mango powder)
Salt to taste

What next ? 1-2 tbsps oil in a pan, add okra. Keep at maximum heat in the microwave so it cooks mildly. Add to it the spices (mentioned above), and besan, mix well and then microwave it again at maximum for ~5 mins. Don't cover when cooking as moisture gets trapped and may make the okra soggy.

To serve ?
It can be garnished with a little bit of chopped coriander leaves before serving.