Chickpea, tomato & spinach curry

Ingredients:

•     1 onion , chopped
•     2 garlic cloves , chopped
•     3cm/1¼ in piece ginger , grated
•     6 ripe tomatoes
•     ½ tbsp oil
•     1 tsp ground cumin
•     2 tsp ground coriander
•     1 tsp turmeric
•     pinch chilli flakes
•     1 tsp yeast extract (we used Marmite)
•     4 tbsp red lentils
•     6 tbsp coconut cream
•     1 head of broccoli , broken into small florets
•     400g can chickpeas , drained
•     100g bag baby spinach leaves
•     1 lemon , halved
•     1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds mixed with 1 tbsp chopped cashews.

     

How to prepare:

 

•     Put the onion, garlic, ginger and tomatoes in a food processor or blender and whizz to a purée.
• Heat oil in a large pan. 
• Add the spices, fry for a few secs and add purée and yeast extract. 
• Bubble together for 2 mins, then add lentils and coconut cream. 
• Cook until lentils are tender, then add the broccoli and cook for 4 mins. 
• Stir in chickpeas and spinach, squeeze over lemon and swirl through sesame and cashew mixture.
• Serve with brown rice, if you like.
• And enjoy the taste!!!

Stuffed Lady’s Fingers (Bharwa Bhindi)

Ingredients

         

•     Small  bhindi (okra)
•     Garlic cloves – 6 to 8
•     Besan 3–4 cup
•     Til (Seasame seeds) – 1 tsp
•     Chilly powder
•     Turmeric powder
•     Dhania powder
•     Garam masala
•     Hing(Asafoetida)
•     Salt
•     Oil

         

How To Prepare

• Wash the bhindi and dry it. 
• Remove the stem and slit them vertically. 
• To prepare the filling, add salt, turmeric, chilly and dhania powder, garam masala and crushed garlic to the besan. 
• Add a tsp of oil in the besan, if it still feels too dry. 
• Stuff the slit bhindi lightly with the besan filling. 
• Heat oil in a pan. 
• Since this is a dry sabji, traditionally it is prepared with a little extra oil than the usual. 
• But now with all the fuss about health and everything, you can cut down on the oil, if you are using a non-stick pan. 
• Add hing, til and stuffed bhindi to the oil. 
• Cover the pan and let it simmer for about 8-10 minutes. 
• Keep stirring from time to time. 
• To make it crisp, let it simmer for 5 more minutes without the lid. 
• After it is cooked properly, sprinkle the left over besan filling 
• After two minutes or so, bharwa bhindi is ready!
• Sprinkle the chopped green coriander leaves and enjoy the taste.

           

Kalay Chanay ki sabji (Black Chickpeas)

Ingredients:

             

•     Black chickpeas (Kalay Cholay) 1/2 kg.
•     Baking soda a pinch
•     Salt to taste
•     Red chilli powder 1 1/2 tsp.
•     Coriander powder 1 tsp.
•     Amchoor or Raw mango powder 1 1/2 tsp.
•     Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.
•     Cumin seeds 1 tsp.
•     Gram flour (Besan) 1 tsp.
•     Curry leaves few
•     Oil 3 tbsp.
•    Coriander leaves

How to prepare:

          

•     Soak black chickpeas for 6-7 hours with baking soda.
•     Wash and boil until tender.
•     Drain and keep aside.
•     In a bowl take red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder,coriander powder,cumin seeds and amchur powder.
•     Add water and mix well to make a paste.
•     Heat oil in a pan.
•     Add masala paste in it.
•     Fry for a minute or two.
•     Add boiled chickpeas and mix.
•     Mix gram flour in 2-3 tbsp. of water and add it to the chickpeas.
•     Put curry leaves.
•     Stir and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes.
•     Add chopped coriander leaves and enjoy the leaves.

Shahi paneer

 Ingredients:

       

• Cottage cheese (paneer)     400 grams
•  Onion ,quartered     2 large
•  Oil     2 tablespoons
• Cloves     3
• Black peppercorns     4-5
• Cinnamon     2 one inch sticks
• Bay leaf     1
• Green chillies,slit     2
• Ginger paste     1 teaspoon
• Garlic paste     1 teaspoon
• Cashew nut paste     1/4 cup
• Yogurt     1/2 cup
• Cream     1/2 cup
• Saffron (kesar)     a pinch
• Garam masala powder     1/2 teaspoon
• Salt     to taste
• Green cardamom powder     1/4 teaspoon

How to prepare:

• Cut the paneer into half inch wide and one inch long pieces. 
• Boil the onions in quarter cup of water.
• Drain and allow to cool. 
• Grind to a fine paste.
•  Heat the oil in a kadai, add the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon and bay leaf and sauté till fragrant.
• Add the green chillies and boiled onion paste and sauté for three to four minutes on low heat so it does not get colored. 
• Add the ginger paste and garlic paste and continue to saute for half a minute. Add the cashew nut paste and saute for another two minutes. 
• Add the yogurt and saute till the water from the yogurt gets absorbed.
• Stir in the cream, saffron and garam masala powder and salt to taste. 
• Add the paneer and stir gently to mix. 
• Sprinkle green cardamom powder and serve hot.
• And enjoy the taste.

 

Paneer butter masala

Ingredients:

• 100g - paneer cubes
• 1 - big onion
• 2 - tomatoes
• 2 - cloves of garlic
• Ginger - garlic paste
• 50 g - raisins and cashewnuts
• 1/2 tsp - poppy seeds 
•  1/2 tsp food colour
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp - chilli powder
• 2 to 3 tbsp - oil
• 2 tsp - butter
• Coriander leaves for garnishing
• 1/2 cup - water
• 1 tbsp - fresh cream

 

Recipe:

1. Cut the paneer in cubes.
2. Soak the poppy seeds and charmagaz for 10 minutes.
3. Now grind the onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, kaju & kismis & the soaked poopy seeds and charmagaz mixture finely.
4. Heat oil and fry the masala for 10 minutes on a mediium flame.
5. Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and food colour and mix well.
6. Now add paneer cubes, water and mix well.
7. Cook on a low flame for 5 to 10 minutes.
8. Now add the butter and stir well.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and fresh cream.
10. Serve hot with naan or pulao. 
11. And enjoy the taste.