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Being a Punjabi, I have a strong bond with food. We punjabis live, fight and die for food in all sense. There are special dishes which have a deep connection with us, like Kaddhi Chawal, Butter Chicken, Dal Makhni, Langar wali daal, Rajma Chawal and the list goes on and on.  In some households its a ritual to make Rajma or Red Kidney beans every sunday. This rajma chawal is a very home style dish which I am yet to post on my blog .. I hope the lazy me posts it soon. However, in restaurants they serve Rajma Masala which is Rajma in thick gravy. It is best eaten with Laccha Parantha or Naan. It has an incredible taste which is a bit different than our regular style Rajma.


Since I have made this my husband has started demanding me to make this way more often. He loves its gravy and distinct texture and taste. If you are fond of restaurant style food then you must try this out. You will fall in love with this instantly. I have used Munshiyari Rajma for this but you can use any Rajma which boils rather quickly.

Directions:
1. In a bowl add Rajma or red kidney beans and also add Channa Dal also known as Split Bengal Gram.


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2. Wash them thoroughly and soak them in water for 6-8 hours or overnight is best.


3. After soaking the beans and lentils add them to a pressure pan along with 3 cups water and salt. Close the pan with a lid and turn the flame on. Cook on high flame till the pressure has reached optimum or first whistle and then turn the flame on low and continue to cook for 20-25 minutes. Let it sit in its own pressure till steam releases. Then open the lid.





4. Check with finger, the beans should have a mashable consistency on smashing.  Take 1/4 cup of Beans and lentils and mash it and set aside. Reserve the liquid from the boiled rajma to be used later.

5. Place a wok on the stovetop and turn the flame on. Add oil or ghee and then add bay leaf, black cardamom and cloves. Let the the oil get infused with spices.




6. Add ginger garlic paste and saute on medium flame till the raw smell of garlic disappears. Then add chopped green chillies and onions. Saute the onions till they are soft and translucent.





7. Add tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes.

8. At this stage add, salt, turmeric powder and cumin powder.





9. Also add coriander powder and kashmiri red chili powder and mix everything well. Keep cooking and stirring till the masala leaves the oil.





10. Add Rajma and mashed rajma to the masala and mix everything well. Add reserved water from rajma and combine. Let the rajma come to a simmer. Cook it for 2-3 minutes till right consistency is reached. It should become slightly thickened gravy.





11. Add garam masala and garnish with coriander leaves.





12. Transfer it to a serving bowl and serve hot with Kulcha, Puri or Parantha.

If you are Rajma or Kidney Beans you can try Mexican Soup of Rajma or as they say it Sopa de Frijol in Spanish.

You can try other Restaurant Style Dishes: Restaurant Style Mughlai Shahi PaneerRestaurant Style Malai Kofta in Air FryerCrispy Honey Chili Potatoes with Sesame SeedsKadhai MushroomButter ChickenMushroom Do PyaazaShahi Paneer, Dal Makhni.

[whohit]Rajmamasala[/whohit]

[yumprint-recipe id=’292′]

 


I have been making a lot of pickles lately! Why not after all its summers and its the best time of the year when you can pickle your fruits and veggies and let them soak sume sun. I have just finished making Punjabi Aam ka Achar , you can see it in the pictures. I will post the recipe soon. But nevertheless those pickle flavours have reached by main dishes and started making my gravies spicy, tantalizing and and utterly delicious. I am talking about this Achari Paneer.


This gravy is made with spices which are generic to all Indian Pickles. It makes the gravy spicy , tantalizing and utterly delicious. My little man is a picky eater and refuses to eat vegetables and curries in school. The other day he came back with an empty lunch box and tells me I love this cheese sabji. This surely made my day with a double assurance that I made something delicious which was liked by my sonny boy.


Directions:

1. Slice Paneer into cubes and set aside.

2. In a blender add tomato pieces and cashews and make a puree.


3. For the achari masala. In a small pan add mustard seeds, kalonji or nigella seeds.




4. Also add Cumin seeds, Fennel Seeds or saunf and Fenugreek Seeds or methi dana.





5. Dry roast them on a pan for a minute of so. Do not burn them. 


6. Grind them in a hand grinder or in a mixie jar and set aside.




7.  Heat oil in a kadai or deep sauce pan on medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Now, add ginger garlic and chili paste in the oil and let it become light brown in color. 




8. Add Asafoetida and mix it with the ginger garlic paste. You should add the tomato puree to the kadai .




9. Add Coriander powder, Turmeric powder to the wok.




10. Also add Red chili powder, salt and the achari masala we had made earlier.





11. Mix everything thoroughly and sauté till oil separates the masala. 

12. Now lower the flame to sim and add curd and continue whisking otherwise the curd will curdle.




13.  Add cubed Paneer to the curd gravy and mix well so that paneer is coated with the gravy.




14.  To this add Cream and combine well.


15.  Finish the dish with Kasuri Methi and Fresh  Coriander Leaves.




16. Serve hot with Roti or Rice. It makes the most amazing Indian Paneer dish ever.

Other Dishes with Paneer or cottage cheese you can try are: Vrat Wale Dahi-Paneer KebabsPaneer Ki KheerBaked Paneer Corn KababsStuffed Buns with Spicy PaneerPalak PaneerShahi Paneer

[whohit]AchariPaneer[/whohit]

 

 

Every year my father sends us raw green mangoes from his yard. They are in abundance and which means I get to try so many different recipes. But honestly I find this as an excuse. I clearly enjoy trying out new ways to utilize these green raw beauties. Last year I tried Kaccha Aam Aur Lehsun ChutneyFresh Turmeric Pickle with Green Mangoes Raw Mango RiceAam Ka PannaRaw Mango Chutney with Mint and Coriander,   Instant Raw Mango Pickle South Indian Style. And this year I am going even more crazy. I wanna make every possible recipe on the planet with Raw mangoes 😛 This Aam ki Launji is the first thing I tried. Its my Mother in laws recipe and is native to Uttar Pradesh state of India. The Launji or Chunky Mango Chutney turned out gorgeous! Although I am allergic to Fennel seeds but I went steady and added them anyways not thinking of the consequences. Fortunately I am alive and kicking as yet. 😛 


If you are looking for Mango Chunda which is similar Sweet and sour Raw Mango Chutney from Gujarat, you must try this recipe. I have already made Punjabi Style  Raw Mango Pickle which is my mommy’s recipe. I will be posting it soon. I have also made Dal with Raw Mangoes. It was lip smacking. I will be sharing that also in the next few days. If you have any recipe with raw mangoes let me know I will try them out and post on my blog space giving due credit to you.

Directions:
1. Wash and peel raw firm mangoes and cut them into long slices. You can even grate them but this will change the texture and the cooking time will vary.


2. In a wok add some oil and heat it up.

3. Add Nigella Seeds, Fennel Seeds and Asafoetida.





4. Add salt, Turmeric Powder and Red Chilli powder.





5. Add Mango slices to the spice mix and toss everything together.




6. Add water to the wok cover with a lid and let the mangoes cook down a little. They should become al dente and not mush.




7. Once it has cooked up a little, add jaggery to it. I have added crumbles jaggery so that it mixes evenly. You can cook little longer till the launji becomes thick in texture.





8. Transfer it to a jar on getting to room temperature. Keep it refrigerated and stays for more than a week.

Other Raw Mango Recipe you can try are: Kaccha Aam Aur Lehsun ChutneyFresh Turmeric Pickle with Green Mangoes Raw Mango RiceAam Ka PannaRaw Mango Chutney with Mint and CorianderKhatti Meethi Kacchey Aam Ki Chutney Instant Raw Mango Pickle South Indian Style

[whohit]AamkiLaunji[/whohit]

[yumprint-recipe id=’278′]

We all are aware about the current financial crisis in India as a result of demonetization. I am sure this is a rough patch for all of us and I pray that soon it shall pass. In the meanwhile sit tight and control your expenses. Try to eat at home most of the time and do not panic. That’s the most prudent way we can survive through these tough times. 

The other day we were yearning for some restaurant style food and we never wanted to go out. So I told my husband to give me half an hour and I’ll put an end to his cravings. I tried this baby corn and Mushroom masala and it did its trick. This was rich, creamy, delicious and not to mention easy on our pocket. 

We ate this with Tawa Naan and some Mint Chutney to go along. What a fabulous meal it was and that too at the comfort of our home.  If you decide to put a little effort expenses can be curtailed and at the same time you are not missing much 🙂

Directions:

1.Select soft and tender baby corns and wash them under running water. Cut them into small pieces on an angle about 1 inch long. If you have baby corns which aren’t tender you can blanch them or steam them for ten minutes to make them a little soft.


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2. Chop Onions and Tomatoes and set aside.


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3. Soak some cashews for an hour and set aside.

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4. In a wok add some ghee and add baby corns and saute them till they get a slight golden colour. 


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5. Also add mushrooms and keep sauteing them till they have released water and become dark in colour. Remove them on a plate till we use them further.


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6. In the same add more ghee or clarified butter and add cumin seeds. Let them crackle for a few seconds.


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7. Add chopped onions along with ginger garlic paste.


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8. When the onions have browned and raw smell of ginger garlic has faded, add tomatoes. 

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9. Add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder.


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10. Cook till the tomatoes have turned soft and gooey. Turn the flame off and let the mixture cool down a little bit. Add it to a grinder and make a smooth paste.


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11. Now again for the third and last time put ghee in the wok and add a bay leaf along with two green cardamoms. Toss them in ghee for a few seconds to make the ghee fragrant.


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12.  Add the pureed masala to the wok and also add some water. I added water to the grinding jar first to take out every hidden puree from the jar. Don’t wanna waste anything. Bring everything to a boil.


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13. Make a puree with the cashews we had soaked earlier and add it to the masala. Also add coriander powder. Let the gravy become thick, so keep simmering for a couple of minutes. 


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14. Add the sauteed mushrooms and baby corns to the gravy. Let it simmer. Add cream to the gravy and make it rich and yummy 🙂


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15. Add garam masala and coriander leaves. 


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16. Finish off with Kasuri methi  for the restaurant style flavour.

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17. Serve hot with Roti or Kulcha or Tawa Naan and enjoy the rich restaurant style gravy.

Other Mushroom recipes you can try here: Mushroom LasagnaItalian Frittata with Mushrooms and Spinach, Indo Chinese style Chili Mushrooms. Kadahi Mushroom, Mushroom Biryani, Mushroom Matar, Palak Mushroom and Mushroom Dou Pyaaza.

Other Restaurant style food you can try: Restaurant Style Malai Kofta in Air FryerButter Chicken, Dal Makhani, Shahi Paneer, Palak Paneer.

[whohit]BabyCornMushroomMasala[/whohit]

[yumprint-recipe id=’260′] 

 

 

shalgamkasaag_featured1

Turnips are one of the most hated vegetables on the planet, this is a brutal and honest fact. This root vegetable is known as Shalgam in Hindi , à¦¶à¦²à¦—ম Shalgom in Bengali,  Kalamohare, Sherasa in Marathi, An-tam in Mizo,  Nalla avalu in Telegu, and has many other names worldover like  swede, neeps, rapes, rapa. Irrespective of its repute this vegetable is loved in my family. We not only eat it raw in our salads but also make its curry, which I will share soon and also its pickle, which is a must for the winters. As a kid my mother ensured I eat all types of vegetables which making faces. As I am writing this, a thought comes to my mind. My mother made all these despised vegetables so delicious that I never learnt to make faces. I guess that explains why I always encourage people to try out recipes from my mother if they ever hate any vegetable. You will find plenty on my space. 

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My husband was one of those kids who always hated this sabji. So when my mother in law challenged me that I should make his son try this vegetable I was most happy to successfully convert him into a shalgam acceptor (I am not writing lover because you know old fears die hard :P). This vegetable is full of fibre and nutrition and you must try it out.

Directions:
1. Remove the leaves of the turnips. Dont discard them, the fresh ones can be added to salads. Wash the turnips.

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2. Remove the top thick skin and cut each into four pieces.


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3. In a pressure pan keep a rack in the bottom and place the turnip on it. Add little water.

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4. Also add salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder.


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5. Close the lid of the pan and cook on high till first whistle or when it has reached its optimum pressure, then turn the flame on low and keep it simmering for another 10 minutes. It should be soft on poking.

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6. Drain the water and place the boiled turnips in a bowl. Mash them using a potato masher,


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7. Chop tomatoes, ginger and green chillies.

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8. Add ghee or clarified butter in a wok. This recipe requires a good quantity of ghee as it is a key ingredient for the deliciousness of the dish. Do not cut short.  Also add chopped ginger and saute for a minute then add chopped tomatoes and green chilli and keep sauteing it till the tomatoes turn soft and gooey.


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9. Season with salt this helps to soften the tomatoes faster.


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10. Add mashed turnips and mix well with the tomatoes. 

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11. Add chopped green Coriander and garam masala. Check again for salt or red chilli. If you find it less you can adjust at this stage.


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12. Keep the turnips on a medium  flame and stirring till you see the ghee has started to ooze out and it has just about to start sticking to the base. That’s when you must turn the flame off. 

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13. Transfer it to a serving bowl and enjoy this delicious dish with hot rotis. This will make you fall in love with its flavour. 

Other punjabi recipes you can try are: Dal Ghiya with Punjabi VadiyaPunjabi Pethey Ki SabziPunjabi Style Bharwan TindaPunjabi Style Gobhi DanthalLangar Wali DalPunjabi Style Dum AlooPunjabi Dal MakhaniPunjabi Style Aloo MethiPunjabi Pindi CholeyPunjabi Style Kaddi Chawal.

shalgamkasaag_featured2[whohit]ShalgamKaSaag[/whohit]

[yumprint-recipe id=’259′]

baigan-bhaja

Since the starting of the year when I got my air fryer I have been trying recipes giving them a new healthy avatar. I made Malai KoftaKamal Kakdi Kay Koftay Plantain & Potato Kebabs and many other things in this amazing gadget. It has changed the way we eat. The things I avoided because they were fried and greasy have come back in our life but now with a healthy makeover. Making this decisions not only keeps our weight in control but also gives us the pleasure of eating everything (almost) without feeling guilty. 

baigan-bhaja

Recently, I was thinking about making Begun Bhaja which are deliciously crispy Aubergine Slices which are marinated in spices and then deep fried. This recipe hails from Bengal which is known for its cuisine and culture. I love traditional recipes and dont wanna twist and turn them much. I followed the same recipe however I changed the way you cook it, I air fried them to make them guilt free. They were still crispy and delicious. If you are thinking to change your lifestyle do invest in an airfryer and make healthy choices, because you are what you eat 🙂

Directions:
1. Take a big sized Aubergine or Eggplant. The bigger the size the bigger will be the slices. Wash it and pat dry.

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2. Cut it into thin slices about 1 cm thick and soak them in salted water for about 20-25 minutes. We soak the eggplant slices because sometimes the eggplants can be bitter and this will ensure they loose their bitterness. 


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3. In the meanwhile in a bowl add Red Chili Powder and turmeric powder.


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4. Also add garam masala, amchur powder.


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5. Also season it with salt and add chana masala. yes that does the trick!


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6. Pat dry the soaked pieces of eggplants and rub the dry spice mix on them on both the sides.


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7. Place them in the bowl and sprinkle some lemon juice on them. Let them marinate for 10 minutes. 

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8. Preheat your airfryer for 10 minutes on 180 degrees.

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9. In a flat plate take some chickpea flour or besan and coat the marinated eggplant with flour on both sides. You can dust the extra.


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10. Once the air fryer is preheated add a few slices on the wire rack of the basket and brush with some mustard oil. Let it air fry for 15-18 minutes. Flip it half way and brush the other side also with oil and continue to cook till you see them golden brown and crisp. Follow the same with rest of the slices.

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11. Serve hot with dal and roti or you can just eat it like a snack with your drinks 🙂 

Other Eggplant recipes you can try are: Baingan Ka Bhartha Bharwan BainganBaingan Ka RaitaBaigan Ka Salan

baiganbhaja_featured3[whohit]BainganBhaja[/whohit]

[yumprint-recipe id=’255′] 

stuffedchachinda_featured2
Every household has its unique eating habits. One vegetable or dish may be a regular affair for some however, unheard for many others. This depends on the culture, place and availability of resources. When I was in Mexico I explored so many local produce and included them in my daily menu and when destiny brought me to Almora, my small hilly town things were different. The Himalayas not only bring serene beauty to the place but also bestows on us bounty of nature. I love to try them out and rather I feel privileged. Some time back I made Angel Hair Pasta with Garlicky Lingda, which is Fiddlehead Fern found in the hills. I also made Sherbet with Kaafal or Bay Berries found in this particular Himalayan region.

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And when I saw this serpent looking vegetable in the market I was drawn to its beauty. It looked ecstatic. Its called as Chichinda or Padwal in Hindi and Snake Gourd or Serpent Gourd in English. Most of the people make it like any other gourd sabzi however, I tried to make it differently. I stuffed it with cooked Chicken Keema and then cooked the outer body with the stuffing. It took this humble vegetable to a whole new level. You can always stuff it with mashed potatoes or paneer

Directions:
1. Wash the snake gourd thoroughly and cut them into 2 inch long pieces. Scoop out the pulpy portion by running a knife in the centre. Reserve the pulp.


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2. Repeat the same with rest of the pieces and set aside.


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3. Chop Onions, Tomatoes, Ginger, garlic and green chillies finely and set aside.

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4. In a pan pour some oil and add cumin seeds. They will crackle in a few seconds.


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5. Add ginger garlic and green chillies and saute them till the raw smell of garlic fades away. At this stage add chopped onions and continue to cook till they are transparent and soft. 


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6. Add tomato sand continue to cook till they are gooey and soft.

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7. Season it with salt, red chilli powder and Turmeric powder. Combine  everything.


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8. Add minced chicken keema and reserved pulp of gourd and toss it with the spices in the pan. Saute for a couple of minutes till chicken is cooked half way through.


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9. Add water and cover with a lid abd continue to cook further.


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10. Add tandoori masala and combine.


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11. Add Garam masala and turn the flame off.
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12. Fill the stuffing  inside the hollow snake gourd pieces we had reserved.

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13. Now in a pan add some more oil and place all the stuffed snake gourd pieces.

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14. Cover with a lid and keep cooking it. Do not forget to change sides for even cooking after every five minutes. 


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15. When the gourds have acquired a golden colour all over and are softer they are done. Turn the flame off and serve hot with Roti.

Other dishes with Chicken you can try are: Butter ChickenChettinad Pepper Chicken MasalaHyderabadi Murg KormaCheesy Chicken LasagnaGinger-Sesame Chicken with Bok Choy and MushroomsItalian Chicken Meatballs with Spaghetti.

stuffedchachinda_featured3[whohit[ChichindaWithChicken[/whohit]

[yumprint-recipe id=’254′]

ChicikenKorma_Featured3

I have started eating Non vegetarian food very late in my life and which also means I started cooking it also very late. But I never panic because my father cooks excellent chicken and by the grace of God I have friends who always come forward to share their recipes and tips to make everything fabulous. The other night I wanted to try out a new recipe of Chicken and I resorted to my bestie Shaheen’s blog Spoon Fork and Food. It has some amazing recipes from lip smacking non vegetarian dishes to delicious, divine vegetarian food.

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The recipe was self explanatory and came out just amazing. Its a regular at our place now. Whenever we have chicken my husband insists that we must make this again. The addition of nuts and coconut enhances the texture of the chicken and makes it from ordinary to  extraordinary. If you are looking for a recipe to win your heart and stomach you must continue to read the recipe. 

Directions:

1. In a pan add Almonds and cashew nuts.


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2.  Add Poppy Seeds and desiccated Coconut. Toast them on low flame till they have become crisp.


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3. Let the mixture cool down a bit. Transfer it to a dry grinder and pulse together to make a coarse powder. Set aside.


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4. Chop some onions and dry roast them in a pan till they have become brown in colour.


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5. Grind them in a paste and set aside.


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6. In order to marinate Chicken add yogurt in a bowl along with fresh pieces of chicken. Also add ginger garlic paste and red chili powder.


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7. Add turmeric powder, some strands of saffron and salt


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8. Add lemon juice combine and refrigerate at least for an hour do that the spices marinate the chicken well.


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9. After marinating the chicken, add Ghee or clarified butter in a wok. Add Bay leaf and green cardamom to the ghee.


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10. Also add Black Cardamom, Cloves and Peppercorns. 


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11. Once the ghee is infused with whole spices add the marinated chicken along with the liquid. Add slit green chillies and let the chicken cook and juices run out. Also add coriander powder and keep cooking. 


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12. When the entire liquid has evaporated and ghee is separated add onion paste and roasted nuts mixture and combine well. Keep stirring and let the chicken cook on low flame till done. You shouldn’t need any water as there is enough curd. But if you feel the spice is getting stuck to the bottom, add little water and keep cooking till the chicken is done. It should take 20-25 minutes for the chicken to cook. You can add more Ghee to the chicken if you feel its dry. The korma tastes better with more ghee oozing out.. as a matter of fast all dishes do 😉 But a little butter or ghee never hurts anyone 😛


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13. Garnish with Garam Masala, Coriander and Mint Leaves.

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14. Serve hot with Naan, Kulcha and even roti. 

Other Chicken dishes you can try are: Butter ChickenChettinad Pepper Chicken MasalaGinger-Sesame Chicken with Bok Choy and MushroomsItalian Chicken Meatballs with SpaghettiChicken Soup with RiceGrilled Chicken SaladCheesy Chicken Lasagna.

You can also try Baigan Ka Salan from Hyderabad.

ChicikenKorma_Featured5[whohit]ChickenKorma[/whohit]

[yumprint-recipe id=’233′]

 PetheyKiSabzi_Featured4

Everyone has his/her own comfort food. After eating it all you can think about is love, deliciousness and indulgence. It may not be fancy schmancy but the simplicity of that dish connects you to the higher self. My Soul food is my mother’s Pethey ki Sabzi or Punjabi style Pumpkin. This recipe makes this humble vegetable the most desired one. 

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Back when I was a little girl I never liked any of these vegetables . By ‘these’ I mean any of these from the gourd and squashes family. As I grew up and was married away I realised that this is the kind of food I have grown on and is an integral part of my life. I started longing for pethey ki sabzi, bharwan karela, bharwan tinda, kaddhi chawal and more. This ignited the spark in me to learn these recipes from my mommy. I am glad my mommy taught me all of these and I can play  the role of perfect mommy for my sonny boy. For me growing on these dishes is a sign of perfect childhood 😉

Directions:
1. You will need a round pumpkin with green skin and yellow inside. remove the seeds and membranes and peel off its skin. Chop it into very small pieces. Set aside.


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2. Also chop finely some onions, ginger root, green chilies and tomatoes.

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3. In a pressure pan add ghee or clarified butter.* As it melts add cumin seeds till it crackles. 


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4. Add crushed coriander seeds, asafoetida and fenugreek seeds. Toss them in ghee.


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5. Add chopped ginger along with green chilies. Saute them for a few minutes and then add onions to saute.


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6. When the onions have caremalized add chopped pumpkin. Add salt and combine.


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7. Also add, turmeric, red chilli powder and sambhar masala. Yes you read that right. Sambhar masala makes a huge change in taste which you wouldnt like to skip. Coat the spices with pumpkin.


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8. Add chopped tomatoes and mix.Close the lid and cook the pumpkin on high flame for one whistle or till when the pressure has reached its maximum. Turn the flame on low and let it cook for another 15 minutes.After that turn the flame off and let it cook in the steam. Do not open the lid. 

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9. After the steam has escaped you will see there will be water in the base of pan. Again turn the flame on let the water evaporate. Slightly mash the pumpkin with the back of spoon.

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10. Add Freshly chopped coriander.


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11. Also add garam masala and a little sugar to balance the flavours.


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12. Serve hot with Roti or puris. Do not forget to team your meal with raw red onion slices.

Other Punjabi dishes you can try are:Aloo Methi Punjabi Style, Bharwan Tinda, Stuffed Karela, Kadhi Chawal, Touri VadiPunjabi Dal MakhaniPunjabi Style Dum Aloo

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[whohit]PetheyKiSabzi[/whohit]

[yumprint-recipe id=’231′]

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My husband loves Palak Paneer and there is nothing else which he fancies more. Whenever we get Spinach he doesn’t let me make anything else. This time when he was away at work and the milk wasn’t sufficient to make Paneer, I tricked him by adding Mushrooms. The combination clicked and he kinda liked it. Infact he said we should do this often. ha! You know sometimes in life you have to take extreme steps to change some people 😛 I guess I took mine… hahahah (evil laugh)

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On a serious note this dish was a pleasant change over the conventional paneer dish. If you are a mushroom lover this will really suit your palette. Infact this inspires me to trick my husband more often now 😉 which promises you more Spinach dishes on my blog soon.

Directions:

1. Separate the spinach stems from the leaves and reserve the leaves in a colander. If you are using the packaged spinach in a bag they come without stems, so you can skip this step.

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2. Insert the colander with leaves under the water tap and wash rigorously ensure that there is no dirt. Ensure you wash each leaf, it is a tedious process but by this you will eliminate all the dirt which will effect the taste of your dish.

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3.Put the washed leaves in a pot and blanch them for ten minutes with lid on top. If you are using the packaged spinach you will need to put half cup of water to blanch the spinach. Once you see the spinach leaves are no longer firm you must turn the flame off. Keep them aside to cool down a little.


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4. After it’s cooled put it in a blender along with garlic, ginger and chillies. Make a smooth paste of it . Keep aside.


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5. In a blender add Tomatoes, Ginger, garlic and Onions and make a smooth puree. Set aside.


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6. Wash and Chop some Mushrooms.


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7. In a wok add some ghee or clarified butter and add the mushroom slices. Saute them till they have shrunk and have acquired little colour. Take them out of the wok and put them in a plate to be used later.


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 6. Add a little more ghee to the same wok and add cumin seeds. Wait for them to crackle.


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7. Add the tomato puree and combine.

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8. Add salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder. 


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9. Let the masala be on the medium low flame till the ghee separates out.

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10. Add the Spinach Puree and combine. Let it simmer for five eight minutes till it thicken a little bit.


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11. Add cream or you can use malai . It helps it give that creamy texture and takes away the bitterness of spinach.

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12. Add Kasuri Methi for that restaurant like taste. Garnish with Garam Masala.


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12. Add sauteed Mushrooms to the curry and combine. 

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13. Serve hot with Roti, Kulcha or Naan.

You can even try the classic Palak Paneer and Palak Dhaniya Chutney.

Other dishes from North India you can try are: Punjabi Dal Makhani, Kadhai Mushroom ,  Langar Wali DalMethi Matar MalaiMushroom Do PyaazaPunjabi Style Dum Aloo.

PalakMushroom_Featured2[whohit]PalakMushroom[/whohit]

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