Palak Paneer

Cottage cheese bits in warm pureed spinach curry. Palak

paneer served with some matar pulao and a chilled cucumber
raita is a divine combination.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups pureed spinach

500 gm paneer-cubed and lightly fried
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup onions-grated
1 cup tomatoes-chopped fine
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp powdered red pepper
1 tsp powdered coriander seeds

Method
Heat oil and add cumin, when it splutters, add bay leaf, ginger and the garlic,
and saute till a light brown.
Add onions and saute till a golden brown, then add tomatoes and stir fry over
medium heat.
When fat separates, add the salt, garam masala, powdered coriander seeds
and the red pepper and stir till well mixed.
Add spinach and saute for 2-3 minutes and add paneer.
Turn around a few times and serve hot.

Rajma

(SouP)

Rajma(Red Kidney Bean) - 3/4 cup

Garam Masala powder- 1/4 tsp(optional)
Kasoori Methi - 1 generous pinch
Cream / Milk - 1 tbsp(optional)
Coriander leaves - 2 tsp chopped
Salt - to taste

To temper:

Oil - 2 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp

To saute and grind:

Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Red Chillies - 2
Onion - 1 medium sized
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized
Garlic - 4 cloves
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Cinnamon - 1/4 inch piece
Cloves 2
1. Soak rajma overnight atleast for 8 hrs, rinse it in water for 2-3 times.Then pressure cook along
with water till immersing level until soft(I did for 7 whistles, depends on variety of rajma), Set
aside.Reserve the drained rajma cooked water for later use.Heat oil in a pan add the ingredients
listed under 'to saute and grind'.
2. Cook till raw smell of tomatoes leave and is slightly mushy. Cool down and then transfer it to a
mixer.
3. Grind it to smooth paste without adding water,set aside. Heat oil in a pan - temper jeera, let it
splutter.Then add the onion tomato paste.
4. Then add garam masala and saute for 2mins then add reserved rajma cooked water and let it boil
for mins. Dilute it well as it has to cook for more time.Then add cooked rajma and required salt.
5. Cover with a lid and let the gravy thicken and let rajma absorb the gravy well.Add milk/cream,
give a quick stir and cook for 2mins. Finally garnish with coriander leaves and kasoori methi,
quick stir and switch off

INSTRUCTIONS
1. soak the tamarind in 1 cup water for 30-40 minutes.
2. squeeze the pulp from the soaked tamarind with your hands in the water. keep
aside.
3. crush the tomatoes with your hands and add this to the tamarind pulp.
4. you can also chop the tomatoes, if you prefer.
5. make a semi coarse mixture n a dry grinder or in a mortar-pestle with the
ingredients mentioned under rasam powder.
6. heat oil in a pan. first fry the mustard seeds till they pop.
7. add cumin and fry till they are browned.
8. add curry leaves and asafoetida. fry for some seconds. you can also add garlic in
the tempering and then no need to make a semi coarse mixture of it with the rest
of the ingredients.
9. add the tamarind pulp - crushed tomatoes mixture.
10. add the ground semi coarse rasam powder.
11. stir and then add about 3 cups water. season with salt.
12. bring to one boil and then simmer for 5-6 minutes.

13. lastly add chopped coriander leaves and give a stir.

14. serve tamarind rasam hot.

Makai Shorba Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini)

cup Sweet Corn

1 Clove (Laung)

cup Onions, chopped

1 Bay Leaf

cup Carrots, diced

1 cup Milk

2 cloves Garlic, chopped

1 tsp Oil

tsp Cumin Powder

2 cups Water

tsp Coriander Seeds, crushed

Salt to taste

tsp Turmeric Powder

2 Peppercorns

For Garnishing

Few Corn Kernels, roasted

Few Coriander Leaves, chopped

1 tsp Lemon Juice

How to make Makai Shorba:

In a non stick pan, heat oil. Add bay leaf, peppercorn, cinnamon stick and cloves to the
heated oil. Saut the mixture for a while.

Add chopped onions and garlic and saut till the onions become pink.

Now, add carrots, cumin powder, turmeric powder and crushed coriander seeds. Mix well and
cook for about 4 minutes.

Add sweet corns, salt and water. Cook over medium flame for 15 to 20 minutes.

When the corns are properly cooked, remove from the flame and keep it aside to cool.

Once cool, put the cooked corn mixture in a blender. Blend to make a fine puree.

Transfer the puree back into the heated pan and add milk to it. Simmer it for some time.

Garnish with corn kernels, chopped coriander and lemon juice.

The luscious Makai shorba is ready to be gorged upon!!

Lentil Soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 pound lentils, picked and rinsed
1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes

2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground toasted cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe
Place the olive oil into a large 6-quart Dutch oven and set over medium heat. Once
hot, add the onion, carrot, celery and salt and sweat until the onions are translucent,
approximately 6 to 7 minutes. Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, coriander, cumin and
grains of paradise and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring just to a
boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook at a low simmer until the lentils are
tender, approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Using a stick blender, puree to your preferred
consistency. Serve immediately.

Kashmiri Yakhni

Ingredients:
kg Mutton
1 kg Fresh Yogurt

2 Onion, large sized

Few Dried Mint Leaves
1 tsp Anise Seeds
3 tbsp Ghee
3 Cardamom Pods
3 Cloves
1 Cinnamon Stick
Salt to taste
How to make Kashmiri Yakhni:
Take a heavy bottomed pan, add 4- 5 cups of water, salt and anise seeds (sauf) along with
mutton in it and let it cook.
Take a saucepan and fry onion till brown. Now, using a hand blender, blend this onion with
water to make paste.
Heat ghee in another pan and add yogurt, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves to it. Keep stirring
the mixture till it boils.
Add onion paste to this mixture and mix well. Reduce the flame to half.
Now, add this mixture to the vessel containing mutton and cook for some more time. Serve
hot with rice.

TOMATO SAAR

METHOD
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Peel ginger, wash well. Peel garlic.

Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste along with coconut.
Wash tomatoes and cut into quarters.
Boil tomatoes along with water, ginger, garlic, coconut paste and cook until mashed well.
Take off the heat and strain it.
Add red chilli powder, salt and sugar to the strained mixture.
Bring it to a boil. Remove and keep aside.
Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, brown them and then add curry leaves and hing.
Cook for a moment.
Add this to the cooked tomato. Mix well.
Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Pumpkin Sambar
Ingredients:
Toor Dal / Tuvaram Paruppu - 1/2 cup

Water - 2 cup
Turmeric Powder / Manjal Podi - 1 tsp
For Sambar:
Pumpkin - 1/2 a small one cubed
Oil - 1 tblspn
Mustard Seeds / Kaduku - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam - 1 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing / Kaya Podi - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - a sprig
Onion - 1 large peeled and sliced
Green chillies - 2 slit
Coriander Powder / Malli Podi - 2 tblspn
Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder / Manjal Podi - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar / Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind Pulp - 2 tblspn or to taste
Water as needed
Method:
1. Take dal, water and turmeric powder in a cooker. Cover and pressure cook for 3
whistle. Simmer for 5 mins. Turn off the cooker and let the steam escape all by
itself. Open and mash the dal well. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pot. Add in mustard, cumin, curry leaves and asafoetida. Saute for a
min.
3. Add in onions, green chillies. Saute this till light golden.
4. Add in chopped pumpkin and mix well.
5. Add in some salt and sugar, Mix well.
6. Add in all spice powder and mix well.
7. Add in cooked dal, tamarind pulp and some water to thin the sambar. Mix well.
8. Bring this to boil, simmer for 5 to 8 mins.

MULLIGATAWNY
Ingredient
Lentils
1cup
Chicken stock
3 cup

Turmeric
0.25 teaspoon
Green apple
1
Carrot
1
Curry leaves
1 springs
Chopped onion 2
Chopped garlic 1 tsp
Chopper ginger 1 tsp
Pepper
corn
10
Butter
2tbsp
Garam masala
1tbsp
Coconut milk
0.5 cup
Chicken dumpling3
Coriander leaves 1 bunch

Heat butter in a pan and add pepper corns, chopped ginger, garlic, chopped onions, curry leaves, carrot, green
apple, turmeric.
2. Add chicken stock, add boiled lentils (chanadal and tour dal)and add garam masala, salt, cook for 5 minutes,
after that put it in the blender and make a nice pure and then put it on the flame and bring a boil.
3. Add some more salt, and add coconut milk, switch off the flame, take chicken dumpling in a plate and pour the
soup on the plate, garnish with boiled rice, fried onions and coriander leaves.