Punjabi Egg Curry

 

My mom makes this Punjabi style egg curry. When she first made it way back when I was in school, all of us were blown away that a non-vegetarian curry was made without an iota of coconut! Today, when I don't know what to make on Sundays, this curry comes very handy. Mom always used to add some potato chunks in her mutton curries. I took that inspiration to add potatoes in the egg curry.

 

Punjabi Egg Curry

Ingredients

4 hard  boiled eggs, peeled and halved

4 baby potatoes, halved or leave whole

 1 tsp garam masala - preferably freshly made

2 tsp coriander-cumin powder

1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder - (For color)

salt to taste

 

Grind to a smooth paste

1 1/2 cup sliced onion

3/4 cups tomatoes

1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

1/4 cup cilantro

2-3 green chilies or per taste

 

Tempering

1 tbsp. oil

2 cloves

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

 

Suggested Accompaniment

Garden Kachumbar

or

Raita

&

Paratha/Rumali Roti

And/or Jeera Rice

 

Method

1. Boil eggs and potatoes. Peel the eggs and halve them.

2. Heat oil. Add cloves and turmeric powder.

3. Add ground onion paste. Sauté for 15 minutes or so till the raw smell of onion goes away.

4. Add garam masala, coriander cumin powder, Kashmiri chili powder and salt.

5. Add 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to boil.

6. Place eggs and potatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes.

7. Garnish with cilantro

 

Note -

1. You can peel the potatoes or leave them unpeeled. You can keep them whole or halve them.

2. If Kashmiri chili powder is not available, use paprika or any mild chili powder for color.

3. The most important step is sautéing the ground onion paste till raw smell disappears. It may very well take more than even half an hour. If you are hard pressed for time like me, I add oil in the pressure cooker. Add tempering. Sauté masala paste for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and pressure cook for 2 whistles - before adding eggs. This expedites the process and onion mixture no longer smells raw.

 

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Tingalavrya Bendi - White Beans Curry

 

Remember my post about the South Canara curries? Each curry has a distinct name and that name itself indicates which tempering to use, and thus each curry results in a unique flavor - although basic ground masala paste is coconut + tamarind + byadgi chilies. So those who are not very familiar with South Canara cusine may find each curry is orange colored but the name clearly tells not only the tempering, but also the consistency of the gravy, consistency of ground masala paste (coarse or fine), heat level (e.g. Ghasshi and Ambat are mild while koddel & Bendi/बेंदी are hot!)

When in Mumbai, I head straight to my most favorite Mahima Mangalore Stores at Hill Rd. They stock up some good Konkani delicacies. This is the place where you will get your Tingalavre and Fajjav - though they may not be on their display. Mostly, their display consists of usual snacks and other tidbits. But do ask the owner about those Konkani delicacies, and if they are in season, you may get them. So I was lucky that "Tingalavre" was in season. We make two curries with it. Bendi (Using Garlic tempering) and Tepla Randayi (Using Teppal/Tirphal).

Tingalavrya Bendi
White Beans Curry
Ingredients
 3/4 cup dry Tingalavre, soaked for 6 hours in adequate water
salt to taste

Grind
3/4 cups freshly scraped coconut
15 byadgi chilies, roasted quickly in few drops of coconut oil
1 1/2 tsp tamarind paste

Tempering
2 tsp coconut oil
5-7 cloves of garlic, peeled & smashed but still left whole

Method
1. Soak tingalavre in water for 6 hours. Drain and pressure cook using enough water. Set aside.

2. Heat a pan. Drizzle few drops of coconut oil. Roast byadgi chilies.
3. Grind fresh coconut, roasted chilies and tamarind to paste.
4. Pour cooked beans in a saucepan. Add ground masala paste. Add enough water per desired consistency.
5. Add salt to taste. Bring to boil. Switch gas to low. Let it simmer.
6. In a separate small saucepan, heat coconut oil. Add garlic cloves. Fry till brown.
7. Drizzle hot oil with garlic over the curry. Switch off the gas and cover the curry with a lid.
8. Serve with plain rice.

Note -
1. Traditionally, bendi (बेंदी ) is on thick side. Adjust water per your preference.
2. Bendi is also very hot. Adjust chilies per your preference.

Tingal Avre From Mahima Mangalore Stores, Bandra

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Bharli Vangi (Sode ghalun) - Stuffed Eggplant with dried shrimp

 

Sode ghalun Bharli Vangi is a CKP delicacy. I haven't followed the authentic CKP recipe here but my version was loved by those who love sode/dry shrimp. Technically speaking, sode are big dried shrimp and the ones that I get at Indian stores, is a smaller variety.

Bharli Vangi (Sode Ghalun)
भरली वांगी (सोडे घालून )
Ingredients
8 small eggplants, slit cross wise leaving each eggplant in tact
2-3 kokums
1 tsp coconut oil

Grind to paste
1/4 cup cilantro
1" ginger, peeled
4-5 garlic cloves
1 green chili
1 tsp lemon juice

For stuffing
1 cup dried prawns
1/2 cup freshly scraped coconut
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chili powder
salt to taste

Tempering
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp asafetida

Garnish
1 tbsp. minced cilantro

Method
1. Soak dried shrimp in water for 1/2 hour. Squeeze water and drain completely.
2. Mix with ground green paste and set aside.
3. Remove the stems of baby eggplants. Make cross slits leaving each eggplant in tact.
4. Mix coconut, onion, turmeric powder, garam masala, chili powder and marinated shrimp. Adjust salt as needed.

5. Stuff each eggplant with above mixture. There should be plenty more remaining.
6. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add turmeric powder and asafetida. Place stuffed eggplants in a single layer. Spread all the remaining stuffing around it.
7. Add kokum and 1/3 cup water. Cover with a lid. Pour water on the lid.
8. Let it cook on low flame till it's well done. This should be on the dry side.
9. Drizzle coconut oil.
10. Garnish with cilantro.

Note -
1. Dried shrimp that I had, were already cleaned and ready to use.
2. Generally dried seafood has plenty salt content. Take it into consideration while adding salt.





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Khubbya Randayi - Clams Curry

It's funny how I refer to the same ingredient by various different names based on the recipe that I am following. When I am making my maternal grandmother's South Canara style curry, I refer to clams as Khubbe. When I am making my paternal grandmother's Malvani style curry, I refer to the same clams as Tisrya. :-)

 

Today let's visit my South Canara heritage and relish Khubbya randayi or Manglore style Clams Curry. This recipe is exactly similar to Sungta Hinga udaak. But for some unknown reason, when making this curry with clams, it's always referred to as Khubbya Randayi and not Khubbya Hinga Udaak.

 

Khubbya Randayi

Ingredients

1 packet Costco little neck clams

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

 

Salt to taste (Adjust)

 

Grind to a fine paste

1 cup freshly scraped coconut

12-15 byadgi chilies, roasted in few drops of coconut oil

2 tsp tamarind pulp

 

Garnish

1 tsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp asafetida

 

Method

1. Scrub and clean the clams.

2. Place them in a heavy bottomed big container. Add 1/2 cup water and turmeric powder.

3. Cook till the shells are open. Switch off the gas. Cover

4. Let them cool down till they are easy to handle. Take out the flesh.

5. Drain the clam juice. Set aside.

6. Meanwhile, roast byadgi chilies using few drops of coconut oil. Grind to a very fine paste adding coconut and tamarind pulp. Add water as needed for grinding.

7. Place cooked clams, clam juice in the saucepan.

8. Add ground masala and enough water to get the desired consistency.

9. Adjust salt.

10. As the curry comes to a rapid boil, switch the gas to low.

11. Let it simmer.

12. Drizzle coconut oil and asafetida over the curry.

13. Let it simmer for at least 10 minutes.

14. Switch off the gas. Cover.

15. Serve with plain rice.

 

Note -

1. Clams may have salt content. Adjust salt accordingly.

2. Clams are covered with lots of sand. Scrub carefully, making sure that they are sand free before cooking.

3. Drain the clam juice to avoid any sand particles.

4. After initial cooking, discard any clams that don't open up.
5. When in season, add peeled, raw mango pieces to this curry. If using, add them along with ground masala paste. Adjust tamarind accordingly.

6. Many home cooks in Mumbai use a knife or viLi to crack the clams and then use them in the curry. In my family, we boil the clams first, and let the clams open the shells instead of using knife.

 

Salgam Song - Turnips Curry

I spotted some fresh turnips/salgams at our farmers market. I decided to make "Saung". Traditionally, saung uses potatoes. I replaced them with turnips. This curry tasted delicious.

Salgam Song
Turnip Curry
Ingredients

3-4 medium turnips, peeled, cut into chunks

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

Salt to taste

1 tbsp coconut oil or any other oil of preference

Grind to a coarse paste

5-6 byadgi chilies, roasted in a drop of coconut oil

1 tbsp tamarind pulp

Method

1. Heat oil. Saute onion till golden brown. Do not let it burn.
2. Add turnip pieces, stir. Cover with a lid. Pour water on the lid. Let it cook.

2. Add ground masala paste. Saute for 1 minute.

3. Add 1/2 cup water. add salt to taste.

4. Bring to boil.

5. Let it simmer. This is a thick curry. Adjust consistency per your own preference.
 

Note -

1. The coconut oil gives a unique and authentic flavor. However, if you are bothered by the saturated fat contents in the coconut oil, you can use canola or olive oil. and then add a few drops of coconut oil for flavor.

2. Instead of grinding the masala, sometimes, I just mix chili powder and tamarind pulp for a quick fix.

 

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Pumpkin Leaves Daal

 

 

This month, I will try my best to show case some unusual veggies. Let's see if my farmers market, Indian stores and my enthusiasm keep up with this pledge!

 

Today's recipe is Pumpkin Leaves daal. Pumpkin leaves and stems are very much edible and they go well with this Konkani masala. There are two ways you can make this daal. You may choose to temper it with garlic cloves or you may use tirphal/teppal. But please be mutually exclusive about it. Do not use both as the flavors will counter balance each other.

 

Pumpkin Leaves Daal

Ingredients

1 bunch Pumpkin leaves

1/2 cup toor daal

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

 

Soak in 1/4 cup warm water

6-7 tirphal/teppal

 

Grind to a coarse paste

1/2 cup coconut

1 tbsp. coriander seeds, roasted

5-6 black peppercorns

5 byadgi chilies

1 tsp tamarind pulp

 

Garnish

Few drops of coconut oil

 

Method

1. Shred pumpkin leaves roughly. If the stems are tender, cut it into about 2" pieces. Remove any fibers that are attached to the stem, by cutting a little opening and peeling off the fiber - the way you would do for drumsticks.

2. Pressure cook daal with turmeric powder and adequate water as well as pumpkin leaves and stems.

3. Mash daal lightly after cooking.

4. In a saucepot, add cooked daal and cooked pumpkin leaves and stems.

5. Roast coriander seeds, black pepper corns and byadgi chilies. Grind to a coarse paste with coconut and tamarind. Add water as required for grinding.

6. Pour the masala paste with water into the curry.

7. Add salt and teppal with water. Bring to boil.

8. Drizzle few drops of coconut oil as the curry is boiling.

9. Serve with plain rice.

 

Note-

1. Generally tirphal or teppals are given a little pounding before soaking. Make sure that the berries are not totally crushed or powdered.

2. Do remove the black seeds in teppals.

3. Teppals are added to enhance the flavor. They are not meant to be eaten.

4. Variation - Instead of teppals, heat coconut oil and fry garlic pieces and drizzle over the curry.

 

 

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Beet Greens Lentil Curry

 

 

Leafy greens with Masoor/brown lentils sprouts is a wonderful Malvani preparation. Now that Spring has finally sprung here, farmers' markets are boasting fresh, tender vegetables. I found a bunch of beets with lush green leaves.

 

Swiss chard, spinach or any other leafy greens of your choice may be substituted.

 

Beet Greens with Lentils Curry

Ingredients

1 bunch of beet leaves, shredded roughly,

1 cup Masoor sprouts

salt to taste

1 tsp tamarind paste

 

Roast one after the other

3 cloves

1" cinnamon

1 tbsp. coriander seeds

1 green cardamom

10 black peppercorn

1 onion, peeled & sliced

2-3 cloves garlic

1/3 cup scraped coconut

5 red chilies

 

Tempering

1/2 tbsp. oil

5-6 garlic cloves

 

Method

1. Clean beet greens so there is no sand/soil. Shred roughly. Chop the stems.

2. Pressure cook greens and brown masoor sprouts using adequate water.

3. Roast spices, onion and coconut one after the other using few drops of oil as needed. Make sure that coconut, onion, garlic are fried till brown, not burnt.

4. Grind roasted spices to a smooth paste, adding tamarind paste, 1 tbsp. cooked masoor and water as needed.

5. Place cooked masoor and greens in a saucepan. Add ground masala and water to adjust the consistency.

6. Bring to boil. Switch gas to low. Let it simmer.

7. In a separate small saucepan, heat oil. Add garlic cloves. Fry till they are golden brown. Drizzle tempered oil and garlic over the curry.

8. Cover immediately and switch off the gas.

9. Serve with plain rice or flatbread of your choice.

 

Note -

1. Use only tender greens and stems. They should be cut without any pressure.

 

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Kolumbiche Lipte - CKP Prawns Curry

 

A cousin of mine reminded me about this delicious curry from CKP community which goes by this quaint name - Lipte. This curry is on the thick side but feel free to add more water if you prefer more broth like consistency.

 

 

Kolumbiche Lipte

CKP styled Prawns Curry

Ingredients

1 lb. shrimp/prawns, deveined

salt

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp. mild chili powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

 

Grind to paste

2" ginger, peeled, roughly chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled, roughly chopped

2-3 green chilies, (More or less depending on taste)

2 tbsp. cilantro

1 tbsp. lemon juice

 

Tempering

1 tbsp. oil

1 cup minced onion

1/2 cup minced tomatoes

 

Garnish

2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

2 tbsp. freshly scraped coconut (optional)

 

Method

1. Clean, peel and devein prawns. Marinate them with salt, turmeric powder and ground paste. Set aside for at least 1/2 hour.

2. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onion and sauté till it's soft.

3. Add tomatoes. Sauté for 10 minutes till it's pulpy.

4. Add coriander powder, Garam masala and chili powder.

5. Fry for a minute. Add marinated prawns along with the marinade.

6. Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to boil.

7. Simmer till cooked and masala coats the prawns. Adjust for salt if needed.

8. Garnish with cilantro and coconut - if using

 

Note

1. This curry should be on thick side where masala should thickly coat the prawns. However, you can adjust the consistency per your own preference.

2. Traditionally, more oil is used.

 

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Panchkutiyu Shaak

 

 My mom-in-law was a working woman. (She is now retired). So many of her recipes involved using pressure cooker since it makes food gets cooked in a jiffy. Today's Panchkutiyu shaak recipe is also a pressure cooker based, but it can easily be made in a saucepan. Cooking time may increase as it will need to be cooked on a low flame.

 

Panchkutiyu Shaak
Ingredients
4-5 small eggplants, Make a 'X' slit on each
4-5 small potatoes, make a 'X' slit on each
1/2 cup surti papdi lilva/baby lima beans
1 green banana, cut into big chunks, and make 'X' slit on each chunk
1 sweet potato, cut into big chunks, and make 'X' slit on each chunk

Mix
1 cup chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
1 tbsp. dhana jiru/coriander-cumin powder
1 tsp ginger - green chilie paste
1 tsp garlic paste
salt
1 tsp Gujarati Garam Masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sugar (optional)

Tempering
1 tbsp. oil
1/4 tsp ajmo
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida

Method
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
2. Add ingredients for tempering.
3. Add beans at the bottom. Place stuffed vegetables. Spread all the remaining stuffing over the vegetables.

4. Pour about 1 cup water.
5. Pressure cook till done.
6. Remove pressure.
7. Simmer till cooked. Add more water if you desire more gravy.

Note -
1. Make sure that there is extra stuffing after stuffing the vegetables.
2. I sometimes add some readymade hard muthiyas that are available.
3. This shaak can also be made without pressure cooker. In that case, cover the saucepan with a lid. Pour some water on top. Let it cook for about 30 minutes or till the vegetables are done. Cook on low flame.
4. If made without pressure cooker and want to use readymade, hard muthiyas , soak them for 10 minutes before using.


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CKP Egg Curry

 

 

 

I remember eating this curry at my friend's house when I was in school. CKP community loves their seafood, chicken and mutton. A typical CKP household will surely have mutton every Sunday. I remember my friend's mom would welcome us serving many CKP delicacies. and once when we dropped in unannounced - there was no special (read: non-vegetarian) menu -  she made this delicious impromptu curry. A uniqueness of this curry is that eggs are not boiled first. They are broken right into the boiling curry.  So it's more like a poached egg curry. I was watching the food network the other day where chef Ann Burrel made poached eggs. She added vinegar to the water. So I modified my friend's mom's recipe and added a spoonful of vinegar.

 

CKP Egg Curry

Ingredients

4 raw eggs

1 cup coconut milk

1 tsp vinegar (optional)

1/2 tsp mild chili powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

 

Tempering

1 tbsp. oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 small tomato, chopped

1 tbsp. ginger-garlic-green chili paste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

 

Garnish

2 green chilies, slit (optional)

2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

 

Method

1. Heat oil in a wide saucepan. Add onion, turmeric powder. Sauté till onion is soft.

2. Add ginger-garlic-green chilies paste and tomatoes. Sauté for 2 minutes.

3. Add all the spices and 2 cups water. Bring to a rapid boil

4. Add spoonful of vinegar - if using. Add coconut milk.

5. Switch gas to medium. Break one egg at a time, carefully into the boiling curry.

6. Let it cook for 10 minutes.

7. Switch gas to low. Add slit green chilies. Simmer for 5 minutes.

8. Switch off the gas. Cover and set aside for 5 more minutes.

9. Garnish with cilantro.

 

Note -

1. Be sure to take a wide container for making this curry. The eggs should be in a single layer.

2. Instead of coconut milk, you can add ground coconut to get a coarse texture for the curry.

 

 

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Kung Pao Tofu

 

 

A quick Chinese style stir fry always comes to my rescue for a quick week night meal. I generally have a Tofu slab and Chinese friendly vegetables in the fridge. As I chop my vegetables, I start rice on one burner. Once my wok is hot, the stir fry comes together in the matter of minutes.

 

Kung Pao Tofu

Ingredients

1 slab tofu, cut into cubes

Few drops of oil for roasting tofu

 

3 baby bok choy, chopped

1 bunch spring onions

Few pieces of baby corn

1/4 cup bamboo shoots

1/2 each red and green pepper

1/2 each zucchini and yellow squash

 

 

Tempering

1 tbsp. oil

Few drops toasted sesame oil

2-3 red chilies, halved

 

 

Whisk together

2 tbsp. corn starch

1 cup water

Few dashes of soy sauce

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp. tomato ketchup

1/2 tbsp. honey

1 tsp rice vinegar

salt as needed

1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste

 

Garnish

1/4 cup roasted spicy peanuts (I use from Sprouts)

 

Method

1. Whisk corn starch mixture and set aside.

2. Heat few drops of oil and roast tofu cubes and set them aside

3. Heat a wok. Add oil . Add red chilies. As they sizzle, add vegetables one after the other. Stir fry for about a minute each.

4. Add tofu cubes and stir fry on high flame.

5. Add whisked marinade. Mix.

6. Garnish with spicy peanuts.

7. Serve with steamed white or brown rice

 

Note -

1. Do not overcook vegetables. There should be some crunch.

2. If you have some time on hand, you can drain tofu to remove the excess moisture as mentioned here.

3. Any Chinese friendly vegetables like green beans, snap peas, carrots etc. can be used.

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Prawns Balchow

I found good quality shrimp/prawns from India at our local Sprouts the other day. We had a get-together that weekend. So I decided to make Prawns Balchao. This is what I did -

Prawns Balchao
Goan Prawns Pickle/Curry
Ingredients
2 lb prawns, deveined

Marinade
10 Kashmiri Chilies, soaked in water for 2 hours
1 tsp. cumin seeds
10 black pepper corn
6 cloves, garlic, chopped
1 1/2 ginger, chopped
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
salt to taste
2 tsp. white vinegar
1" piece of cinnamon
1 tsp. garam masala

Tempering
2 tbsp. mustard oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. asafoetida
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups, finely chopped onion
1 cup, finely chopped tomatoes
2 sprigs curry leaves

Salt if needed

Method
1. Drain the Kashmiri chilies. Grind with the remaining ingredients for the marinade.
2. Marinate prawns with above marinade and set aside for 1/2 hour.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add  mustard seeds, asafetida and curry leaves. As they splutter, add sugar. When it caramelizes, add onion. Sauté till onion is soft.
4. Add tomatoes. Sauté for 10 minutes.
5. Now, add prawns along with the marinade and 1/2 cup water.

6. Bring to boil.
7. Let it simmer till a thick gravy is formed.
8. Adjust for salt -if needed.

Note -
1. Instead of Kashmiri chilies, paprika can be used.
2. If you don't have mustard oil, use any oil of your choice. Note that mustard oil has a strong flavor.
3. This recipe is for about 8 people.

Bohri Chicken & Cashew Curry

A carnivorous cousin was visiting us over the weekend. I was meeting him after a decade. I wanted to make food of his choice. I made Shammi Kababs, Prawns Curry and Bohri Style Chicken curry.

This Bohri Chicken Curry was from Suvir Saran's book - Indian Home Cooking. I reduced the amount of cashews.

Bohri Chicken & Cashew Curry
From Suvir Saran's Indian Home Cooking
Ingredients

1/2 cup raw or roasted cashews
 

4 whole, dried red chilies
 

1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
 

6 whole cloves

 

3 tablespoons coriander seeds
 

2 teaspoons cumin seeds
 

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
 

8 garlic cloves
 

2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

 

1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut,


2 tbsp. canola oil

1 teaspoon ground black pepper
 

 

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste 

 

 

3 potatoes, cut into big chunks

 

 

Marinate

 

2 lb bonelss skinless chicken breasts and thighs, cut

 

2 tbsp. yogurt

 

1 tsp salt

 

1/2 tsp turmeric power

 

1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste

 

 

 

Method

 

top online casinos

1.  Roast chilies, cinnamon stick, cloves, coriander, cumin, onion, garlic, ginger, coconut, and cashews one after the other in a large saucepan or casserole over low heat.  Cook, stirring, until the cashews and coconut have turned a light golden color, about 10 minutes.  Cool and process to a paste in a food processor.

3.  Heat a pressure cooker. Add the oil, the spice paste, and the black pepper and cook, stirring, until the mixture turns a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Keep a cup of water beside the stove as the mixture cooks.  As the spices begins to stick, add water, about 1 teaspoon at a time, and scrape the bottom of the pan with the spoon to pull up the browned bits and keep the spices from burning.

4.  Add the chicken along with marinade, and potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. 

5.  Add the water and the salt. Pressure cook till 2-3 whistles.

 

6.  Open the pressure cooker lid after pressure drops. Simmer and serve with flatbread or rice of your choice.

 

Note -

1. I reduced the amount of cashews and oil from the original recipe.

2. I used pressure cooker to expedite the cooking process.

3. I always marinate chicken.

4. I added potatoes to the curry.

5.  Please refer to the link provided for the original recipe.

 

 

Credits
 Suvir Saran's Book  Indian Home Cooking. 

Cashew Tofu

 

 

I am in the process of implementing all the popular Chinese dishes - sometimes using chicken (per my family's preference) and sometimes replacing chicken with tofu (per my preference). Feel free to use either of the proteins - whichever suits your life style.


Cashew Tofu
Ingredients
1 slab Tofu, cut into cubes
1/2 cup unsalted, roasted cashews
1/2 tbsp. oil for roasting tofu
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables


Tempering
1/2 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp sesame oil (Chinese)
1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste

Whisk together
1 tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp chili garlic paste
few dashes of Soy sauce
1 tbsp. corn starch
1 cup water
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Garnish
2 spring onions, cut

Method
1. Heat 1/2 tbsp. oil in a wok. Add tofu cubes. Sauté till they are golden brown and crispy. Set aside.

2. In the same wok, add another 1/2 tbsp. oil. Add ginger garlic paste. Sauté for 30 seconds.
3. Add broccoli florets, stir fry for a minute. Add frozen vegetables. Make sure the flame is high and so they get thawed and crisped up pretty quickly without adding too much water.
4. Now, add tofu. Fry for 1 minute.
5. Add whisked marinade. Adjust for salt if needed.
6. Add cashews. Stir fry for 2 minutes.

7. Garnish with spring onions

8. Serve with plain, steamed rice.

 

Note -

1. For chicken version, replace tofu by boneless, skin less chicken and make sure that chicken is cooked through well during step 1. I generally marinate the chicken with ginger-garlic paste, salt before frying.

 

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Tofu Burji - Tofu Scramble

 

It's true that Tofu is considered as a blank canvas. You can add any flavors of your choice. I decided to make the vegan friendly version of burji by crumpling tofu into the usual burji recipe.

 

Tofu Burji

Tofu Scramble

Ingredients

1 block Tofu

salt to taste

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp chili powder

 

Tempering

1/2 tbsp. oil

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped tomato

 

Garnish

1/4 cup cilantro

 

Method

1. Place the block of tofu on a folded paper napkin. Place another napkin on top and place some heavy weight like mortar and pestle on top to drain excess water. Keep aside for 1/2 hour

2. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add cumin powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste. Fry for 1 minute.

3. Add onions. Sauté till onion is golden brown. Stir in tomatoes. Sauté till they are pulpy.

4. Add garam masala, chili powder and salt. Add 1/4 cup water.

5. Now add crumbled tofu and cilantro.

6. Simmer till the flavors are absorbed by crumbled tofu.

 

Note -

1. You may need a tad more salt and garam masala than usual since tofu is very bland. Taste and adjust as you go.

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Salmon Curry

 

Today I am featuring Salmon curry using Maharashtrian - more specifically, CKP style spices. Serve with chapatti or plain rice.

 

 

Salmon Curry

Ingredients

2 Salmon fillets, cubed

5 baby potatoes, scrubbed and halved

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

salt to taste

1 tsp. red chili powder

 

 

1 cup coconut milk

1 tsp. tamarind pulp

2 green chilies, slit

 

Grind to a fine paste

4-5 garlic cloves

1" ginger

3-4 green chilies

1/3 cup cilantro

 

Tempering

2 tsp oil

2 tbsp. minced onion

 

Method

1. Marinade salmon & potatoes with turmeric powder, salt and ground paste. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onion. Sauté till onion is golden brown.

3. Add marinated salmon and potato pieces.

4. Add tamarind pulp, chili powder, coriander powder and 1/4 cup water.

5. Cook for 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and slit green chilies - if using.

6. Simmer for few minutes.

 

Note-

1. Rawas (Indian Salmon) steaks can be used. But adjust masala depending on the size of the steaks.

2. You can also add whole smashed garlic cloves, along with onion in tempering.

3. Instead of coconut milk, you can also grind coconut coarsely and add to the curry if you prefer coarse texture for your curry. In that case, add less water, and serve as a dry dish.

 

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Vaal ni Rasawali Daal

My mom-in-law uses vaal daal to make a dry and wet version. This daal does not require too much soaking. So it comes handy when I want to make something in a hurry.

Vaal ni Rasawali Daal
Field Beans Daal Curry
Ingredients
1 cup Vaal daal, soaked for 1 -  2 hours
salt to taste
1/2 tbsp. tamarind pulp
1 tbsp. jaggery
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander cumin powder
1 tomato, roughly chopped

Tempering
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp ajmo/owa/carom seeds
1 tbsp. ginger-green chili paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 curry leaves sprigs

Garnish
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro

Method
1. Soak vaal daal for an hour or two.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add spices for tempering. As they splutter, add drained vaal daal. Saute for 30 seconds, add 1 cup water.
3. Bring to boil. Switch gas to low. Add tomato, chili powder, tamarind, jaggery, salt and coriander-cumin powder.
4. Let it simmer till vaal daal is cooked. Add more water if needed.
5. Garnish with cilantro.

Note -
1. Adjust jaggery per personal preference.
2. Do not let the daal turn into a mush.

Check out my dry version of the same daal - Surti laal Vaal ni daal




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Double Beans chi UsaL

 

If I am not mistaken, we call the dried version of this particular bean as  double beans and if they are available in pods, we call it "Bajirao Ghevda". I remember going to Dadar with mom to shop for that bajirao ghevda which was considered a delicacy. I love double beans for its beautiful pinkish purplish hue.

Double Beans chi Usal
Ingredients
3/4 cup Double Beans, soak overnight so they plump up next morning
salt to taste
1 tsp Goda Masala
1 tbsp coriander-cumin powder
1/2 tsp chili powder

Grind to a smooth paste
1 bunch cilantro
7-8 fresh mint leaves
3-4 green chilies (or per taste)
1" ginger, peeled
3 cloves garlic, peeled

Tempering
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 medium onion, chopped to about 1 cup
2 small tomatoes, chopped to about 3/4 cup

Method
1. Pressure cook double beans using adequate amount of water.
2. Grind green paste and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a kadhai/wok. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder. As they sizzle, add onions. Sauté till onion is soft. Add green paste and tomatoes. Sauté for 10 - 12 minutes on medium flame.
4. Add coriander-cumin powder, chili powder and Goda masala. Sauté for 5 more minutes.
5. Add cooked Double beans and potatoes with cooking liquid.
6. Stir in jaggery and salt. Bring to boil. Let it simmer till desired consistency is reached.

Note -
1. This curry needs to have a little gravy so do not let all the moisture evaporate.

Sukil Mori Randai - Dried Shark Curry

 

 

Mori Randai with Rosamatta Rice

Every once in a while, mom made "Mori" - baby shark that was available in the Mumbai market. Mori is a special fish which needs to be deskinned by the fisherwomen. But once cleaned, it has just one center bone that makes it easier to eat especially for the people who don't eat fish due to its bones.

Mom made mori several ways. She made it Konkani way by making hingaudak but it was called Mori Randai or Malvani curry by using garam masala, which was called moriche mutton. The same curry was made in a dry version, which then was called moriche suke.  Sometimes she simply fried it.

Very rarely, mom got dried mori. This was treated little differently. The usual orange curry was prepared but for dried fish, it was made hotter and spicier. and it was always tempered with a substantial amount of garlic cloves.

I found this dried mori - product of Sri Lanka - at our local Indian Stores. So I remembered my mom's curry.

Sukil Mori Randai
Dried Baby Shark Curry
Ingredients
1 packet Dried Mori/Baby Shark
Salt (use only if necessary - read notes)

Grind to a smooth paste
1 cup fresh coconut
1 tsp. coriander seeds, roasted
15 byadgi chilies, roasted (This curry is spicy!)
5 cloves garlic
2 tsp. tamarind pulp

Tempering
1/2 tbsp. coconut oil
7 garlic cloves, sliced or smashed

Method
1. Soak mori in warm water.
2. Grind masala to a fine paste.
3. Drain mori. Place in a saucepan.
4. Pour masala and 1 cup water.
5. Bring to boil.
6. Switch gas to low. Let it simmer.
7. Heat a small saucepan. Heat coconut oil
8. Add garlic cloves and fry till they are brown.
9. Immediately drizzled the tempered oil with garlic into the curry.

10. Cover with a lid.
11. Switch off the gas immediately.
12. Serve with plain rice.

Note -
1. Dried fish already has plenty of salt since salt acts as a preservative. So adjust salt only as needed.
2. I got the packet of dried mori which was pre-cleaned and boneless.
3. I recently came to know that Mori is also known as Mushi in Indian vocabulary.

 

 

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Paneer Chhole

Paneer Chhole

 

 

I pair chhole with all possible combinations. Sometimes, I pair it with spinach or methi, sometimes with potatoes or mushrooms, and sometimes with good, old paneer.

If you are a paneer lover, you will surely enjoy this combo. If you like chaats (seriously, who doesn't?), drizzle some green and tamarind chutney over chhole. You won't regret it.

Paneer Chhole
Garbanzo Beans Curry with Indian Cheese
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup Garbanzo beans, soak overnight
1/2 cup paneer cubes

1 tbsp. Chhole Masala
1 tsp chili powder
Salt to taste

Grind to a smooth paste
1 1/2 cup roughly chopped onion
3-4 cloves garlic
2-3 kashmiri chilies, soaked in water, till plump
1" ginger, peeled & chopped
1 tomato, roughly chopped

Tempering
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes

Method
1. Pressure cook soaked chikpeas adding adequate water. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, asafoetida and turmeric powder.
3. Add finely chopped onion. Sauté till soft. Add tomatoes. Sauté till pulpy.
4. Add ground paste. Sauté for 20 minutes.
6. Now add cooked chickpeas. Add 1 cup water.
6. Add salt, chili powder and Punjabi Garam Masala. Add paneer pieces
7. Simmer for about 15 minutes or till the desired consistency is achieved.
8. Serve with paratha or roti with lemon wedges.

Note
1. I do not fry paneer pieces adding to the gravy. If you like richer taste, deep or shallow fry paneer chunks.

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