Spinach Aloo Thoran

Simple Spinach and Potato thoran tasted at my friends house was in a real taste.So decided to try it and now this is the recipe which tastes too good. This dish combines it with a lightly spiced onion and coconut.The coconut gives the thoran a nice sweet flavor.Yoy can even use frozen spinach for this recipe ,it will fry easily and quickly if you defrost it before cooking.

Ingredients:

• Spinach : 1 big bunch(chopped)
• Potato : 1 big(boiled,peeled,cubed)
• Onion : 1 medium(chopped)
• Salt : as required
• Green chillies : 2-3(chopped)
• Garlic pods : 2 (crushed)
• Coriander powder : 1/2 tblspn
• Dessicated Coconut : 2 tblspn

For Tampering:

•  Mustard : 1/2 tblspn
• Cumin seeds : 1.2 tblspn
• Urad dal : 1 tblspn
• Dry red chilli : 1
• Oil : 2 tblspn 

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add  the mustard , cumin.As they begin to pop add a pinch asefoetida , urad dal , red chilli , garlic and fry till the color changes to golden brown.
2. Then add the chopped onion, green chillies.Cook stirring for 5 mins till the onion softens.
3. Add the finely chopped spinach ,salt ,a pinch turmeric and stir fry for another 5 mins till the spinach turns soften.
4. Add the boiled  potatoes , coriander powder , coconut .Mix well and cook for another 3-5 mins.
5. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Baingan Bharta

Baingan Bharta is one of the most famous and delicious dish made out of Brinjal. This is a Punjabi cuisine , of course now made around the world with numerous variations. My introduction to this dish is in a hotel in Australia. I never tasted this before and one of my friends ordered the dish as a side dish for biryani and roti. It tasted great , but then it was very very oily there. So that prompted me to try the dish at home and I loved it. This can be made out of brinjal of any kind and size. The smoky flavor of the brinjal with the tomatoes gives the dish a yummy taste and great color. This is my favorite side dish with Dum Biryani..

Ingredients :

• Brinjal : 1 large
• Onions : 2 (finely chopped)
• Tomatoes : 3 (finely chopped)
• Green peas : 1/2 cup(boiled)
• Ginger- garlic paste : 1 tblspn
• Green chillies : 3 (finely chopped )
• Asefoetida : a pinch
• Coriander powder : 1/2 tblspn
• Garam masala powder : 1/2 tspn
• Cumin powder : 1/2 tspn
• salt : as required
• Chilli powder : 1/2 tblspn
• Curd : 1/4 cup
• Sugar : 1 tspn
• Oil : 3 tblspn
• Cumin seeds : 1 tblspn
• Coriander Leaves : 2 tblspn
• Turmeric : a pinch
• Lemon juice : 1/2 tspn

Procedure:

1.  Apply oil all over brinjal , and fry it on the direct flame or put it in the griller for 30 mins on a high flame.
2. Once done , peel the skin , remove the stem  and remove any excess seeds. Chop the brinjal finely.
3. Heat oil in a pan , add cumin seeds , asefoetida. Let the cumin seeds crackle.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste, fry for a minute and add the chopped onions and green chillies. Let them fry for 2 mins and then add turmeric , coriander powder , cumin powder , mix well and fry for a minute.
5. Add the tomatoes , chilli powder , salt and cook closing the lid until the tomatoes become soft.
6. Add little water if required. Once the tomatoes are cooked add the chopped  brinjal , peas ,sugar , little water and let it cook for 5 mins until the gravy become thick.
7. Finally add lemon juice , mix well and then add the curd and garnish with coriander leaves.
8. Serve hot with biryani or any bread.

Rajma masala

Aromatic Indian spices add a delicious fragrance to this simple , yet tasty  , rajma masala. It is the most popular dish in Northern parts of India. It makes a stunning showpiece in their regular meal and it is served with steamed rice or roti along with some pickle and curd.  

Ingredients:

• Rajma(Red kidney beans) : 1 cup
• Onions : 2(finely chopped)
• Tomatoes : 3(finely chopped)
• Green chillies : 4 (finely chopped)
• Ginger-garlic paste : 1 tblspn
• Cumin seeds : 1 tblspn
• Coriander powder : 1/2 tblspn
• Garam masala : 1 tblspn
• Salt : as required
• Curd : 3 tblspn
• Oil : 3 tblspn
• Coriander Leaves : a fistful(finely chopped)

Procedure:

1. Soak rajma for 5-6 hrs and cook until soft by adding a big pinch of salt  .
2. Heat oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add cumin seeds , let them splutter.
3. Add ginger garlic paste , chopped onions , chopped green chilli and fry  until they become soft .
4. Now add garam masala and fry for 2 mins. Add 1/4 cup of rajma water (water drained from boiled rajma) or normal water and cook closing the lid for 2 mins later cook removing the lid until the water evaporates.
5. Then add chopped tomatoes and cook closing the lid till they become soft.
6. Next, Add boiled rajma , little more water , coriander powder . Adjust salt ,mix well and cook for 10 mins closing lid.
7. Add curd ,coriander  and mix well and let it cook for 2 mins.Serve hot with roti , rice or chapati.

Beans Masala Curry

Beans are one of the most used veggies in the cooking. Everyone have their own way of cooking beans. These add flavor and crunchiness to the main coarse. Beans when cooked with less oil , combined with rice makes a meal filled with  nutrition . This is my style made with  South Indian Spices , tastes good with rice and roti .

 Ingredients:

• Beans : 2 cups
• Onions : 2
• Tomatoes : 2
• Mustard : 1 tspn
• Cumin : 1 tspn
• Urad dal : 1 tspn
• Asefoetida : a pinch
• Curry leaves : a few
• Oil : 1 tblspn
• Salt : as required

For masala : 

• Dry red chillies : 6-7
• Dhania : 1 tblspn
• Jeera : 1 tblspn
• Chena dal : 1 1/2 tblspn
• Fenugreek seeds : 6-7
• Galric pods : 4-5
• Oil : 1/2 tblspn 

Making masala:

Heat oil in a pan , fry all the spices except garlic until they turn light brown color.Let them cool ,add garlic and grind it using a mixer.

Making curry:

1.  Cut off the two ends of the beans and remove the threads along the sides .Cut into 1"pieces and boil them using water and a pinch of salt.
2. Heat oil in a pan , add mustard , cumin and let them splutter . Sprinkle a pinch of asefoetida , combine with urad dal .Let them fry till the color changed to golden brown.
3. Add onions , salt and saute them until they turn soft . Then add tomatoes , a little water and saute on a low flame until they turn soft.
4. Add the boiled beans after slightly squeezing the excess water from it.
5. Fry for a minute and add 1 1/2 -2 tblspn of grinded masala and mix well.
6. Cook for 2-3 minutes on a medium flame adding little water to it.
7. Once the curry becomes thick, turn off the stove.
8. Serve hot with Rice or rotis.

Mixed Veg Curry

A combination of veggies with the fresh coconut makes an accomplish side with the rotis or chapatis. This is simple ,ease and flavorful recipewith a pack of nutrition's.

Ingredients:

• Vegetables (Carrot ,Beans,Potatoes,Peas,Cauliflower,Cabbage) : 1 1/2 cups (diced)
• Onions : 1(cut lengh-wise)
• Tomatoes : 1 (cut lenth-wise)
• Cumin seeds : 1 tspn
• Mustard seeds : 1 tspn
• Roasted gram : 2 tbspn
• Fresh grated coconut : 2 tbspn
• Poppy seeds : 1 tbspn
• Cashew nuts : 5
• Oil : 2 tbspn
• Salt : as required
• Chilli powder : 1 1/2 tspn
• Coriander powder : 1 tspn
• Coriander leaves : few

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom vessel , add mustard seeds ,cumin seeds ,Onions , tomatoes ,all the vegetables and cook till the vegetables become soft . The vegetables should not over cooked.
2. Make a paste of roasted gram, cashews ,coconut and poppy seeds by mixing a enough amount of water to make a fine paste.
3. Add this mixture to the cooked vegetables. Add 1 cup of water , sufficient salt , chilli powder ,dhania powder and stir for two mins.
4. Let it cook for 10 mins on a medium flame and stir the gravy ocassionally.
5. Turn off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti/pulka/naan.