punjabi chola

Punjabi cholas are the best compliment with baturas. The combination is known as chola battura. This is a mouth-watering dish.
Serves 2 to 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpeas (Garbanzo beans, Kabuli chana)
• 2 tea bags
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 tablespoon basen (Gram flour)
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 green chili
• 1 tablespoon shredded ginger
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to the taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black salt
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon amchoor (Mango powder)

For garnish:

• 1 tablespoon shredded ginger
• 1 green chili sliced long ways

Method:

1. Boil 5 cups of water with tea bags; after tea comes to boil turn down the heat to medium low.
2. Let it boil for another 2 to 3 minutes. Take out the tea bags and keep aside.
3. Wash chickpeas well and soak in tea water for about 8 hours. Chickpeas after soaking will become about 2 1/2 times the volume of the original.
4. In pressure cooker add chickpeas with the water they were soaked in, plus 2 more cups of water. Close the cooker and put the pressure on.
5. Cook on medium high heat.
6. As pressure cooker starts steaming turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 15 minutes.
7. Close the heat and wait until steam has stopped before opening the pressure cooker. Chickpeas should be soft and tender.
8. Blend the tomatoes, ginger and green chili to make paste.
9. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away oil is ready. Add cumin seeds, and as the cumin seeds crack add basen stir-fry until basen is light gold brown.
10. Next add tomato paste, coriander powder, and black pepper. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the oil is separating from the mixture and tomato mixture should be about half in volume.
11. Add spice mix, salt, garam masala, and mango powder to chickpeas.
12. While mixing, lightly mash the chickpeas. Adjust salt, pepper, and sourness to your taste.
13. Cook on medium high heat. After cholas come to boil lower the heat to  medium low and put the lid on.
14. Cholas are ready to eat in as little as ten minutes, but for best taste let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 or 6 minutes.
15. Garnish cholas with shredded ginger and sliced green chili.

Aloo Paneer Kofta Curry Recipe

Aloo Paneer Kofta Curry Recipe

Ingredients
For the Kofta's: 
Golden Potatoes - 3 medium sized 
Fresh/Frozen cottage cheese - 500 gms 
Corn Flour - 1/4rth cup for binding 
Egg (optional) - 1 (if you want to get a fluffy texture) 
Dhaniya (Coriander) powder - 1/2 tsp 
Black Pepper powder - 1/4rth tsp 
Juice of lime - 2 tbs 
Salt - to taste 
For the gravy: 
Tomatoes - 3 medium sized 
Onions - 1/4rth cup 
Green Peas (optional) - a handful 
Mint - 5 sprigs 
Cilantro (Coriander) - 10 sprigs 
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp 
Dhaniya powder - 1/2 tsp 
Garam Masala powder - 1/4rth tsp 
Yogurt - 3 tbs 
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp 
Cumin (Jeera) Seeds - 1/2 tsp 
Turmeric powder - 2 pinches 
Salt & Chilly powder - to taste
How to make Aloo Paneer Kofta Curry
To make the koftas:
Boil potatoes, mash while still hot. Mash the paneer & mix well with the mashed potatoes.

Add dhaniya powder, black pepper powder, juice of lime, salt & egg (optional). Mix well.

Add cornflour, mix & make small balls of the batter. Each kofta (ball) should be the side of a table tennis ball. 

Deep fry the koftas in oil until they turn brownish. Place on absorbing sheet/paper towel to remove excess oil. Arrange the kofta's in a dish.

For making the gravy:
Grind tomatoes, yogurt, mint & cilantro together in a blender to make a puree. 

Heat 3 tbs oil in a skillet. Add mustard seeds & allow them to splutter. Add cumin seeds, onions, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder & saute until onions fry well.

Add the pureed tomato mixture, green peas, dhaniya powder & garam masala powder. Mix well.

Cook until the gravy thickens or reaches consistency of your choice.

Pour the gravy over the kofta's (arranged in a dish). 

Let it set for at least 5 minutes. 

Serve with Jeera Rice / Rotis. 
For the Kofta's: 
Golden Potatoes - 3 medium sized 
Fresh/Frozen cottage cheese - 500 gms 
Corn Flour - 1/4rth cup for binding 
Egg (optional) - 1 (if you want to get a fluffy texture) 
Dhaniya (Coriander) powder - 1/2 tsp 
Black Pepper powder - 1/4rth tsp 
Juice of lime - 2 tbs 
Salt - to taste 
For the gravy: 
Tomatoes - 3 medium sized 
Onions - 1/4rth cup 
Green Peas (optional) - a handful 
Mint - 5 sprigs 
Cilantro (Coriander) - 10 sprigs 
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp 
Dhaniya powder - 1/2 tsp 
Garam Masala powder - 1/4rth tsp 
Yogurt - 3 tbs 
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp 
Cumin (Jeera) Seeds - 1/2 tsp 
Turmeric powder - 2 pinches 
Salt & Chilly powder - to taste
How to make Aloo Paneer Kofta Curry
To make the koftas:
Boil potatoes, mash while still hot. Mash the paneer & mix well with the mashed potatoes.

Add dhaniya powder, black pepper powder, juice of lime, salt & egg (optional). Mix well.

Add cornflour, mix & make small balls of the batter. Each kofta (ball) should be the side of a table tennis ball. 

Deep fry the koftas in oil until they turn brownish. Place on absorbing sheet/paper towel to remove excess oil. Arrange the kofta's in a dish.

For making the gravy:
Grind tomatoes, yogurt, mint & cilantro together in a blender to make a puree. 

Heat 3 tbs oil in a skillet. Add mustard seeds & allow them to splutter. Add cumin seeds, onions, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder & saute until onions fry well.

Add the pureed tomato mixture, green peas, dhaniya powder & garam masala powder. Mix well.

Cook until the gravy thickens or reaches consistency of your choice.

Pour the gravy over the kofta's (arranged in a dish). 

Let it set for at least 5 minutes.

Matar Chaman


Ingredients :
500 gms chaman/paneer
150 gms ghee or vegetable oil
A pinch asafetida (hing)
4 cloves
1 tsp cumin seed (jeera)
250 gms peas (shelled)
Aashirvaad salt to taste
1 tsp Aashirvaad turmeric (haldi) powder
Red chilli powder to taste
1 tsp garam masala
Green chillies to taste
1 inch piece ginger (adrak), crushed
1 tsp Aashirvaad coriander powder (dhaniya)
1 tsp dry ginger
A bunch of fresh coriander
Method of Preparation :
Cut the chaman into 1 inch cubes. Fry lightly for about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a pan, put the remaining ghee and add asafetida, cloves, and cumin. Next, add the peas and sufficient water and cook for 5 minutes. Put in the remaining spices and when the peas are tender, add the fried chaman.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander.

Serves : 4-6

Preparation Time : 10 mins

Malabar Mutton Biryani

Malabar - the northern region of Kerala, is popular for its culinary treats. This Malabar Mutton Biryani, a superb dish of ghee, rice, mutton and spices.
Ingredients :
½ kg basmati rice
½ kg mutton, cleaned and cut into big pieces
¼ kg onions, finely sliced
½ cup finely sliced tomatoes
10 green chillies
1 inch piece of ginger
8 garlic pods
1 tsp pepper powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
5 nos cashew nuts
4 sticks cinnamon (daalchini)
4 cloves (laung)
4 cardamom (elaichi)
1 tbsp curd
½ tsp fennel (saunf)
½ bunch mint leaves
½ bunch coriander leaves
¼ cup ghee
¼ cup oil
salt as required

Method of Preparation :
Grind ginger, garlic, and green chillies into a coarse paste. Clean and soak rice for 30 minutes and keep aside. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan or kadai. Add ½ the sliced onions and fry till golden brown, then keep aside.

Heat up the remaining oil. Add the rest of the sliced onions and cashew nuts and fry till soft. Add tomatoes, ground paste, turmeric powder, pepper powder, curd, mint, and coriander leaves and sauté till the oil starts to separate. Add mutton and cook till the mutton is ¾ done.

Add salt as per need. Cook the rice along with all spices and salt, till it is ¾ done. Grease a vessel with little ghee. Spread ½ the mutton masala and place ½ the rice over it. Pour 2 tbsp ghee on top of it and sprinkle some roasted onion. Spread the remaining masala and top it with rice followed by ghee and fried onion. Close it with an airtight lid and put it in dum for 10-15 minutes.

Serves : 4

Preparation Time : 90 mins

Lajwab Paneer Makhani

Ingredients :
2 cup Makhana
250 gms Cottage Cheese (Paneer)
4 Onion (Pyaj)
4 Tomato (Tamatar)
1 inch long piece Ginger (Adrak)
4-5 cloves Garlic (Lasun)
1/2 cup Cream (Malai)
2 cup Milk
1 tsp Red chilli Powder (Lal Mirchi)
1/4 tsp Turmeric (Haldi)
1/2 tsp Dried Pudina Leaves
1 cup Cashew nut (Kaju)
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tbsp Poppy seeds (Khuskhus)
Coriander Leaves (Dhania Patta)
4 tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
Method of Preparation :
Heat clarified butter in a pan.
Fry makhana in the ghee.
Cut cottage cheese in small pieces.
Mince onion, tomato, garlic, ginger.
Cut cashew nut in small pieces.
Soak poppy seeds in 1/4 cup of water.
After 1 hour grind the soaked poppy seeds to a fine paste.
Chop coriander leaves very finely.
Heat clarified butter in a pan.
Add onion, tomato, garlic, ginger paste and brown it, stirring continuously.
Add poppy seeds and fry for 2 minutes and then turn off the gas.
To this mixture add makhana, cottage cheese, cream ,salt, red chili pepper, turmeric, and dried pudina leaves.
Keep this mixture aside for half an hour.
After half an hour put the pan on the flame and add milk.
When it comes to a boil add 3 cups of water. Simmer it till the makahana are completely done and soft.
Then add cashew nuts and garam masala.

Serves : 4-5

Preparation Time : 40 mins