Tikka masala

When there is left over dishes, but not enough for everyone, expansion programs become necessary!!
Similarly, Tandoori dishes become Tikka masala. The most famous of these is the national dish of Great Britain - Chicken Tikka masala.

Ingredients:
Tandoori Aloo / Tandoori Gobi - 8 pieces
Onion - 1 large, chopped fine
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Tomato - 2, medium, chopped fine
Milk - 3/4 cup
Oil / ghee (clarified butter) - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Coriander leaf to garnish.

Method:
Heat 2 tbsp oil/ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel and splutter the jeera.
Add the onion, ginger and garlic paste. Fry until the onion turns golden brown.
Reduce flame and add all the powders.
Fry till the raw smell goes away.
Add the tomato and cook covered till the skin peels off.
Cool and grind to a smooth paste.
Heat the 1 tbsp oil and add the puree.
Bring to a boil and add the milk.
After 1 minute add the tandoori vegetables and cook covered for 1 more minute on a low flame.
Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Dal with Bilimbi

Averrhoa bilimbi is commonly found in backyards of many Kerala houses and it is sought after as a souring agent in many non-vegetarian dishes, especially Prawn dishes. It has many medicinal properties. It's undiluted juice is said to reduce cholesterol and diabetes. But too much of it might have an adverse effect on your health.

"Averrhoa bilimbi has high oxalic acid and regular intake will result in kidney failure owing to the deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in renal tubule," Dr.P.P.Venugopalan, director of emergency medicine, DH-Wayanad Institute of Medical sciences (WIMS) says. But many people are unaware of this fact.

My husband's ancestral house has one fruit bearing tree in the back yard and usually I use this 'irumban puli' to make GSB pickle.

Today I used this in my dal and the taste was awesome.

Ingredients:
Tur dal - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1, medium chopped fine
Ginger - 2 inch, chopped fine
Green Chilly - 1, chopped fine
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Jaggery / gud / sharkara - 1 tsp
Curry leaf - 1 sprig
Bilimbi / Irumpan puli - 2, cut into thin strips
Mustard - 1 tsp
Jeera / cumin seed - 1 tsp
Dry red chilly - 1, broken into three
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Garnish : Coriander leaf

Method:
Wash and soak the tur dal in water for 1 hour.
Pressure cook with 2 cups of water for 2 whistles and reduce flame. Turn off flame after 5 minutes. Do not open till all the pressure releases.
Mash well and keep aside.
Heat the oil and ghee together in a thick bottomed vessel.
Splutter the mustard seeds and jeera.
Add the broken red chilly. Fry till it turns bright red.
Add the onion, green chilly, ginger and curry leaf.
Cook till the onion turns translucent.
Add the salt, turmeric powder, jaggery and chilly powder.
After 30 seconds, add the cooked dal and bilimbi.
Add enough water to dilute a little.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaf and serve hot with chappathy / rice.

Paneer Kofta curry

Another one from the movie "Lunch Box".
Remember how I wanted to eat the brinjal curry made in the movie? I had not watched the movie fully and the other day I sat and watched it for the sake of knowing what all curries she makes for her 'lover'(?).
She makes a paneer curry, which her husband loves and they show her rolling a paneer ball with 2 green peas inside. OOH! I knew I would / should try it out.
Result: Compliments from my daughter who was home for vacation..."Amma, You are the BEST cook in the World!" :D

Note: Make this curry when you want to impress people. It is rich and very tasty. You can make the balls and gravy much ahead of time. Just reboil and bring it all together just before serving.

Ingredients for 4 people:
For the Kofta:
Paneer - 100 gms (made from 1/2 lt milk)
Potato - 1 medium, boiled and grated
Corn flour - 1 tbsp
Green chilly - 1, chopped fine
Ginger - 1 tsp, grated
Salt to taste
Coriander leaf - 1 tbsp
Green peas - 2 per ball (or) any dry fruit like raisins, cashewnuts
Oil for deep frying

For the gravy:
Onion - 1 large, chopped fine
Tomato - 3
Ginger - 2 inch
Green chilly - 2
Garlic - 3 cloves
Cashewnuts - 8
Milk - 1/4 cup
Ghee / oil -  4 tbsp
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Jeera -1/2 tsp
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 2
Salt
Turmeric powder -1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Jeera powder - 1 tsp
Coriander leaf for garnish
Grated cheese / cream for garnish

Method:
To make kofta balls
Mix all the ingredients mentioned under kofta together.
Now make balls and flatten. 
Place 2 green peas inside each ball and roll back into shape.
Deep fry till golden brown and keep aside.

To make the Gravy:
Grind the ginger, garlic and green chilly together.
Grind the cashewnuts with the milk into a fine paste.
Grind the tomato into a puree.
Heat the ghee / oil and splutter the whole spices - jeera, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
Into this add the chopped onion.
Once it turns golden brown, add the powders - salt, turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and jeera powder.
After 30 seconds, add the ginger- garlic- green chilly paste.
Fry for 30 seconds and add the tomato puree.
Bring to a boil and cook covered on a low flame for 5 minutes.
Once oil starts floating on top, add some water and bring to a boil.
Now add the cashew paste.
Boil and turn off flame.
Just before serving reboil and slide in the kofta balls.
Turn off flame almost immediately.
Carefully remove the balls to the serving dish and pour the gravy on top.
Garnish with coriander leaf and grated cheese.

Pictorial of Kofta:

Pictorial of Gravy:

Arbi Colacasia Taro curry

Arbi (in Hindi) or Chembu (in Malayalam) or Taro (in English).

Health benefits of Taro

• Taro or dasheen corms possess more calories than potatoes. 100 grams of root provides 112 calories. Their calorie value chiefly comes from complex carbohydrates, amylose andamylopectin. Nonetheless, the roots are very low in fats and protein than in cereals and pulses. Their protein levels can be comparable to that of other tropical food sources like yam, tapioca, plantain etc.
• The corms, however, are free from gluten protein. They carry high-quality phyto-nutrition profile comprising of dietary fiber, and antioxidants in addition to moderate proportions of minerals, and vitamins.
• Taro is one of the finest sources dietary fibers; 100 g flesh provides 4.1 g or 11% of daily-requirement of dietary fiber. Together with slow digesting complex carbohydrates, moderate amounts of fiber in the food help gradual rise in blood sugar levels.

Source: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/taro.html

So let us make a great curry with it.

Ingredients:

Arbi - 1/2 kg

Onion - 2, medium

Garlic - 2 cloves

Tomato - 2

Green chilli - 2

Ginger - 2 inches

Salt

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder -1 tsp

Asafoetida powder / kayam - 1/2 tsp

Jeera powder -1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Jeera / cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Ayamodakam / ajwain / caraway seeds - 1 tsp

Note:

In this curry we are using jeera, ajwain, jeera powder and asafoetida, as these all help in preventing gas formation in the stomach without affecting the taste of the curry. Chembu is highly "gaseous"!!

Method:

Grind together the onion with the garlic. Keep aside.

Grind the tomato with the green chilly and ginger. Keep aside.

Peel the colacasia and cut into desired shape.

Boil in ample water with little salt and turmeric powder.

Heat the oil and splutter the jeera and ajwain.

Then fry the onion paste on a low flame till golden.

Now add the powders and mix well.

After a minute add the tomato paste and fry till the raw smell.

Then add in the boiled arbi with ample water.

Cook covered on a low flame for 10 minutes.

Serve hot with chappathy or rice.

Aloo Baingan shaak

A dry curry from Gujarat made with Potato and Brinjal / aubergine / egg plant.
This is north Indian dish.
If you want to try a tangy watery South Indian curry made with potato and brinjal, try - Kosu malli.

Ingredients:
Potato - 4, medium, unpeeled cut into thick wedges
Brinjal / egg plant - 3, medium, cut into thick wedges
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mestard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Jeera / cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp (more or less to suit your family's taste)
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida powder / kayam - 1 tsp

Method:
Heat the oil in a thick bottomed vessel with a tight lid.
Splutter the mustard seeds and then add the jeera.
Reduce flame and add the asafoetida powder, chilly powder and coriander powder.
Mix well and after a minute add the potato, salt and turmeric powder.
Reduce flame and cook covered till the potato gets half cooked.
Now add the Brinjal and cook till the vegetables all soften.
Open and fry for 1 minute.
Serve hot garnished with green chilly and coriander leaf.

Colorful bell pepper fry with dry coconut-peanut-til powder / capsicum dry fry

Such a eye-pleasing dish.
Crunchy Capsicum / bell pepper with a dusting of crunchy nutty spicy powder.
I still remember seeing these colorful capsicums at the market and just wanting to buy them.
I have made some other curries using these beauties like Vegetable Jalfrieze and Italian Pasta with grilled vegetables, but this is a very easy side dish to make.Hardly takes time.

Ingredients:

Capsicum / bell pepper in all 3 colors - 1/2 of each
Onion - 1 large
Peanut - 1 tbsp
Til seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red chilly - 2
Dry Coconut / copra - 4 slivers
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Cut the onion and capsicum into 1 inch squares. Try to separate the onion into individual layers.

Dry fry peanut, til seeds, coriander seeds and red chilly separately.
Heat the oil, fry the dry conut until golden. remove using a slotted spoon and add to the rest of the fried ingredients.
Cool and powder coarsely. Keep aside.

In the rest of the oil, splutter the mustard and add the onions and capsicum together.
Keep the flame high. Keep stirring the vegetables.

Fry till you hear the popping sound from the skin of the capsicum.
Now add the powdered spices and salt. Mix well.

Turn off flame and serve hot.
You can add a little lemon juice, if you so wish.

Paneer Makhani

Paneer Makhani is YUM!
Rich buttery tomato gravy with chunks of paneer and capsicum.
Fantabulous!!

If you have the base ready, then the curry gets ready in a jiffy.
This is Makhani curry, the amount of butter used HAS to be high!

Ingredients:
Makhani gravy - 1 cup
Butter - 75 gms
Milk - 1/3 cup
Onion - 2 medium
Capsicum / bell pepper - 1/2 large
Paneer - 100 gms
Kasuri methi - 1 tsp / healthy pinch
Salt to taste
Jeera - 1 tsp

Method:
Cut the onion, capsicum and paneer into slightly big cubes. Keep aside.
Heat the butter in a thick bottomed pan and add the onion.
Reduce flame and once the onion starts becoming translucent, make a well in the middle and add the jeera in.

Next add the cubed paneer. Fry for 1 minute and add the capsicum.

Increase flame and fry for 1 minute.
Now add the tomato gravy, followed by the kasuri methi, milk and salt.

Cook covered on low flame for 5 minutes.
Serve hot with chapathy or nan.

Makhani Gravy

Paneer makhani, peas makhani, vegetable makhani and even Chicken Tikka in makhani gravy are very famous.
The one thing common is Makhani gravy.
So, if you can make and keep this gravy in advance, then when you are running short of time or suddenly guests arrive, you can feel relaxed.
This is my version of makhani gravy and it tastes a bit like tomato shorba. All the spices are cooked with the tomato in a pressure cooker, then ground, strained and cooked till thick.
The recipe is so easy that I would advice all to have a stock of this frozen in the freezer.
I have made this gravy with 1 kg of Tomato. This will yield makhani gravy for 12 people.
You will notice that, even though the gravy is called Makhani, there is no Makkhan (butter) added to it.
That part comes when you make the curry.
Do not be deterred with the scandalous amount of butter used in making the curry!!

Note: There is no salt added to the gravy, you add it to the curry.
          Similarly, remember cloves add a lot of heat / spiciness.

Ingredients:
Tomato - 1 kg
Ginger - 4 inch
Garlic - 4 to 6 large pods
Green Chilly -5
Red Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Cloves - 10
Cardamom - 8
Pepper - 1 tsp, optional

Method:
Quarter the tomatoes and add all the above mentioned ingredients into a pressure cooker with 1/4 cup water.
Cook for 2 whistles.

Now cook and grind into a smooth paste.

Strain to remove all 'thari' pieces, skin of tomato etc.

Keep this for boiling on a low flame.

Cook till the gravy thickens and you can draw a line on the spatula and it holds.

Cool and store in 4 small batches.
Freeze 3 batches.
Find the recipe of Paneer makhani here.