• 1 each – carrot, capsicum, onion, small cabbage,potato, brinjal, tomato, ladyfinger (okra)
• 100 gms.- french beans
• 1/2 bunch each spinach, coriander, khatta (3 leaved) greens.
• 1/2 bunch any other leafy greens.
• 1 cup green gram dal
• 1/2 cup horsegram dal (channa dal)
• 4-5 green chillies
• 2-3 clovettes garlic
• 1 tsp. red chilli powder
• 1 tsp. dhania (coriander seed) powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tbsp. ghee
• 2 pinches asafoetida

Method:-

1. Clean and wash dals.
2. Clean, wash and chop spinach and vegetables except tomato.
3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add all the vegetables, spinach and dals.
4. Mix well, add enough water to cover the contents.
5. Add all masalas and mix well.
6. Place whole tomato on top, cover and pressurecook for 3 whistles.
7. Cool the cooker, open and handblend the contents.
8. Heat 1/2 tbsp. ghee add a pinch of asafoetida and add to the mashed vegetable.
9. Serve hot with fried rice,fried potatoes,paratha along with sindhi papad.

Making time: 30 minutes (excluding cooling time)
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh

Ingredients:-

• 3 medium. potatoes boiled and peeled
• 1 cup beaten curd or yogurt
• 1 tsp. red chilli powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp. garam masala
• 2 pinches asafoetida
• few curry leaves
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves chopped
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. garlic grated
• 2 green chillies slited
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp. wheat flour
• 1 tbsp. oil

Method:-

1. Cut potatoes into big pieces. Mash 3-4 pieces fine with hand. Keep both aside.
2. Mix all the dry masala in 1/4 cup of water.
3. Heat oil and in a pan.
4. Add the seeds (cumin and mustard). When they starts spluttering, add ginger-garlic, chilli and curry leaves.
5. Add the masala mixture and fry for 2 minutes.
6. Add beaten curd and fry for 5 minutes or till the curd loses its whiteness. Stir continuously after adding curd.
7. Add the remaining water and all the potato and flour. Stir well.
8. Boil and simmer for 10 minutes or till gravy thickens.
9. Garnish with chopped coriander.
10. Serve hot with thin wheat chappaties and plane rice.

Making time: 30 minutes.
Makes for: 4
Shelf life: Best fresh

Photo courtesy by http://www.flickr.com/photos/somagallery/

For Koftas -

• 1/2 medium size Cabbage Shredded
• 2 tbsp Besan or all Purpose flour
• Oil for frying

For Gravy -

• 1 medium sized onion
• a Piece of ginger
• 1 Cardamon
• 1 cinanamon stick small
• 1 clove
• 1 spoon jeera
• 1 spoon dania
• 2 medium sizes Tomatoes

Method of preparation:

1. Take the shredded Cabbage in a bowl, add flour & make small round balls with the same.
2. Deep fry the balls in the hot oil & keep aside
3. In a seperate pan heat 1 tsp of oil & add bay leaves & the paste, salt according to taste & little bit of sugar.
4. Let the paste cook till the oil seperates.
5. Can add little water if the paste is too thick.
6. Switch off the flame add the Kofta’s & Cover till Serving.
7. Before serving garnish with fresh coriader leaves.

Photograph Courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/29753413@N05/

Ingredients:

• 250 gms. paneer (cottage cheese)
• 3 tbsp. ghee or butter
• 1 onion chopped into strips
• 1/2″ piece ginger chopped fine
• 2 green chillies chopped fine
• 4 tomatoes chopped fine
• 2 cardamoms crushed
• 1/4 cup beaten curd
• 1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp. tomato sauce

To garnish:

• 2 tbsp. grated paneer
• 1 tbsp. chopped coriander

Method:

1. Chop the paneer into 2″ fingers.
2. Heat half the ghee. Add onion,ginger, green chilli and cardamom. Fry for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes, covered.
4. Add curd and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add 1/2 cup water and cool.
6. Now blend the mixture in a mixer till smooth.
7. Heat remaining ghee, add gravy and other ingredients except milk and paneer.
8. Boil to get a very thick gravy.
9. Just before serving, heat gravy, add milk and paneer fingers and boil for 3-4 minutes.
10. Garnish with chopped coriander and grated paneer.

Making time: 45 minutes.
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: best fresh.

Photograph courtesy – http://www.flickr.com/photos/opyadav/

• 1 medium. cauliflower clean and broken into big florettes.
• 1 small bunch spring onoin finely chopped
• 2 tsp. ginger finely chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic finely chopped
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 3 tbsp. cornflour
• 1/4 tsp. red chilli powder
• 2 red chillies, dry
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tbsp. milk

Method:

1. Boil the florettes for 3-4 minutes in plenty of water, to which a tbsp. of milk has been added.
2. Drain and pat dry on a clean cloth.
3. Make thin batter out of flour and 2 tbsp.cornflour, adding 1/4 tsp. each of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and salt
4. to taste.
5. Dip the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot oil. Keep aside.
6. In the remaining oil, add remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red chilli and fry for a minute.
7. Add the salt and spring onions.
8. Stir fry for a minute. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil.
9. Add 1 tbsp. cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well.
10. Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously till it resumes boiling.
11. Boil till the gravy becomes transparent. Add florettes and soya sauce.
12. Boil for two more minutes and remove.
13. Serve hot with noodles or rice.

Variations:
Dry manchurian can be made by omitting the gravy.
Make florettes as above and instead of adding water as above, add fried florettes, spring onions and soya sauce at this stage.
Sprinkle 1 tsp. cornflour on the florettes and stirfry for 2 minutes.
Serve piping hot with toothpicks or miniforks and chilli,garlic sauce or tomato sauce.
Same procedure for veg. manchurian (with gravy or dry), but instead of using only cauliflower, use finely chopped minced
vegetables and
bind with some cornflour or bread crumbs and make small lumps the size of a pingpong ball.
Fry as above and proceed as above.

Making time: 45 minutes
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh

• 3 cups chopped spinach
• 2 large onoins chopped fine
• 2 large potatoes boiled and peeled
• 1 tomato grated
• 2 green chillies
• 1″ piece ginger
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. wheat or other flour
• 1 tsp. red chilli powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon-clove powder
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 pinches asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala
• 1/2 tbsp. butter
• 4 tbsp. ghee
• salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Put the washed spinach in a pan, add very little water (just a sprinkle) and a pinch of salt.
2. Cover and boil over a high flame for 2 minutes. Cool quickly, or hold under running water in a colander.
3. Put in a mixie, add green chilli and run for a minute. Keep slightly coarse, do not make very smooth.
4. Keep aside.
5. Cut the potatoes into big pieces. Heat ghee and fry potatoes till light brown.
6. Drain the potatoes, keep aside.
7. In the same hot ghee add the cumin seeds.
8. Add the ginger, onions and fry till very tender.
9. Add the tomato and further fry for two minutes.
10. Add all the dry masalas and fry till ghee separates.
11. Add spinach and potatoes.
12. When it resumes a boil sprinkle the flour and stir well. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice
13. Just before serving heat butter in a tiny saucepan and add the asafoetida.
14. Pour over the vegetable and mix gently.
15. Serve hot with naan or parathas or even rice.

Note: You may use boiled peas, boiled corn kernels or paneer chunks in the above dish, instead of atoes.
Making time: 45 minutes
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh

• Puffed rice – 3 cups
• Boiled potatoes – 2 (peeled and cut in small 1’ pcs)
• Chopped tomato – 1
• Onion – 1 large (finely chopped)
• Green chilies – 2 (finely chopped)
• Tamarind chutney – 1 tsp
• Mint coriander chutney – 1 tsp
• Garlic chili chutney – 1 tsp
• Coarsely crushed papdi – 1 handful (a biscuit like snack made from flour)
• Small and Slender sev – 1 cup (vermicelli type snack made from gram flour)
• Chopped coriander leaves – 1/ 2cup

Method of Preparation:

1. Puffed rice (mudi), papadi and Sev can all be obtained from any grocery shop in India.
2. Take a large bowl and mix the puffed rice, potato, tomato, coriander and green chilies in it.
3. Add the tamarind chutney, garlic chili chutney and mint coriander chutney according to your individual taste preferences.
4. Garnish the mixture well with lots of Sev and papdi.
5. Serve and eat immediately to retain the crispness.

Photograph courtesy Stu Spivack.http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuart_spivack/ / http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

For Pakoda (about 10 pakodas) -
5-6 Tbps  Besan (chickpea flour)
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Haldi Powder
Salt to taste
Water to mix
Oil to deep fry.

For Kadi (Serves 2) -
1.5 Tbsp  Besan (chickpea flour)
3/4th Cup  Plain Yogurt (slightly soury yogurt tastes the best)
1 finelly chopped onion
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4th tsp Fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Red chilly powder
a pinch of Asafoetida
2 tsp Ginger (grated)
1 or, 2 Green chillies (slit lengthwise)
a few Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Kasturi methi
Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp Cooking oil

Kadhi Pakoda

Method of preparation:-

Pakoda -

1. Mix all of the above very well in a bowl with water as required.
2. Do not make the batter very thick or, the pakodas will remain hard even after adding to the kadi.
3. Let the batter stand for about 20 minutes.
4. Now heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry the pakodas in this hot oil and keep aside.

Kadhi-

1. Whisk together yogurt and besan with a cup of water to get rid of lumps, if any.
2. Heat oil in a kadai, once it is warm, add mustard seeds.
3. When the seeds starts spluttering add fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves.
4. Saute for a few seconds and add chopped onion, green chillies and ginger.
5. Saute till the ginger and onion turns golden brown.
6. Add red chilli powder, turmeric and salt and add the yogurt-besan mixture into it quickly and mix well.
7. If the curry is too thick than add more water as the kadi will thicken on cooking.
8. Let it simmer till it begins to boil and look yellow.
9. Make sure the kadi is close to done before adding the pakodas. Boiling too long after adding pakodas will cause them to break (specially if you managed to make them very soft). Also keep in mind that adding them too late will leave them dry.
10. Add pakodas and bring to a boil, simmer for a few more minutes.
11. Add kasturi methi and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
12. Serve Hot with plane rice and roti.

• Spinach – 1 bunch
• Onions – 3 Large sized
• Garlic crushed – 1 tea spoon
• Ginger crushed -1 tea spoon
• Green chillies-2 finely chopped
• Cooking oil – 6-7 tbsps
• Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp
• Bay leaf-2
• Badi elaichi-1
• Cinnamon – 1 inch stick
• Paneer – 300 gms
• Coriander Powder-1 tsp
• Jeera Powder -1 tsp
• Turmeric powder-1 tsp
• Garam Masala Powder -1tsp
• Chilli Powder-1 tsp
• 1/2 table spoon sukhi patti of kasturi methi
• Salt to taste

Palak paneer

Method:-

1. Put the cleaned and washed Palak in a pressure cooker without water. Cook until 1 whistle of the cooker and Keep aside.
2. Let it cool then drain the water and make a puree of the spinach leaves.
3. Take oil in a frying pan, Cut the fresh paneer into cubes deep fry the paneer pieces in oil, Caution…they tend to burn off soon, carefully toss them on medium flame until light golden color and remove to a plate.
4. In the same oil when it is very hot add cumin seeds and bay leaf. When it starts spluttering add chopped garlic and chillies. After a few seconds add chopped onion and fry until golden brown.
5. Add chopped tomato, mix well and cover and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes ,stirring in between.
6. In the meanwhile take a bowl add ginger paste,turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, salt, crushed cinnamon sticks and badi elaichi. Now mix all the ingredients with little water.
7. Now add all the mixed contents of the bowl in a pan and fry, stirring constantly on medium flame, for about 10-12 min or, until the paste turns a light brown color and the oil separates.
8. Now add fried paneer, boiled peas and water for gravy, stir for 5 minutes. Add sukhi kasturi methi, garam masala and cook for 10 minutes on medium flame.
9. Add puree of the spinach leaves and paneer with some water if required and stir for 5 minutes.
10. Remove from the fire.
11. You can add a small cube of butter to it, if you wish.
12. Goes well with Hot Chapathis, Paranthas ,Naan or, fried rice.

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower (about 800 gm or 1.5 lbs), cut into 10 size florets
2 medium-large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-3/4 dice
3 Large onion -Thinly sliced
3 medium size tomato -chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 t mild hing (asafoetida)
3/4 knob of ginger, grated
4/5 cloves garlic (crushed or chopped)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
3/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp kitchen king masala
1/3 tsp garam masala
1/2 table spoon (kasturi methi)
1 inch stick Cinnamon
1 badi elachi
4 bay leaves
salt to taste
Cooking oil (mustard) as required

Gobhi aloo curry

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot add the washed and cut cauliflower florets and potato. Fry it on medium flame until it turns golden brown. Cover the pan intermittently so that the vegetables are cooked. Keep it aside.
2. Heat the oil in the same pan on a medium flame and add the cumin seeds,hing, garlic and grated ginger. Fry till the spluttering stops and then add the onion.Fry till they are translucent and slightly brown.
3. Add chopped tomato, cover it and cook it on a low flame for 5 minutes.
4. Add turmeric, coriander powder, red chilli powder, kitchen king and garam masala. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, badi elaichi and salt to taste and about 2 teaspoons of water and keep on stirring so that the masala is fried slightly and the tomato and onion is completely mixed in the masala.
5. On a low flame add the prepared cauliflower and potatoes and stir to mix .
6. Cook for about 15 minutes or, to desired tenderness, stirring once in between. The mixture may stick to the bottom of the pan if you have used the specified amount of oil. That is alright – just don’t stir at the moment.
7. Add water as required for the gravy and cook for another 5-6 minutes until the mixture is boiled.
8. Take off the stove, and let rest covered. Toss to mix after a few minutes. Sprinkle with fresh chopped coriander and methi and serve with a bowl of plain yoghurt with roti or, with rice or, pulao.