Begun Bhaja..(Brinjal Fry) (puja special)

Ingredients:

1.Brinjal 

2.Turmeric powder

3.Salt to taste

4.Oil for fry(Mustard oil)

Method:

1.Cut brinjal length wise,clean in water,marinate in turmeric powder and salt.

2.Heat up a pan, add 3 tbs of mustard oil, fry the marinated brinjal slowly at low,flipping sides in between.

3.Take out in a vessel and drain in paper towels.

Puja Special (Luchi And Potato,Pumpkin With Parwal Mix Vegetable)

Ingredients:

1.plan flour- 1 kg

2.Refined oil or ghee- 4 tbsp

3.Salt to taste

4.Warm water to knead the flour

5.Oil for deep fry

Method:

1 Knead the flour, with oil and salt with warm water. 

2. Make small balls of dough. 
3. Flatten these into circular shapes and roll out with a rolling pin. 
4. Deep fry one by one and serve piping hot with side dishes.

Ingredients:

Parwal – 6
Cut the two ends of parwal and peel the skin at ½ inch while let the other part of peel intact ., This way it gets 3 marks along the body, now cut rounds of ½ inch .
 Pumpkin -10 -15 pieces cut into cubes, If using young Pumpkin let the skin remain as it will be bright green color indicating the skin is fresh and young, If you get little old one the skin will be dull brown in color indicating the pumpkin is old and its better to chop off the skin , this one will be more sweet in taste .
Potato - 2 medium size potato cut into cubes, If the skin is paper thin let the skin remain ,its more pleasurable to eat potato with skin as the skin is high in mineral content.

Tempering And Flavoring

1 tsp of panch phoron
2 tsp of fresh grated ginger
1 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of red pepper powder
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of sugar
3 tbs of mustard oil
½ cup of water

Method:

Heat up pan and add oil, fry the parwal pieces first till slightly brown. Take out in a separate bowl.
Add more oil, temper it with panch phoron ,ginger , add potatoes and pumpkin , fry them at low .
Add salt , sugar , turmeric powder, red pepper powder and fry . Tip – whenever you prepare pumpkin always add sugar in the curries , it balances the flavor of curry .

Add the fried parwal , add ½ cup of water and then cover and cook for 10 mints .
Open the cover and with the help of spatula  slightly cut or press the potatoes and pumpkin to a uniform mushy texture.

Shrimp Ridge Gourd Curry

Ingredients:

Jhinge 3-4 cut into long pieces (after peeling the green skin, you get soft fruit, cut approx 1 inch long piece)
1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of turmeric powder

1 ½ tsp of red pepper powder

2-3 tbs of mustard oil

Shrimp 1/2 kg

3/4 green chili

Cumin seed little bit

Bay leaf 2

Method:

1.Clean the fish, remove the head and tail, and slit the back of shrimp, take out the purple color vein and, de shell it, do the same with other shrimps.
2.Marinate the shrimp with turmeric powder and salt, fry them in hot mustard oil, till they change color to pink.
3.Temper the hot mustard oil with cumin seeds, add bay leaf  , now add Jhinge and fry for 5 mints  and now add salt, turmeric, red pepper powder, green chili and fry for another 2mints, jhinge coats well with the spices, it will take another 3-4 mints .

4.Now add Little bit of, water ( if need) and release the fried shrimp to it.

5.Cover and cook for 5 -7 mints at med .

6. Serve with rice .

Butter Chicken

Ingredients:

• 250 gm of boneless chicken, cubed

• 2 onions, minced

• 1 tomato, pureed

• 1 tbsp of tomato paste or sauce

• 1 tbsp of butter, ghee, or oil

• 1 tsp of minced garlic

• 1 tsp of minced ginger

• 2 tsp of coriander powder

• 1 tsp of chilli powder (use Kashmiri chilli powder for better results)

• 1 tsp of garam masala or chicken masala

• 1 large pinch of kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves

• 1 cup of milk

• 3 tbsp of cream or pureed cashew paste (soak and grind cashew nuts)

• 1-2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

• 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

• 1 small bunch of coriander leaves / cilantro, for ganish

Method:
1.Heat the butter in a pan and add the minced onions. Fry until golden brown.

2.Add the ginger, garlic, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric, and salt. Fry for a minute until fragrant.

3.Add the pureed tomato and tomato paste and cook for 3-4 mins until the mixture bubbles uniformly.

4.Thrown in the kasuri methi, milk, and the cubed chicken. Cook covered for 8-10 mins until the chicken is soft. The chicken will let out more water, just check once or twice in between and give the curry a stir. Keep the flame on sim.

5.When the chicken is cooked soft, open the lid and cook for a further minute or two. If the gravy is too thick, add some water at this stage.

6.When done, add the garam masala or chicken masala and the cream or cashew paste. Give it a good stir, but don't boil.

7.Adjust salt, garnish with the coriander leaves, and remove from fire.

8.Serve hot with tawa naan, pulao, or  rice .

Fresh Pigeon Peas In Sweet And Sour Tomato Gravy

Ingredients:

1 heaped cup Fresh Pigeon Peas, shelled and washed
5-6 medium Tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 medium Onion, very finely chopped
1 medium Green Bell Pepper deseed and cut into 1 inch squares or triangle
1 Green Chili, 3/4
½ inch Ginger, peeled and grated/minced
½ tbsp Cane Sugar 
1 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice 
Salt to taste

Spices used:

½ tsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Garam Masala 

For Tampering:

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

2 Dried Red Chllies 

A sprig of Curry Leaves (Optional)

1 tbsp Oil

Method:

Heat about tbsp of oil in a pressure cooker, or heavy bottomed pan, on a medium flame. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and let it sizzle and pop. Next add dried chilies,  and curry leaves and let them fry for 30 seconds.

Add finely chopped onions and sauté them till they turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Mix in grated ginger, slit green chili and cook till the raw smell disappears, about 1 minute.

Add roughly chopped tomatoes and cook till they turn pulpy and release their juice, about 3 minutes.

Next add coriander powder and garam masala and mix them well. Add the sugar and salt to taste and mix in about 2- 2½ cups of water and let it come to a gentle boil.

Mix in shelled pigeon peas, bell peppers/capsicum and cover the lid of a pressure cooker or pan. It takes around 12 minutes (2-3 whistles) in pressure cooker and around 18 minutes in a pan for the pigeon peas to cook through. You want them to be cooked through and yet retain their shape and not mushy.

Let the pressure be release completely before opening the lid of the pressure cooker. Add fresh lime juice to taste and finely chopped coriander leaves before serving.