Dhal Makhani

Dhal makhani is one of the protein rich side dishes that you can serve with chapati, roti, naan , paratha or poori. The main ingredient of this dish is whole black gram, which contains 25 gram of protein and 18 grams of fiber per 100 grams. Let us make this simple recipe today.

Ingredients:

Whole black gram - 1 cup

Bengal gram dhal - 2 tablespoons

Rajma - ¼ cup

Curds - ½ cup

Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon

Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon

Garam masala - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon

Kasuri methi - 1 tablespoon, roasted and crushed

Butter or ghee - 1 tablespoon

Cream - 1 tablespoon (optional)

Salt - to taste

For the masala paste:

Ginger - 1" piece

Garlic - 3 pods

Tomato - 4 no, cubed

Onion - 3 no, cubed 

Oil - 2 teaspoons

Cashew nuts - 1 tablespoon (optional)

Kashmiri chili - 1-2 no, adjust to taste

Method: 

• Wash and soak black gram dhal, rajma and Bengal gram dhal in water over night. Next morning wash again and pressure cook for 15 minutes. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a kadai; add in Kashmiri chili and fry till they turn darker. Then add onion cubes, and sauté till they turn transparent. Add in garlic pods and sauté for 2 minutes. Allow the ingredients to cool. 
• Grind the fried items, tomato, cashew nuts and ginger into a fine paste.
• Heat 2 teaspoons of butter or ghee in the kadai; add in the masala paste and fry for a minute. Cover and cook on low flame till oil separates.
• Mash the cooked dhals together and add to the kadai. Mix well. Add in required salt and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Beat the curds well. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, turmeric powder and kasuri methi. Mix very well and add to the cooking dhal. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. 
• Decorate with cream and 1 teaspoon of butter. Serve hot with roti or chapati.

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Sev Tamatar

Sev Tamatar is a traditional Gujarati tomato and sev curry. This is easy-to-make tangy recipe that can be served with roti or chapati. 

Ingredients:

Tomato - medium sized, 12 no, chopped

Onion - large, 1 no, chopped (Optional)*

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Cumin seeds/Jeera- 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon

Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon

Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon

Ginger green chilli paste - 1-2 teaspoons (adjust to taste)

Sugar or jaggery powder - 1 teaspoon

Asafoetida - a generous pinch

Salt - to taste

Coriander leaves - chopped, 1 tablespoon

Sev - preferably thick variety, 1 cup or as required** 

*Onion is not used in the traditional preparation. However, I prefer to add onion.

**Sev can be made at home using a sieve with larger holes.

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai; add cumin seeds and when they start to sputter, add in chopped onion. Sauté till onion turns light brown in color. Add tomato pieces, masala powders, salt, sugar, ginger-green chili paste and asafoetida. Add 1 cup of water and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame till the tomato becomes pulpy. Mash with a vegetable masher and add half a cup of water if needed. Simmer for a minute. Garnish with coriander leaves. Add sev just before serving.

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Ridge Gourd Curry (பீர்க்கங்காய் கறி)

Ridge gourd has slightly sweetish taste and is used to make poriyal, kootu and chutney in traditional cooking. It is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins (C, thiamine and riboflavin) and minerals (zinc, iron and magnesium). Today I wish to share a Karnataka style ridge gourd curry that can be served with both rice and chapati. 

Ingredients:

Ridge gourd - medium sized, 2 no

Oil - 2 teaspoons

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon

Curry leaves - a few

Salt - to taste

For the masala:

Kashmiri chili - 2 -3 no, adjust to taste

Whole urad dhal - 1 tablespoon

White sesame seeds or thil - ½ tablespoon

Asafoetida - a generous pinch

Tamarind - a small piece

Coconut - grated, 3 tablespoons

Method: 

• Wash the ridge gourds and cut off the edges. Lightly scrape the skin; slit the gourds vertically and slice them. Keep aside.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a kadai. Add in Kashmiri chilies and fry till they turn darker. Add in urad dhal and fry till dhal turns golden brown in color. Now add  sesame seeds and switch off the stove as they start to sputter. Allow the contents to cool. Later grind the fried ingredients with tamarind, asafoetida and coconut into a coarse powder using the mixer-grinder. DO NOT add water while grinding.
• Heat the remaining oil in the kadai, add mustard seeds and when they start to sputter add in the cut vegetable, turmeric powder and required salt. Cover and cook on medium flame for 3 minutes. Remove the lid and cook till the vegetable is done. DO NOT add water as the gourd oozes out water while cooking. When the water is fully absorbed, add in the masala and mix well. Simmer for 2 minutes and remove from the fire. Garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with rice and dhal or roti/chapati.

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Paneer Capsicum Masala

Today, I wish to share a paneer recipe with you. I hope you love this tasty and rather spicy combination of paneer and capsicum in ground masala. Capsicum has its unique flavor and it adds spice to the gravy. Give it a try.

Ingredients: (Serves four)

Paneer/ cottage cheese - 200 gms, cut into cubes

Capsicum - large, 1 no

Green peas - shelled, ¼ teacup

Onion - large, 2 no, cubed

Tomato - large, 1 no cubed

Bottle gourd - peeled, deseeded and cubed, 1 cup

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Ginger - ¼ inch piece

Garlic - 3 pods

Cashew nuts - 1 tablespoon

Green chili - 2 no, adjust to taste

Jaggery powder - 1 teaspoon (optional)

Kasuri methi - roasted and crushed, 1 teaspoon

Salt - to taste

For masala paste:

Curds - ½ teacup

Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon

Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon

Garam masala - 1 teaspoon

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai, add cut onion pieces and saute till they turn transparent. Add garlic and fry for minute. Add in ginger, tomato, bottle gourd, green chilies, cashew nuts and half a cup of water. Cover and cook on low flame till the vegetables are done. Switch off the stove. Once the mixture is cooled to room temperature, grind it into a smooth paste using a mixer-grinder.

Mix all ingredients for masala paste in curds to form a smooth paste and keep aside. 

Cover and cook the ground paste in the kadai on low flame till it thickens. Add in capsicum, green peas, required salt and half a cup of water. Cook till the vegetables are ready. Add in the masala paste and half a cup of water. Bring it to boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Now add kasuri methi powder, jaggery powder and paneer cubes. Add water if the gravy is too thick. Simmer for 5 minutes. Paneer capsicum masala is ready. Serve hot with chapati or roti.

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Brinjal Plaintain Curry (கத்தரிக்காய் வாழைக்காய் கறி)

I often end up making a different recipe when the situation demands. This time, it was a simple matter of having only two vegetables, namely plantain and brinjal in the refrigerator. So I decided to try the unusual combination and it turned out tasty! I am happy to share the new recipe with you.

Ingredients:

Plantain – 1 no, cut into medium sized cubes

Brinjal, large – 3 no, cut into medium sized pieces

Salt – to taste

Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoons

Oil – 2 teaspoon

Mustard – 1 teaspoon

Split urad dhal – 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves – a few 

For the masala powder:

Bengal gram dhal – 1 tablespoon

Whole urad dhal – 1 tablespoon

Red chili – 1-2, adjust to taste

Asafoetida powder – 1 generous pinch

White thil – 1 teaspoon

Method: Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a kadai, fry all the ingredients for masala powder except thil. When the dhals turn golden brown, add thil and as the seeds crackle switch of the stove. Once cooled to room temperature, powder coarsely in a mixer grinder. Keep aside.

Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in the kadai, add split urad dhal; when it starts to change color add mustard seeds. When they sputter, add the vegetables, salt and turmeric powder. Mix well, add 1 tablespoon of water; cover and cook on low flame till the vegetables are done. Do not overcook the vegetables

Add the masala powder and mix well. Garnish with curry leaves. Remove from fire and serve hot with rice and sambar/ rasam.

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Kadai Paneer

I love using paneer in my cooking and have shared several paneer recipes on Rathika’s Nest over time. Today, I intend to share the recipe of a spicy paneer dish that goes well with roti, chapatti, paratha or naan. Here we go!

Ingredients:

Paneer or cottage cheese – 200 gms, cut into cubes

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Jeera or cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Pepper corns – 1½ teaspoon

Cardamom – 3 no

Capsicum – medium sized, deseeded, cut into cubes

Tomato – 3 no, chopped

Onion – 3 no, sliced

Kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves – 1 tablespoon

Salt – to taste

Ginger – 1” piece, grated

To be made into a paste:

Thick curds – 2 tablespoons

Kashmiri chili powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon

Garam masala – 1 teaspoon

Method: Heat oil in a kadai or wok. Add cumin seeds, cardamom and pepper corns. Sauté till cumin seeds crackle; add onion slices and fry till they become transparent. Add in tomato, capsicum and required salt. Mix well. Cook on low flame till the vegetables are done. Add the masala paste and blend together. Cover and cook on low flame till oil separates. Now add kasuri methi, grated ginger and paneer pieces. Mix well and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve hot with roti or chapatti.

Note: You can also make kadai paneer as a gravy dish. Just add in 100 ml of water, after adding paneer pieces. Mix well and bring it to boil. Your gravy is ready!

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Malai Kofta

Koftas are delicious, but are rich in calories. However, by using an air fryer you can avoid deep frying koftas in oil. Today I wish to share this air fryer recipe for making yummy malai koftas.

Ingredients - For the koftas:
Paneer or cottage cheese - 200 gms
Green chilis - 2 no, chopped
Salt - to taste
Baking powder - ½ teaspoon
Corn flour - 2 teaspoons
Coriander leaves - chopped, 2 teaspoons
Oil - for brushing

For the gravy:
Onions - 3 no, cubed
Tomato puree - ½ teacup or 100 ml measure
Coconut milk - ½ teacup or 100 ml measure
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Green chilies - 2 no
Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
Poppy seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cashew nuts - 1 tablespoon
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Cinnamon - 1" stick
Cloves - 3 no
Cardamom - 3 no, seeds removed and powdered
Salt - to taste

Method - Making koftas: Crumble paneer in a bowl. Add corn flour, green chilies, baking powder, salt and coriander leaves. Mix well and knead into firm dough. Divide into 10 equal parts. Roll them into  balls. Brush little oil all over the balls. Grease the wire mesh in the air fryer with oil. Place the balls on the wire mesh, leaving 1 cm space around the balls. Cook for 10 minutes at 180º Celsius. Remove from the air fryer and allow the koftas to cool.

Making the gravy: Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a kadai and fry onions till transparent. Grind fried onions and green chilies into a fine paste. Similarly grind poppy seeds and cashew nuts into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a kadai, add the cinnamon and clove, saute for a minute. Add ground masala and ginger garlic paste, mix well and cook on low flame till oil separates. Now add tomato puree, coriander powder, cumin powder and required salt. Mix well and bring it to boil. Simmer; add coconut milk and cardamom powder. Mix well; cook for a minute. Finally add cashew paste and cook on low flame for 2 minutes. Switch off the stove. Just before serving, add the koftas to the gravy. Let it stand for 2 minutes. Serve hot with poori, paratha or chapatti.

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Cauliflower-Green Peas Curry

Cauliflower is categorized as an “English” vegetable, and hence, not many preparations involving cauliflower are available in the traditional Tamil Brahmin cuisine. However, cauliflower can be used to make curries and gravies that taste great with both rice and chapatti. Today, I wish to share with you a simple recipe that combines cauliflower and green peas to make a yummy side dish for chapattis.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower – medium, 1 no

Green peas – shelled, ¼ teacup or 50 ml measure

Onion – large, 1 no, finely chopped

Tomatoes – 2 no, chopped

Ginger – 1” piece, grated

Salt – to taste

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Jeera or cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon

Coriander leaves or cilantro – chopped, 1 tablespoon

For the masala:

Fresh curds – ¾ teacup or 150ml measure

Garam masala – 1 teaspoon

Kashmiri chili powder – ½ teaspoon (adjust to taste)

Cauliflower-Green Peas Curry

Method: Separate the cauliflower florets. Heat 600ml of water in a vessel. When it boils, add 1 teaspoon salt and cauliflower florets. Cover the vessel and switch off the stove immediately. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Drain the water and wash the cauliflower in running water, drain fully and keep aside. Boil peas in sufficient water for 10 minutes, drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds and when they start to crackle, add onion pieces. Sauté for a while till the pieces start to brown. Now add cauliflower, green peas and required salt. Cover and cook on low flame till the vegetable is cooked. Beat the curds very well and blend it with garam masala and Kashmiri chili powder. Add in the masala mixture and mix well. Simmer for 5 minutes. Switch off the stove and garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot with roti, chapatti or parathas.

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Broccoli Stir Fry

Broccoli is a healthy vegetable and considered to be the dieter’s delight! It is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins particularly C, A, and B6 as well as minerals such as magnesium, iron, calcium and potassium. Broccoli is not often used in traditional Indian cuisine. It can be added to other vegetables in a salad. However, here is an easy and tasty broccoli recipe that goes well both with pasta and chapatti. Try this out…

Ingredients:

Broccoli – medium sized, 1 no

Onion – large, 1 no, sliced

Kalonji or nigella seeds – 1 teaspoon

Cooking oil – 1 tablespoon

Salt – to taste

Freshly ground pepper – 1 teaspoon (adjust to taste)

Broccoli Stir fry

Method: Separate the broccoli florets and wash well in running water. Drain and keep aside. Heat oil in a frying pan; when ready, add nigella seeds. Fry for 30 seconds. Add the sliced onions and fry till they turn light brown in color. Add the broccoli florets and salt. Mix well. Cook on low flame till the vegetable starts to soften. Now add the ground pepper and stir fry for 1 minute. Remove from fire and serve hot as an accompaniment to pasta or chapatti.

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Spicy Methi Paneer

Paneer or cottage cheese is my favorite ingredient and I keep trying new paneer recipes every now and then. On the other hand, methi or fenugreek is an integral part of Indian cuisine and methi leaves are rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. This recipe combines paneer and methi in tangy gravy, and it tastes great with roti, chapatti or poori. Though fresh methi leaves are always preferable, you may still use dried methi leaves (Kasuri methi) instead. Here we go.

Ingredients:

Fresh paneer/cottage cheese – 200 gms, cut into 1” cubes

Kasuri methi/ dried fenugreek leaves – ¼ teacup or 50 ml measure*

Onion – 1 no, finely chopped

Amchur/ dry mango powder – ½ teaspoon

Kitchen king garam masala – 1 teaspoon

Jaggery – powdered, ½ teaspoon (optional)

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 tablespoons

Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

To be ground into a paste:

Tomatoes – 2 no, cut into large pieces

Onion – 1 no, cut into cubes

Ginger – ½” piece

Garlic – 3 pods

Coriander powder – 2 teaspoons

Kashmiri chili powder – 1-2 teaspoons (adjust to taste)

*Alternatively, you may use 1 bunch of fresh methi leaves. Wash the leaves in running water, drain fully and chop roughly.  

Spicy Methi Paneer 

Method: Grind onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, coriander powder and Kashmiri chili powder in to a fine paste using the mixer-grinder. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds and when they start to sputter, add the chopped onion. Sauté till the pieces turn light brown. Now add the masala paste and kasuri methi; mix well. Cover and cook on low flame till oil separates. At this stage add ½ teacup or 100ml of water to the kadai and mix well. Add paneer cubes, required salt, jaggery powder and dry mango powder. Mix well and bring the contents to boil. Finally add kitchen king garam masala and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Your methi paneer is ready. Serve hot with chapatti and sliced onions.

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Baingan Bharta or Roasted Eggplant Curry

Traditionally eggplant or brinjal is either cut or roasted on direct fire and then cooked with necessary ingredients to make the desired recipe. In typical Brahmin cooking roasted eggplant is used to make kothsu (கொத்சு) or thuvayal (துவையல்). Roasting eggplants on direct fire imparts a unique flavor to the recipe. Baingan bharta is a north Indian curry recipe that goes well with chapattis. Large purple eggplants (Figure 1) are used to make this curry. Last week when I found fresh eggplants in the vegetable shop, I decided to make baingan bharta. For a typical south Indian household, this curry makes a refreshing change. Just give it a try.

Fig.1: Large purple eggplants

Ingredients:

Large eggplants – 2 no

Tomatoes – 2 no, cut into small cubes

Onion -2 no, finely chopped

Green chili – 2 no, finely chopped

Ginger – ½” piece, grated

Kashmiri chili powder – 1-2 teaspoons (adjust to taste)

Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder – 2 teaspoons

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Kitchen king garam masala – 1 teaspoon

Oil – 2 tablespoons

Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Gingelly oil – 1 teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Coriander leaves – chopped, 1 tablespoon

Method: Wash and dry the eggplants. Smear gingelly oil on the surface of the vegetable. Roast the eggplants on direct fire as shown in Figure 2.

Fig.2: Eggplants being roasted on direct fire

Turn the vegetable around and roast on all sides till the skin turns black and eggplants become soft. Remove from fire and allow them to cool (Figure 3). Late peel the skin, remove the stalk and mash the eggplants into a smooth pulp. Keep aside.

Fig.3: Roasted eggplants

Heat oil in a kadai and add cumin seeds. When the crackle, add chopped onions and sauté till they turn light brown in color. Then add tomatoes, green chilies and ginger. Mix well; cover and cook on low flame till tomatoes become soft and pulpy. Now add the mashed eggplant, turmeric powder, coriander power, cumin powder, Kashmiri chili powder and salt. Blend well, cover and simmer for 5 minutes till oil separates. Finally add garam masala and mix well. Cook for 2 more minutes and remove from fire. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapattis, salad and raita.

Baingan Bharta or Roasted Eggplant Curry

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Baby Corn - Green Peas Masala

In culinary perspective, baby corn is different from sweet corn and it has a unique taste. You can use steamed baby corn in salads, soups and in pastas. Stir fried baby corn makes a great snack. This curry combining baby corn and green peas in a tasty masala base makes a great accompaniment to roti, chapatti or pulka. Let’s proceed with the recipe.

Ingredients: (Serves four)

Baby corns – cut into 1” pieces, 2 teacups or 400 ml measure

Green peas – 1 teacup or 200 ml measure

Fresh curds – ¼ teacups or 50 ml

Coriander powder – 3 teaspoons

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Kashmiri chili powder – 1 teaspoon

Kitchen king garam masala – 1 teaspoon

Oil – 2 tablespoons

Bay leaf – 1 no

Cinnamon – 1” piece

Salt – to taste

Coriander leaves – chopped, 1 tablespoon

To be ground into a paste:

Onions – 2 no

Tomato – 1 no

Ginger – 1” piece

Garlic – 3 pods

Baby Corn - Green Peas Masala

Method: Cook baby corns in a pressure cooker for 7 minutes or 7 whistles. Remove from the cooker and keep aside. Shell the green peas and boil them in required water till they are done. Grind onions, tomato, ginger and garlic into a fine paste.

Heat oil in a kadai on medium flame; add bay leaf and cinnamon and sauté for a minute. Now add the masala paste and cook on low flame till the raw smell disappears and oil separates. Add cooked baby corn, boiled green peas, salt and 1 teacup (200 ml) of water. Mix well and bring it to boil. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri chili powder, and garam masala to the curds and mix well. Add this mixture to the curry and blend well. Reduce the flame and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Switch off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapatti and raita or salad. 

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Spicy Corn Curry (மக்காசோள கார கறி)

Once in a while, I look forward to eating spicy food. However, there are many, who simply enjoy spicy fare on a regular basis. Recently, I came across this spicy North Indian gravy recipe and decided to try it out with sweet corn (மக்கா சோளம்) to mellow it down a bit! Voila, it turned out to be a yummy curry that was simply great with chapattis. Try this new recipe.

Ingredients: (Serves three)

Onions – 2 no, finely chopped

Tomatoes – 2 no pureed

Ginger garlic paste – 1 teaspoon

Oil – 2 tablespoons

Cinnamon – 1” piece

Cardamom – 3 no

Clove – 3 no

Bay leaves – 2 no

Curds – ¼ teacups or 50 ml

Salt – to taste

Red chilies – 3-4 no

Kashmiri chili powder – 1 teaspoon

Sweet corn kernels – 1 teacup or 200 ml measure, steamed*

*You may buy ready-to-use steamed sweet corn kernels. Alternatively, you may steam the sweet corn kernels in the pressure cooker or steamer for 10-15 minutes.

Spicy Corn Curry

Method: Heat oil in a kadai on medium flame; add bay leaves and red chilies, and sauté for a minute. Now add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Fry for 30 seconds.  Add onions and fry till they turn light brown. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute. Now add tomato puree, curds and Kashmiri chili powder. Mix well. Cover and cook on low flame till oil separates. Add steamed sweet corn, ½ teacups (100 ml) water and salt; blend well. Simmer for 3 minutes and then switch off the stove. Your spicy corn curry is ready! Serve hot with chapatti and sliced onions.

Note: You may use mixed vegetables (carrots, French beans, potatoes and cauliflower), green peas or paneer (cottage cheese) with this gravy.

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Potato Sweet Corn Curry (உருளைக்கிழங்கு மக்காசோளக் கறி)

Traditionally sweet corn (மக்கா சோளம்) is eaten as a snack, after roasting on direct fire and smearing with salt, red chili powder and lime juice. However, in recent times sweet corn has found its place in daily menu, especially in salads, curries and gravies. Sweet corn is rich in vitamins B complex and C, as well as minerals. In this recipe, I have combined sweet corn with potatoes, which are cooked along with fresh spices. This curry goes well with rotis, chapattis and parathas.

Ingredients: (Serves four)
Potatoes – medium, 3 no

Sweet corn kernels – 1½ teacup or 300ml measure

Salt – to taste

Onion, medium – 2 no

Bay leaf – 1 no

Curds – 2 tablespoons

Mace – 1" piece

Cardamom – 3 no

Oil – 1½ tablespoons

To be roasted:

Cinnamon – 1" piece

Clove – 3 no

Coriander seeds – 2 tablespoons

Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Saunf or fennel seeds – ½ teaspoon 

To be ground into a paste:

Tomato – large, 1 no

Green chili – 1-2 no (adjust to taste)

Coriander leaves – chopped, 3 tablespoons

Roasted ingredients

Potato Sweet Corn Curry (உருளைக்கிழங்கு மக்காசோளக் கறி)

Method: Chop the onions finely and keep aside. Pressure cook potatoes for 5 minutes or 5 whistles; when the pressure subsides remove the potatoes from the cooker, peel the skin and cut into medium sized cubes. Steam the sweet corn kernels in the pressure cooker or steamer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the seeds from cardamom and powder them along with mace using the mortar and pestle. Keep aside.

Heat a kadai or wok on medium flame; add cinnamon, clove, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Sauté till the cumin seeds start to crackle. Switch off the stove and transfer the contents to a bowl. Grind tomato, green chili, coriander seeds and roasted ingredients into a fine paste using the mixer-grinder. Keep aside.

Heat oil in the kadai; add bay leaf and sauté for 30 seconds. Add chopped onion and fry till the pieces turn light brown in color. Now add in the ground masala paste. Cover and cook on medium flame till oil separates.  At this stage, add steamed corn kernels, potato cubes and 1 teacup (200ml) water. Mix well and cook on low flame for 3-5 minutes. Beat curds, add cardamom-mace powder and mix well. Add in the curd mixture finally and blend well. Simmer for 2 minutes and remove from fire. Serve hot with roti or chapatti and salad.

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Veggie Paneer Korma

Korma is gravy often made with vegetables and served with chapatti, though it goes well with any type of Indian bread. The masala used for typical vegetable korma is coconut based. On the other hand, the veggie-paneer korma is prepared with select spices in cashew paste. It has a gentle taste and can be served with pulka, roti or paratha. Let’s start preparing veggie-paneer korma.

Ingredients: (Serves four)

Cut vegetables – 2 teacups or 400ml measure*

Onions – 1 no, finely chopped

Coriander powder – 3 teaspoons

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Kashmiri chili powder – 1 teaspoon

Ginger garlic paste – ¾ teaspoon

Cardamom – 3 no

Salt – to taste

Paneer or cottage cheese – 100gms

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Oil – for deep frying

Coriander leaves – chopped, 1 tablespoon

*You may use a mixture of carrots, green peas, French beans, potato and cauliflower. Cut carrot, potato and French beans into small cubes. Shell green peas and separate cauliflower florets.

To be ground into a paste:

Cashew nuts – broken, 1 tablespoon

Poppy seeds or khas khas – 1 teaspoon

Veggie Paneer Korma

Method: Powder cardamom seeds and keep aside. Cut paneer into ½” sized cubes. Heat oil in a kadai on medium flame and shallow fry paneer cubes till they start to turn light brown in color. Place the cubes on tissue paper for the excess oil to drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in handi or pressure pan, add chopped onion and sauté till they turn transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the cut vegetables and 1 teacup of water and pressure cook for 5 minutes or 5 whistles. Switch off the stove.

Lightly roast poppy seeds and grind them with cashew nuts and required water into a smooth paste using the mixer-grinder.

Once the pressure subsides, open the lid and add coriander powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri chili powder and salt. Mix well and cook on medium flame. Allow the contents to boil together for 2 minutes. Now add cardamom powder and paneer cubes. Cook for 3 more minutes. Now add cashew paste while stirring continuously. Blend well and simmer for 2 minutes. Switch off the stove. Your korma is ready. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapatti and salad or raita.

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Quatro of Pulses

In India, cereals and pulses form essential part of staple vegetarian diet. Pulses are rich in protein and hence, they improve the nutrition of our diet. Varieties of dried pulses are available in every grocery store and here’s a recipe that combines four commonly available dried pulses in spicy gravy. This curry goes well with roti, chapatti, paratha, poori or pulka.

Ingredients: (Serves four)

Green gram (பச்சைப் பயிறு) – ¼ teacups or 100 ml measure

Black eyed peas (காராமணி) – ¼ teacups or 100 ml measure*

Field beans (மொச்சைக் கொட்டை) – ¼ teacups or 100 ml measure

Dries peas (உலர்ந்த பட்டாணி) – ¼ teacups or 100 ml measure

Tomato – 1 no, finely chopped

Onion – 1 no, finely chopped

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves – a few

Salt – to taste

Jaggery – ½ teaspoon (optional)

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Garam masala powder – 1 teaspoon

Amchur powder – ½ teaspoon

Coriander leaves – chopped, 1 tablespoon

To be ground into a paste:

Ginger – 1” piece

Green chilies – 2-3 no (adjust to taste)

*You may use either red or white black eyed beans (சிவப்பு / வெள்ளை காராமணி) or combination of both in required quantity

Quatro of Pulses

Method: Soak the pulses in warm water for at least 4 hours. Later drain the water, wash and cook in a pressure cooker with 2 teacups (400ml) of water for 6 minutes or 6 whistles. Once the pressure subsides, remove from the cooker and allow it to cool.

Chop onion and tomato and keep aside. Grind ginger and green chilies into a fine paste using the mixer-grinder. Keep aside.

Heat oil in the kadai, add cumin seeds and when they start to sputter, add chopped onion and curry leaves. Sauté till the onion pieces start to brown. Add tomato pieces and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame till oil separates. Now add cooked pulses, green chili-ginger paste, salt and jaggery. Cover and cook till the contents boil. Add amchur powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder. Mix well and bring it to boil. Reduce the fire and simmer for 5 minutes. Switch off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapatti or paratha and raitha. 

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Sweet Corn Curry (மக்கா சோளக் கூட்டு)

Sweet corn (மக்கா சோளம்) is a healthy grain that is rich in vitamins B complex and C, as well as minerals. Traditionally sweet corn is served as a snack with added spices, after roasting on direct fire or steaming . Corn is not generally used to make conventional recipes. Only a few years ago, I have tasted a curry made with sweet corn for the first time in a popular city restaurant and found it enjoyable. Subsequently, I have started experimenting with sweet corn making salads, curries, gravies and pulav. This sweet corn curry is tasty, spicy and goes well with chapatti, roti or paratha.

Ingredients: (Serves three)

Sweet corn kernels – 2 teacups or 400 ml measure

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Coriander leaves – chopped, 1 tablespoon

Salt – to taste

Kashmiri chili powder – ¾-1 teaspoon

To be ground into a paste (1):

Green chili – 1-2 no (adjust to taste)

Onions – 3 no, cubed

Tomato – 1 no, cubed

Ginger garlic paste – 1 teaspoon

Cloves – 2 no

Cardamom – 4 no

Cinnamon – 1” piece

To be ground into a paste (2):

Cashew nuts – broken, 1 tablespoon

Poppy seeds – 1 teaspoon

Sweet Corn Curry (மக்கா சோளக் கூட்டு)

Method: Steam the sweet corn kernels in a pressure cooker for 10-15 minutes. Later, remove from the cooker and allow it to cool.

Remove the seeds from the cardamoms. Cut onions and tomato into large cubes and keep aside. Grind the onions, tomato, green chilies, ginger garlic paste, cinnamon, cardamom seeds and cloves into a fine paste using the mixer-grinder.

Grind cashew nuts and poppy seeds separately into a fine paste and keep aside.

Heat oil in the kadai, add the ground masala paste. Cover and cook on low flame till oil separates. Add Kashmiri chili powder and mix well. Now add the steamed sweet corn kernels, ½ teacups (100ml) of water and required salt. Bring it to boil and then, switch off the stove. Dissolve cashew paste in 2 tablespoons of water and add in the cashew mixture slowly, while stirring continuously. Mix well and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Switch off the fire. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapatti or paratha and a salad. 

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Mixed Sprouts Curry

Sprouts are very nutritious, and you can add them to salads and curries. When you mix different sprouted grams it gives a unique taste to the preparation. It is preferable to cook sprouts at least once a week to add variety to your menu and improve the nutritive value of your diet. This mixed sprouts curry is tasty and goes well with chapatti, roti, poori or paratha. Just serve a salad or raitha along and your meal is ready!

Ingredients:

Mixed sprouts – 2 teacups or 400 ml measure

Onion – 1no, chopped finely

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Salt – to taste

Jaggery – ½ teaspoon (optional)

Curds – ½ teacups or 100ml measure

Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon

Paav bhaaji masala – 1 teaspoon

Kashmiri chili powder – 1 teaspoon

Cloves – 3no

Cardamom – 3no

Cinnamon – 1” piece

Coriander leaves – chopped, 1 tablespoon

To be ground into a powder:

Ginger – 1” piece

Garlic – 3-4 pods, peeled

Tomato – 3 no, cubed
Curry leaves – a few

Mixed Sprouts Curry

Method: Cook the sprouts in a pressure cooker for 6 minutes or 6 whistles. Once the pressure subsides, remove from the cooker and allow it to cool.

Grind tomatoes, curry leaves, ginger and garlic into a fine paste using the mixer-grinder. Keep aside.

Add coriander powder, paav bhaji masala powder and Kashmiri chili powder to the curds. Mix well. Keep aside.

Heat oil in the kadai, add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and sauté for 30 seconds. Add chopped onions and fry till they start to brown. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame till oil separates. Now add cooked sprouts, salt and jaggery. Cover and cook till the contents boil. Now, add curds mixture and blend well with the curry. Reduce the fire and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the fire. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapatti or paratha. 

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Mixed Pulses Curry

The Nature provides us with varieties of vegetables, cereals and pulses so that we can enrich our meals. Pulses improve the nutrition of our diet and there are several ways of using them in our cooking – salads, sundal, kuzhambu and curry, to name a few. Combining different pulses adds both to the nutrition and taste of the dish. I have already shared recipes using sprouted pulses. However, if you do not have time to prepare sprouts, here’s a short cut curry recipe that combines different sprouts in spicy gravy. You can serve this curry with roti, chapatti, paratha, poori or pulka.

Ingredients: (Serves four)

Green gram (பச்சைப் பயிறு) – ¼ teacups or 100 ml measure

Red black eyed peas (சிவப்பு காராமணி) – ¼ teacups or 100 ml measure

White black eyed peas (வெள்ளை காராமணி) – ¼ teacups or 100 ml measure

Field bean (மொச்சைக் கொட்டை) – ¼ teacups or 100 ml measure

Dries peas (உலர்ந்த பட்டாணி) – ¼ teacups or 100 ml measure

Oil – 2 tablespoons

Curry leaves – a few

Salt – to taste

Jaggery – ½ teaspoon (optional)

Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Kashmiri chili powder – 2 teaspoons (adjust to taste)

Cloves – 3no

Cardamom – 3no

Cinnamon – 1” piece

Bay leaves – 2no

To be ground into a paste (1):

Ginger – 1” piece

Garlic – 3-4 pods, peeled

Tomato – 3 no, cubed

Onion – 2 no, cut into cubes

To be ground into a paste (2):

Cashew nuts – 1 tablespoon

Poppy seeds – 1 teaspoon

 

Mixed Pulses Curry

Method: Soak the pulses in warm water for at least 4 hours. Later drain the water, wash and cook in a pressure cooker with 2 teacups (400ml) of water for 6 minutes or 6 whistles. Once the pressure subsides, remove from the cooker and allow it to cool.

Grind tomatoes, onions, ginger and garlic into a fine paste using the mixer-grinder. Keep aside.

Grind separately cashew nuts and poppy seeds with little water into a very fine paste. Keep aside.

Heat oil in the kadai, add cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and cloves and sauté for 30 seconds. Add onion-tomato paste, coriander powder, cumin powder and kashmiri chilli powder. Mix well. Cover and cook on low flame till oil separates. Now add cooked pulses, salt and jaggery. Cover and cook till the contents boil. Allow the contents to boil for 2 minutes. Now, add cashew paste and blend well with the curry. Reduce the fire and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the fire. Garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with chapatti or paratha and raitha. 

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