Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Spicy Whole Masoor

1 cup whole masoor
1 tsp GG paste
2 green chillies
1 large onion chopped fine
1 tomato, chopped fine
Turmeric, chilli, jeera, dhania powders
Garam masala powder
2 tbsp curd
Salt
Oil
Chopped coriander leaves

Pressure cook the washed whole masoor with turmeric till soft.
Heat oil in a kadai and chuck in the green chillies. Add the chopped onion and fry well for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato and the GG paste and fry further for another 2 minutes. Stir well. Add the powdered spices and mix well. Add the curd and mix it well. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour in the cooked masoor and stir. Add salt. Let it come to a boil adding a little water if required. Let it boil well. Sprinkle the chopped coriander and serve with rotis/parathas/bread or even rice.
You can add a tablespoon of pure ghee to the pot at the end. It gives the entire dish a wonderful aroma and flavour.
You can also add small cubes of potatoes to the masoor while pressure cooking it.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Alu'r Dom

This is a typical Bong preparation, very easy to make, and is absolutely delicious!! Serve with hot luchis or porotas..

This is how i make it though the recipe will vary from family to family, cook to cook :)

Small or baby potatoes, boiled and skinned.
1 large onion, minced, not paste.
1 tsp GG paste
2 tbsp fresh curd/ dahi
turmeric
chilli powder
Dhania powder
Jeera powder
garam masala powder
whole garam masala
salt
mustard oil
Fresh coriander leaves

Heat mustard oil in a kadai. Let it heat up properly and then fry the boiled and peeled potatoes browning them nicely. Remove on to a plate and keep aside. Put in the whole spices- cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, etc. Fry for a minute and then add the onions. Fry well stirring all the time. Don't burn the onions. Add a minced green chilli if you like your food hot and spicy. Add the powdered spices and the fresh curd. Stir and mix well. let it cook. Add a tablespoon or two of water only if required. Stir well. Add the potatoes and mix well. In case the potatoes are biggish prick with a fork so that the spices and salt can get in. But be careful not to break the potatoes. Let it cook covered for a couple of minutes. There should be no gravy, just the thick masala paste coated all over the potatoes. garnish with fresh chopped coriander and serve.

You can add a little dried mango powder if you like with the other powdered spices. it adds a nice zing.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Dimer Jhol (Eggs in gravy)

This is a typical preparation eaten with rice. There are many variations to this basic recipe, this is what my Mom used to make.

4 boiled eggs
1 large onion, sliced
2 large potatoes, cut into 6 or 8 chunks
2 green chillies
1 medium tomato, chopped
jeera/turmeric/dhania powders
Ginger garlic paste
whole garam masala
oil
salt
Fresh coriander

Heat oil in a kadai and fry the potatoes till they are lightly browned. Remove and keep aside. in the same oil put in a stick of cinnamon, 4 cardamoms and a few cloves and a couple of bay leaves. Let it fry a bit and then add the green chillies and onions. Fry well till the onions turn pink, don't let them burn. Add the chopped tomato and the GG paste. Stir well and add the spice powders. Add a bit of water if required so that the powdered spices don't burn. Cook for a while mixing well. Add the salt and the boiled eggs (shelled of course!!). Stir to coat the eggs with the spice and onion mix. Add potatoes and a cup (or more) of water. Bring to a boil, simmer and cook covered till the potatoes are done. Adjust salt if necessary. Serve hot garnished with chopped corainder leaves.

Serve hot with rice.

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Doi Begun (Brinjals in yoghurt)

This is a very easy recipe and one of my favourite ways of cooking brinjals. You can use either the big purple brinjals or the small ones, but not the green varieties.

1 large brinjal or 10 small brinjals
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 large onion, sliced
1 medium tomato, minced
Turmeric
Cumin/jeera powder
Chilli powder
Ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup dahi/yoghurt
Salt
Oil
1 or 2 Green chillies
Fresh Coriander leaves, washed


Cube the brinjal and sprinkle with salt. Leave in a colander for 15 to 20 minutes. If you're using the small ones, slit in quarters upto the stem leaving it intact on the stem.

In a wok/kadai heat oil. I used Mustard oil. Once the oil is heated well drop in the mustardseeds and let them pop. Put in the brinjals and fry well turning constantly. Let the brinjals soften a bit. Put in the onions and fry well. Add the ginger garlic paste, tomato, green chillies and the spices and stir it well. Let it cook. Beat the yoghurt with a fork and add to the kadai. Stir it well and cook covered for 5 minutes or so. Check that the brinjals are cooked through. Adjust salt. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve with rotis or parathas.


I made this dish using a ready cooking paste which contained tomatoes/onions/ginger and garlic/ and a little salt


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Friday, April 4, 2008

Masala Daal Parsi Style

This is an easy way to jazz up a simple daal. I use a mix of masoor and tuvar daals with more of the masoor and a little tuvar for body. About 2:1 ratio.
Wash the daals well and pressure cook with a generous bit of turmeric. Once the cooker is opened, mash the daals with a whisk or a flat spoon. Parsis like their daal to be a smooth thick puree.
In a wok or kadai heat some neutral oil- peanut/sunflower. Throw in some curry leaves, a chopped tomato, a couple of green chillies, some ginger/garlic paste and a generous spoonful of Dhansakh masala. Fry it well and then pour in the cooked daal. Add salt as required. Bring to a good rolling boil. Add a spoonful of ghee.
Garnish with finely chopped corinder leaves and serve hot.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Nariyal na Doodh ma Knolkol



This is one veggie I've never cooked before. Hubby loves it. So I procured some, called up my Ma in law and found out how to cook it.

It's quite simple, the recipe she gave me, and works with delicious results.

Knol Kol Parsi Style-

4 or 5 knol-kol
200 ml coconut milk
1 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 green chilli, minced
1 tsp jeera seeds/ cumin seeds
1 tbsp oil
salt

Peel the hard outer skin of the knol-kols. Cut into small cubes, the smaller the better.
Heat oil in kadai. Put in the cumin seeds once the oil is hot. Add the garlic and the minced green chilli. Fry for a minute and then add the chopped onion. Fry well for 2 or 3 minutes.

Add the cubed knol-kol and fry for atleast 5 minutes stirring well.

Add salt.

Pour in the coconut milk and add some water if required. Bring to a boil and cook till the knol-kol is cooked through. This might take a while, so cut them into small cubes.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.