Pakora Curry or Punjabi kadi

Ingredients

For the pakora

buttermilk
besan or gram flour
salt
chopped green chillies
red chilli powder
baking soda or Eno fruitsalt
cumin seeds
lightly crushed corriander seeds
chopped onions
chopped potato

For the curry

buttermilk
besan or gram flour
ghee
mustard seeds
methi seeds
curry leaves
red chillies
asafoetida
salt
red chilli powder
turmeric powder

Method:

For the pakora

Take the buttermilk in a bowl. Add some besan or gram flour to it and mix well so that no lumps are formed . Now, add salt, chopped green chillies, red chilli powder, baking soda or Eno fruitsalt, cumin seeds, lightly crushed corriander seeds, chopped onions, chopped potato and some water (such that the mixture/ batter isn't too watery & the pakoras can be made) . Mix all the ingredients well. Heat some oil and make small pakoras from the batter. Fry the pakoras till they turn golden brown. Remove the pakoras from the oil and keep them on tissue paper for some time till the paper absorbs the oil from the pakoras.

For the curry

Take some buttermilk in a pan. Mix some besan in the buttermilk such that no lumps are formed. Now heat some oil in a separate pan. Add some mustard seeds, methi seeds and red chillies when the oil heats. After the mustard seeds splutter, add some curry leaves, turmeric powder and asafoetida to the oil. Now, add this oil to the besan buttermilk preparation. Now, add salt, red chilli powder to the curry and cook it for 10-15 mins. Let the curry turn slightly thicker and then turn off the heat. After 5-10 minutes, add the pakoras one by one to the curry and serve with hot parathas.

Pav Bhaji

Pav bhaji is one of the dishes which most of us love & wouldn't mind having it at almost any time. I really missed my pav bhaji from Mumbai when I came to US. And, after trying it at a couple of Indian restaurants, I was convinced that nobody here could replicate the chatpati Bambaiya pav bhaji ! And, there started my own experiments to make one ! After having tried a couple of times with some changes each time, I think I did finally come up with a delicious Bambaiya pav bhaji! :) So, here's the recipe for all you foodlovers:

Pav Bhaji (Serves 2)

Ingredients

4 potatoes

1/2 cauliflower

1/2 bowl green peas

tomato puree

1.5 chopped onions

butter

oil

ginger-garlic paste

bay leaves

red chilli

salt

turmeric powder

Pav bhaji masala

red chilli powder

finely chopped cilantro

Pav / burger buns

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes, cauliflower and grean peas


2. Take some butter and oil in a pan. Add bay leaves and red chilly.


3. Add 1 chopped onion and the ginger garlic paste. Cook till the onion is golden brown.


4. Mash the boiled potatoes, cauliflower and grean peas and add it in the pan. Add some water.


5. Add the masalas- salt, turmeric powder, Pav bhaji masala and red chilli powder and stir. Cook for 5-10 mins.


6. After cooking for some time, add 3-4 tbsp of tomato puree and cook for about 15 mins.


7. The bhaji is ready to serve. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and onions.


8. Lightly butter the pav / buns and heat them on a pan until light brown. You are ready to eat! Serve the pav with garnished bhaji.

Dhokla or Khaman

Ingredients

Dhokla flour
yogurt
Baking Soda or Eno fruitsalt
Salt
finely chopped green chillies
ginger paste
finely chopped cilantro
oil
mustard seeds
turmeric powder
curry leaves

asafoetida
grated coconut

sugar

Method

1. Take the dhokla flour and equal quantity of yogurt in a utensil and mix it well. Cover the utensil and keep it aside for fermentation for 10-12 hours.


2. After fermentation, add some water, turmeric powder, salt, finely chopped green chillies, ginger paste and mix well. Add a pinch of Baking Soda or Eno fruitsalt and stir.


3. Apply oil in the dhokla stand. Pour the dhokla batter in the stand and cook the dhoklas (in a pressure cooker with the cooker whistle removed). Cook for 10-15 mins.


4. After cooking, remove the dhokla plates and cut the dhokla into small square pieces.


5. For garnishing, heat some oil in a pan. On heating, add mustard seeds, finely chopped green chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida.


6. Pour the oil all over the dhoklas. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and grated coconut.


7. Heat half a cup of water in a pan and bring it to a boil. Add 4 tsp of sugar to it. Pour this water over the garnished dhoklas.


8. The dhoklas are ready to be served. Serve with fresh green chutney.

Punjabi Chhole or Masala chana

The preparation of Punjabi chhole has always been a challenge specially if you want it to have the real punjabi taste & aroma... After trying different styles & recipes, I have come up with a decent recipe for a punjabi chhole that has the real punjabi taste:)

Punjabi chhole recipe

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

1.5 bowls of garbanzo beans

1 potato

1/2 onion

1 tomato

oil

1 red chilly

2 bay leaves

ginger-garlic paste

salt

chilli powder

corriander powder

dry mango powder

chhole masala (Everest or Badshah)

Method

1. Soak the garbanzo beans overnight or for 8-10 hours.
2. Pressure cook the beans and the potato.
3. Take some oil in a pan. Add the red chilly, bay leaves, chopped onion & ginger -garlic paste to it and fry till onion is golden brown.
4. Add the boiled garbanzo beans and 1/2 glass of water.
5. Add the chopped tomato.
6. Add salt, chilly powder, corriander powder, dry mango powder and the chhole masala and stir. Cook the chhole for 15-20 mins & serve with hot parathas.
7. Garnish with finely chopped onions , green chillies and corriander (whole chilly cut from the centre).