Shorshe Sheem

Sheem / Hyacinth Beans - 20, washed, dried and the ends trimmed
mustard poppy seeds paste added to a little curd
oil
nigella seeds (kalo jeera)
green chilies - 2
salt
sugar

Temper oil with green chilies and kalo jeere. Add the sheem and cook covered till they are soft.  Add the mustard paste, salt and sugar and cook for some more time.

Spaghetti with stir fried vegetables and paneer

Whole Wheat Spaghetti - cook in boiling water for 7 minutes. Drain and mix 1 tsp of olive oil.

Paneer - Marinate with vinegar, cornflour, maida, salt, pepper, sugar. Stir fry in a nonstick pan till they are crisp.

Mixed vegetables - carrots, beans, capcicum, cauliflower, cabbage, red onions - marinate with vinegar
Garlic and ginger grated
Olive Oil

In a big wok, heat oil and fry the ginger and garlic. Add the mixed vegetables and cook on a high heat stirring frequently. Add salt, pepper and sugar. Do not overcook. Let the vegetables remain a little crisp.

Serve hot with with the spaghetti and fried paneer and a sprinkle of tomato sauce .

Baingan Masala

Small Eggplants - 6 - (each cut into 4  big quarters)
Onion - 1/2
Turmeric
Cilantro for garnishing


Mustard Seeds and Curry leaves for tempering
Garlic - 3 pods
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Clove - 4
Red chilies - 4
Jeera seeds
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Sesame Seeds - 2 tsp
Coconut - 1 tbsp. (grated)
Oil

Mixture of tamarind extract and grated jaggery

Mix the above masala and roast in a little oil till they are roasted well. Cool and grind and keep aside.
Temper oil with mustard and curry leaves. Add the chopped onions and cook till transparent. Add the eggplants and cook uncovered for 2 minutes and then covered on low flame till they are almost cooked. Add the ground masala and some tamarind jaggery. If required add a few teaspoons of water and cook till the eggplants are soft and fully cooked. Garnish with chopped  coriander leaves.

Sheera

1 cup semolina

1 cup turbinado sugar

2 cups water

1 cup milk

Ghee / Clarified Butter - 1 tbsp

pinch of salt

Cashewnuts and Raisins - a handful

Mix the water and milk and put it on heat to boil.

Heat ghee in a pan on low flame and fry the semolina till light brown.

Add the boiling water and milk mixture and a pinch of salt and keep stirring the mixture till it is moderately dried.

Add the sugar and keep cooking till it becomes soft and dry. Sprinkle cashewnuts and raisins on top and serve.

Phuchka / Panipuri Chaat

Boiled Potato - 1, chopped
Red Onion - 1/2, finely chopped
Boiled Green Mung Dal / Boiled Chick peas- 1/2 cup
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Green chilies - 4, finely chopped
Tamarind water - 2 marble sized tamarind pulp soaked in 1/4th cup water
lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Chaat Masala - 2 tsp
Fine Sheo - 1/2 cup
Tamarind, date and jaggery chutney - 4 tbsp
Curd - 2 cups (well beaten and salt and roasted cumin powder added)

Mix all the ingredients till lemon juice to make the filling.  Make a hole in each of the phuchkas. Fill it with the mashed potato mixture. Add a tbsp of curd, sprinkle sheo and tamarind chutney on top and serve.

Thalipeeth

Homemade Thalipeeth mix - 2 cups (or mix a combination of jowar, bajra, brown rice flour)
Onions - 1/4 cup, chopped
Green chilies - 2, finely chopped
Chopped fresh greens like spinach / methi leaves / finely grated mixed vegetables ( optional ) - 1/2 cup
Cilantro - a handful, chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves, chopped
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp + more for cooking thalipeeth
Salt
Water

Make a batter of pouring consistency with the mix and water.

Add the rest of the vegetables and a tablespoonful of oil.
Heat a nonstick skillet and smear a little cooking oil on it.

Now pour a ladleful of the batter and cover the skillet. After a few minutes, remove the cover and flip it over to cook the other side till brown and crisp.

Serve with chutney or pickle.

Adapted from http://kichukhonn.blogspot.com/2009/06/hasslefree-simplified-thalipeeth.html

Ragda Patties

Ingredients for Patties:

3 big Potato

1 tbsp Cornstarch

Aamchur i.e. Dry Mango Powder (or can substitute with juice of half lemon)

Ginger Green chili paste

Chaat masala

Cilantro

Mint leaves (finely chopped)

Salt as per taste

Boil, peel & mash potatoes.

Add all the ingredients for patties and mix well.
 

With the help of greased hands form 12-14 round flat 1/2" thick 2" round patties

Roast few at a time on a greased hot griddle. Turn once to roast other side, making them crisp and golden brown. Keep aside.

Make ragda using my recipe of Ghugni
Place 2 warmed patties in an individual bowl and pour some hot ragda over it so that patties are covered completly

Top with tamarind chutneys. Sprinkle some sev & raw chopped onions on top.
Garnish with Coriander leaves

Mishti Alur Pantua / Sweet Potato Dumpling

For sugar syrup:

2 cups turbinado sugar / coconut palm sugar
2 cups water
cardamom powder
Boil the above for 5 minutes and keep warm

Ghee / Clarified Butter - 2 tsp
Oil for Deep Frying

Sweet Potato - 1 large, boiled. Preferably boil it and keep it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, remove it from fridge and cool for at least 2 hours.
Milk Powder - 12 heaped tbsp
Maida / APF - 1 tbsp
Coconut barfi - 2 broken into small pieces for stuffing (optional)

Mix all the ingredients above and knead with a light hand. Apply a little ghee in the fingers and make 20 oblong shaped balls.

Keep them on a plate sprinkled with maida so that the balls don't stick on the plate.

Deep fry them in slow fire till golden brown on all sides. Soak them in warm (not hot ) sugar syrup for at least 30 minutes.

Samosa / Shingara

To make filling:

Yukon Gold Potato - 8, medium size

Frozen Peas - 1 cup

Cauliflower - 1/2 cup cut into very small pieces or grated (optional, if making only with potato)

A mix of Cumin, coriander and Pomegranate Seeds - 1 tbsp

Green chili - 5, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, minced
Coarsely crushed roasted Coriander - 2 tsp

Roasted Cumin Powder - 2 tsp
Aamchur / Dried Mango Powder or Coarsely powdered Pomogranate Seeds/ Anardana - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt

Makes 20 samosas

Temper the oil with crushed cumin seeds, coriander seeds, pomegranate seeds. Add grated ginger and green chillies. Add the chopped potatoes and cauliflower and cook till the potato is half done.

Add frozen peas, cumin powder, crushed coriander, aamchur/anardana and salt. Mix well and cook till the potatoes are soft and the mixture is dry.

For the potato cover:

2 cup all purpose flour

Oil / Ghee - 6 tbsp

Salt

Chilled water - 1 cup

Mix the salt and ghee in the flour. Knead into a pliable dough (not too soft) with cold water. Take a small ball of kneaded flour and roll it into a circle. Cut it in half. Take one half, make a cup of it and fill it with the filling. Deep fry till golden brown. Serve hot.

Spicy Egg

4 boiled eggs
1/2 cup onion
8-10 curry leaves
1 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp shahjeera
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
3 cloves
1″ cinnamon
1/4 tsp coriander seeds

Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt

Heat 1 tsp oil oil and fry 3-4 curry leaves, shahjeera, ginger-garlic paste, cloves, cinnamon, coriander seeds, onion till onions turn slightly brownish. Add salt and chili powder. Fry for a minute and grind to a smooth paste(do not add water).

Peel the eggs. Put 3 deep cuts into each egg, take care not to break the egg. Stuff the paste into the slits.

Heat oil in a pan and slide the eggs into it. Add any remaining paste and curry leaves. Close the lid and keep it on a medium heat.

After few minutes, open the lid and slightly stir the eggs, cover the lid again. Fry for another few minutes. Serve hot with steamed brown rice and a vegetable side dish.

Methi Thepla

Methi / Fenugreek leaves - 1 big bunch or 2 small bunches, washed, dried and the leaves separated from stems. Discard the stems

Whole Wheat Flour - 1 cup + more for rolling out the thepla
Besan / Chickpea Flour - 1 cup

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain / Carom Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Finely chopped garlic -3 (optional)
Red chili powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Boiled lentil or leftover dal- 2 tbsp
Yoghurt - 1 tbsp
Salt
Ghee / Olive Oil for cooking the theplas

Add all the spices to the methi leaves. Mix well.

Then add the mashed lentil. Add salt and whole wheat flour.

Lastly add the curd little at a time so that the mixture can be kneaded well. Set aside for a few minutes.

Roll the theplas like roti, use flour for easy rolling. Cook on a tava on both sides with a little ghee.

Makes about 7 theplas

Rajasthani Kala Chana

Kala Chana - 1 cup soaked overnight and cooked till soft with some salt and turmeric. Mash half of the chana with a fork.

Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 2 pinches

Curd- 1 cup

Besan - 1tbsp

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt

Mix curd, besan, red chili powder, salt together and beat till soft. Add 1 cup water to it.

Heat oil in a pan. Temper hot oil with jeera and hing.

Then add the cooked chana and stir for some time. Add the curd mixture and cook well till it reaches a thick consistency.

 

Adapted from http://kichukhonn.blogspot.com/2009/03/jaisalmeri-kala-chana-black-chickpeas.html

Vatli Dal

Chana dal / Bengal Gram - 1 cup
Onion - 3/4 cup, finely chopped

Green chilies - 5
Garlic cloves - 5, grated
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Salt
Hing / Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Turmeric - a pinch
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
4 tbsp oil
Curry leaves - 6
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Clean, wash and soak dal in sufficient water for 4 -5 hours or overnight. Drain water and add salt, grated garlic, grated ginger and 3 green chilies. Grind everything together to a coarse paste keep aside.



Take a steel vessel which can fit into a pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water in the pressure cooker. Apply oil to the vessel. Pour the ground mixture in the vessel. Close tightly with a foil. Place the vessel in the cooker and cook for 4 whistles after full pressure is reached. Remove and cool a little. Then break the cake with fingers to make a panko bread crumb like consistency.

Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add hing, turmeric, curry leaves, 2 green chilies. Saute for 1 minute on a low heat.

Add chopped onion and cook till the onion caramelizes.

Add the cooked dal, salt, sugar, red chili powder. Mix and cook covered on a low heat by sprinkling water once in a while if it gets too dry.

Add a little more oil if required. Once done, add lemon juice, mix well and serve.


Shorshe Dharosh / Okra with Mustard sauce

Dharosh / Okra - 30 small, both ends trimmed

Yellow Mustard seeds~ 3 tbsp

Poppy Seeds / KhusKhus / Posto ~ 1 tbsp

Green Chilies ~ 3

Salt ~ a pinch

Soak all the above for 30 minutes and make a paste of it.

Nigella seeds/Kalo Jeera ~ 1/2 tsp

Green Chilies ~ 3 chilies slit lengthwise

For the gravy/sauce:

Mustard Paste ~ 2 heaped tbsp of the prepared paste

Yogurt ~ 1 tbsp - mix with mustard paste and leave the two for 10 minutes

Peanut Oil
Mustard Oil (optional)

Sugar

Salt
Turmeric

Heat Oil in a Kadhai /Frying Pan. Temper with Kalo Jeera and Green Chili.

When the spices start sputtering add the washed and dried okra. Sauté the okra for 4-5 minutes with a pinch of turmeric. Do not deep fry them, they should be tender and half cooked. You will know because they will glisten and have turned soft by this time.
 

Mix the mustard paste with yogurt and add the mixture to the okra.

Add salt and sugar. Mix well, add a dash of mustard oil and cover and cook. Stir intermittently till the okra is done.

Gawar Bhaji / Cluster Beans

Cluster Beans/ Gawar - 1/2 lb

Potato - 1, chopped
Onion - 1/2, chopped
Oil
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds,
1/4 tsp Hing,
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Red Chili Powder
1 tsp Goda masala
1/4 tsp Ajwain
1 tbsp grated jaggery
Salt as per taste
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp grated fresh Coconut
2 tbsp fresh cilantro

Trim the ends and chop the beans into small pieces (1/2 inch to 3/4 inch size)
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when they start to splutter, add turmeric, hing, ajwain, and onion

When onion turns translucent, add the potato cubes and chopped gawar. Cover and cook on a low flame for 3-4 minutes

Remove the lid and add goda masala, chili powder. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, add 1-cup warm water and cover it again.

Let it cook till the beans are done, then add jaggery, salt, coconut, and cilantro. Cook for 3-4 minutes more.